Christmas Baked Ham

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup (340g) Orange Marmalade
1/2 Cup (90g) Maple Syrup
1 Cup (125ml) Orange Juice
Good dash of Sherry (Dry) - Optional

Leg of Ham

METHOD

Position oven shelves so there is enough room for the Ham to fit in.  Preheat oven to 200°C. 

Place Orange Marmalade, Maple Syrup, Orange Juice and Sherry into a saucepan and stir together well....bring to the boil on a high heat (5 minutes or so)

Turn the heat down a smidge and allow the mixture to bubble away and slightly reduce while you are prepping the Ham.

Remove skin from Ham, being careful to not remove too much of the white fat beneath it.  Score the fat with a smallish sharp knife in a diamond pattern.

Place the ham on a lightly greased wire rack in a baking dish....or you can place it straight into a well oiled baking dish without the wire rack.

Thoroughly brush the Ham with the glaze, making sure you get it right into all the diamond cuts.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, brushing with the glaze from the baking dish every 10 minutes....or until Ham is golden and caramelised.

Butter Chicken (Jimmy's Recipe)

Ingredients:

4 Skinless Chicken Thighs – cut up into bite sized pieces

Spices to be blended to coat Chicken in
½ teaspoon Chili Powder	½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
½ teaspoon Ground Cumin	½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
½ teaspoon Garam Masala	½ teaspoon Paprika Powder
½ teaspoon Cinnamon	½ teaspoon Keens Curry Powder
½ teaspoon Ground Coriander	Salt to Taste
4 tablespoons plain flour

Spices to be blended and added Sauce Mixture
½ teaspoon Chili Powder	½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
½ teaspoon Ground Cumin	½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
½ teaspoon Garam Masala	½ teaspoon Paprika Powder
½ teaspoon Cinnamon	½ teaspoon Keens Curry Powder
½ teaspoon Ground Coriander	Salt to Taste

Sauce Mixture
425gr Can of Tomato Puree	2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
A good Handful of Cashews (crushed)
150ml of Pure Cream
50gr Butter
2 tablespoons Honey

Preparation of Spices

I like to prepare the spices before I start anything else.  Measure out and place the spices into two separate piles on a dinner plate (or in bowls).  Give them a good mix around.

 

Preparation (and method) for Chicken:

Place well blended spices and flour into a plastic freezer bag and shake a little to mix together well. Add in a few of the chicken pieces at a time to the bag and shake, to cover with flour mixture. Place in well oiled grill tray (with the grill actually removed) and grill on a medium to high heat – turning often, until browned and cooked.  Alternatively, you can cook the chicken in a baking tray in the oven.  On maybe about 220C.  After about 20mins check regularly to turn pieces.  If it looks like the pieces may be burning - turn down the oven :-).

Method for Sauce:

Put Tomato Puree & Tomato Paste into a saucepan and mix together well – boil with lid on for 10 – 15 minutes. 

While this is cooking start coating the chicken and place it on the grill tray/backing pan.

Once you've popped the chicken under the grill/in the oven then you can get back to prepping the sauce.

Add Sauce Spices to Tomato mixture in the saucepan and stir in well.  Turn the heat down just a fraction.

Cover and boil over medium heat for 5 minutes – stir occasionally. 

Add in Butter and stir in well until Butter has melted – cook for 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly. 

Pour in cream and sprinkle Crushed Cashews into Sauce mixture – stir well, turn heat down to low.  Add Honey and stir in well.

When Chicken is cooked add to Sauce and allow to simmer gently for a little while before serving with Basmati Rice.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

(original recipe from Women's Weekly Basic Cookbook)
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 Dessert Spoon Oil (Rice Bran etc.)
1 Rounded Table Spoon Butter
1 Medium to Large Onion - roughly chopped
2 Bacon Rashers - rind removed and roughly chopped
750g - 1kg Pumpkin - roughly chopped
1 Large Potato - cut into quarters
1 Litre Water (4 Cups).
2 OXO Chicken Cubes
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Cream


METHOD


1. Add Oil & Butter into large heavy based saucepan on stove top (medium heat)

Peel and chop up Onion (no need to chop it too small because it's all going to be processed)
Add to Oil and Butter and give a good stir and allow to fry while you prepare the other ingredients.

De-rind and chop up Bacon - add to frying Onion and give a good stir and allow to fry - stirring so it doesn't burn.


Peel and de seed Pumpkin - chop into chunky bits - add to saucepan with Onion and Bacon
Peel and chop Potato into quarters - add to saucepan.

Stir everything together well with a wooden spoon.....scrape bottom of saucepan to release any cooked on bits

Allow to fry while you get the Water & Chicken Stock Cube ready.

Dissolve Chicken Stock Cube in Water - pour into saucepan and give it all a really good stir up.

Put the lid on the saucepan and turn the heat to high and bring to the boil

Once boiling reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until Pumpkin and Potato are tender

2.  Once cooked, remove saucepan from heat and blend with a stick blender until smooth
(if using a bench-top blender, blend in several batches)

Return blended soup back to stove top to reheat - stirring constantly.

Plate up - add a swirl of cream to each serve.


NB:  It doesn't really matter what kind of Pumpkin you use - a mixture is always yummy.

If there seems to be a lot of water once it's all boiled and ready for blending (can only see liquid and no pumpkin) - just remove (and save) some of the liquid  before blending. 

You can always add as much as you like back into the soup until it's the consistency you're after.

The soup will keep for at least 2 - 3 days in the fridge and can be frozen for two months.