Easter Dinner Made Easy

Easter tradition means spiral-cut ham in our home!

We had a really delicious, simple Easter dinner this year, since it was at different times due to work shifts. We purchased a spiral-cut ham at Smiths, but it had a really delicious candy-apple glaze! What a treat!
   

The rest of the dinner was simple - home-made scalloped potatoes and green beans, with lemon meringue pie. Since we hadn't had a spiral cut ham for a year and a half, it was especially delicious. Good thing, because we'll be noshing on it for quite a while.

The scalloped potatoes are quite easy. You slice 6-8 peeled potatoes thinly and layer them in a greased casserole dish with thinly sliced onions. I used a red onion for flavor. Dot with bits of butter (about 1/4 cup total). Scald 1/2 - 3/4 c milk in a pot and stir in a paste made of 3-4 tbsp flour mixed with a bit of water. Heat just to simmering, until thickened. Pour over the potatoes and onions and sprinkle with about 3/4 c grated cheese. For more flavor, use sharp or extra sharp cheese. Bake in oven for an hour or more, until mixture bubbles over and around the vegetables and the edges are golden. The potatoes should be tender, but not mushy. They taste even better when reheated for another meal. 6-8 servings.

Happy Easter, Happy Spring!

The Classic Cheese Fondue

Here's one that can be used as a main dish or an appetizer. Simple, elegant and classic, it's a real crowd-pleaser when the weather outside is frightful. Once again, use a non-alcoholic variation on the theme if you desire. And once again, it's from a vintage cookbook in my collection, with extra suggested serving ideas.


The Classic Cheese Fondue

From a Vintage Cookbook in my Collection

Ingredients

• 12 oz natural Swiss cheese, shredded
• 4 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 clove garlic, halved
• 1 c white wine
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• dippers

Method

1. Combine cheese with cornstarch.
2. Rub inside of heavy saucepan with one halved clove of garlic, then discard garlic
3. Pour in 1 c white wine and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Warm until air bubbles rise and cover surface. Do not cover or allow to boil
4. Stirring vigorously from now on, add cheese one handful at a time until completely blended on MEDIUM HEAT. Do not boil. After cheese is all blended, while stirring, add dash ground nutmeg and a dash of pepper.
5. Quickly transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm with a fondue burner. If the mixture gets too thick, add a bit of warmed white wine to thin. 

Dippers - simply spear on fondue forks, swirl liberally in mixture and enjoy!

• Cubed French bread, Italian bread, bread sticks, rye or pumpernickel bread chunks or English muffins
• Broccoli, celery or green pepper pieces 
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cooked shrimp, chicken or ham
• Cooked or raw mushrooms
• Fried potato nuggets or boiled potatoes

Appetizer Beer & Cheese Fondue

The fondue was once one of the most popular dishes, being relatively simple to prepare yet having a most elegant presentation. There are various types of fondue, as you are probably aware: those appropriate for appetizers, main dishes and desserts. This time we'll deal with the "appetizer" fondue, perfect for an evening with friends or your family. Please remember that all fondues use hot oil and a flame, so be very cautious around your little ones, both pet and child. We used to make these every New Year's eve when my children were young and they loved the tradition. Just use the non-alcoholic versions for children or those with dietary restrictions.


Appetizer Beer & Cheese Fondue 
(Originally found on the Betty Crocker Website)

Ingredients

1 loaf (1 pound) French Bread

1 pkg (16 oz) process cheese spread loaf, cubed (aka Velveeta or alternative)

1 pkg cooked, chopped and drained broccoli

1/4 c regular or non-alcoholic beer 

1 jar (2 oz) diced pimentos, drained

1 tsp ground mustard

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Place bread pieces in an ungreased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet (15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1"). Bake approximately 10 minutes, stirring twice until lightly toasted. Transfer to serving bowl or basket.
2. Meanwhile, melt cheese in 2-qt saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in broccoli, beer, pimentos and mustard. Cook, stirring constantly until hot. Pour into ceramic fondue pot over low heat, or in 1/2 quart slow-cooker at Low heat setting.
3. To serve, skewer toasted bread pieces with fondue forks or wooden skewers and dip into cheese mixture. Cheese mixture will keep in slow cooker on "Low" for about 2 hours.

