Ham and Green Bean Casserole

I don't know about you, but I have way too much ham left over from Christmas. I do not like pineapple or glaze on my ham. About one hour into cooking I pour a can of soda pop over it to keep it moist. My mom believed in using ginger ale, which is really good. One year I was having company, forgot to buy ginger ale, so I had to use Pepsi instead. It was different, but in a good way. This year I chose to go with the Pepsi again. It was good. Still, there are only so many ham sandwiches three people can eat (mom can't eat ham). This is where pea soup, fried rice, and ham and green been casserole come in.

Ham and Green Bean Casserole

1 cup of ham (I have lots of ham leftover, so I was a little more generous in the ham department.)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cans of cut green beans, drained
1 cup of shredded cheese (I usually use cheddar, but yesterday I used Kraft's Mexican blend, and it was good)

Spray a microwave safe dish with cooking spray. Put ham, soup, and green beans in dish. Mix well to combine. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Pour cheese over the beans and ham. Microwave for one more minute. Serve with rice.

Did I forget to mention it was an easy recipe, and could be done in the microwave? Woops!

Fried Rice

About 3 cups of cooked rice, cooled
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of chopped green onions
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup of diced cooked chicken (or beef, or pork, or ham)
1 cup of mixed vegetables (carrots and peas)
1 dash of pepper
2 tablespoons of soy sauce (more if you like it)
salt to taste

Heat the oil over medium to high heat in a large preheated skilled or wok. Add the onions and eggs into the oil, and stir until they are cooked. Stir in chicken, carrots, peas, and pepper. Stir fry for about to minutes or until vegetables are both crispy and tender. Stir in the cooked rice. Add soy sauce and salt. Stir until the soy sauce is mixed evenly.

On July 16, 2008, a lady named Ying Stoller came to the library in the town where I live, and showed a room full of people how to make fried rice. It was awesome. I love fried rice! And lately, I have been trying to stretch leftovers (Don't worry. It is the economy, but we are doing fine. I try to stretch the left overs so that I can donate more canned goods to the food pantry and still stay within our budget. Food pantry clients have escalated, providers have declined, so those of us who can do more need to creatively find ways to do just that. Getting off soap box now, and back into the kitchen). This is a really great recipe to stretch all sorts of leftovers with.
Mrs. Stoller was also selling a book while she was here. It is called Ying's Chinese Cookbook: Authentic But Simple. She shared these recipes with a bunch of strangers for free to promote her book. I feel justified in sharing the same recipe if I do the same and promote her book. Hey, if I am wrong, she can comment and ask me to delete the post. I will if she feels that way, but can't understand why she would. I am going to try to provide a link to her website. Wish me luck.
www.yingskitchen.com

Click here to go to Ying's Kitchen

Chicken Pot Pie

As seen on the bisquick site, and requested by Katdish.


1 2/3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup cut-up cooked chicken
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

Total Time: 30 min

1. Heat oven to 400°F. In ungreased 9-inch pie plate, stir vegetables, chicken and soup.
2. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.
3. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until crust golden brown.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft) Heat oven to 425ºF.


P.S. I made eggs and bacon for breakfast this morning. This is somewhat monumental, because I rarely get up early enough to make breakfast for my husband, and as penance, I won't eat meat at breakfast without him. You know how some websites give you "how to videos"? Well, here is a "how not to video" on egg preparation. The bacon is rather raw. Enjoy!