Festive Ham Rolls

10 to 12 thin slices of Ham
5 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/3 tsp pepper
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken or turkey cut in small pieces
 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
chopped olives
1 cup sliced mushrooms
284 ml can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp white wine

• Saute mushrooms until crispy with 1 tbsp butter.  Set aside
• Melt remaining butter in saucepan.  Stir in flour and pepper.  Add milk. Cook and stir until it boils and thickens.   It will be thick.
• Add chicken, celery, green pepper, olives and mushrooms.  Mix well.  Divide onto ham slices.  Roll and secure with toothpick.  Arrange in casserole with the pick side up.
• In small bowl, mix soup, milk and wine.  Pour over ham rolls.  Bake uncovered in 350F oven for 15 minutes.  

Hearty Ham and Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

I really liked this.  If you don't have ham substitute with bacon.  This is from the 2014 Milk Calendar

1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups milk
1 can 2% evaporated milk
1 cup shredded Canadian old Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup shredded Canadian Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
2 cups macaroni
3 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup diced black forest ham or cooked crumbled bacon (optional)

Topping
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (or Panko)
1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning

• Preheat oven to 375F.  Butter an 8 cup casserole dish.
• In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; saute onion and celery for about 3 min or until lightly golden.  Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring for 1 min.  Whisk in milk and evaporated milk; cook, stirring for about 5 min or until thickened.  Remove from heat; stir in Cheddar and Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook macaroni for 5 min or until almost tender.  Add broccoli; cook for 1 min.  Drain and add to sauce along with ham; stir to coat.  Spread into prepared casserole dish.
• For Topping; in small bowl, combine butter, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning.  Sprinkle over macaroni.  Bake in preheated oven for about 20 min or until bubbly and golden.

Classic Pea Soup with Ham

This is a family favourite!  A hearty and flavourful soup that is simple to make.

1 smoked ham hock bone
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely shopped
2 each carrots and celery stalks, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper (I leave out the salt)
4 cups sodium reduced chicken stock
2 cups dry yellow split peas
3 green onions thinly sliced

• Using a paring knife, trim off and discard fat from ham hock.
• In dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium low heat; fry onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper and ham hock bone, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add stock, peas and 2 cups water; bring to boil over medium high heat, skimming off any foam.  Cover and simmer over medium low heat until peas break down and meat is tender enough to fall off bone, about 1 3/4 hours.
• Remove ham hock bone, pull off and shred meat.  Set meat aside.  Discard bone and bay leaves. With immersion blender puree soup to desired texture; return to pot along with meat.  Ladle into bowls and serve with green onions.

Skillet Quiche

6 to 8 slices of bacon or ham
3 cups cooked cubed potato
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp chives or green onion
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Fry bacon in frying pan.  Drain fat.  Add cubed potato, onion and chives.  Cook 5 minutes.  Stir in beaten eggs.  Salt and pepper.  Sprinkle grated cheese over mixture.  Cover and cook over moderate heat for an additional 5 minutes.  Cut in wedges to serve.

Baked Ham with Bourbon Citrus Glaze

Love this glaze, from Food And Drink 2000.

4 kg bone-in smoked ham
2 tbsp coarsely grated orange zest
2 tbsp coarsely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup bourbon whisky, rye whiskey or amber rum
1/2 cup 3 fruit marmalade (I used a mango chutney)
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Remove skin and trim fat from ham leaving a 1/4 inch thick layer.  Score the fat to make a diamond pattern.  Place ham in a shallow roasting pan and bake, uncovered for 1 hour.  Drain off fat.
3. Meanwhile, blanch orange and lemon zest in a small saucepan of boiling water for 1 min to remove bitterness.  Drain and reserve.
4. Puree bourbon, marmalade, honey and mustard in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
5. Generously brush ham with bourbon glaze and sprinkle zests over top.  Bake, basting with glaze every 15 minutes for 1 hour or until nicely glazed and meat thermometer registers 140F (60C).  Add a small amount of water to bottom of pan if glaze begins to burn.  Transfer ham to a warm platter, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 15 minuter before carving.

