Dinner 22: Maryland

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Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham
Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes with Old Bay Seasoning
Barbecued Green Beans
Smith Island Cake

Review

I chose Maryland next because we were going to visit Granddad and I wanted something with a really good dessert. Mommy said Maryland had a cake with a lot of layers that would be fun to try, so that's why I chose it! I also chose stuffed ham, roast potatoes with a special kind of spices, and green beans with a sauce on them.

Mommy and Granddad made the stuffed ham - it was really big and they had to find a really big pot to cook it in! And it had to cook for a long time. It smelled really good and made me very hungry by the time it was dinnertime.

Making the cake was funny because each layer was made in its own pan. But we only had three pans, so it took a lot of time to make them all. Mommy also made the layers a little bit too thick, so we only had five layers, but it was still yummy!

I liked the ham, but not the stuffing part, which was a bit funny tasting to me. I really liked the potatoes, and the green beans were okay, but I didn't really like the sauce on them. It's weird to eat green beans with a sauce. The cake was the best part! It was sooooooo yummy!

Recipes

Southern Maryland Stuffed Ham

(original recipe from GroupRecipes)

8 pound bone-in ham
1 head cabbage
2 pounds kale
1 pound onions
1 bunch scallions
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons mustard seed
2 tablespoons celery salt
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon salt
cheesecloth

Finely chop onions and greens. Mix with seasonings and set aside.

Cut 2-inch slits, on a 45 degree angle, in the ham. Press the stuffing into the slits until they will hold no more.

Wrap the ham in cheesecloth and add any leftover stuffing.

Put the ham in a large pot and cover with water. Simmer for 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 160F.

Turn off the heat and let the ham cool in the water for about 2 hours. Remove and drain.

Chill ham in the refrigerator, and serve cold.

Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes with Old Bay Seasoning

(original recipe from Cook Smarts)

2 pounds new potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 500F.

Place potatoes on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt. Cover with aluminum foil and seal tightly. Steam the potatoes for 10 minutes.

Remove foil and toss the potatoes with olive oil and Old Bay seasoning. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until crispy.

Barbecued Green Beans

(original recipe from Food.com)

4 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 pound green beans

Preheat oven to 350F. 

In a small saucepan, cook bacon and onion until the onion softens. 

Add ketchup, brown sugar and soy sauce. Simmer 10 minutes.

In a casserole, combine beans and sauce. Bake for 20 minutes.

Smith Island Cake

(original recipe from Visit Somerset)

Cake:
2 cups soy milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup soy margarine
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup water

Icing:
1 cup soy milk
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease several 9-inch pans and set aside.

Whisk together soy milk and vinegar. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together margarine and sugar. Slowly add soy milk mixture and beat until smooth.

In a second bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add, one cup at a time, to the margarine mixture. With the mixer running, slowly add the vanilla and water. Mix until just combined.

Put three serving spoonfuls of batter in each of the prepared pans, using the back of the spoon to spread the batter evenly. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 8 minutes. When you remove the layers from the oven, hold them near your ear. If they don't sizzle, they're done.

Let the layers cool a few minutes in the pan. Then remove and set aside to cool completely. Prepare the pan for another layer, if necessary.

To make the icing, bring the soy milk to a gentle boil in a small saucepan, then immediately remove from heat. Add chocolate and maple syrup, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and the icing is smooth. Set aside.

Assemble the cake as the layers cool. Use 2-3 serving spoonfuls of icing between layers and cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing.