THRIFTY THURSDAY

MORNING EVERYONE

Last day for Grumpy to work then we are off for four days.. yepee..We have a busy weekend, work around the house outside tomorrow , friends 60th birthday dinner Saturday, Easter dinner on Sunday and hopefully car back from Gary's and weather being nice a spin in the Hotrod...So today I am going to give you a few more vegetable recipes for your dinner ...

ASPARAGUS WRAPPED

IN PANCETTA

Ingredients
2 pounds medium asparagus
1/2 pound very thinly sliced pancetta
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons chopped thyme

Directions
Tightly wrap each asparagus spear in a slice of pancetta and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a small bowl, stir the orange zest and juice with the mustard and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill the asparagus over moderate heat, turning often, until they are just tender and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the asparagus to a platter and drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle with the thyme and serve.

Pancetta is an Italian bacon that has not been smoked... your local deli will have it..

SAUTEED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

WITH SMOKED HAM AND

TOASTED PECANS

2 pounds Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
one 1/8-inch-thick slice smoked ham, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
pinch of sugar
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Trim the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and remove any yellow or spotted outer leaves. Cut the Brussels sprouts into very thin slices about 1/16 inch thick, and use your fingertips to separate the slices into shreds. Alternatively, shred the Brussels sprouts using a food processor with the coarse shredding disk attached. Place in a bowl and set aside until ready to sauté.

In a 14-inch sauté pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat and swirl to coat the pan. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until soft but not browned. Add the Brussels sprouts and sauté for about 3 minutes until bright green and barely crisp-tender. Raise the heat to high and add the ham and stock. Stir to blend, cover the pan, and steam for about 2 minutes longer until the Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender. Season with a little sugar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and top with the toasted pecans. Serve immediately

• This sauté is best when made right before serving. However, the ingredients can be prepared and chopped up to 8 hours in advance. Cover the prepared Brussels sprouts, garlic, and pecans and set aside at room temperature. Chop the ham and place it in a covered container in the refrigerator. For the ham you again can use pancetta or since this is a very quick vegetable to sautee you can slice off a thin piece of your cooked easter ham as it is resting before you slice it for dinner.

THRIFTY THURSDAY
Lots of time your recipe calls for something that is an
OOPS I AM OUT OF .....

Allspice - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg + 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Baking powder (1 teaspoon) - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Brown sugar (1 cup packed) - 1 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons molasses

Buttermilk (1 cup) - 1 cup milk, less 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon vinegar

Cake flour (1 cup) - 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons of sifted all-purpose flour

Cornstarch (1 tablespoon for thickening) - 2 tablespoons flour

Corn Syrup  (1 cup)  1 cup sugar + 1/4 cup of  additional liquid used in recipe

Cream (1 cup) - 1/3 cup butter and 2/3 cup milk

Milk (1 cup) - 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup water, or 1 cup reconstituted nonfat dry milk with 1 tablespoon butter

Pumpkin Pie Spice - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + an 1/8 teaspoon of each of the following: ginger, nutmeg, mace, cloves

Sour milk - (1 cup) - 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice

1 marshmallow - 10 miniature marshmallows

Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 square) - 1 tablespoon shortening + 3 tablespoons cocoa

Ground Cloves - Just did this one, place whole cloves in Coffee Bean Grinder.

Everyone have a good day ..off to have a cup of tea as I am up before the birds today must be excited about the Easter Bunny coming in a couple of days..
Enjoy
Cheers
Granny