16 servings (1/2 c bread cubes and 2 tbsp fondue each)

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Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and More

Now it's time to have some fun with simple yet elegant dining ideas. The first thing that comes to mind is chocolate-dipped strawberries, and since the creation of these is part of my job, I know a bit about the process.

When you dip strawberries in chocolate, one of the most important things is the temperature of the chocolate. Another consideration is the quality of the chocolate you use. Chocolate wafers (available at stores such as Michaels and JoAnn's or Wilton) are preferable to the baking chocolate or chocolate chips that you find at grocery stores. Lesser-grade chocolate contains vegetable oil that can cause a waxy film and taste to the finished product. And since these are meant to be "elegant" you want them to look their best. This also means keeping the temperature of the dipping chocolate between 85 and 90 degrees, so it is properly tempered and keeps its glossy finish.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

    <photo courtesy of rf123.com>

Ingredients

• Fresh whole ripe, unblemished strawberries (preferably with stem for dipping)
• Chocolate - as fine a grade as you can afford for melting (solid bar chocolate, grated or chocolate wafers are preferable)
• Food gel or paste food coloring (regular food coloring causes chocolate to thin and isn't as effective color-wise)
• Other ideas (as offered below recipe)*

Method

1. Lay a tray or plate covered with waxed paper on your work surface.
2. Melt milk or dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave at 70% power for approximately 1 minute. Stir and continue heating if not smooth and creamy in appearance OR
3. Melt white chocolate at 50% power in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave and check after 30 seconds to ensure it's melting, not scorching. Continue heating until it's smooth and creamy in appearance. It won't take long. White chocolate scorches very easily and this causes it to cake rather than to melt smoothly. 
4. Add food gel or paste, a small dab at a time, to a portion of the white chocolate to get the color you desire 
5. Wash and pat dry the berries, pulling the leaves upward toward the stem gently so they don't get in the chocolate (this creates a "handle" with which to do the dipping)
6. Dip one berry at a time in the bowl of chocolate, gently swirling it to ensure the entire berry is coated. Cover just about to the top, excluding leaves and stem. Hold upright and let the excess chocolate drip from the tip of the berry. Gently bend leaves back down to give a natural appearance.
7. Lay the berry on the waxed paper (or, even better, hold the berry by the "handle" with one hand and gently drizzle chocolate from a small spoon or paper cone to decorate. A quick side to side sweep of a small stream of chocolate looks most effective as a drizzle. If you prefer, you can drizzle a thicker stream of chocolate up and down to give a striped effect
8. If desired, drizzle the berry with a contrasting color and then allow to harden in the fridge for approximately 10-15 minutes (or more)
9. For creative effect, after drizzling with more than one color of chocolate, use a swizzle stick or pick to gently draw the chocolate upward toward the stem, creating a swirl effect. Good for contrast.
10. Have fun experimenting! That's the whole idea behind this activity!

*Other dippers for strawberries:

• Sour cream and brown sugar
• Melted chocolate and crushed nuts
• "half and half" - half the berry in white chocolate and half in dark chocolate (tuxedo effect)
• yogurt and granola with dried berries
• caramel or fudge ice cream topping
• vanilla frosting and toasted coconut

You can also dip maraschino cherries, bananas (whole or cut in half), pineapple spears, regular marshmallows, cut-out Rice Krispie square pieces and pound cake chunks in left-over chocolate to make a beautiful plate. Dipping half of the item and leaving the rest undipped makes a beautiful effect. Place on waxed paper and allow to harden in the fridge with the strawberries before serving on a white or black ceramic plate. 

How's that for simple elegance?