Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish

Again, I give homage to my mother for this. She's pretty good that one.

By the way,  if there is any of this left, because it still surprises every guest how much they cant get enough of this; use it in sandwiches, turkey panini's," its just so fresh, and bright it makes the Leftovers. "Top of the Chart"!






Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish
2 Minutes to Prepare. Make 24 hours ahead of time.

1 12 oz pkg fresh cranberries
1 orange(Whole not peeled)

1 cup sugar

Put washed, drained cranberries in a food processor with 1 orange which has been peeled and quartered with all seeds being removed.Pulse for a few seconds, just until coarsely chopped. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl, if necessary, to chop evenly.
Add 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar and taste adjusting sweetness as desired.
Stir well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Cranberry Orange Relish may be frozen for up to 2 months.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Buttered Green Beans with Leeks and Sliced Almonds

A leek is similar to a very mildly flavored combination of onions and garlic. An interesting fact- like all of their cousins(onions, leeks, shallots, garlic) let them sit for 5 minutes after cutting before cooking enhances the healthy qualities!

Buttered Green Beans with Leeks and Sliced Almonds

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed (Haricot Verts are my favorite a long thin green bean)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 leeks, thinly sliced and cleaned
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds

Lemon zest and juice
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Steam green beans in a small amount of water with 1/4 teaspoon salt, until beans tender; drain.
2. Toast sliced almonds in a skillet no oils needed. Stir over medium heat till brown. remove from burner and pan immediately as any additional heat will cause them to burn once they reach the browning point.
3. Heat the butter in the same large skillet you did the almonds in, and saute the leeks until they're lightly browned. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Add almonds(setting aside a few for the top) to the fully cooked leeks. Toss the mixture with the steamed green beans and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle remaining almonds on top.

Crispy Leeks
Cut leeks into 2-inch lengths. Holding the leek sections cut side up, cut lengthwise so that you end up with thin strips, known as the chiffonade cut, slicing until you reach the green portion. Make sure slices are cut very thin to shorten cooking time. Let leeks sit for at least 5 minutes before cooking.

No leeks? Use this simple recipe with just the green beans! Its delicious either way!

Garlic and Herb Crusted Lamb

Garlic and Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb

This easy recipe combines fresh and dried herbs to create a delicious crust that keeps the roast lamb moist and juicy.

1 lemon juiced and zested
7 large garlic cloves

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
1 tbsp Rosemary
1/2 tbsp Oregano
1 tbsp Thyme
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
1/2 cup fresh mint (optional)
1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2  tablespoons fresh thyme
1/4 cup tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tbsp tablespoons olive oil

1 4-5 lb organic rack of lamb

Preheat oven to 425. Mince ingredients in food processor. Using on/off turns, process just until herbs are finely chopped. Drizzle oil over. Process until mixture is blended. Salt and pepper lamb well. Press mixture onto dried lamb, coating completely. Let rest overnight.  Room temperature 30 minutes prior to cooking.

425 for 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 325 for 1 hour;

or Roast until meat thermometer registers 135F for rare, about 30 minutes, or 150F for medium.

Let lamb rest 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

.:The Best Glazed Ham:.

Secrets to the best Baked Ham

1. Buy a bone in ham. The secret to the best flavor in any meat is roasting it with the bone in.

2. Ham is a very versatile or leftovers! Make a good size one.  Guests will devour this ham, so you'll want plenty!

3. You will note that I always high heat roast my meats, then reduce the temperature for a long slow cook.  It's seriously the secret to juicy, tender meat.

4. Score the deep fat on a ham.  If you prefer, remove the scored outer skin and half the fat.  Keep at least half the fat though as this is essential for flavor while roasting as well. I do this and definitely prefer it that way.

5. Lay ham cut side down in a pan lined with tin foil.  After initial high heat bake cover tightly with tin foil for the remainder of the cook.  This method applies to other meats as well.

6. I love this glaze's flavor perfection on a ham, that being said, my mother-in-law bakes her ham in nothing, and still makes a ham better than anyone I know.  Every year. Perfection.

Citrus Glazed Ham

1 (14 to 16-pound) bone in, shank portion
6 Garlic cloves, minced
8 1/2 ounces Apricot Jam
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup light Brown Sugar, packed
1 Orange, zested
1/4 cup Pineapple Juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Score ham diagonally spiraling around the ham, Go the opposite direction creating a diamond pattern. Place the ham cut side down in a foil lined, heavy roasting pan. Roast on high heat for 30 minutes.

Combine jam, mustard, brown sugar, orange zest, garlic and pineapple juice.

Remove ham from oven. Pour the glaze over the ham tucking into scores as much as possible. Pour 1/2-1 cup pineapple juice into bottom of pan. Tent completely with heavy-duty foil. Cook for an additional 1/2 hour at 400 degrees. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F, and cook another 1 1/2 hours; or until the deepest part of the ham hits 140 degrees F (approximately 15 to 20 minutes per pound total).

Let rest 1/2 hour then slice paper-thin.

SAVE the bone for ham stock!

Gratin For Everyone

I love a gratin! Ill gratin any vegatable, anytime! I mean lets face it how can you go wrong with cream, cheese, garlic?  Here are a few that I love!

(Kids: You might be able to get a few more veggies over  this way! My kids love them!)

Spinach Gratin

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Melt the 1/2 butter in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the other 1/2 butter, flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Gratin of Fennel, Potatoes and Leeks (Scalloped Potatoes)

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
Splash of Vermouth or dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 leeks, white parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced (you can substitute a sliced onion for this if push come to shove)
2 large fennel bulbs, quartered, cored and thinly sliced (optional)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped herbs (Italian parsley, parsley and thyme)
6-8 ounces gruyere cheese, grated (about 1½-2 cups)
1½ pounds red potatoes or yukon golds, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prep: Slice Potatoes thinly, approximately 1/8 inch, setting in a bowl of cold water for a minimum half hour, rinse and dry on towel. Grate Gruyere, and slice leeks and fennel.

To slice leeks: cut a long slice all the way down the center lenghtwise until you have two halves.  Leeks are cut in sandy soil for drainage wash under cold water and slice up to 1/8 thick slices all the way down the stalk until about 1 inch above the stem. 

To slice fennel: Cut leafy greens off of bulb, slice bulb across into 1/8 thcik slices.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute leeks and fennel until tender. Around 5 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 375˚F and lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Layer one third of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, followed by half the leek and fennel mixture, and one-third of the cheese. Make another layer of potatoes, followed by salt, pepper, the remaining leek and fennel mixture, and another one-third of the cheese. Top with the final layer of potatoes and pour the steeped hot cream over. Cover the dish and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining chopped fresh herbs just prior to serving.

Optional Additions: Ham,  Bacon, Goat Cheese, Greek Yogurt, Cheddar... Be creative! Almost anything goes!