Category Archives: CHRISTMAS RECIPES

DUCK BREASTS WITH ORANGE MARMALADE SAUCE

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I do believe summer has come early to the Pacific NW. Usually the month of June is wet or in the case of the last few years, very wet. But so far this June the weather has been splendid. Which means – I am outside and not turning my attention to the kitchen (or this blog for that matter). And then when I do come inside, I’m not much inclined to spend a great deal of time on my computer or fussing over a meal. A small piece of meat, a salad, and a veggie is just about all the effort I am willing to make after a day of activity. That and of course a nice adult beverage of some kind to sip on while I slog away at preparing our evening repast. (Must keep the cook happy, at least that’s what I tell Mr. C!)

With relatively little effort in mind, one of my favorite quick and easy meats to prepare is duck. (And I know what you are thinking. Patti, has the sun fried a few too many of your ever diminishing brain cells? Duck is neither quick nor easy to prepare!) To which I reply – nonsense! Now granted some recipes for duck are elaborate and take culinary expertise. (You will not be finding those recipes on this site.) But this recipe and my previously posted recipe for Duck Ragu with Fettuccine are both easy and quick enough for me to usually garner enough energy to prepare even after spending a grueling couple of hours harvesting weeds to donate to our local yard waste sub-station.

So don’t be afraid of cooking duck, especially duck breasts. Give this simple recipe a try. And while you’re at it, cook up a couple extra breasts. (I usually find frozen duck breasts in packages of 4 anyway, which is the perfect amount for two meals for the two of us.) Then freeze the extra cooked breasts or save them for a couple of days in your refrigerator and prepare the Duck Ragu with Fettuccine recipe. It is truly one of the best and easiest pasta dishes you will ever taste. Quack!

  • boneless Muskovy or Moulard duck breasts (1 duck breast per person)
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • zest of half a large orange
  • 3/4 c. fresh orange juice or 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate & 3/4 cup water)
  • 3/4 c. chicken broth or stock
  • 1 c. orange marmalade
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 1 T. water
  • 1 T. cornstarch

Trim some of the skin from around the edges of each duck breast. (You want some skin, but not too much. I usually cut enough off so that when I lay the breast flat, skin side up, I can see some meat around the edge of the breast.) Using a very sharp thin bladed knife, score the skin in a crisscross pattern (just through the top of skin) at ¼-inch intervals. Pat the meat dry and lightly season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper.  Place duck breasts skin side down in a pre-heated pan heated to medium low. Fry for about 10 minutes or until fat is a deep golden brown. Turn and cook for  another couple of minutes. Transfer to a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 4-6 minutes or until interior temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from oven, tent with aluminum foil, and allow meat to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into thin slices. Serve immediately with Orange Marmalade Sauce.

To prepare the sauce combine the orange zest, orange juice, chicken broth, and marmalade in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Combine the water and cornstarch. Add mixture to the sauce and return sauce to a boil. If using the sauce within a few minutes, cover the pan and remove from heat. If making ahead, remove sauce from heat and cool completely before placing in refrigerator. Warm before serving. (Extra sauce freezes beautifully!)

Side Dish Suggestion: oven roasted veggies including potatoes, simple green salad

Wine Suggestion: Pinot Noir

 

GRUYÈRE SOUP

Maybe it’s because I am sitting inside our trailer in Bandon, Oregon while the rain is beating down on us that posting a recipe for one of my favorite soups seems so appropriate.  Could be, don’t you think? It’s not really cold outside, but it is wet! So even though it is just after breakfast, my mind just naturally drifted off to something warm and delicious, and the first thing I thought about was this James Beard classic.

I found this recipe many years ago when I was looking for a perfect first course soup. And “perfect” is the one word that describes this soup to a tee. I didn’t change a thing from Mr. Beard’s recipe. Why would I want to mess with perfection? So do yourself a favor and make this soup next time it is raining and you are in need of a little comfort. This will do the trick.

  • 4 T. butter
  • 4 T. flour
  • 2 c. milk
  • 2 c. chicken stock
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 ½ c. grated Swiss Gruyère cheese (do not use domestic “Gruyère”)
  • dash or 2 hot sauce (Tabasco or Frank’s)
  • kosher salt
  • Garlic Croutons, opt (recipe provided)
  • fresh chopped parsley, opt.

