Easy Easter Menu

Easy Easter Menu

A variety of herbs lend sophistication to this menu of simple spring foods. If there's no time to soak the ham, a prepared one will work fine. Save your effort instead for the chocolate cake, which is heavenly.



This basic recipe yields a fine ham to serve for breakfast or dinner. Because the seasonings are mild, leftovers are at home in a variety of dishes. Soaking the ham in water draws out some of the sodium so the ham won't taste too salty.

Simple Baked Ham

Yield
26 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces)

Ingredients

1 (8-pound) 33%-less-sodium smoked, fully cooked ham half
2 teaspoons whole cloves
Cooking spray
2 cups apple juice, divided
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preparation

Place ham in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Cover with water to 2 inches above ham; cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Drain; rinse well with warm water. Drain.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Trim fat and rind from ham. Score outside of ham in a diamond pattern; stud with cloves. Place ham, skin side down, on the rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Place rack in pan; pour 1 cup apple juice over ham. Cover ham loosely with foil. Bake at 325° for 2 1/2 hours, basting occasionally with remaining 1 cup apple juice.

Remove ham from oven (do not turn oven off); uncover ham. Combine sugar and mustard; brush over ham. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 140°. Place ham on a cutting board; cover and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Cooking Light January 2005



Rosemary Potatoes

These potatoes taste as if they were roasted in the oven--but take only half the time.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, quartered (about 4 cups)

Preparation

Place butter and garlic in an 8-inch square baking dish. Microwave at MEDIUM-HIGH (70% power) 45 seconds or until butter melts. Add rosemary, salt, pepper, and potatoes; toss well. Cover and microwave at HIGH for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Cooking Light March 2001


Glazed Julienne Carrots

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 cups (2-inch) julienne-cut carrot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Melt margarine in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add sugar, stirring until melted.

Add carrots, salt, and pepper and cook 10 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.

Cooking Light November 1996



Light'n'Creamy Chocolate Cake Roll

This creation won second place in the professional competition, the winning chef studied culinary arts at the University of Akron and spent three years working in Italy as a private chef and currently lives in Hudson, Ohio.

Yield
10 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

Cake:

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (such as Hershey's)
1 (16-ounce) package angel food cake mix (such as Duncan Hines)
Cooking spray
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Filling:

2 (1-ounce) bars unsweetened baking chocolate (such as Hershey's)
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8-ounce) container frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa (such as Hershey's)
Chocolate curls (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the cake, combine 3 tablespoons cocoa and cake mix in a large bowl. Prepare the cake mix with added cocoa according to package directions. Coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray; line bottom with wax paper. Pour batter into pan.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool the cake in pan 5 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan, and turn out onto a dish towel dusted with 1/2 cup powdered sugar; carefully peel off wax paper. Cool the cake 1 minute. Starting at narrow end, roll up cake and towel together. Place, seam side down, on a wire rack, and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

To prepare the filling, place baking chocolate in a glass bowl; microwave at high 2 minutes or until almost melted, stirring after 1 minute. Cool. Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the melted chocolate and 1 cup powdered sugar, beating mixture well (mixture will be very thick). Gently stir 1/2 cup whipped topping into the filling, and gently fold in the remaining whipped topping.

Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread filling over the cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border around outside edges. Re-roll cake, and place, seam side down, on a platter. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon cocoa. Cut the cake into 10 slices; garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.

Cooking Light December 2001