Serves 8 to 10 with generous leftovers

Baked Ham with Cassis and Ginger Baste

I wasn't sure about this one but very glad I tried it!  I switched the Cassis for Chambord.  From Food and Drink Spring 2000

4kg bone in smoked ham, shank end
Whole cloves
1 cup Cassis (or Chambord)
1/3 cup minced candied ginger
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
2 tsp cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Remove skin and trim fat from ham leaving a 1/4 inch thick layer.  Score fat in a diamond pattern, about 1 inch in size, and insert a clove in each diamond.  Place ham in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold the ham.  Bake uncovered, for 1 hour.  Drain off any fat in pan.
3. Combine Cassis, candied ginger and vinegar in a food processor and puree until very smooth (I used a blender).  Pour over ham and bake, basting often, for 1 hour or until nicely glazed and meat thermometer register 140F (60C).
4. Remove ham to a warm platter, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Add chicken stock to roasting pan and bring to a boil, stirring, over medium heat.  Blend cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water and add to pan, stirring, until sauce thickens and is smooth.  Cut ham into slices and serve accompanied with sauce.

Serves 8 to 10 with generous leftovers.

Cheese Biscuits and Country Ham

Loved these, the recipe is for small hors d'oeuvres, but increase in size for a heartier bite :)

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold butter
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar, preferably orange
1 to 2 green onions, very thinly sliced, or 1/4 cup snipped chives
1 cup buttermilk or sour cream
250 g thinly sliced virginia or other mild country ham
2 to 4 tbsp mustard or chutney

1. Arrange rack just above centre of oven; preheat to 450F.
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.  Stir flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until only small bits are visible.  Add cheddar and green onions, tossing until evenly distributed.  Pour in buttermilk; stir until dough forms.
3. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; pat until 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with 1 1/2 inch round biscuit or cookie cutter.  Place about an inch apart on baking sheet.  Bake above oven centre for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.  Cool on a rack.
4. Slice cooled biscuits in half.  Cut or fold ham to fit on bottom half.  Add a dab of mustard or chutney; replace top and serve.  Filled biscuits can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated;; then heated uncovered in a 350F oven for 5 minutes.

Senate Bean Soup

Fall is coming, time for some soups!

1 lb dried beans (navy, pea or great northern) rinsed and picked over
water
1 meaty ham bone
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot soak beans overnight in 2 quarts of water.  Next morning add 2 more quarts water.  Add ham bone, bring to boil and skim.  Cover then simmer 2 hours or until beans begin to fall apart.  Add potatoes, onion, celery and garlic.  Simmer 1 hour longer.  Remove ham bone and cut up meat.  Discard bone; return meat to soup.  If desired, mash beans and potatoes against side of pot to thicken soup.  Season.  Makes 4 quarts and can be frozen.

Maple Glazed Asparagus Bundles

Very fancy looking with minimal work!  Great with anything on the Barbecue!

1 large bunch asparagus, about 24 to 32 spears, trimmed
1/2 red pepper, sliced into long thin strips
8 slices trimmed, thinly sliced black forest ham or prosciutto about 125 g
1/3 cup Diana Sauce, maple flavour
2 tsp coarsely cracked mixed peppercorns
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp each lemon juice and melted butter

1. Preheat the grill to medium high.  Blanch the asparagus in boiling salted water for 3 minutes.  Rinse under cold running water until cool.  Drain well and pat dry.
2. Divide the asparagus into 8 bundles.  Add a few strips of the red pepper to each bundle.  Wrap the ham tightly around the base of the asparagus.  Secure each bundle firmly together with a toothpick.
3. Stir the sauce with the lemon zest, juice and butter.  Brush half of the sauce over the bundles.  Sprinkle the ham or prosciutto evenly with cracked pepper.
4. Grill the bundles for 2 minutes.  Turn and brush with remaining sauce.  Grill for 2 minutes, turning as needed, until the vegetables are marked ad the ham or prosciutto is crisp.  Remove the toothpicks before serving.

Presto Pizza!

Homemade Pizza, doesn't get much better than this!

Crust

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

Topping

2/3 cup pizza sauce

1 1/2 cups diced vegetables

1/2 cup diced lean ham

1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

1. Place a large baking sheet upside down on middle rack of oven and preheat oven to 425F. Butter 1 or 2 more large baking sheets.
2. Crust:  In a large bowl, combine all purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, oregano and salt.  Pour in milk and butter; stir with a fork until soft dough forms.  Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times just until smooth.  Divide into 6 pieces.  Roll or pat 3 pieces into 6 inch circles and place on prepared baking sheet.  
3. Topping:  Spread pizza sauce on each crust, leaving 1/2 inch border.  Sprinkle with ham and vegetables as desired.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese. 
4. Place pizzas on baking sheet on top of hot baking sheet in oven.  Bake for 12 to 15 min or until crust is golden, toppings are hot and cheese is bubbling.  meanwhile repeat with remaining 3 pizzas.