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RECIPE: Ham On A Biscuit With Cranberry Balsamic Reduction


Glazed ham on a biscuit (photo © Dietz & Watson).
 

Many hams will be baked this holiday season, generating many pounds of leftover ham. Much of that ends up on a simple ham sandwich.

Here’s an alternative: Make your sandwich on a biscuit. It’s that much more special.

We enjoy this recipe with breakfast eggs and as lunch with a salad. The recipe was developed by Dietz & Watson, which used its Chef Carved Ham.

If you don’t want to make the cranberry balsamic reduction, default to mustard and plain cranberry sauce.

Similarly, you can make biscuits from scratch or buy refrigerator biscuits.

> The History Of Biscuits

> Different Types Of Biscuits

> More Biscuit Recipes

 
 
RECIPE: GLAZED HAM ON A BISCUIT WITH CRANBERRY BALSAMIC REDUCTION
 
Ingredients For 12 Servings

  • 12 slices of ham
  • 12 biscuits from your favorite recipe (or store-bought)
  • Cranberry balsamic reduction (see recipe below)
  •  
    For The Cranberry Balsamic Reduction

  • 1 jar (12 ounces) cranberry preserves
  • 1/4 cup yellow mustard
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup whole fresh basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 serrano chile, halved
  •  
    Preparation

    1. BAKE the biscuits.

    2. MAKE cranberry balsamic reduction while the biscuits bake. Combine preserves, vinegar, basil, mustard, peppercorns, and chile in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer the sauce until thickened (approximately 8 to 10 minutes). Strain the reduction through a fine sieve and if needed, thin with water.

    3. TEAR ham to fit biscuits.

    4. HALVE freshly baked biscuits and place ham on the bottom half. Drizzle reduction over the ham and cover with biscuit half.  
     

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Make Hash From Leftovers

    We’re being inundated with recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers. But today’s tip is good for leftovers year-round.

    Leftover potatoes—boiled or roasted—make good hash. Leftover meat, poultry or fish added to the dish turns it into a main course instead of a side.

    Just sauté chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, any other veggies and herbs, and stir it up.

    Here’s an idea we received from PotatoGoodness.com. The recipe is from award-winning cookbook author, Diane Morgan. “There is no better or more enjoyable way to use up leftover turkey than to make turkey hash,” she says. “It’s perfect for a weekend brunch or for an easy weeknight supper, especially after the big Thanksgiving meal.”

    Prep time is 30 minutes, cook time is 30 minutes.

     
    Turkey hash. Photo courtesy PotatoGoodness.com.
    RECIPE: CAST IRON SKILLET TURKEY WITH SOFT-COOKED EGGS

    Ingredients For 6 Servings

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 pounds red-skinned, Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 ribs celery, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 3 cups coarsely chopped roast turkey
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, plus extra for garnish
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 6 large eggs
  • Tabasco or other hot sauce
  •  
    Preparation

    1. MELT the butter over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan, preferably cast iron. Swirl to coat the pan. Add the potatoes and onion and sauté for about 1 minute until just coated with butter. Cover and cook for 7 minutes to steam the potatoes, stirring once.

    2. ADD the celery and bell pepper, stir briefly, then cover and cook for 3 minutes longer. Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and add the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are lightly browned.

    3. GENTLY FOLD in the turkey, tarragon, and parsley and cook for about 2 minutes just until the turkey is heated through. Using a large spoon, make 6 shallow depressions in the hash, spacing them equally around the pan, with one in the center. Carefully crack an egg into each hollowed-out spot.

    4. COVER the pan and cook the eggs for about 5 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Serve immediately, garnishing the top of each egg with a sprinkling of tarragon. Pass the hot sauce at the table.
     
    WHY CAST IRON?

    Cast iron is an ideal heat conductor, heating evenly and consistently. With proper care, it will last a lifetime.

    When well seasoned, cast iron is stick resistant and requires no additional oil—the “original” fat-free cooking pan.

    So don’t throw away Granny’s cast iron skillet: As long as it is scratch-free, clean it up and re-season it. Here’s how to season a cast iron skillet.
      

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    TIPS: How To Eat Smart Over the Holidays


    How can you resist? Just stop at one! Photo
    courtesy Baked NYC.
     

    The onslaught of holiday eating has begun. But you can have your cake and eat it too, according to a physician and food lover.

    Says Michael Fenster, MD, F.A.C.C.: “What makes the holiday season so difficult for many people is that it is not just a weekend event like a Memorial Day backyard grill, but a non-stop barrage from October through January.

    “We are inundated with offerings everywhere: in the media, at the workplace, at home and every point in-between.”

    Dr. Fenster is not only a cardiologist, but a certified wine professional and a chef with a culinary degree. He worked professionally in kitchens prior to entering medical school and has maintained his passion for food and wine throughout his medical career.

    He doesn’t want you to abstain over the holidays. It’s not a time for deprivation or dieting—just for following a good eating strategy.

     

    To allow for some culinary holiday cheer without falling into the abyss, Dr. Fenster offers these recommendations:

  • Plan Ahead. On the day of a party, plan to eat very lightly at breakfast, lunch or other meal.
  • Timing and Proportion: Once you arrive at an event and see what is offered, make your decision and pace yourself. Think as you would a wine tasting: a little sample of this and a little sample of that, spaced out over the course of the event. Waiting at least 15-20 minutes between samplings will allow time for your stomach to signal the brain. Before you know it, you’ll feel satiated with a lot less than if you had come in and sampled everything all at once. (EDITOR’S TIP: Plan to engage in conversation with two or three people before heading back for a bite. And alternate every caloric food with a sampling of crudités, turkey or other healthful choices.)
  • Eat Fresh: Don’t be tempted by processed foods. These are not only often higher in calories but loaded with salt and preservatives. If you’re going indulge, hold out for that fresh, handmade treat. Make every bite count.
  • Protect Yourself At Home: Don’t purchase pre-packaged treats to keep around the house, or bake up lots of cookies to offer “visitors.” If it isn’t there, you can’t eat it.
  •  
    Make smart decisions and you can enjoy the holidays in a guilt free fashion, says Dr. Fenster. “Consider not gaining excessive weight during the holidays as your goal and getting back to the exercise and weight loss after the New Year.”

    For better-for-you recipes and cooking demonstrations with Michael Fenster, visit WhatsCookingWithDoc.com.

      

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