Couscous Salad With Leftover Ham and Crunchy Vegetables
I have been raising my twin grandchildren for the last three and a half years.
They were 15 1/2 years old when they moved in with my husband and me.
Suddenly, I had to switch from cooking for older adults to cooking for teens.
If you have teens you know they are hungry all the time.
An hour after dinner the kids walk into the kitchen and start looking for snacks.
Center cut ham slice is one of my grandchildren's favorite meals.
I buy the leanest, thickest, lowest salt slice I can find.
Sometimes I cook the ham in a cast iron skillet and other times I heat it in the oven.
My cooking method depends on the amount of water in the meat.
Before you buy a center cut slice, read the label carefully.
One brand I found contains 25 percent water.
Usually there is no ham left, but I may have a little hunk, and have found many uses for it.
Ham is a versatile meat and its smoky flavor is a welcome addition to many recipes.
Leftover ham perks up bland soup, for example, and is a natural addition to cheese casseroles.
How do I use leftover ham? I have made sandwich spread, Pasta Alfredo garnished with thin strips of meat, and Minestrone soup.
When I checked one of my cookbooks (I have dozens of them), I found a recipe for ham and chicken pot pie with peas.
The recipe sounds delicious and should be a snap to make with refrigerated pie crust.
But today I felt more like salad, so I created this wheat couscous salad with the vegetables I had on hand.
Though I usually make my own olive oil and rice vinegar salad dressing, I used store-bought dressing to save time.
Couscous absorbs moisture like a sponge, so you may have to add more dressing later.
This nutritions salad goes with grilled meats, fish, chicken, and hot dogs.
Omit the ham, add cubes of Cheddar, Havarti, or Montery Jack cheese, and you have a vegetarian main dish.
I hope you will try my recipe for Couscous Salad with Leftover Ham and Crunchy Vegetables.
Ingredients 7.
6-ounce box of wheat couscous 1 1/2 cups lower sodium chicken stock 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 teaspoon lower sodium salt 3 scallions (white and green parts), chopped 1 cup red pepper, chopped 1 cup fresh pea pods, trimmed and cut in half 1 cup petite carrots 1 cup leftover ham, chopped (more if you wish) Light Italian dressing of your choice Method Cook entire box of couscous according to package directions.
Cool, fluff with fork, and set aside.
In a large bowl combine scallions, red pepper, pea pods, carrots, and ham.
Add couscous and toss gently with a rubber spatula.
Pour about 1/3 cup of Italian dressing over the salad and toss again.
Refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors.
Serve on red leaf or butter lettuce or fresh spinach leaves.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Copyright 2010 by Harriet Hodgson
They were 15 1/2 years old when they moved in with my husband and me.
Suddenly, I had to switch from cooking for older adults to cooking for teens.
If you have teens you know they are hungry all the time.
An hour after dinner the kids walk into the kitchen and start looking for snacks.
Center cut ham slice is one of my grandchildren's favorite meals.
I buy the leanest, thickest, lowest salt slice I can find.
Sometimes I cook the ham in a cast iron skillet and other times I heat it in the oven.
My cooking method depends on the amount of water in the meat.
Before you buy a center cut slice, read the label carefully.
One brand I found contains 25 percent water.
Usually there is no ham left, but I may have a little hunk, and have found many uses for it.
Ham is a versatile meat and its smoky flavor is a welcome addition to many recipes.
Leftover ham perks up bland soup, for example, and is a natural addition to cheese casseroles.
How do I use leftover ham? I have made sandwich spread, Pasta Alfredo garnished with thin strips of meat, and Minestrone soup.
When I checked one of my cookbooks (I have dozens of them), I found a recipe for ham and chicken pot pie with peas.
The recipe sounds delicious and should be a snap to make with refrigerated pie crust.
But today I felt more like salad, so I created this wheat couscous salad with the vegetables I had on hand.
Though I usually make my own olive oil and rice vinegar salad dressing, I used store-bought dressing to save time.
Couscous absorbs moisture like a sponge, so you may have to add more dressing later.
This nutritions salad goes with grilled meats, fish, chicken, and hot dogs.
Omit the ham, add cubes of Cheddar, Havarti, or Montery Jack cheese, and you have a vegetarian main dish.
I hope you will try my recipe for Couscous Salad with Leftover Ham and Crunchy Vegetables.
Ingredients 7.
6-ounce box of wheat couscous 1 1/2 cups lower sodium chicken stock 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 teaspoon lower sodium salt 3 scallions (white and green parts), chopped 1 cup red pepper, chopped 1 cup fresh pea pods, trimmed and cut in half 1 cup petite carrots 1 cup leftover ham, chopped (more if you wish) Light Italian dressing of your choice Method Cook entire box of couscous according to package directions.
Cool, fluff with fork, and set aside.
In a large bowl combine scallions, red pepper, pea pods, carrots, and ham.
Add couscous and toss gently with a rubber spatula.
Pour about 1/3 cup of Italian dressing over the salad and toss again.
Refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors.
Serve on red leaf or butter lettuce or fresh spinach leaves.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Copyright 2010 by Harriet Hodgson
Source...