Ham Stock & Veggie Soup

I've had lots of meaty ham bones lately to cook with - this most recent one from my son's house and our early Christmas with him and his family ... naturally he saved the bone with lots of meat on it for me!  So I cooked the ham stock, let it chill so the fat would rise to the top and solidify. The next day I removed the stock from the refrigerator, skimmed off the fat and finished the Ham and Veggie Soup.

My husband does not care for ham and bean soup, so this recipe was a way for me to get him to enjoy it. Use any vegetables you want in this ... but be sure to use fresh or frozen, especially if canning it.  If you use canned vegetables, they will turn mushy, which is not what you want.  This soup also freezes very well.

Recipe
Ingredients
3-4 quarts Ham Stock (follow the highlighted recipe minus the chili powder and red pepper flakes)
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 - 14.5 oz. can diced petite tomatoes with juice (or any canned diced tomatoes)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups frozen green beans
2 cups frozen corn
Sliced carrots
(other veggies could be lima beans, green peas, really anything you like)
Reserved ham meat from stock
2 -3 tsp. course-ground black pepper
2-3 tsp. garlic powder
1-2 tsp. seasoned salt (I use Lawry's - or make your own)

Method
In a large stock pot, bring ham stock, onion, celery, tomatoes and spices to a boil, reduce heat and simmer approx. 30 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.

Add the remaining vegetables, reserved ham meat from stock, adjust seasonings to taste and cook over low heat until all vegetables are tender. Serve immediately.

GREAT with biscuits, cornbread or crusty bread.

Canning directions:  Cook ham stock, onion, celery, tomatoes and spices as above.  Add remaining vegetables raw to each canning jar, top with reserved ham meat from stock, and evenly distribute among jars. Ladle hot stock over top and seal with canning rings and lids. Your ratio should be half solids to half liquid in each jar.

Process jars in a pressure canner 1 hour and 15-30 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure.

Yield is approx. 4 quart jars

Enjoy,

Mary

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Cinnamon Rolls with Sticky Topping

Searching and tweaking several cinnamon roll recipes I had accumulated over the years, I spent many days/months/years playing around with this to get just the right combintation.  Happy to say I finally found the absolute best combination of big, soft, light rolls with a great sticky caramel 
topping!  These are a huge hit in my family!

Dough
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 package active-dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour (I use 1/2 all-purpose and 1/2 whole wheat)
1 egg

Filling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Sticky Caramel Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup slightly melted butter
2 tbls corn syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans
pour into  13x9 in" pan sprayed with cooking spray to coat bottom

Heat milk in microwave just to boiling.   Remove and add shortening, sugar and salt; let cool to lukewarm (about 10 minutes).  In a small bowl, add yeast to the 1/2 cup warm water and mix to dissolve.  In a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of the flour, the cooled milk mixture, the yeast and the egg.  Mix well with a spoon.  Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, mix well and turn out onto a floured board. Knead about 10 times until dough is not sticky, adding more flour if needed.  Oil or grease bowl (I spray with cooking spray), add dough and turn to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 1 1/2 hours. 
Punch down and turn dough out onto floured board; roll out into 17 x 9 rectangle.  Mix the filling brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon together. Spread dough with filling, sprinkle with pecans and raisins (optional), and roll up dough starting at wide end. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Mix sticky caramel topping ingredients all together and pour into prepared pan.  Place rolls cut-side down on top of sticky caramel topping, evenly spacing each roll. Cover lightly with a kitchen towl and let rise again until doubled, approx. 45-60 minutes. Bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes or until rolls are lightly browned and sticky caramel topping is bubbly.  Immediately invert into storage container, or onto platter/large plate, scraping remaining sticky caramel topping on top of cinnamon rolls (sticky caramel topping is extremely hot; be careful when inverting pan). 

Serve warm!

Options - replace the corn syrup in the sticky caramel topping with maple syrup for a different taste!

For freezing - wrap each cinnamon roll in plastic wrap and store in zip-loc bags in freezer.

