Ham with Honey Mustard Glaze

9 years ago From The Kitchen

Sure you can easily go out and buy a ham already glazed and slide it into the oven – believe me, it’s been done at my home! I can assure you, though, making a glaze and roasting your own ham is just as easy.

1 8 – 12 lb. ham, smoked and bone-in (the size is entirely up to you and number of guests)

1 – 2 cups of apple cider

1 cup honey

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup Dijon or whole grain mustard (again, your preference)

1/2 stick of butter – preferably unsalted

Place your ham, cut side down, fat side up, in a deep baking sheet.  Pour over the apple cider. Cover the ham with aluminum foil sealing the sides and bake for 45 minutes at 350F.  In a saucepan combine the honey, brown sugar, mustard and butter and cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved.  Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.  After 45 minutes remove the ham.  Turn the oven up to 425F. With a sharp knife score the fat into a diamond pattern over the entire ham.  Brush the ham with a generous amount of the glaze, working into the fat, about 1/3 cup.  Return to the oven and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes.  Remove and brush with more glaze.  Repeat every 15 min. or so until all the glaze has been used, about 45 – 60 minutes total.  The ham should form a deep golden crust.  Remove and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Marinated Shrimp and Scallops

9 years ago From The Kitchen

This recipe is a take on the classic ceviche, a Mexican dish with acidic lime or lemon juice that “cooks” the seafood.  This has a wonderful fresh and light taste.  Serve well chilled.

1 lb. fresh bay scallops (these are the smaller variety)

3/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

3/4 lb. fresh, shelled, deveined shrimp

1/2 avocado, peeled and chopped into cubes

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Place the uncooked scallops in a glass bowl, pour lime juice over and let stand 1 hour, covered. Stir in the uncooked shrimp and remaining ingredients and refrigerate covered 8 hours or overnight.  To Serve, spoon the scallop mixture into a non-metallic serving dish and place in a large bowl of crushed ice.  Garnish with lime slices if desired.

Chicken Casserole

9 years ago From The Kitchen

This is one of those recipes I get asked for continually.  If you have left-over chicken and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, you essentially have your meal.  Terrific comfort food recipe for a cold night.

1 16 oz. box of pasta (small shells, rigatoni, penne)

Cooked chicken from approx. 2 breasts, cut up (or any left-over chicken peeled from the bone and chopped)*

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (I prefer those with broccoli and cauliflower)

1/2 tbsp. garlic minced

1 1/2 tsp. McCormick montreal chicken seasoning

1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta and set aside.  Combine all the remaining ingredients except 1/2 cup of the cheese in a large bowl.  Toss in the pasta.  Spread in a 12″ x 8″ rectangular baking dish, top with the remaining cheese and bake in preheated 350F oven for 45 minutes or until cooked through.  Serve with a salad and some warm biscuits.

Roast Chicken with Herbs de Provence

9 years ago From The Kitchen

A time ago, we had a family emergency, and as friends often do, meals and such were streaming into my kitchen.  This chicken dish was one of them.  I have tweaked it over time and I have to admit, it is simple and delicious.  I personally feel that there is nothing like the smell of a roasting chicken, and the simplicity of such a delicious meal.  Try this one!

One roasting chicken

1 medium shallot roughly chopped

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. honey

1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic

1/3 cup mixed olives

2 tbsp. herbs de provence – or if you cannot find this, use 2-3 springs of fresh rosemary

sea salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken breast side up in a deep roasting pan or dutch oven*. Fill the chicken cavity with the shallots.  Pour over the olive oil, then the balsamic vinegar and the honey.  Place the garlic around the chicken at the base of the pan and toss the olives around as well. Sprinkle the herbs de provence over the chicken and season with the salt and pepper.  Roast at 350F for about 1/2 hour then turn the chicken over carefully. Continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes.  Turn back to breast side up and continue to roast until golden and the chicken tests for doneness, temperature above 165F or thigh bone wiggles loosely.

*I swear by my dutch oven for even cooking and heat retention.  I consider it one of my kitchen staples and use it for desserts and bread recipes as well.  See my links below for my recommendations.

Comfort Food – Slow Cooker Beef

9 years ago From The Kitchen

Just hearing ‘comfort food’ makes me think of long-cooked familiar meals that aren’t especially fancy, just plain good.  Recipes we go to time and time again.  This is one I’ve been making every winter for years.  It’s so easy it practically cooks itself!  Perfect after a day of skiing.

1, 2-3 lb. chuck roast

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

chopped fresh mushrooms – optional

Place everything except the fresh mushrooms if using, in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  Add the fresh mushrooms and continue to cook until meat pulls apart very easily. You almost cannot over-cook this meat.  It should just fall into  pieces.  Serve over egg noodles, rice or polenta.

Cooking the perfect turkey

9 years ago From The Kitchen
Picture credit to Thepioneerwoman.com
(only because I keep forgetting to take a picture of mine!!).

I enjoy cooking a small turkey several times during the winter season. I think so many people are daunted at the thought of cooking a turkey because of all the hype surrounding it out there!  I’ve been cooking turkeys since my teens.  Yes, my mother allowed me to take over the Thanksgiving dinner back then, because a.) she really didn’t love to cook, b.) I loved to cook and had a pretty good success record, and finally, c.) who was I going to let down after-all? It was all family and mostly my brothers who would have probably eaten anything disguised as a turkey!  OK, truthfully, I have cooked many a turkey in my day and here are my simple (emphasis simple) techniques for cooking the perfect juicy turkey any day of the year!!

