Mustard Greens And Ham With Toasted Couscous Recipes

HERBED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Bring water, 1 tablespoon salt, and butter to a boil. Add couscous, remove from heat and stir quickly and thoroughly. Cover for 5 minutes. Moisture will be absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Add scallions, Spanish onion and rice wine vinegar.

PERFECT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Combine the water or broth, olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous and immediately remove from the heat. Cover and let sit 5 minutes.
• Fluff the couscous thoroughly with a fork (the more you fluff, the more separate and light the grains will be). Season with salt and pepper. If you are making the couscous ahead, spread while hot on a baking sheet lined with parchment to stop the cooking as it cools. Once cool, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.

DONNASUE'S CORNBREAD MUSTARD GREEN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mustard greens, onion, and roasted garlic until the onions are translucent and the mustard greens are wilted and reduced, about 10 minutes. Drain greens mixture in a colander if very juicy.
• Mix the corn muffin mix, biscuit mix, eggs, and milk together in a large bowl to make a batter; mix in the Dijon mustard and seasoned tenderizing salt, then gently stir in the cooked greens, ham, and Mexican cheese blend until thoroughly combined. Scrape the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the casserole comes out clean, about 50 minutes. If casserole begins to brown too quickly, cover dish with foil partway through the cooking time. Turn off oven, and allow casserole to stand 15 minutes in the hot oven before serving.

BRAISED MUSTARD GREENS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes. Add half of the mustard greens, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted and reduced in volume by half, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining greens and season with more salt and pepper; cook again until the greens are wilted and evenly incorporated with the onions and garlic.
• Add the chicken stock, vinegar and ham hock to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook at a slow simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring halfway through. The greens are done when the stock has almost completely reduced and the ham hocks are tender when pierced with a pairing knife.
• Remove the ham hocks to a cutting board and pull the meat from the bone with two forks. Discard any fat and skin, and then stir the shredded meat back into the greens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

TOASTED SPICED HAM DRIZZLED IN HONEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place ham on an open brown paper bag for easy clean up. With the tip of a paring knife carefully score a 1-inch grid pattern around the outside of the ham. Brush the entire surface of the meat on all sides with some of the honey.
• Season the entire surface of the meat on all sides with the toasted spice rub and thyme. Add about a half cup of water to the base of the roaster. Place ham on several celery sticks in the roasting pan.
• Cook for 1 hour. Every 15 minutes, baste ham with juices that collect in the base of the roaster and the honey. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving as desired.
• Toast the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small, heavy pan over medium heat. (Toasting freshens spices, releases their oils, and makes them more fragrant, as well as adding a new dimension of flavor.) When the fennel turns light brown, work quickly. Turn on the exhaust fan; add the red pepper flakes, and toss, toss, toss, always under the fan. Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool. Put in a blender with the sweet chili powder, salt, and cinnamon and blend until the spices are evenly ground.
• If you have a small spice mill blender or a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding spices, grind only the fennel, coriander, pepper, and chili flakes. Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Keep the spice mix in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.
• *Chef's Tip: Taste your chili powder and, if spicy and hot, cut back the amount. California chiles are almost sweet, not hot.
• Yield: 1 cup