Tutorial for Cabbage and Kielbasa

Here's a nice winter recipe for the northern hemisphere from Mary's Nest. However, this can also work well in summer because it doesn't take very long to cook it all up, meaning less heat in the kitchen. 

Enjoy!

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Turkey Ham Special

This is an original recipe of my own as far as I know. I started making it years ago. You can make changes according to your preferences as it's very easy to make and switch up for variety or personal taste. You could use avocado or pickled beetroot in place of the tomato. You could also pop it into a bun or pita bread and eat it as a sandwich. 

This dish can be used for a quick lunch or for the meat dish of the main meal. If you use it for the main meal, you could slice the turkey ham a little thicker than you would for a lunch. Also feel free to change up the meat. It could also be made with sliced turkey or ham or roast beef or chicken breast. Just be sure it is fully cooked before hand. (Maybe a new use for leftovers?)

You will need:

Sliced turkey ham (or other meat)

Sliced tomatoes 

Sliced cheddar or cheese of your choice
Onion and garlic powder (optional).

Place a slice of turkey ham on a microwave-safe plate. Sprinkle lightly with the onion and garlic powder if you are using them. Place slices of tomato on top of this, and top with slices of cheese. Cook in microwave till the cheese is melted to your satisfaction. This is one serving. Repeat until you have a serving for each person being served.

If you don't use a microwave this could be done in a frying pan on the stovetop with just a little water and oil in the pan and a close fitting lid to hold in the steam. It will take a little longer than the microwave. 

If you are making this for a larger family you may want to try laying the turkey ham slices, etc. in a greased baking dish or pan, and baking it in a conventional oven. I have not tried this so, you will have to experiment. You probably should put the cheese on after the turkey ham and tomatoes are partially cooked.

Kielbasa Stove Top Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. kielbasa (or any) sausage cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 can of mushroom soup - undiluted
3/4 cups of water
1 tbs butter or margarine
3/4 cups of long grain rice
1 pk a frozen peas (10 oz.)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a deep pan, combine soup, water, and butter; bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Add kielbasa and rice; reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-18 min.(or until rice is almost tender) stirring occasionally. Add liquid if required. Stir in peas; cover and simmer an additional 10-15 min. or until rice is soft and peas are cooked through. Sprinkle with cheese; cover till melted makes 4-6 servings

Note: If you double up on the recipe you have a terrific dish for any group gathering.

-- Thanks to Yvonne
[edited]

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Editor's Note: There is organic cream of mushroom soup available now that has better ingredients than the usual varieties. Having several family members with MSG intolerance, this is a big deal for us.

Lazy Day Peppers

1 pound hamburger (or ground meat of your choice)
1/4 lb bacon, sliced
1 onion, minced
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 - 4 green peppers, chunks (1 inch)
1 28 oz can tomatoes, broken up
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs paprika
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
2 cups water

Brown hamburger and bacon with onion. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes (add more water as/if needed) or till rice is tender.

Thanks to Denise, South Dakota

Lil Hunsaker's White Beans

Lil Hunsaker's White Beans

From my dad, Steve Van Nattan who spent years tuning pianos. He got some great food from his customers sometimes: "I found this exceptional bean soup at a customer's home in Tubac, Arizona."

• White Northern beans or lima beans (In the words of Country Bevins, "Them greezy Michigan beans")
• Red Onion
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Lemon Juice
• Salt and Pepper  
• Cilantro
• Parsley

Cook the beans as you usually would. For a clear soup broth, cook beans and drain before adding water, onion, garlic, oil, lemon, and salt. If you drain off the first water, save it for later use since it is full of food value. For a clear broth, clear beef broth could be used to add flavor. After the top six ingredients are cooked and ready to eat, shred the cilantro and parsley into the soup and serve.

For the chili lovers, red pepper could be shaken on, or a few drops of Tabasco added. Habanero in moderation would also add a real special touch to this dish.

A garnish of the cilantro, parsley, as well as green onion tops could be served in a side dish to be added at the table.
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Editor's Note: Cilantro is already growing in the southern parts of the US at this time of year. In areas with more winter it won't be long before you can plant it. Fresh cilantro is one of my favorite herbs. :-)

Crock Pot Reuben Sandwich Filling

I had this years and years ago and it was really good. With more healthy versions of some of these ingredients available today, it would be possible to make this with organic ingredients or something similar. Also, this would probably be really good served with a savory version of Irish Soda Bread.

