Sunday, January 03, 2010

Where am I headed?


Hawaiian Sweet-Sour Ham
Better Homes and Gardens Casserole Cook Book Copyright 1968

2 cups cooked ham cut in julienne strips
1 tablespoon salad oil
1 8 ¾-ounce can (1 cup) pineapple tidbits I used chunks in juice, I cut the chunks in half
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon monosodium glutamate I left this out
3 to 4 teaspoons vinegar
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
¾ cup water
1 green pepper, cut into ½-inch squares
2 cups cooked rice

Brown ham in hot oil. Drain pineapple, reserving syrup. Mix brown sugar, cornstarch, monosodium glutamate, vinegar and mustard; stir in reserved syrup and water; add to skillet. Cook and stir till mixture thickens and bubbles. Cover; simmer 10 minutes.

Add pineapple tidbits and green pepper; simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Salt to taste. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Makes 4 servings
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My mother-in-law gave us a big chunk of ham at Christmas so I used some of it in this recipe. My appetite still wasn't back in full force when I made this. My husband scarfed it up so I can safely say it wasn't bad but I don't feel as if I was in a position to judge it fairly myself. I've made plenty of sweet and sour dishes and although this one didn't do much for me, it could very well have just been the timing.

I really crashed after Christmas this year. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing but I'm having trouble getting back into the groove, and I'm not so sure I want to get back in the same groove either. I certainly want to keep cooking and blogging but maybe not with the same intensity. Maybe I will start blogging about other things too. Maybe things will continue as they are. I haven't decided yet. In the meantime, I still have a few recipes from the past few weeks that I will catch you up on.

Question of the Day: Any changes planned in your life for this year?

6 comments:

Wanda said...

Hmmm...not anything dramatic, but I am getting more into frugality these days. Actually, I don't spend much at all, but I am focusing on it, and paying attention to it more now. I'm being purposeful.

Chef Aimee said...

I think you have a great voice and should blog about any topic you want - do you think you want a vacation for a season or want to evolve into something else? Whatever you do, I look forward to what you create.

Chef Aimee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Red Dirt Mummy said...

I know the feeling! I took a month-and-a-half long break and have just gone back to blogging. I've revamped it a bit but am still toying with changing sites/names/topics/etc. We'll see.

Anonymous said...

Whatever you decide, I will still be looking forward to it. As for changes this year for me, it's the same old thing I say each year.....lose weight. HA! Fat chance (pun intended).

Jan

Anonymous said...

Just made this recipe for the 4th time; in order to kick up the spice level a notch, I substituted diced tomatoes with HABANEROS and used BS chicken breast...PERFECTION!!! I have also used various white wines and have settled on Pinot Grigio as my go to; if the sauce thickens too much, I thin it with some chicken stock; especially when reheating the leftovers...that is if there are any..this recipe is a keeper!