Melt butter in a heavy medium sized saucepan. Add flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Whisk in milk and stir until mixture slightly thickened. Add chicken stock and mustard. Heat through. Remove from heat and add cheese and hot sauce. Add salt if necessary. Serve immediately garnished with Garlic Croutons and chopped parsley.

Garlic Croutons:

  • 1 T. butter
  • 2 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread
  • granulated garlic

Melt butter in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently. When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Cool and store in an airtight container. Use on soups or salads.

 

FLOURLESS ORANGE CHOCOLATE CAKE (GÂTEAU AU CHOCOLAT)

As promised, this is another one of my favorite gluten free recipes. I make this cake every time I want an easy and absolutely decadent dessert. And I have yet to make it without someone (usually one of the guys) following me around like a puppy begging for more. They’ll usually even clean the bottom of the pan and the cake plate for me just to be able to scrape off the last few morsels. (I love it when someone else does the cleanup.) So if you want an easy and gluten free dessert, give this little darling a try. You will not be disappointed.

Speaking of disappointed, I know there are those of you out there that begin or end each day by reading my blog. (Don’t be ashamed, we all have our guilty little secrets.) So it is with mixed feelings that I tell you that this is the time of year I begin enjoying outdoor adventures and travel time with Mr. C. (Mixed feelings because I love to travel and spend quality time with Mr. C. and family, and I love to write on a daily basis. Sometimes they are just mutually exclusive.)

In other words, during late spring, summer and early fall, I won’t be writing up sparkling introductions and fantastic recipes for your edification as frequently as I have been these past 4 months. But don’t panic! Sit down, take a deep breath and get yourself under control! (And by-the-way, the old paper bag trick to stop simple hyperventilation actually does work!) Instead of almost daily, I will be posting entries when time and WiFi permit. (Sometimes we take our trailer way off grid. And when we go to Italy this fall, you can bet your best bottle of Chianti that I won’t be thinking about the blog at all!)

But come late fall and winter, when you too are back from vacations and have more time to read and digest (literally and figuratively) more recipes, we will once again begin our daily double routine. Me behind the computer, you in front!

But for now, I wish each and every one of you a happy late spring and a fantastic summer. And special thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I love writing it and hope it brings you cooking inspiration and every once in awhile a little chuckle to brighten your day. Now, where did I leave the keys to the trailer?

  • 1 lb. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 c. butter
  • ¼ c. + 2 tsp. Cointreau or other orange flavored liqueur
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 7 lg. eggs, room temperature
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 pint whipping cream
  • ¼ c. powdered sugar
  • zest of 1 orange

Combine chocolate chips and butter in a heavy saucepan and heat until chocolate melted. Remove from heat and add the ¼ cup Cointreau and vanilla. Set aside and cool to lukewarm. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar together for about 6 minutes or until mixture is thick and pale yellow. Ribbons should form when beaters are lifted. Slowly pour the melted chocolate mixture into the beaten eggs and pour into a buttered 9-inch spring-form pan that has been fitted with an aluminum foil leakage guard bottom. (I usually cut a circle of aluminum foil about an inch in circumference larger than my pan. Then I place the pan on the foil and fold the foil up the sides to prevent batter leakage. As further protection from run away melted butter escaping to the floor of my oven, I place the whole thing on a rimmed baking sheet.) Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes (don’t use convection if at all possible) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool for 5 minutes. Gently press down edges of cake with your fingers. Cool completely in pan. Then, run knife down edges to loosen cake. Remove sides of pan and set cake, bottom of pan and all, on cake plate. When ready to serve, whip cream to stiff peaks. Whip in powdered sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons of Cointreau. Dollop whipped cream on each thin slice serving and sprinkle with a tad bit of orange zest.

 

OLIVE STUFFED CHEESE BALLS

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Back in the first half of the 20th century, cocktail parties were much more prevalent than they are today. I don’t know exactly why that is, except that in general people today are much more aware of driving under the influence, which is a very good thing. (Not driving under the influence – heightened awareness! Just making sure you’re paying attention.) For sure there is the driving under the influence factor, but at least in our part of the country, there is the life in the west reality (people here tend to dress and entertain much more casually than back east, for example). But I personally believe the number one reason adult cocktail parties are not as popular as they once were is because starting at about the time my children were very small (late 60s and 70s), all the couples I knew were beginning to take their children with them wherever they went. I think (and I’m not a sociologist so none of what I’m espousing is grounded in fact) with the onset of more mommies working outside the home, we ladies wanted and needed to be with our children as much as possible evenings and weekends. I know that was how I felt, and I certainly wasn’t alone. But prior to that, when the majority of women were still stay at home moms, I’m sure they desperately needed to get away from their children once in awhile. (I know I would have had to, or I’d have gone mad!) So a late evening cocktail party for adults only was a perfect solution.