Reuben Sandwiches

1 Cup Thousand  Island salad dressing
1 Cup Sauer Kraut
1  12 ounce can corned beef (drained)
10 ounces grated Swiss cheese (or cheese of your choice)
Cook on high or medium in a crock pot 2 hours or more.
Serve on rye bread or potatoes (mashed, baked or boiled).

-- Thanks to Denise of South Dakota

Fresh from the Garden – Squash and Ham Skillet

I originally published this in August 2010. I thought it would be nice to re-post it. :-)

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Recently my dad handed me a couple of yellow summer squashes fresh from our garden. I didn’t have a plan for supper yet that night, but the squash gave me an idea and I came up with this super simple, quick and tasty dish. Serve it with your choice or a carbohydrate – bread, chips, noodles, rice, potatoes, etc. A salad might be nice as well, but we didn’t have one as we usually eat fairly simple meals.

I am sharing this recipe in it’s rough form. It will be an opportunity to “cook by the seat of your pants” or for “adventure cooking,” as we might call it. :-) You can adjust the amounts to suit your tastes and for the number of servings you need for your family.
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Yellow summer squash, sliced
Sliced ham, fully cooked
Butter
Onion powder 
Pepper to taste
Grated cheddar cheese
Water

Saute yellow squash in butter and a little water in a large frying pan. Sprinkle with ground pepper. Cook till almost done, stirring occasionally. (Add water as needed, but not too much – just enough to keep it juicy.) Meanwhile, chop or tear the ham into bite size pieces. Add ham when squash is almost done and sprinkle with onion powder. When the squash is cooked to your taste and the ham is heated through, remove from heat and top with grated cheese. Cover and allow cheese to melt. Serve.

Note: I do not recommend adding salt while cooking as the ham and cheese make it quite salty. If you want extra salt I suggest adding it at the table. You could also use cooked bacon or some other fully cooked, flavorful meat to make this dish.

Hominy Ham Dish

I first published this recipe in May of 2010.  I invented it for a recipe contest which my Aussie sister-in-law was then having on her blog (since discontinued). It was in her top three but it didn’t win (probably because they couldn't make it since hominy is not readily available there), but my husband and I enjoyed it, so I thought I would post it here. :-)  I hope it’s a winner at someone’s house!

Personally, I love the color combination in this dish!  It is a very cheerful dish for dark autumn and winter days.  Sadly, I am no longer able to eat ham.  Made with fully-cooked, chicken it would lack a little color, but still probably taste quite good. :-)

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2 Tbl. olive oil
4 med. garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 C. yellow hominy (or white), drained
1/2 C. sliced carrots
1/2 C. frozen peas
1 C. ham chunks (fully cooked)
3/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 C. sour cream
Black pepper
Ground red pepper (capsicum) (mild, med. or hot according to your taste)

Heat a medium sized, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. Cook garlic just till done but not browned. 

Add hominy and cook, covered, till heated, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with onion powder. Add carrots and continue to cook over medium-high heat till hominy begins to "dry" but not brown, about 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally. (Note: You may need to add a bit more oil or a tablespoon of water at some point during this process to keep the hominy from sticking. I used water when I added the carrots.)

Mix in ham. Sprinkle with frozen peas. Cover and cook over medium-low heat till ham and peas are heated through, stirring occasionally. Add black pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low. Add the sour cream and mix in thoroughly. Sprinkle very lightly with the red pepper. Cook over low just till the mixture is hot again. For best results, remove from heat and allow the dish to stand for about 5-10 minutes at this point to allow the flavors to blend well. Mix in the red pepper.

Serve with a leafy, green salad and your favorite salad dressing.

About 4 servings.

Cheesy Baked Portabellas

 

Some time back I made this simple, but elegant side for a dinner I was giving for family.  It is a little more expensive than some things, but really easy to make!

You will need:

whole portabella mushrooms
round cheese, sliced
seasonings of choice
salt to taste

Remove the stems and wash off dirt from portabella mushroom tops.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (optional) and lightly grease/oil it.  Lay the portabellas top side down on the sheet.  Bake at about 350F till they are approximately halfway done – a little of the juices should be coming out (see photo above).  (Keep an eye on it as it doesn’t take terribly long.  Sorry, I can’t give an exact time.)

Remove from oven.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and lay slices of a round cheese on top.  You can use whatever you like: Provolone, etc.  I used a Mexican melting cheese.  I had to cut the slices in half to get them to fit nicely on top. 

Then sprinkle with whatever seasoning, herbs or toppings you want.  Use your imagination.  I used French’s onion crisps and parsley here.  You could also use a number if different fresh or dried herbs, caramelized onions, seasoning blends, fully cooked bacon bits or sun dried tomatoes.  You could even make them into miniature pizzas and serve as a main dish!  Yum!  (Note: Adding more toppings may require longer cooking time, so take the portabella tops out sooner so they don’t get overdone.)

Return to the oven and finish baking just till the cheese is melted.  Serve whole, or cut in half.

Quick Meals – Hearty Pizza Quesadillas

 

Here is a simple and quick meal to make.  If you make your own tortillas and meat fillings you will need to have them cooked ahead of time.  If you store pre-cooked meat or tortillas in the freezer you need to have them thawed as well.

First heat the tortilla in a frying pan with a little oil or butter.  Spread some Italian/pizza sauce on the top.  (This is our homemade sauce, by the way.) :-)

To one half of the tortilla add some grated mozzarella, your favorite fully cooked pizza meat, and sliced black olive and mushrooms if desired.  Fold the tortilla over on the fillings and cook, turning once, till the cheese is melted and the other ingredients are hot.  That’s it!  Serve with a salad if desired.

Yogurt Caraway Chicken

 

This is an original recipe that I invented after reading another recipe using yogurt as a chicken coating.  It turned out quite well.  We liked the way the yogurt and coconut milk powder baked as a coating for chicken.  You could alter the seasonings to achieve different tastes.

Yogurt Caraway Chicken

5-6 drum sticks.  Place chicken in an oiled 9x13 cake pan, leaving room for cabbage.

Mix together in a small bowl:

3/4 C. plain yogurt
1/4 C. coconut milk powder
1/2 tsp. caraway seed powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Spread over the top of chicken, dividing it evenly among all pieces.

Sprinkle with Cayenne pepper to taste (optional).

In the empty area place 3-4 large wedges of cabbage.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, caraway powder and salt.

Bake at 375F for 30 minutes or till chicken tests done.  Check occasionally and turn cabbage over if needed.  If the food is drying out too much you may cover the pan with aluminum foil to finish baking.  (If you wish to add liquid be sure to add boiling water to a hot pan, especially if it is glass.)

Makes 3-4 servings.

Of course, this dish can be prepared gluten free.

Note:  I don’t know if caraway can be bought in the powdered form.  I think my mom or I ground what I have.  We use a designated electric coffee grinder to grind up herbs/spices.  You don’t want to use the same grinder for herbs and spices that you use for coffee.  It might result in “interesting” and undesirable flavor combinations.  We’ve picked up our “spares” at second hand stores.

Quick Meals – Chicken and Mint

 

This summer I’m growing several types of mint in pots.  One evening I was cooking boneless, skinless chicken breast and decided to flavor it with fresh mint.  I cooked it a bit first in olive oil and a little water (it was frozen when I put it in the pan), cutting it into bite size pieces when it got partly done (using tongs and a pair of scissors).  This speeds the cooking time.  Then I added snipped fresh mint and salted it.  I may have added some green onion tops and black pepper as well, I don’t remember now.  But, it was absolutely delicious!  So very simple and yet so tasty! :-)  I served it with vegetables (use fresh or cooked), and a carbohydrate (something easy – bread or toast?).  A super simple and quick meal.

Chicken breast
Olive oil
Snipped fresh mint
Salt
Green onion tops (optional)
Fresh ground black pepper (optional)

Mint and Chives Chicken

Quick Meals - Black Beans and Hominy

 

What do you do when you need a fast meal but you don’t eat “prefabricated food” much (if at all)?  Most of us in Western culture have been trained by experience and advertising to think that in order to get a really fast home cooked meal we have to buy something that we simply pop in the oven, wait and eat.  If your family, like ours, are trying to get away from this type of meal, you may wonder how you can make a good, quick meal without eating out or using a lot of frozen dinners and meals in a can.  I’d like to share some simple recipes and methods with you that I’ve found useful.  These mostly have evolved out the fact that I have had health issues in the recent past that tended to make me abnormally weak and tired and also dietary needs that made it impossible for me to rely on those frozen meals that make home cooking abnormally easy.

I do use canned foods, but not much of the sort that comes with seasonings and goos and gunks in it – supposedly to make it taste “just like homemade” (which it never does).  We also use plain frozen vegetables.  (Our “indiscretions” in the line of pre-made meals mostly runs towards one particular kind of frozen pizza to which I still add things to make it more nourishing).

Most or many of these recipes may be so simple that I don’t have any measurements for them.  You will have to take the challenge of learning to cook by the seat of your pants.  And, after all, this is the first step to learning to make quick and easy home cooked meals.  You need to learn to take a few ingredients and just fly with it. :-)  Once you’ve done a bit it will start to come naturally and you will start to invent your own, if you don’t already.

Today’s recipe is super simple, but my husband and I both find it very tasty and filling.
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Black Beans and Hominy

One can black beans and
One can hominy in the same size.  (I like golden hominy the best.)
Garlic powder
Onion powder  -- both to taste
Bacon or ham bits (optional – but it does improve the taste)

Heat all together in a medium to large sauce pan (depending on the size cans you use).  Serve with sour cream or grated cheese on top if desired.

For a spicier taste add red pepper flakes when cooking.

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That’s it!  How easy is that?  I suggest serving it with a simple side salad, but even that is not particularly necessary.  :-)

(And, yes, that is a paper bowl. :-)  I’d gotten away from paper quite a bit at one point.  Then last year we had a sever drought here in Texas.  I realized that I might as well go back to using some paper plates/bowls and all paper napkins at that time because it actually saved on water use.  The paper “dishes” also save me extra work when it’s necessary that I save my energy or strength for something more important.  You may not agree, but this is what is best for us now.) :-)

Squirrel Recipes

Ok, so this post definitely qualifies as “adventure cooking” for some. :-)  I have not made any of these recipes myself, but I’ve heard that squirrel is quite good.  If you have a problem with them where you live, and you’re allowed to shoot or trap them, this might be a good way to put them to use – and perhaps get some of your nuts, fruits and plants “back” that they devoured.

If you’re too tenderhearted to eat a squirrel that’s fine.  Maybe someday if you get hungry enough and they are a handy source of protein (if you can actually get them), you may change your mind. :-)  I’ve been thinking that we should try to eat one just so that we know how it tastes and how to do it in case we ever find we need to to supplement our diet.  Besides, since we have pecan trees, we tend to have too many squirrels to “share” with around here.

I don’t know for sure where these recipes came from.  I moved them here from an old recipe site that I had at one time.  They were probably collected from other places on the web, though possibly there was someone contributed one or more.

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Broiled Squirrel

1 squirrel
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fat
Lemon wedges

Clean squirrel. Rub with slat and pepper. Brush with fat and place on a broiling rack. Broil 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with drippings.
Squeeze lemon on squirrel before serving.
Serves two to three. [That sounds rather hopeful to me, having seen a dressed out squirrel once before being cooked.]

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Fried Squirrel

1 young squirrel, cut in pieces
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Mix salt and pepper with flour. Shake pieces of squirrel in flour mixture and brown in melted shortening in a heavy skillet. Lower the heat after browning and cover the skillet tightly. Cook over low heat for 1/2 to 1 hour or until well done. Remove cover during the last 10 minutes to crisp outer surfaces.

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Squirrel Fricassee

1 young squirrel, cut in pieces
3 slices bacon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sliced onion
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup beef or chicken broth

Rub pieces of squirrel with salt and pepper and roll in flour. Pan fry with chopped bacon for 30 minutes. Add onion, lemon juice and broth and cover tightly.

Cook slowly for 2 hours. Just before serving, remove squirrel and make gravy by adding water or milk and flour to the pan drippings.  Replace squirrel or serve separately.

Variations: Add 1 tablespoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, 1 sliced tart apple and 2 cups broth instead of bacon and lemon juice called for in this recipe.

Italian Fried Egg Soup

Here is a simple soup you can make with leftovers from a pot roast – as long as you didn’t use the broth all up making gravy. ;-)  My dad first made this for us without the meat and he called it Italian Fried Egg Soup.  I think that he had it when they lived in Ethiopia.  (In case that puzzles some of you, know that the Italians invaded and held Ethiopia for awhile during WW II.  Some of the Italians liked it there so well that they stayed or returned.  Some married into the culture.  Some started restaurants. :-)  Hence the location of origin.)
This recipe doesn’t have specific amounts here because I usually make it with leftovers.  Even if you don’t have meat, you can make a meal that still has protein because of the fried egg. broth and cheese.
You will need:
1 fried egg per bowl
1 to 1/2 a piece of toast per bowl
1 thickish slice of cheese per bowl (about 1/8 – 1/4 inch)
Leftover beef and broth
Cut the meat into bite-size chunks.  Heat the broth and the meat in a pan.  You may add some oregano, basil and green onions if you like.  This will add a more Italian flavor and add a bit of color.  Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Meanwhile, fry the eggs and toast the bread.  You may butter the bread if you wish, but it will be soaked with the broth so it isn’t actually necessary.  It would add a bit of flavor.  Place a piece of toast in each bowl and top with a fried egg and a slice of cheese.  (You may break the cheese in half if you wish and separate it slightly.)
Just before serving (or at the table), ladle the broth and meat over the toast-egg-cheese stack.  Eat immediately.  (You don’t want to do this ahead because it soaks in to the toast quickly and will become soggy.  So, it’s nicer to eat it right away.)
With some salad or fruit you would have a complete meal. :-)  It’s quite easy and fast when using leftover pot roast and broth.  Hope you enjoy it!

Random Links for A Cloudy, Rainy Day

My ham and lentil soup.

I haven’t done a link post for awhile, and since I’m a little behind on posts I thought I’d try to put one together today.  It’s a cloudy, dull November day here (though not cold yet), but we had a little rain which is always welcome here these days of drought!  Praise the Lord for every bit we get!

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Mommy’s Kitchen – Here is a neat cooking blog my mom discovered and declared useful.  I haven’t explored it much yet, but it looks like there are a lot of good “home cookin’” recipes here. :-)

Homemade Soup Recipes – Mmmm soooooup, that warm comfort food that makes a cold day seem a little less chilly.

Did someone say chili? A chili for every taste – more or less.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches at TasteofHome.com – Did I mention that I’m getting hungry?  I think we need to have some grilled cheese sandwiches soon!  Until then they are  grilled cheese sandwishes. ;-)

More Grilled Cheese, Please!

Old Time Cooked Banana Pudding – I never met “banana puddin’” till my family moved to the South (Tennessee, to be exact).  I’ve only ever had the instant mix, pre-fabricated food type banana pudding and I was not impressed (my apologies to my Southern readers).  But, I have to say that this sounds like it would be quite good, plus it sounds like you could or should serve it warm, which seems more appealing to me.  I thought there was probably an old fashioned method for this. (Now if I could only find some good vanilla wafers that didn’t have stuff in them that we don’t like to eat.)

An assortment of Winter Dinners.

Apple pie dish – for a yummy winter treat, serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Barbecue Sauce Sweet Potato Chicken

I discovered that sweet potatoes taste very good cooked with meat.  I have cooked them with pieces of beef roast or steak, but here I cooked them with chicken breast.
This is one of those seat of pants recipes where I don’t have an exact recipe.  But, here’s the basic idea.
I cut the chicken breast in chunks, and probably cooked it by itself in oil a few minutes before adding the sweet potato chunks, adding water as needed to keep it moist and not burning.  I sprinkled them with onion powder and maybe a little garlic powder too, and added salt to my taste.  Then I covered them with barbecue sauce (and maybe added a teaspoon or so of brown sugar to sweeten it up if it was too sour) and cooked till done.  (This would also be good with pork, I think.)
I hope you try this out and enjoy it.  It was delicious! :-)  Try cooking sweet potatoes with beef too.  I suggest adding the sweet potato chunks a little after the meat has started cooking.  You don’t have to use the barbecue sauce with beef as it has a good flavor with just the sweet potatoes and some garlic and onion.

Just for Fun – Silly Links About Meatloaf

Meat loaf is not one of my favorite dishes.  The only kind I ever really liked was made in the microwave, and since we don’t use a microwave any more I’m back to the old sort of liking some meat loaf. ;-)

Meatloaf…..Er

Meatloaf Again?!?

New Superpower

It’s the Same Thing

Some Compliment

And, for those of you who really like meatloaf:

Crazy Meatloaf Recipe

Red Lentil Ham Soup

 
This is a very easy soup to make.  Dried, split red lentils (really they are orange) cook very fast compared to most dried beans or lentils.  I think this is because they don’t have the skins on them.  I don’t know what the price for them is in a regular store.  We usually buy ours at an Indian store where they are called Masoor Dal.
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To make the soup:
Cook in a 2 qt. pot:
Chicken or vegetable broth
Lentils (I used at least 1 cup, probably more)
One ham bone
Onion
Garlic
Diced Carrots
Bring to a boil and simmer stirring at regular intervals till the lentils are almost done.  Remove meat from ham bone and discard bone.  Return the meat to the pot.  Finish cooking.  (The lentils are done when they are soft.)
Add salt and black or red pepper to taste.
Lentils are very absorbent, so use plenty of broth or water.  If you are unsure of how much to use start with a little less.  You can add more as you go along.  Lentils will stick to the bottom of the pan (especially when reheating), so do be sure to stir it regularly.
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Depending on the ham and broth you use this meal could be made gluten and lactose free.  If you can’t find safe ham, try some pre-cooked meat of your choice.  The taste will be different, but it will still be tasty.  You could add Cajun seasoning if you use another type of meat to make a very tasty soup!

Four Salads

Do you get hungry for salad in the spring?  I do!  I think our bodies want the fresh green lettuce and veggies as part the clearing out process after winter.  That’s my theory, anyway.  But, I know that the fresh fruits and veggies taste extra good in the spring time, especially when you have homegrown lettuce! :-)
Here are four salads that I especially like.  Three are very simple.  If you sometimes forget or struggle to eat fresh fruit, three of these salads might be some help to you.
Blueberry-Melon Salad
This is a summer salad and probably my favorite.  I love the colors and the fresh berries!

As you can see, it only has three ingredients – leafy green lettuce, blueberries and cantaloupe.  I usually serve it with a sweet-sour dressing, honey-lemon is the best.  (I will try to share some dressing recipes later.)
Festive Banana Melon Salad

This salad is quite pretty.  It isn’t much different from the one above.  It has bananas instead of blueberries, and a maraschino cherry is put on top to decorate it.  This, of course, is optional.  (It’s hard to find maraschino cherries here that don’t have high fructose corn syrup in them.)  I serve this with similar dressings as I do the blueberry one.
Another variation of this is to leave out the bananas and add plain cooked chicken breast.  This then becomes a “main dish” salad.

This was an interesting one, but it was actually quite good.  As you can see I sprinkled some toasted sesame over the top of the sweet-sour dressing.  This would be so refreshing on a late winter day, I think! :-)
Chef Salad

This is one to two servings.

This salad is the not-so-easy one.  But, it is almost an entire meal.  All you need to add is some carbohydrate of some sort – bread, chips, biscuits, etc.  How about croutons?
When I make this I layer it.  Lettuce on the bottom.  Next some mixed veggies – cucumbers, carrots, etc.  Then the “julienned” ham slices and the grated cheese.  On that I sprinkled some black pepper.  The tomatoes (cherry or wedges of a larger one) and quartered boiled eggs look decorative around the edges.  Black olives rings would make a nice addition to the top as well.  If you don’t eat ham, try turkey or roast beef deli meat.  It’s good served with a savory dressing – Ranch, bleu cheese, Russian, Italian, Thousand Island, etc.
By the way, with attention to the ingredients these can all be made gluten free.  :-)  Just use a safe dressing and adjust some things in the Chef Salad.