 

 

 

Enjoy,
Mary

 

 

Cheesy Ham, Potato and Broccoli Soup

Updated and Revised October 2019

Oh I just love making homemade stock! Today I had a meaty ham bone I used to make some yummy Ham Stock.  In the stock pot went the ham bone, celery, carrots, green onions, a large, fresh tomato cut into quarters (I don't always use a fresh tomato, but I had one today), and water to cover all. The only spice I added was some black pepper.  Several hours later (about 3-4 hours simmering) was this delicious Ham Stock I used for this soup, then I pressure canned the remaining stock for use another time.

Of course you don't have to make and use ham stock. You can easily use chicken stock to make this soup. Add some meaty chunks of ham (leftover ham is a great to use in this soup), fresh broccoli florets, cubed potatoes and cheese and you'll have a hearty, delicious soup your family will love.

RECIPE
Ingredients
2 cups Ham Stock (or chicken stock)
1 cup heavy cream
4 tbls. butter
1/3 cup flour
4-5 small potatoes, peeled and diced (I use red potatoes)
1/2-1 cup diced cooked ham meat
1 cup fresh broccoli, diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
1 small onion, diced small
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Method
Melt butter in the bottom of a large stock pot, whisk in the flour to make a roux.  Whisk in ham stock (or chicken stock), and cream; cook over medium heat until slightly thickened.

Add ham meat, celery, onion, garlic and potatoes and continue cooking until potatoes are done; stir in cheese and cook until melted. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Add broccoli and cook until just al dente, 5-7 minutes.

Serve immediately with hard crusty rolls or bread, cornbread or biscuits. Delicious!

Yield:  4-6 servings

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.



Crab Balls with Remoulade Sauce

Updated and Revised December 2021

I love seafood of all kinds, so it didn't take much convincing for me to try to make these little appetizer crab balls. Simple recipe, easy to do, and they taste fantastic! Love the combination of the Old Bay seasoning with the crab meat, and the mayonnaise is just enough to bind them together.  Light, fluffy, delicious!

RECIPE
Ingredients:

1/2-3/4 cup bread crumbs

1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning 

1 cup mayonnaise

1 pound crab meat (two 6-oz. cans. crab meat, drained can be substituted for fresh)

Method:

Mix first 3 ingredients together; gently fold in crab meat and shape into small balls.  Fry in oil in a heavy skillet (or deep fryer) for a few minutes, or until evenly browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve with Remoulade Sauce.

Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp lemon juice

3 tsp chopped parsley

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tsp horseradish

1 dash paprika

Method:

Mix all ingredients together until well blended; chill several hours in the refrigerator. Serve chilled with crab balls, crab cakes, shrimp or any seafood you want to.

As seen on Meal Plan Monday

Enjoy,
Mary

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Beef Back Ribs

I'm not sure exactly when my husband started making these Beef Back Ribs, but oh my goodness, they are falling-off-the-bone delicious. They taste like prime rib "bites," as that's what they are cut from, the Prime Rib or Standing Rib Roast. 

During the winter we bake them in the oven. In the warmer weather, we would cook them on the grill.

We serve these with twice-baked potatoes and veggies, but they are also very good with baked beans and corn-on-the-cob.

RECIPE

Ingredients
Beef Back Ribs (typically sold in packages of 2 racks of ribs)

Rub mixture - he doesn't measure (brown sugar, fresh-cut rosemary, garlic, course-ground black pepper and paprika)

Method
Rub ribs liberally with rub mixture. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil, sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake or grill over low heat approx. 2 hours (oven temp 275-300).

Unwrap ribs from foil, place on baking sheet or grill rack and cook until done, usually 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy,

Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Easy He-Man Spanish Rice

Oh, this brings back so many memories as my dad used to make this when I was just a girl!  You can make this as "mild" or as "spicy" as you want it. Super-easy, one pan dish that cooks in just a few minutes, perfect for a weeknight meal.  Serve with cornbread and a side salad and you have dinner.


Recipe

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 can tomato soup
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, with liquid
3/4 can water
1-2 tsp. garlic powder
1-2 tsp. course-ground black pepper
1-2 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp. hot sauce
1 tbls. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup cooked rice
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top of each serving.

