Yam recipes

Charcoal grilled salmon steaks marinated in lemon, olive oil, and basil, served over spicy black beans simmered with ham, jalapenos, and fresh thyme. A smoky, protein-packed summer plate.

Velvet corn soup is a classic Chinese egg drop soup with creamed corn, chicken broth, fresh ginger, and dry sherry, thickened with cornstarch and swirled with frothy egg whites.

If you're busy during the day, use the crockpot to make this easy and scrumptious meal.

Ham and broccoli stir-fry in a savory oyster sauce with rice wine, ginger, and toasted walnuts. A quick Chinese-inspired wok dish served over gingered rice.

Giant stuffed hero sandwich baked in homemade dough with layers of ham, salami, Swiss, cheddar, sauteed peppers and onions, and Dijon mustard. A party-sized hot sub that feeds a crowd.

Mandarin hot soup: the classic Chinese hot and sour soup with shredded pork, black mushrooms, wood ears, bamboo shoots, and silky egg ribbons. Tangy, peppery, and ready in 30 minutes.

Fried shrimp wonton soup with crispy golden wontons, a cornstarch-thickened chicken broth, silky egg white ribbons, and smoky Smithfield ham garnish. A banquet-style Chinese soup.

Twice-baked potato 'boats' stuffed with scrambled eggs, ham, zucchini, red pepper, and Parmesan. A hearty handheld brunch dish that delivers the eggs-and-hash-browns combo in one shell.

Old-fashioned blackberry jam cake with warm spices, pecans, and raisins topped with silky caramel icing. Southern heritage cake with allspice, cloves, and buttermilk crumb.

Slow-simmered black beans with ham, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and cilantro in chicken broth. A from-scratch dried bean recipe with Cuban-inspired flavors topped with sour cream.

I used Cornish Game Hens, but you could also use a cut up chicken. If you can't get winter melon, watermelon will work. Winter melon is white, very mild tasting and a tad denser than watermelon. I think you could get away using something like Honeydew too.

A slow-simmered minestrone built on beef bone and ham hock broth with kidney beans, broken lasagna noodles, cabbage, and crumbled blue cheese. Rich, meaty, and deeply satisfying.

Mama's Italian Meatloaf is a rolled masterpiece stuffed with ham, mushrooms, and gooey mozzarella. Seasoned with oregano and garlic, then brushed with tangy pizza sauce for a hearty Italian-American dinner.

Crispy phyllo crust filled with tofu-apricot cream spiked with honey, topped with glazed canned apricots and optional chocolate drizzle.

Authentic Tuscan bean soup with cannellini, savoy cabbage, fresh herbs, and a rich ham and salt pork soffritto. Ladled over toasted Italian bread with a drizzle of olive oil.

A spicy, but savory dish made with pinto beans and smoked ham that tastes great after being left to simmer in a crockpot.