If you love to cook, one of the nicest, most heartfelt gifts you can give friends this holiday season is a treat from your kithen. But instead of boiling up dozens of jars of mango butter this year, consider hosting an open house. It’s the perfect opportunity to raise a glass and fork to the spirit of the season.
HAM WITH PINEAPPLE-MUSTARD GLAZE
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
Yield: 15 servings
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons each: coarse-grained mustard, cider vinegar
1 precooked semi-boneless smoked ham, 6-8 pounds, trimmed
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine pineapple juice, mustard and vinegar in small bowl.
2. Place ham in baking dish; add 1/2 inch of water. Bake 1 1/2 hours. Baste ham with glaze. Bake, basting ham every 10 minutes, 45 minutes or until browned and heated through. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 260 Fat ………… 18 g Saturated fat … 6 g
% calories from fat .. 61 Cholesterol … 65 mg Sodium ….. 1,250 mg
Carbohydrates ….. 1.3 g Protein …….. 23 g Fiber ……….. 0 g
WILD RICE SALAD WITH APRICOTS
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40-55 minutes
Yield: 15 servings
1 1/2 cups each: wild rice, brown rice
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup minced shallots
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Salt, freshly ground pepper
4 ribs celery, finely diced
1 1/3 cup dried apricots, diced
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bunch watercress
1. Heat 12 cups salted water to boil in large pot. Add wild and brown rice; cook, uncovered, until tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Drain; spread on large baking sheet to cool.
2. Toast nuts in skillet over medium-low heat, stirring until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Whisk shallots, vinegar, oil and orange juice in small bowl until blended. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Combine rice, nuts, celery and apricots in large bowl. Pour dressing over; toss to coat.(Can be refrigerated overnight; bring to room temperature before serving.) Add parsley. Adjust seasonings; toss well. Spoon onto platter; garnish with watercress.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories…………. 270 Fat ……….. 10 g Saturated fat … 1 g
% calories from fat .. 33 Cholesterol … 0 mg Sodium …….. 20 mg
Carbohydrates ….. 41 g Protein …….. 6 g Fiber ……….. 4 g
PUMPKIN-CORNMEAL ROLLS
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Rising time: About 2 hours total
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: 3 dozen
3 tablespoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups 1 percent milk, plus more
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
7 1/2 to 8 1/2 cups flour
1 cup cornmeal, plus more
4 teaspoons salt
1. Stir together yeast and water in large bowl. Let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Combine pumpkin, 1 1/2 cups of the milk, sugar and oil in large saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring often, until lukewarm, 3 to 4 minutes. Add to yeast mixture. Gradually add 7 cups of the flour, 1 cup of the cornmeal, and salt, stirring to make a soft dough.
2. Turn dough out on floured work surface; knead, adding more flour as needed, until dough is smooth and elastic, 7 to 8 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets. Punch dough down; turn out onto work surface. Divide into 36 pieces. Roll each piece into round ball. Set rolls on baking sheets; cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush tops of rolls with milk; sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Nutrition information per roll:
Calories ………… 145 Fat ………. 1.6 g Saturated fat .. 0.3 g
% calories from fat .. 10 Cholesterol … 0 mg Sodium …….. 290 mg
Carbohydrates …… 29 g Protein …… 3.8 g Fiber ………. 1.5 g
