FAST FOOD--HAM STEAK WITH PATRICIA SPARROW'S EASTER RICE AND GRILLED PINEAPPLE

FAST FOOD
Back in the OLD days when I was young we hardly ever went out to eat and take out was unknown. Mom and Grandma cranked out the meals, usually three a day as I came home from elementary school for lunch. Grandpa and Dad frequently came home for lunch too. In those days, fast food was a ham steak or cubed steaks (a less than tender piece of beef run through the tenderizer at the butchers). Both were quick and easy to prepare. So in honor of those days here is a fast food meal.

This is the family, minus my Dad who is taking the picture, around the kitchen table celebrating my brother’s 14th birthday in 1948. We actually sat down at this table for all three meals as we ate breakfast together too. The black cord handing down in the left of the picture is the on/off switch for the kitchen light. Often in the old houses there were no wall switches, just cords handing from the light. You entered a dark room with your arm out-stretched and kinda waving around hoping to hit the cord so you could turn on the light.


HAM STEAK WITH PATRICIA SPARROW’S EASTER RICE

Ham steak with grilled pineapple and Easter rice.

PATRICIA SPARROW’S EASTER RICE.

This is quick and easy as it is made with Minute Rice.  According to Jean Anderson in American Century Cookbook, Minute Rice was invented by a cousin of the King of Afghanistan and presented to General Foods in 1941. The U.S. government took over the experiments to bring it to market for C-rations for World War II. It was introduced to the public in 1949 and now there is a Minute Brown Rice which I used in this recipe.

Patricia Sparrow named her rice Easter Rice because it is pretty and goes so well with ham. It also goes extremely well with Mexican food. Her comments on the recipe are, a colorful side dish with a slight sweet touch.  After opening the cans, the rice cooks in 10 minutes and dinner is ready.

Ingredients.

1 (16oz) can crushed pineapple, drained and juice reserved
3 c liquid, juice plus water to equal 3 cups
3 c Minute Brown Rice
1 (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 T La Choy Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 t soy sauce

In a saucepan, bring pineapple juice and water to a boil. Stir in rice. Return mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with fork. In another saucepan, put tomatoes and black beans. Heat until mixture is hot. Add drained pineapple, Sweet and Sour Sauce and soy sauce. When rice is done, add tomato mixture to the rice and gently stir to mix.

Drain pineapple, reserve juice.

Drain and rinse black beans.

Empty tomatoes into a saucepan and heat.

Add water to pineapple juice to make 3 cups.

Heat water/juice to boiling.

Add rice, bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover.

Add beans to tomatoes.

Add drained pineapple.

Add sweet and sour sauce plus soy sauce.  Heat.

Add to cooked rice and gently mix.

Ready to be plated.  Enjoy!

HAM STEAK
For the ham steak, remove from package, fry in a little butter in a fry pan or grill. The ham is pre-cooked so it just needs to be warmed up. We like grilled pineapple and it is wonderful with ham steak.

Ham steak and pineapple for grilling.

Grilled for 10 minutes medium heat.