Spiced Ham with Apple Relish

This delicious, fruity recipe would make a great Easter dinner. It has wonderful presentation and is very easy to prepare. I love the smell of cloves, they give the ham a very rich flavor. When combined with the sweet relish, the orange and clove make a great combination. Pre-cooked hams can be found near the lunch meat in most grocery stores and are wonderful time savers. You can also cut them up and add the ham to soups or pasta salads.

Serves: 4 people
Start-to-Finish: 1 hour 10 minutes
Recipe By: Vicki Tasker

Ingredients:

Ham:
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 (2 lb.) boneless fully cooked ham

Apple Relish:
2 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/8 cup vinegar
1 TBSP grated orange peel (don't overdo the orange peel, it is very strong)
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (the almonds add a wonderful nutty, crunchy flavor. Don't skip out on them)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°
2. Combine cloves and allspice; rub into ham. (Do not leave a crust of seasonings on the ham. They have very strong, pungent flavors. A light dusting will give adequate flavor without making a crust of cloves you will have to bite through.)
3. Wrap tightly in foil and place in a shallow baking pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour. (The ham is already cooked, this is just to heat it through and let it marinate in the seasonings.)
5. Meanwhile, prepare the fruits for the apple relish. (Peel, chop, and grate)
6. In a large saucepan, combine the first six relish ingredients.
7. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
8. Reduce heat; simmer for 25-30 minutes or until thickened.
9. Toast almonds and stir into the fruit relish.
10. Slice ham; serve with the relish.




Oven Parmesan Chips

These really do taste like potato chips if they are sliced thinly. If you are lucky enough to have a mandolin then slicing the potatoes thin will be no problem. For myself and everyone else, just do the best you can. The seasonings add plenty of flavor so you do not need to add a lot.

Serves: 4
Start to Finish: 45 minutes
Recipe By: Mary Lou Kelly

Ingredients:

4 medium baking potatoes (you do not need to peel them)
1/4 cup butter, melted (I only used about half of the butter)
1 TBSP minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Dash paprika
2 TBSP Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425*
2. Cut potatoes into 1/4-in. slices; place on a greased baking sheet in a single layer. (I put foil on the baking sheet for easier clean up and sprayed the foil with non-stick cooking spray.)
3. Combine the butter, onion, salt, pepper and paprika; brush on one side of potatoes, then turn and brush other side. (If you need to save time only brush one side.)
4. Bake, uncovered for 20-25 min or until potatoes are crisp and golden.
5. Sprinkle with cheese; serve immediately.