At the same time many women were starting to work outside the home, men were beginning to play a much more active part in their children’s lives too. So spending time with your own family and your friend’s families was becoming de rigueur.  And if it meant only being able to see friends with children in tow, so be it! And because there were children present who needed to be fed at a reasonable hour, our party style gradually changed from adult only cocktail parties to early evening family dinner gatherings. (Spaghetti was big in those days.) Now granted, we still managed to imbibe our share of adult beverages, but sophisticated affairs these were not. Just great friends, happy children with spaghetti sauce smiles and noise levels in the 120 decibels range.

And as our party style changed, so did the types of food we served. We quickly learned that one of the best ways to combat alcohol over-indulgence at a party, or at any kind of a function for that matter, was to serve so much fabulous food that booze became almost incidental. I know that sounds difficult to believe, but if you serve a variety of incredible tasting horse d’oeuvres at a party, including this recipe for Olive Stuffed Cheese Balls, people are going to continue nibbling all evening long. Sure they are still going to drink, but with enough truly wonderful food available, drinking becomes almost secondary.

I mean really, even at my ripe old age, I still remember going to parties in my twenties where the only food was a big old bag of potato chips and a couple store bought dips. Who in their right mind would have chosen chips and mediocre dip over keg beer? Not anyone I knew. But today, if presented with a beautiful table full of a variety of delicious dishes that include plenty of protein and as little salt as humanly possible (party food is intrinsically salty), people will simply eat more and drink less.

So plan your parties heavy on the food, lighter on the booze, and speak slowly and distinctly to your older guests. Some of us are still suffering the effects of all those 120 decibel evenings!

  • scant ½ lb. (2 cups) finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • ½ c. butter, room temperature
  • 1 c. flour (not sifted)
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • ¼ tsp. hot sauce
  • approximately 45 small stuffed green olives that have been drained and patted dry (I use the 5-oz. jar of Lindsay brand Spanish Manzanilla Olives)

Combine cheese, butter, flour, paprika, and hot sauce in a medium mixing bowl. (Best prepared with a powerful mixer such as a KitchenAid). Using a very small scoop or your fingers, remove about a heaping teaspoon of dough and form it around each olive. Place wrapped olives on an ungreased baking sheet. Freeze firm. Place still frozen balls in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.

Note: People will eat these like popcorn. I would advise a double batch!

 

STUFFED BONELESS LEG OF LAMB

Once upon a time (I have always wanted to start a preface to a recipe or story with this ever so rarely used story opener) there was a really good Italian restaurant in Redmond, Washington that offered cooking classes. For the life of me I can’t remember the name of the restaurant and in my defense, I did take the class along with my dear friend Jim 16 or 17 years ago. Anyway, the restaurant is long gone! What remains is this fabulous recipe. Now I am a lamb lover. I love grilled ground lamb patties served with Tzatziki, lamb curry, rack of lamb, marinated and grilled lamb chops; basically all things lamb. But my favorite all time way to cook lamb is this stuffed leg recipe.

The first time I made it for guests was for a cooking club that has been going, more off than on unfortunately, for over a decade. The thing that stands out most about serving this dish was the reaction I received from my 2 cooking buddies Ken and Paul. (And yes it does seem like all my best cooking pals are male. My mom never raised no dummy!) But back to my story. The leg of lamb was happily resting under its aluminum foil blanket and it was time to make the sauce. The first thing you need to know about this lamb preparation is that it produces just about the best sauce you will ever taste. And this evening’s sauce was no exception. I actually invited the guys to try the sauce/gravy as it was reducing. I wanted to demonstrate the difference a touch of lemon juice could make to the overall flavor of the sauce when it was added just before serving. Well, that was one of the worst mistakes I ever made! The guys were eating spoonfuls of the sauce before it ever got to the table. They even asked if I had any straws! They wanted to suck it up right out of the pan!

Now I have to be honest with you. This recipe is easy once you build the demi-glace. But making demi-glace is a pain in the bucket. It’s not hard to make, it’s just time consuming. So when I make it, I make about 4 cups and that usually lasts me for an entire year, if not longer. But making your own demi-glace beats the heck out of buying it. You want to experience sticker shock, go on line and figure out what a cup of demi-glace costs.  Of course, if you’re super rich, no problem. But if you are ordinary folk like Mr. C. and me, well suffice it to say, I build my own. I usually make it when I know I am going to be futzing around the kitchen for several hours anyway. That way I can periodically give it a check while I perform whatever other cooking projects happen to be in the works. (It also helps that I have an outdoor kitchen. I can put my pot of bones, meat, veggies and water on to boil outside and not have to worry about messing up my kitchen.) So next time you want to prepare a dish that will knock the socks off your guests, give this baby a try. You will not be disappointed. Well maybe just a little. Leftovers for next evening’s meal are simply not going to happen.

  • 1 medium sized boneless leg of lamb
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 T. finely chopped fresh sage
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 7-8 slices prosciutto
  • 2 T. vegetable oil
  • 1 c. Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris, your choice (Both come from the same grape, but are made differently.  Italian style Pinot Grigio is typically lighter-bodied, crisp, fresh tasting, with a vibrant stone fruit flavor, floral aroma, and a touch of spice. Pinot Gris, from the Alsace region in France, is more full-bodied, richer, spicier, and has a higher viscosity.)
  • 1 c. demi-glace (see recipe under This & That Recipes)
  • ½ c. heavy cream
  • additional wine, if necessary (so don’t drink the rest of the bottle while the lamb is cooking)
  • ¼ tsp. fresh lemon juice

If the leg of lamb came in a sweet little mesh blanket bag, carefully slide the lamb out of the netting and set aside. Open lamb out on a cutting board and taking a sharp meat knife carefully slice the boned side of the meat here and there to achieve an even thickness. (I used to pound the meat with a mallet, but I have found slicing the meat here and there works better. Doesn’t leave the meat kind of mushy.) Rub the meat with a moderate amount of salt and pepper and sprinkle with the garlic, sage, and rosemary. Lay prosciutto on top. Roll the meat to approximately the same shape it was before you started messing with it. Tie with string so it keeps its shape while braising, or carefully stuff it back into the wire mesh bag. Heat oil in a heavy lidded roasting pan or Dutch oven. Brown the meat on all sides in the hot oil. Remove from heat and add the wine and demi-glace. Cover and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Remove lid, reduce heat to 325 degrees, insert instant read thermometer and continue roasting until meat reaches an internal temperature of 140-145 for medium rare. Remove meat from oven, transfer to a cutting board, remove string or mesh bag, and tent gently with aluminum foil. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing into ½-inch pieces. Meanwhile, add an additional fourth to half cup of wine to roasting pan if there is less than a half cup of liquid remaining after the roast was removed. Add the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer a few minutes or until the sauce has reduced to a medium thick consistency. Adjust seasoning and add lemon juice. Remove from heat. Arrange 1 or 2 slices of meat on each plate. Spoon a small amount of sauce over each slice. (Don’t be too generous. The sauce is really, really rich. I usually serve whatever sauce is left in a small gravy boat and place it on the dining table for guests to help themselves.)

Side Dish Suggestions: Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes (recipe below), a steamed veggie like green beans or broccoli, a salad such as Winter Fruit Salad or Coleslaw, and a nice homemade Beer Bread. And for dessert – how about Cherries Jubilee or French vanilla ice cream with Spiced Rum Sauce (recipe found under Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce)

Wine Suggestion: Let’s see, how about starting with the left over Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris that has been happily waiting for you in the refrigerator? Or if that’s already gone, open another of the same!

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

  • 2 lbs. fingerling potatoes
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • seasoned or kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour on just enough olive oil to coat the potatoes lightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add rosemary, and garlic. Mix with your hands. Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. (Your potatoes can be roasting while your leg of lamb is resting.)