Method
Brown ground beef in large fry pan or electric skillet; add diced onion and saute a few minutes or until onion is soft. Add tomato soup and next 7 ingredients.

Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add rice and simmer, covered, until rice is hot and all ingredients are well mixed.  Serve with some shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Adjust seasonings to your taste - omit red pepper flakes and hot sauce to make it more mild and "kid friendly."

Enjoy,
Mary
© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Italian-Style Turkey Minestrone Soup

Well, it's taken me several days to get this post up due to WORK ... my real job which is Monday-Friday!  Soooooo, finally, I got it all done!  This recipe starts with making your own Turkey Bone Broth. In this instance I had 3 turkey breast carcasses I was using, so I made the stock, cooled it to skim the fat layer off, then used all the loveliness to make the soup.  Because I was looking for something different, I researched several recipes, then simply made this my own.  The soup base is awesome tasting and the resulting finished product exceed my expectations. So, next time you're looking for something different, give this a try!

Recipe
Ingredients
2 quarts Turkey Bone Broth (preferably homemade)
1- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
4 stalks celery, roughly chopped (I also used some of the green, leafy tops)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. course-ground black pepper
2 tsp. oregano leaves
2 cups chopped reserved turkey meat from stock (or chicken meat)
2 cups french-cut frozen green beans (fresh or frozen work best)

Method
In a large stock pot, add turkey stock, tomatoes with juice, celery, onion and spices. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for an hour or so until vegetables are very tender. Adjust seasonings to taste.

In 4 quart-sized canning jars, place equal amounts of turkey meat and green beans.  Ladle soup over top, evenly distributing the tomatoes, onions and celery in each with stock.  Leave 1/2" head space. 

Seal jars with lids and pressure can quart jars 90 minutes at 11 lbs. pressure. Remove from heat and allow to cool down completely before removing lid (lid locking mechanism will retract allowing lid to be opened). Once cooled down, remove jars and allow to sit on a towel on your kitchen counter 24 hours undisturbed.  Jars are sealed when the button in the middle of the lid is completely depressed.

This soup can also easily be frozen.

Serve over noodles or rice, if desired.

Enjoy,
Mary

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BEST-EVER Fried Chicken

Updated July 2019

Oh my goodness!  I've made a lot of fried chicken in my time, trying all kinds of different recipes, double dipping, triple dipping, making a batter to soak them in and more. Sometimes the very simplest ingredient is the one that makes it stand-out.

Ever have fried chicken you made at home, and the coating always came off when you ate it, no matter what recipe you tried?  Yep, happened to me all the time, until tonight! And what was the secret ingredient that solved the mystery of the coating sticking on the chicken?  Self-rising flour!  Are you kidding me?  Yep, you may have known this, but I did not until today.  

Coating is nice and crispy, plus stays on the chicken and does not fall off when you cut into it ... awesomeness!! Now I don't have a bite of chicken with coating on the side. I only wish I'd known this like 30 years ago!  LOL!

RECIPE
Ingredients

3 eggs (preferably farm fresh)

1/3 cup water

1/4-1/3 cup hot red pepper sauce, optional (I use Texas Pete)

2 cups self-rising flour (make your own by adding 3 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to AP flour)

1 teaspoon course-ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic salt (not powder) or more to taste

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts, split in half (8 pieces) or 1 fryer chicken, cut into pieces

Oil, for frying (I use peanut oil)

Method
In a medium-size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange. 

In a large zip-top bag (gallon size), combine the flour, garlic salt, and course-ground black pepper. 

Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, drop several pieces at a time in the zip-top bag; seal bag and shake to coat well in the flour mixture.

Place chicken pieces on a cooling rack on top of some paper towels and let sit 30 minutes before frying. This helps the coating stick on the chicken so it won't fall off when frying.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees F in a deep pot (I use a Cool Daddy Fryer). If using a deep pot do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.

Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take thighs about 13 to 14 minutes, breasts around 8 to 10 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165 degrees. Cut into one piece to ensure chicken is cooked through; juices should run clear.

Enjoy,
Mary

© Cooking with Mary and Friends. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cooking with Mary and Friends with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.