This Week's Menu

It was a "comfort food" week at the Hatfield residence. We had ham balls (an Iowa classic), chickpea stuffed shells (getting our legumes!), and inside-out chicken cordon bleu. I think these are all good recipes and my kids love them. The ham balls make a lot, but I made them for a neighbor who just had a baby (or you can freeze them before baking them). I kind of made up the chicken cordon bleu one after seeing something similar somewhere.

Ham Balls

2 pounds ground fully cooked ham
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons ground mustard

In a large bowl, combine the ham, beef, pork, cracker crumbs, eggs and milk; mix well. Shape into 48 balls. Place in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over ham balls. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until browned.


Chickpea-stuffed Shells

18 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 egg whites
1 carton (15 ounces) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jar (28 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce, divided
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, place the chickpeas and egg whites in a food processor; cover and process until smooth. Add the ricotta, parsley, Parmesan, onion and garlic; cover and process until well blended. Pour 1-1/4 cups of spaghetti sauce into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; set aside. Drain pasta shells; stuff with chickpea mixture. Place over sauce. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.


Inside-Out Chicken Cordon Bleu

2-4 ounces of thinly sliced deli ham
chicken breast (enough for your family)
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
garlic or onion if you like

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Cut up the deli ham into bite sized pieces and layer on the bottom of the pan. Spread chopped onion and garlic on the ham. Mix the chicken soup, sour cream and parmesan in a separate bowl. Place chicken breast on top of ham and cover with the soup mixture. Bake for an hour in a 350 degree oven or until bubbly. Great over potatoes or brown rice.

Honey Oat Bread

I think this might become a staple at our house. It has fiber and is easy to make.

1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/3 cup ground flax seed
(Pour 2-1/2 cups boiling water over all in a bowl and let sit for 20 minutes...you can go shower) :)

1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
(Add to the above)

4 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
pinch sugar
(Dissolve then add)

Add white flour until you reach desired consistency (not more than 1 cup of wheat flour for best results)
Let rise 1 hour
Punch down and shape into two loaves
Let rise 30 minutes
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes

Thanks to my friend, Tirza, for the great recipe!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are one of my favorites this time of year.

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 cups sugar
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1/2 c veg oil
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups chocolate chips

In large bowl beat yogurt, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, powder, cinnamon and salt. Add and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
Bake 400 degrees for 16-20 min. Cool in pan. Make about 24 muffins.

My Favorite Rolls

1-1/2 cups self-rising flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 package (1/4 ounce) quick-rise yeast
1 cup 1% buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine the self-rising flour, 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, sugar and yeast. In a small saucepan, heat buttermilk and oil to 120°-130° (mixture will appear curdled). Add to dry ingredients; beat just until smooth. Stir in remaining whole wheat flour.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll dough to 1/2-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place 2 in. apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 35-40 minutes. Bake at 375° for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

Dinner

Here's what we had for dinner tonight. I think it's so good. The recipe is from Light and Tasty (my favorite magazine). Lest you think I'm a gourmet cook and superwoman...this is the about the only thing I got done today.

Broccoli-Ham Cheese Pie

12 sheets phyllo dough (14 inches x 9 inches)
Refrigerated butter-flavored spray
1 package (16 ounces) frozen broccoli cuts, thawed and patted dry
1 cup cubed fully cooked lean ham
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup egg substitute
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Spritz one sheet of phyllo dough with butter-flavored spray. Place in a 9-in. pie plate coated with nonstick cooking spray; allow one end of dough to overhang edge of plate by 3-4 in. (Until ready to use, keep phyllo dough covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent drying out.) Repeat with remaining phyllo, overlapping the sheets (staggering the points around the plate) and spritzing with butter-flavored spray between each layer.

In a bowl, combine the broccoli, ham, cheese, onion, parsley, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper; spoon into crust. Combine egg substitute and milk; pour over broccoli mixture. Fold edges of dough over filling toward center of pie plate. Spritz edges with butter-flavored spray.

Cover edge of crust with foil. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes. Remove foil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

We had it with cheese muffins and orange julius. I'll add those recipes when I get a chance. (I don't do everything they say with the phyllo dough. I just flop down about 8 sheets and just spray it with non-stick spray since I'm usually in a hurry.

Hey, Anna, can I get your salsa recipe?? It sounds delicious. (smile)