 

 

 

 

 

CREAMY GREEN BEANS WITH MUSHROOMS

For holiday dinners a plain veggie is almost always ignored especially if the meat and other side dishes are also fairly simple. After all, it’s a holiday meal. And inherent with holiday dinners is the absolute need for something rich on your plate that you might not otherwise eat. And if that lovely mouth feel that comes from a dish containing butter and half and half happens to also include a vegetable, it’s a win-win situation! For example, this recipe would be perfect if you were planning to serve Maple Syrup Glazed Spiral Ham and Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes. Neither recipe has so high a fat content that creamy green beans would be too rich served as an accompaniment. However, if you were planning to serve Stuffed Leg of Lamb (recipe to be posted in a day or two) and Baked Red Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Sauce, a simple dish of steamed green beans would be a much better choice. Taste buds are picky and they are easily overwhelmed. They seem to be particularly happy when they have a variety of plain and rich flavors to visit and revisit at leisure. So when planning a dinner party, think about variety in both taste and texture, plain preparations versus rich, and color presentation. Color is all too often neglected when choosing what dishes to serve together. And I’m not saying that you have to obey the rules of the color wheel. But who doesn’t prefer to see a pop of bright green, red, or yellow on their otherwise mono-chromatic plate of food? Remember, parsley wasn’t invented to provide a last minute burst of fresh flavor to almost any savory dish, or because of its high vitamin content. It was invented for the sole purpose of bringing a splash of color to an otherwise dreary plate! A little story:  I will never forget one of the dinners we were served when my former husband and I took our 3 youngest children to Europe for 5 weeks in 1978. One of the places we stayed in England actually served us poached white fish, boiled peeled potatoes and way over cooked plain cauliflower. And on a white plate, of course! Now, in the world of home decoration white on white is terribly sophisticated. On a plate placed before three children ages 10, 11, and 12, who were used to a very eclectic assortment of food at home, this all white presentation was not well received. In retrospect it was really quite funny to watch all three little faces turn to me at the same time with expressions that clearly read “mom, do I have to eat this”? And truly, who could expect them, or anyone for that matter to eat something so unappealing. If I remember correctly, none of us ate that dinner. Instead I think we found the nearest Indian restaurant. (We ate quite a bit of Indian food for the two weeks we travelled around England, Scotland, and Wales and were never disappointed!) So, moral of the story; have fun planning your Easter dinner. Just remember – too much of a good thing is not appealing, crunch is your friend, and white on white is stunning in the home of a “dazzling urbanite” (to quote Jim (Gene Wilder) in Blazing Saddles), but on a plate, not so much!

  • 2 T. butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 8-oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 c. half and half
  • ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 T. chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 lb. fresh green beans, cut in bite size pieces and steamed until crisp tender

Melt butter in a medium sized fry pan over medium low heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about a minute or until garlic releases its aroma. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they start to turn a light golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. (This dish can be prepared up to this point ahead of time and set aside. Just before ready to serve, place back over heat and follow instruction as written.) Add the half and half and Parmesan cheese. Simmer until the sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Adjust seasoning. Gently stir in the green beans and parsley. Serve immediately. This green bean dish is based on a recipe from the blog entitled Closet Cooking; a great source of fun recipes, by the way.

 

SCALLOPED POTATOES

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Of all the side dishes that seem to be a favorite of everyone, scalloped potatoes must be near the top of the list. And really, what’s not to love? Thin slices of potatoes baked in a lovely cheese sauce. Well, I’ll tell you what’s not to love! The time it takes to bake most scalloped potato recipes. Holy cow, it’s holiday time and you already have several dishes that need anywhere from several hours in a slow oven to 45 minutes in a hotter oven to re-warm. So then comes along your big old lovely casserole of potatoes. How the heck are you going to make room for a dish that requires 1 ½ – 2 hours in a 350 degree oven? Well dear readers, I’m still slightly aghast that it took me until about 8 years ago before my internal incandescent light bulb, which I had always assumed had at least a wattage rating of 100, came on in my brain and shed some light, so to speak, on the subject. (Either my wattage is less than I originally believed it to be, or my wire filaments aren’t burning as hot as they should! And yes, I still have an internal incandescent light bulb. I was born way before there was an option to be hard wired with a CFL – Compact Fluorescent Lamp)! So if you are looking for a simple way to make an old favorite, give this recipe a try. There is no flavor lost when you partially cook the potatoes ahead of time. And the peace of mind from knowing that your potatoes won’t possibly be crunchy when you are ready to serve is worth more than you’ll save from switching from incandescent to CFL or LED (light-emitting diode) lighting!

  • 1 lb. Yukon Gold or russet potatoes
  • 1 T. butter
  • ½ tsp. paprika, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 T. cornstarch
  • 1 c. whole milk
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 c. shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, aged Gouda, etc.)