Most importantly, clean your bird.  Whether fresh or frozen, wash the bird on the outside and inside, drain, pat dry with paper towels* and place in pre-greased roasting pan*.  If you are stuffing your turkey, do that now, if not, follow along.  Once stuffed, legs tied and pinned to keep stuffing in, place the bird breast side up in the roasting pan.  Rub the breast and top of the turkey liberally with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Now, here is the critical part.  Pull out the aluminum foil.  Make a piece large enough to cover the turkey with room to spare on all sides.  Place two pieces of foil side by side on the counter, fold over the seams to make it air-tight.   Lightly oil the side that will contact the turkey, cover with the foil and pinch all the sides around and over the edge of the roasting pan to create a very tight seal.

Slide the turkey into a pre-heated 325F. oven and roast according weight and time.

I usually roast a 16-18lb. stuffed bird approx. 4-5 hours.  Do follow the time recommendations, then, about one hour prior to the bird being fully cooked, uncover and begin basting approx. every 10-15 minutes with pan juices, there should be significant juices.  When golden brown, remove from oven and lightly tent with foil and allow to sit for approx. 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and transfer onto a platter.  Turkey will be succulent and unbelievably juicy.  This method hasn’t failed me in over 20 years.  I can’t wait to get your feedback.

*please remember to decontaminate your surfaces from raw meat juices, such as the sink. I like to use a little bleach for this.

*also, I like to emphasize using a real roasting pan.  Foil pans can cook unevenly and more hot which will affect your outcome.  Also they are unstable with weight in them.  If you must use a foil pan, try putting it into a roasting pan as a liner.

German inspired fall dinner

9 years ago From The Kitchen

On a bleak late-fall day, I decided to make a delicious german inspired dinner.  A real crowd pleaser at my home, and helps to chase away the chill.  Here is my menu suggestion:

Kielbasa with German Sauerkraut (recipe to follow)

Whole oven baked sweet potatoes (baked like a traditional baked potatoe)

Spaetzle

Applesauce

Serve a warm apple crisp for dessert

Sauerkraut is such a great “cold weather” food.  Prepared as follows it is more than a side dish, it creates just the right pairing for the Kielbasa. This recipe takes the pungency out of the sauerkraut.  If you’re not a big fan, I urge you to try.  You will need:

1 1lb. bag or can of sauerkraut, drained but not rinsed

3 tbsp butter

1 onion roughly chopped

1/2 tbsp chopped garlic

1 medium apple peeled and diced

1 1/2 tsp. caraway seed

1/2 tsp. celery seed

2 tbsp. german style stone ground mustard

1 tbsp gravy master*

1 ring kielbasa of your own preference

In a large fry pan over medium heat saute the onions and garlic in the butter.  Add the apple and cook a bit more, until onions and apple are soft.  Add in the caraway and celery seed, stir in the mustard and the gravy master*.  The consistency will be soft and very dark.  Mix in the drained sauerkraut until well combined.  Place the kielbasa on top of the sauerkraut and cover.  Lower the heat and allow to cook for approx. 30 minutes or until the kielbasa is heated through.

*If you cannot find ‘gravy master’, you can replace any dark gravy mix, preferably not with too much liquid.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

10 years ago From The Kitchen
stuffed and ready for the oven

Once autumn comes around, my family requests this recipe time and time again.  These can be served two different ways as shown above.  If you use a small sized squash, they make adorable single sized portions – perfect for entertaining, otherwise larger sizes can be cut in half and served as shown on the right. You can also use buttercup squash.

2 medium to large sized acorn squash, washed and cut as desired (see above), seeds cleaned out. If you choose to make the individual sizes be sure to cut a thin slice off the bottoms so the squash will stand upright.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp garlic

1/2 6oz. can tomato paste

1 tbsp fresh or dried parseley

1/2 tbsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the squash in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for approx. 7-8 minutes or until slightly tender.  Remove and cool.  Meanwhile brown the ground beef and the onions simultaneously until cooked through and onions softened.  Add the garlic and continue to cook. Add the tomato paste and the seasonings and cook for another 10 minutes to mix all ingredients.  Place the squash in a casserole dish. Fill all the halves with the meat mixture, let the excess spill over and around the squash.  Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes.  Optional – sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

 

Carmelized Onion Pizza

10 years ago From The Kitchen

One store bought pizza dough

4 large sweet onions, sliced in rings

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. sugar

3 tbsp. cider vinegar

4-6 oz crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts (depending on which you prefer)

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  If using a baking stone place in oven to preheat.  Shape the dough into one large round.  Place on floured peel for easy transfer into the oven.  Meanwhile, in a frying pan over low heat melt the butter and oil.  Fry the onions stirring regularly to avoid burning, about 20 minutes.  They should be very soft, add a little water as needed if they begin to stick.  Add the sugar and vinegar and continue to cook until the vinegar evaporates.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  The onions should have a golden brown hue.

Top the pizza with the onions to cover.  Sprinkle with the nuts and then the cheese.  Place into the oven and bake for approx. 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 400 and bake until the crust is golden.  Remove from oven and allow to sit for approx. 10 minutes.