I will not eat them here or there. I will not eat them anywhere.

You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may, I say.

Say! I like green eggs and ham! I do!! I like them, Sam-I-am!

And I will eat them here and there. Say! I will eat them ANYWHERE! I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-am!

Apple ham salad (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

— Excerpted from Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs & Ham.

Christ has Risen! Easter has come and gone.

Most Americans build their Easter menu around ham and eggs. There are usually plenty of these left over after the celebration.

Salads can incorporate both ham and eggs. Stir hard-cooked eggs and diced ham into green salads, pasta salads, potato salads, grain salads. Make a ham salad by adding lettuce, celery, apples and fold in a little mayonnaise.

Dice leftover meat and freeze it in 1 or 2-cup portions. When ready to use it, defrost and add leftover cooked ham to a casserole, skillet, stir-fry or salad.

Use the leftover eggs and ham in creative, novel ways. Here are some ideas:

¯ Combine with potatoes and vegetables in a casserole.

¯ Use the finely diced ham in Shepherd’s Pie or Pot Pie in place of ground meat.

¯ Stir-fry vegetables, and add meat and soy sauce at the end.

¯ Serve over rice or another grain. Add ham or hard-cooked eggs to pasta with fresh greens (like spinach or kale) and shredded cheese or a sauce.

¯ Mexican staples like burritos and quesadillas can be made with leftover meat. Make enchiladas with tortillas, leftover ham, leftover salad, grated cheese and enchilada sauce.

¯ Combine pasta with leftover ham and veggies, and add a cheese or pesto sauce.

¯ Cook some rice to fry with the ham and vegetables; add garlic and soy sauce for a fried rice entre, or combine rice with ham, vegetables, garlic and onions for a pilaf.

¯ Use diced cooked ham in a variety of tortas and tart recipes.

The possibilities are endless! Do you have other ideas for using leftover eggs and ham? Share them!

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Cabbage Pie with Eggs & Ham

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Ingredients:

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Filling:

2 strips of bacon

1 onion

1 medium head of cabbage

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup diced cooked ham

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheese (like Cheddar or Parmesan)

Crust:

3 medium potatoes

2 to 3 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

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Directions:

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook bacon in a large skillet; remove to paper towels when done and crisp. Peel and chop an onion, and add to the bacon drippings. Wash and roughly chop the cabbage, and add it. Cover and cook until everything is tender (10 to 15 minutes), giving an occasional stir. Season with soy sauce, and crumble in the reserved bacon.

While cabbage cooks, make the crust:

Scrub potatoes (peeling optional), and shred (a food processor or salad shooter does this quickly and easily).

Oil the bottom and sides of a 9″ pie plate liberally with the oil. Add potatoes, and mix well with your hands to coat with the oil. Spread them around to cover the bottom and sides of the pie plate with the oiled potatoes. Sprinkle with a little additional oil, place in a hot oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, lower oven temp to 350 degrees F and let potato crust cool slightly before filling.

Layer the sauteed cabbage in the prepared potato nest. Scatter diced ham on top. Peel the eggs, slice and arrange on top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4.

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Apple Ham Salad

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Ingredients:

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1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 lb. cooked ham (more if you like)

2 apples, cored and diced

1 or 2 stalks celery

1/3 cup minced fennel bulb

1/2 cup raisins

Salt and pepper to taste

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Directions:

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Combine yogurt & mayonnaise in small bowl; set aside.

Cube ham. Core and dice apples. Slice celery. Mince fennel. Combine in salad bowl; add raisins and fold in dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 3 to 4

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Author of the award-winning cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on Twitter: @yvonawrites.