Peel potatoes and cut in half. (And yes I peel my potatoes for this recipe, because boiled potato skins tend to become tough.) Then slice each half potato into 1/3-inch slices. Place in a covered pan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add a goodly amount of kosher salt, cover and cook until just about tender. (You don’t want mushy potatoes, so watch carefully). Drain. Meanwhile, brown butter in a medium sized saucepan. Add paprika and cornstarch and let burble in pan for about a minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the cheese. Adjust seasoning. (The sauce will be very thick.) Carefully add the cheese sauce to the potatoes. Scoop mixture into a lightly buttered casserole pan and sprinkle lightly with additional paprika. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top is starting to brown and the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the casserole dish. Let sit a few minutes before serving. Note: Don’t be afraid to mix and match the cheeses for this recipe. This dish is a perfect way to use up those bits and pieces of cheese that aren’t aging gracefully! Also, this recipe doubles and triples beautifully.

WINTER FRUIT SALAD

I am not the biggest fruit lover in the world. I think it’s because sweet food has never been my favorite. But I know what you are thinking. Fruit is good for you and you need several servings a day. I know! I too read all the press about healthy eating. But I just can’t make myself wake up in the morning yearning for my first piece of fruit! Actually that’s not quite true. There is one fruit I always wake up thinking about, and that is the seed of the coffee plant. And yes, coffee seeds or pits (incorrectly named as beans because of their resemblance to the true beans that grow in long pods on certain leguminous plants) grow inside the round red or purple cherry fruit of tropical evergreen shrubs. So I guess if I were to press the point to the ridiculous, which is how I seem to be hard-wired to do anyway, each morning when I consume a cup of processed (to free the seeds from the cherry), roasted (to enhance the flavors locked inside) finely ground and brewed coffee, I am getting my first serving of fruit for the day! I can live with that. And another thing I can live with in the morning, or for lunch or dinner, is this fruit salad. I don’t know why, but fruit that has been cut up tastes better to me. And then when you add a simple dressing which further enhances the flavor of the fruit, even I become a devoted fan. There’s hope for the old gal yet! Speaking of hope, I hope you enjoy the new Easter recipes I will be posting the rest of this week and the ones that are already on my blog under Easter Dinner Recipes. I’m especially fond of the Deviled Eggs recipe. And really, after your children have hunt for and found the colored hard boiled eggs lovingly placed in your yard awaiting their discovery, what else are you going to do with them? Your kids are never going to want them all for themselves. After all, they’re children. And what child is going to choose a rabbit egg (that’s just wrong to begin with) over a chocolate egg or a marshmallow peep? (Now peeps are really sick and wrong, yet I know intelligent men like my dear friends Nich and Steve who actually horde them!) With your children’s permission of course, don’t delay turning those dyed eggs into Deviled Eggs. I say don’t delay, because you truly don’t want them to go bad hidden in the back of a child’s closet. (Trust me on this one. I have first-hand knowledge of organic items being hidden in a closet.)

  • 2 T. fresh lime juice (don’t even think about using that stuff that comes in a cute little plastic lime look-alike container)
  • 2 T. honey
  • ¼ c. vanilla yogurt
  • ¼ tsp. poppy seeds
  • 1 tart apple, cored and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 oranges, peeled and sections cut in two
  • 2 c. red or green seedless grapes
  • 2 kiwi peeled, cut in half and each half cut into half-moon shaped pieces
  • 2 bananas, sliced
  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh mint, opt.

Combine lime juice, honey, vanilla yogurt, and poppy seeds in the bottom of a pretty bowl. (Glass is nice if you have one.) Add the fruit and stir gently. Garnish with sprigs of mint. Serve immediately. Note: the dressing can be made ahead or time, but don’t add the fruit until you are ready to serve. You can use any combination of fruit you like. With the amount of dressing this recipe makes, about 7-8 cups of fruit is just about right. You don’t want a soggy salad. Also, I use no more than 5 different kinds of fruit when I make fruit salad.  I think if the salad contains more than five varieties your mouth can’t fully appreciate the unique qualities of each.

