Ham with Pineapple

Man, I don't know how people have full-time jobs outside of their homes and still manage to get it all done. I mean, I feel like I just spent the morning running around the house trying to get shit done before my babysitter gets here at 2pm so I can do the work I'll actually get paid for (hopefully).

On top of that, I might have to go out and shoot video tonight with Damien for a story he's working on. So, tonight is gonna have to be an old stand-by. Hopefully Damien will be able to deal with it. On numerous occasions, he's expressed his fatigue with this particular dish.

Ham with Pineapple is really good though. And if you don't make it once a week like I was doing for a while there, I really think it's the easiest, tastiest dinner you can make. Just add a couple of veggie side dishes and you are ready to go.

I'm gonna make some dirty rice and string beans tonight. But, sometimes I'll pair it with baked (or really microwaved) sweet potatoes and broccoli.

The dirty rice makes me think of it as a Caribbean themed meal. Maybe I'll even use that line to get Damien to make us some fruity cocktails to start. He made the best white sangria with mangoes and nectarines in it the other night for a little get-together we threw. But I guess that's not really Caribbean.

Anyway, here it goes:

Ham with Pineapple

1.25 lb center cut smoked ham slice

8 oz. can of pineapple slices in 100% pineapple juice

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the slice of ham in a baking pan. Place pineapple slices on the ham. Pour half of the juice from the can over the ham and pineapple slices. Drink the rest of the juice : )

Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the ham and pineapple slices. You can use a little more or less depending on your taste... and aversion to sugar on main dishes.

Place the baking pan in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. The ham is already cooked so you really just want to get it nice and heated up. I also like it to brown a little bit on the edges.

While the ham is in the oven, I like to make the side dishes. Tonight I am going to make dirty rice and string beans. I use the Zatarain's New Orleans Style Reduced Sodium (does that make up for the sugar on the ham?) Dirty Rice Mix.

I'm sure you could make your own from scratch, but I don't really feel like figuring it out and the Zatarain's is really tasty and easy. Sometimes it comes out a bit soupy so I am going to try using a little less water than it calls for in the recipe this time.

Side Note: The rice is excellent left-over.

Then, about 5 minutes before the ham is done, I'll just cut the tips off the ends of my fresh string beans - that I'll need to go out and buy at some point today because we are out of all fresh vegetables right now - and steam them in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Then I'll saute some garlic in some olive oil in a frying pan and give the string beans a quick saute in it. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and voila, healthy side dish.

It's sort of the perfect sized dish for a couple. But we always have leftovers so it would also serve a kid or two as well.

Tomorrow is gonna be another toughy since I'll still be working. I'll have to see what I can come up with but it might time to go to the freezer....