Serve this elegant roast with small new potatoes (steamed in their skins, and tossed with chives and butter) and glazed baby carrots.
Ingredients
8 pounds fully-cooked bone-in ham 750 milliliters white wine (such as Pinot Grigio, or apple juice) 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup shallots (and 1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped) 4 cloves garlic (coarsely chopped) 3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon (coarsely chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried and 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, minced, or 3/4 teaspoon dried) 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (coarsely chopped and 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced) 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 1/2 pounds asparagus (woody stems trimmed off and discarded) 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup flour 2 1/3 cups chicken broth (reduced-sodium) 1/2 cup heavy cream salt black pepper 3 nutmeg (gratings of fresh)
Directions
Score a diamond pattern into the ham, about 1/3 inch deep. Place the ham, flat side down, in a large oven roasting bag. In a large bowl, whisk wine, oil, sliced shallots, garlic, mustard, coarsely chopped tarragon and parsley, and peppercorns together to combine. Pour into the bag and close securely with a rubber band. Insert the bag with the ham into the second bag and twist the bag closed. Place in a large bowl. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 12 and up to 18 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven.
Line the bottom of a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil.
Remove ham from bags; discard marinade. Place the ham, flat side down, in the pan. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F, 15 to 18 minutes per pound total cooking time. Remove ham from oven, transfer to a cutting board, and let rest 10 minutes.
For Creamy Asparagus Sauce: Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus and cook just until tender but still bright green, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain again. Set the asparagus aside.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add finely chopped shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour, stir well, and let bubble without browning for 1 minute. Gradually stir in broth and cream, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
In two batches, using a blender with the lid ajar, purée asparagus with about 1 cup of the shallot sauce. Stir the purée back into the saucepan, and then stir in minced tarragon and parsley. Then season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cover and keep sauce warm over low heat. (The sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave oven before serving.)
Slice ham and serve with sauce.
Courtesy of the National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa.
White chocolate dipped pretzels are made into skeleton ghosts with marshmallow heads and candy eyes. Make these fun treats to use in Halloween goodie bags or for decorating cupcakes, as shown here.
1 box chocolate cake mix (or your favourite flavour cake mix), to make 24 cupcakes
72 mini pretzel twists
24 lollipop sticks
1/2 (12-ounce) bag White Chocolate Chips
1/2 tsp coconut oil or shortening, for thinning the chocolate
24 standard size marshmallows
72 miniature marshmallows
1 pkg black nonpareils (or you can use mini dark chocolate chips or black icing to pipe on eyes and mouth)
Instructions
Prepare cupcakes according to cake mix instructions.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper, parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
Melt the white chocolate and coconut oil (or shortening) in a glass bowl in the microwave, for short 10-20 second bursts, stirring between intervals, until melted.
Immediately dip pretzels, one at a time, in the bowl, using a fork to turn the pretzel over. Shake off excess chocolate from the pretzel with the fork. Place chocolate dipped pretzels on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining pretzels. Work quickly. Heating the chocolate again only once, if needed.
Allow pretzels to rest and harden. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to speed up the process.
Once the chocolate has hardened, assemble each skeleton by inserting a mini marshmallow a quarter way up the length of the lollipop stick (this will stop the pretzels from sliding to the bottom of the stick). Add three chocolate covered mini pretzel twists on top of the miniature marshmallow, using a miniature marshmallow between each pretzel. Insert a standard size marshmallow on top of the stick for the head. Use a little melted chocolate to stick on the candy eyes and mouth.
Salami sticks and string cheese come together to make a simple but creative Halloween appetizer that is sure to impress your guests.
Time: 20 minutes Makes: 12 brooms
Ingredients
1 dozen snack-size salami sticks
12 oz. pkg. string cheese (mozzarella, cheddar/mozzarella blend, or smoked)
Directions
Pull apart cheese into fine strings
Gather strings together into bundles and then secure the bundle around the bottom of a salami stick by wrapping and tying a thick string of cheese around the bundle.
Note: If you prefer, you can use pretzel sticks and/or rods instead of the salami sticks.
Made with ground pork, and real chunks of pumpkin, this chili recipe embraces the flavours of Fall.
While this soup is ready in just over an hour, like many other soups and stews, making it the day before allows the flavours to deepen and meld.
Prep time: 10 min • Bake time: 40 min • Cook time: 1 hour 20 min
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
1 small pie pumpkin (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeds, and ribs removed and finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 pound ground pork
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Directions
Cut the pumpkin in half and discard seeds and stringy pulp. Place pumpkin, cut-side down, on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350°F oven about 40 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut each pumpkin half into 4 wedges. Remove the rind and cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, jalapeños, garlic, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onion and peppers start to soften; 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the ground pork, breaking it up with a wooden spatula, and cook until fully cooked through; about 5 minutes. Add the pinto and black beans, diced tomatoes, pumpkin puree, cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add reserved pumpkin pieces and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally; about 20 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Serve with your favorite chili toppings – sour cream, tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese.
Store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Forget the sliced bread. These crescent pinwheels are a delicious alternative to ordinary ham and cheese sandwiches.
Makes: 8 rolls
INGREDIENTS
1 (8-oz.) tube Pillsbury Original Crescents
1/2 lb. deli-sliced ham
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
8 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1 tsp. poppy seeds
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-x-8″ baking pan with cooking spray.
On a lightly floured surface, unroll dough and separate the sheet into rectangles. Pinch the perforations to seal. Spread mustard onto each rectangle. Top with sliced ham and cheese. Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle. Pinch edges to seal. Cut each roll into 5-6 slices. Place cut side up in the baking pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic powder, and parsley. Brush over pinwheels, then sprinkle the poppy seeds on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the rolls are golden.
