One Pot Ham & Veggie Pasta

Today’s recipe, Ham & Veggie Pasta, is a hearty meal but easy to make for busy weeknights. What makes it superb for summer is all the cooking is in one stove top pot. For summer, I suggest you buy a center cut ham steak of about 1 to 2 pounds. 2 cups of chopped ham is approximately 1 pound; you’ll need 2 1/2 cups for 6 servings. When fall and winter comes, use leftovers from your baked ham. I used a defrosted frozen green peas and carrot mix for my veggies, but you could just use green peas or another vegetable.

I like cute bow tie pasta (Farfalle), but you can change up this recipe by using a different pasta shape or switching out Parmesan for another cheese. If you don’t eat pork, substitute bite-sized pieces of other cooked protein. The sauce is based on low sodium chicken broth and half-and-half. Half-and-half comes in variations, including low-fat and fat-free varieties. Regular half-and-half is 10.5% to 12% fat. Low-fat has 50% less fat than regular half-and-half. Fat-free half-and-half has one-tenth the fat of regular half-and-half. I suggest low fat half-and-half to cut fat but retain the creamy flavor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Pot Ham & Veggie Pasta

Use organic when available. Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cup low-fat half-and-half
• 1/4 cup flour
• 16 oz package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
• 2 cups frozen peas and carrots defrosted
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat
• Add onion and ham
• Sauté for about 3 minutes
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds
• Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper
• Cook for 2 minutes
• Whisk together chicken broth, half-and-half, and flour in a bowl until smooth
• Pour into the pot of ham mix
• Stir in farfalle pasta, cover, and cook for 15 minutes
• Add peas and carrots
• Cook until pasta is cooked through, about 8 more minutes
• Stir in Parmesan cheese
• Optional garnish with chopped parsley
• Serve immediately with bread and a salad   

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The Many Lakes of Lakeland, Florida

 

 

When you drive around Lakeland, you pass lots of lakes. The City of Lakeland says that there are a total of 38 named lakes within City limits, as well as numerous smaller lakes. Sizes among the 38 named lakes range from 2.5 acres (Lake Blanton) to 2,272 acres (Lake Parker) of which 17 are natural and 21 are man-made. Lake Parker is the large lake behind my condo development. Today I’m sharing a few photos of another lake I passed in my drives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Peaches with Cheese

 

 

Summer is the time to cook food on the grill. Meat, vegetables, and fruits all have their flavors enhanced with the high heat that seals in all the juices.  Magic seems to happen when we grill fruit. Today’s recipe uses ripe but not soft peaches wrapped in prosciutto. Grilled prosciutto wrapped peaches are a perfect sweet and savory dish for an appetizer or even a dessert.  Serve with mozzarella or burrata. Drizzle the platter with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh basil strips.

Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Peaches With Cheese

Use organic when available. Serves 4 to 6. Platter above shows doubled recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe peaches pitted and quartered
• 4 thin slices of prosciutto halved lengthwise
• 8 toothpicks or small skewers
• 6 oz mozzarella or burrata cheese
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• salt pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp sliced fresh basil

Instructions

• Preheat grill to medium high and oil grate
• Make prosciutto ribbons and wrap each quarter peach
• Secure prosciutto with toothpick or small skewer
• Place wrapped peaches on grill
• Grill about 6 minutes until peaches start to carmelize and prosciutto gets crisp around edges
• Remove from heat and discard toothpicks/skewers
• Place cheese onto serving plate
• Place grilled prosciutto-peach quarters around cheese
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper
• Drizzle with olive oil
• Garnish with fresh basil slices
• Serve immediately  

Enjoy!

 

 

 

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Summer in Central Florida

 As I reported recently, Florida is experiencing a severe drought, marking its most significant water shortage since 2012. Driven by massive rainfall deficits and collapsed groundwater levels, regional authorities have enacted strict water restrictions. We're now in the rainy season and are getting showers more often. This has helped but has not solved the problem. We need frequent short showers to build up groundwater levels. A heavy rain doesn't really help as the sandy soil cannot retain the moisture. 

 

Image via Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

  

Today I'm sharing summer skies here at the condo with increased darker clouds. Many afternoons moisture builds up over the Gulf and moves across Florida with showers. Sometimes there is thunder and lightening. I sit and listen as it moves in and out.  I don't really go outside to capture storms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you're enjoying summer wherever you are!

 

 

 

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Southern Tomato & Cracker Salad

 

Tomato & Cracker Salad is a simple southern dish that is a must for summer if you love fresh tomatoes. I know it sounds strange, but if you like tomato sandwiches, you’ll like this. Ripe summer tomatoes are combined with mayonnaise and broken saltine crackers. This is a recipe that’s been made throughout the south for many years. There are slight variations on the recipe. The basic recipe includes chopped ripe summer tomatoes with seeds & pulp removed, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and broken crackers. I like it best while the crackers are still crunchy, so serve it immediately. After about an hour, the crackers soften to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Some people like me add minced fresh basil, chopped green onions, and garlic. Another group add a chopped egg. With the egg addition, it gives you protein for your lunch. If you haven’t tried Tomato & Cracker Salad, remember it when you have loads of fresh tomatoes and want to eat them fast. 

 

Southern Tomato & Crackers Salad

Use organic when available. Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 ripe fresh medium tomatoes of choice – heritage, Campari, cherry
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers broken into bite-sized pieces
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 oz chopped fresh basil
• 1 green onion sliced
• pinch of garlic powder
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• optional chopped hard-boiled egg

Instructions

• Seed and chop tomatoes
• Place tomatoes on a paper towel for 5 or 10 minutes
• Combine mayonnaise, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil in large bowl
• Whisk to blend
• Fold in tomatoes
• Fold in broken crackers
• Optional add chopped hard-boiled egg
• Serve immediately    

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Cucumber, Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salad

 

 

 

 If you love vegetables, today’s recipe is a tasty, filling salad that has great flavor from the mix of ingredients. It’s perfect for using up summer produce from the garden or farmer’s market. It’s topped with a lemon vinaigrette. You can easily adapt it with what you have on hand with additions or subtractions.

 

 

 

 

Cucumber, Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salad

Use organic when available. Serves 4

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 seedless cucumber diced
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/4 cup corn (frozen and defrosted or leftover cooked corn cut from cob)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 avocado diced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or parsley chopped

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro or parsley
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash of hot sauce optional

Instructions

• Toss cucumber, black beans, tomatoes, corn, avocado, and onion together in a large salad bowl.
• Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and cumin together in a bowl
• Add cilantro or parsley, salt, and pepper to taste (plus hot sauce if using)
• Drizzle over salad
• Toss gently to coat
• Refrigerate 30 minutes
• Serve chilled

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

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Kayaking at Kensington Metro Park, Michigan

 

 

Today’s photos are courtesy of Heather. My nephew James & his wife Heather went kayaking this last weekend at Kensington Metro Park, Milford, Michigan. Surrounding Kent Lake, the park covers 4,543 acres. It has wooded hilly terrain and surrounds 1,200-acre Kent Lake.

 

It’s a beautiful day in Michigan. Let’s go kayaking on Kent Lake with James & Heather.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 After the kayaking, Heather and James visited the Kensington Park Farm Center. There is a 150-year-old restored barn and lots of farm animals. Heather loved visiting the kid section with the little goats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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