Thyme for Cooking

Seasonal Weekly Menus & Shopping Lists

Healthy Food          Fresh Ingredients          Simple Recipes

 Home  Seasonal Menus  Recipe Index Cooking Tips  Blog

Menu Plan for the week of Nov. 19, 2013: Wednesday's Recipes

Fried Ham with Red Eye Gravy
Spicy Potatoes and Carrots

Cooking time:  30 minutes for menu           Cooking schedule: see below for instructions

     There are assertive flavors in this dinner - a good foil for cold weather and holiday indulgence.

Sliced Ham with Red-Eye Gravy                     Preparation and cooking time:   20 minutes
     Mushrooms aren't traditional but I like them.... And this style ham isn't traditional either, so...

2 - 4 slices ham, 12oz (360gr) total weight
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
3oz (90gr) mushrooms
1/2 cup strong coffee
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 1 tbs water

Clean, trim and slice mushrooms. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When hot add paprika and sauté 1 minute. Add mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes longer. Move mushrooms to the side and add the ham slices. Brown lightly on both sides.  Add coffee, sugar and bring to a boil. Remove ham to a small platter.  Add cornstarch dissolved in water and stir until sauce is thick. Pour over ham and serve.

Spicy Potatoes and Carrots                            Preparation and cooking time:   30 minutes
      Add as much pepper as you like, but remember it's hot... Best to add, taste, add more if you like... or hot sauce.

2 medium potatoes
2 medium carrots
1 medium onion
2 ribs celery
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 - 1/4 tsp black or red pepper or more
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce   optional
1 tbs olive oil

Slice the potatoes - the long way, first in half, then in half again.  Now slice (the short way) about 1/4 inch thick.  We are aiming for bite size so if you have a huge potato, adjust accordingly.
Slice the carrots the same, if they are large, cut in half the long way first.  Roughly chop the onion, celery.  Mince garlic. Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add chili powder, cumin and sauté briefly.  Add potatoes, carrots, onions, celery and stir-fry over medium high heat until starting to brown, about 10 minutes. 
Add garlic, Worcestershire sauce and reduce heat to medium.  Continue cooking, stirring and flipping as needed, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes longer.  Add pepper to taste and serve.

Cooking schedule: 30 minutes Assemble all food, utensils and serving dishes Utensils: measuring cups, spoons, knives, 2 large skillets Slice potatoes, carrots Chop onion, celery Mince garlic Trim, slice mushrooms Sauté chili powder, cumin Sauté paprika Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, to chili / cumin Add mushrooms to paprika, sauté

Stir-fry potatoes, carrots, onion, celery Move mushrooms to side, add ham, brown Turn ham Add Worcestershire, garlic to vegetables, reduce heat Add coffee, sugar to ham Dissolve cornstarch in water     Pause while it all finishes Remove ham, increase heat Add cornstarch, stir until clear and thick Spoon mushrooms, gravy on ham Add pepper, hot sauce to vegetables, taste, adjust Serve

Share this:

----------------------

Get 7 Dinner Menus, Recipes, Shopping List each Thursday by e-mail: Subscribe

Need help planning dinner?  Do you have a garden?   A CSA for fresh veggies?

Try our Weekly Menu Plans: Healthy Gourmet Dinners;  Quick, Easy Recipes.
Each week carefully planned to reduce waste and use a lots of fresh, seasonal veggies. 

By Katie Zeller

© All text and images are copyright © 2010 - 2024 Thyme for Cooking.  All rights reserved unless otherwise indicated