Citrus Marinated Ham

As we start to transition to summer- It's times to break out the fruit fusion dishes!  This one is easy and fast--Citrus Marinated Ham.  It's featured here as being served with peppered green beans and baked potatoes, but any number of sides would complement this dish.  I hope you enjoy the light and sweet flavors that compose this dish :)

Ingredients:

2lbs baked and sliced ham
1 can green beans
4 potatoes
3tbs butter

For marinated:

2 organes (for zest AND juice)
1tsp mustard powered
1tsp nutmeg
1tbs cinnamon
1tsp basil
1tbs black pepper
1tsp cayenne peper
1tbs sugar

Serves: 4
Time: 20 min (post marinade)

This recipe also does really well with chicken breast.  However, as those are marinated raw, please be careful to keep the meat chilled, and cook thoroughly :)  I hope you enjoy this easy, summer-loving dish as much as we do!

Directions:

1) In a large ziplock bag or deep dish pan, combine marinade ingredients.  Whisk together with an actual whisk, or a fork will do :)

2) Place the baked ham slices in the marinated.  It's best to cover the meat with the marinated, but if the two oranges don't do it, rather than buy another orange, just flip the meat over periodically.

3) Continue to marinated for whatever time you can.  At least 30 minutes and no more than 36 hours.  If you are marinated for a longer time, it's best to do so in a ziplock bag.  For this recipe I marinated in a deep dish pan for about 4 hours. As the meat is already cooked, it will take up the new flavors more slowly.  However, you also not need to worry about spoilage.

4) During this time you can prep the green beans by rinsing the can of beans and placing them in a microwavable container.  Add 2tbs of butter and a 1tbs of black pepper to them and set them aside.  Once the meat is almost done cooking at the end, you only need to microwave the green beans for a minutes, stir, and serve them hot!  During the marinade time is also a good time to preheat and/or start baking the potatoes if you choose.

5) Add a 1tbs of butter to a large frying pan.  On medium heat, melt and distribute the butter around the pan.

6) Add the orange zest to the frying pan and sauté the zest for a few minutes to soften them. (As pictured on the right.)

7) Add the marinade to the soften zest BEFORE you add the ham.  The reason for this is that you wan the meat to stay moist but to also finish infusing the ham with the marinade, which will work better with heat.

8) Once the marinade has come to a light simmer, place the baked ham slices in the frying pan and cook until warm.

9) This is a great time to cook the beans, and check that the potatoes are done.  If the potatoes are NOT done-- You will want to finish them in the microwave. 

10) Serve hot!  The rest of the cooked marinade make a great gravy once thickened with heat.

Cost:
ham                   $5
butter                 $0.20
seasoning          $0.60
breen beans       $1
potatoes             $1
oranges             $0.70         
Total                 $8.50
Per serving       $2.12

Carrot Cake Cookie Sandwiches: Spring is in the Air!

These cookies were created for and inspired by my sister for her Bridal Shower-- And they were  big hit!  Per her request, there are no nuts or raisins in these carrot cake sandwich cookies, but both of those ingredients could easily be added according to taste.  In-spite of have cream cheese based frosting, the cookies last a surprisingly long time in the fridge, and travel well :)  I held off on posting the recipe so that it would be just in time for Easter-- But pretty much any reason for these little, sweet, sandwiches of joy will do!

Ingredients:

Cookies:

2 1/2c all-purpose flour

3 tbs cinnamon

1tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2c unsalted butter, softened

2/3c packed light brown sugar

2/3c granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1tbs vanilla extract

2c grated carrots

Frosting/Filling:

16oz cream cheese (2 bars)

1/2c honey

Makes: 3 doz. cookie sandwiches, (so 6 doz. cookies)

Serves: a small army of hungry ladies and gents!

These cookies have also been called Inside-out cookies.  The larger and flatter you want your cookie sandwiches, the more butter to flour you should add.  As this recipe tends to spread on the baking sheet, baking the cookies slightly longer will achieve the same thing to an extent.  Small, round cookies are recommend for the best tea-side cookie size!

Directions:

1) Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 2 baking sheets, or as many as you have-- this is an assembly style recipe.

2) Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3) Beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla before adding the graded carrots.

4) After you have mixed all of your "wet" ingdients, shift in the flour mixture.

5) Beat the cookie dough until the consitancy is smooth.

6)  Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake. remember these cookies tend to spread!

7) Bake the cookies at 375 degrees until cookies are lightly browned which should take about 17 minutes, depending on your oven.

8) Quickly transfer the cookies to cooling sheets.  (Kitchen hack: cut open brown paper bags to use as cookie cooling "sheets." Easy clean up too-- Just throw on the bag when you are done!)

Frosting/Filling:

9) Thoroughly blend cream cheese and honey in a food processor until smooth. (Or a blender if that's what you have...)

10) Chill the filling/frosting in the fridge while the cookies bake-- This will help when you spread the mix on the cookies later.  It will also help the the cookies are cooled before you assemble them.

11) Assemble the cookie sandwiches and store in an air tight container until ready to consume!

Cost:

Total $6.15           
Per cookie  $0.20