 

 

MAPLE SYRUP GLAZED SPIRAL HAM

So, I never intended this blog to be holiday specific, but things sometimes take on a life of their own. And my blog seems to be doing just that. It thinks that since Easter is just about here, I ought to offer up some of my favorite Easter recipes. Well, who am I to argue with my blog when it is so obviously correct! So for the next few days, I am going to post a few of our family’s favorite Easter recipes. And the obvious first choice for me is the star of most of our Easter dinners – baked ham. Now I believe I have alluded to the fact that I love almost all things pork! (I do draw the line at pickled pig’s feet and pork rinds, but most other piggy products are high on my beloved foods list.) And for the most bang for the buck and ease of preparation, spiral ham is a really good choice. I just slap it in the oven, prepare a simple glaze, slap that on just before I’m ready to serve, and call it good. Actually, what I really should be calling “good” is this recipe! I found this Dave Lieberman (I really like his recipes, by the way) masterpiece on-line when I wanted a new way to prepare baked ham to serve in addition to turkey last Christmas. I immediately knew that this was now going to be my favorite way to prepare ham. I absolutely loved the flavor of the glaze as did all the rest of my family. And the ham sandwiches the next day were just over the top wonderful. You know, ham is really versatile. You can serve it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Which makes me wonder why I don’t buy it more often? So I decided to do a little research on ham. It turns out that most lean ham is about 5% fat, 2% of which is saturated. Not too bad. But the killer, so to speak, is the sodium content. For an average 3-oz. portion, there is roughly 1170 mg of sodium. Yikes, that’s more than I should eat for the whole day! And only 3 ounces? I could no more stick to a 3-oz. portion than I could recite the Gettysburg address from heart!  So, although I love ham and will continue to serve it for holidays, I’m going to have to personally leave it at that. Oh well, life is a game of choice. And because I want to continue eating an occasional piece of bacon, I am going to choose not to research the fat and salt content in bacon. I can only take so much bad news on any given day! So if you will excuse me, I’m going to go start practicing my reciting skills. Fourscore and seven years ago……

  • 1 (9 lb.) partial bone-in spiral cut ham (I use Hemplers spiral hams, butt end (more meat)
  • 3/4 c. water
  • 1/2 c. real maple syrup
  • 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
  • 2 T. whole-grain Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Place ham in a roasting pan and pour water into the pan bottom. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a pre-heated 300 degree oven for about 90 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, mustard, and spices in a saucepan until smooth and heat until simmering. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Set aside. When ham is heated through, remove the aluminum foil, and pour or brush the glaze over the top to cover completely. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Return the ham to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until glaze is caramelized and bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing pieces off bone.

 

SAVORY CHEESE SPREAD

I am always looking for ways to save grocery dollars. Maybe it’s a throw back to my parents’ era, (the great depression that is), or maybe because I helped raise 4 kids on a tight budget, or maybe I’m just frugal. Call it what you may, but if I can prepare a homemade version of an expensive item that I love, well I’m all over making it at home. Another consideration, that is fast becoming even more important to me than cost, is the list of ingredients that aren’t in the dish I prepare at home. Do I really need all those preservatives in my system? I mean really, they aren’t helping with the whole wrinkle thing that’s rampantly happening on my face, so of what value are they to me personally? (Now please understand, if I could see any cosmetic benefit from massive doses of Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) or Sodium Benzoate, I would stuff my face with products containing these additives. I’m frankly getting a little scared seeing my mother look back at me from my mirror!) But all kidding aside, I really dislike all the chemicals contained in processed food. So if I can prepare a recipe like this one for a mock Boursin Cheese which contains fewer chemicals than the real stuff, then I feel better and not coincidentally richer for the substitution. Of course, once you look at the ingredient list for this spread you are going to take me to task for the butter and cream cheese. I can just hear you saying, I mean really Patti, there may not be as many chemicals in your version, but all that fat? Well, the real stuff ain’t any better!  And besides, I only make it for parties and everyone knows there aren’t as many calories if you eat standing up. So party food, no problem! Just don’t sit down with a bowl of this in front of you. That would be my health tip for the day!

  • ½ c. butter (1 stick), room temperature
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 garlic clove, very finely minced
  • 2 T. finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ tsp. dried dill weed
  • ¼ tsp. dried marjoram
  • ¼ tsp. dried basil
  • ¼ tsp. dried chives
  • 1/8 tsp. dried thyme
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 T. finely minced fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature before serving stuffed in cherry tomatoes or as a spread for soft butter crackers. This spread is best when prepared and allowed to mellow for at least 2 days before serving.