Dietitians Dish – March 27, 2023
No Waste Holiday Menu Planning
With holiday meals there is a greater chance of serving too much food and having excess go to waste. It is like throwing away money! In the current economy, it’s important to save everywhere you can. The last thing anyone wants to do is throw food away because it went bad before it could be eaten. Plan meals around how you will reuse left over items, like your ham. It’s easy to get sick of reheating food in the same form, so re-imagine it into a whole new flavor profile. Try turning left over ham into a spicy jambalaya!
Slow Cooker Smoky Maple-Mustard Ham
Ingredients:
- 3 cups apple cider
- 1 cup 100% pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coarse ground mustard
- 2 Tbsps. smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 hickory smoked boneless half ham (about 4-1/2 pounds)
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Directions:
- In medium bowl, stir cider, syrup, mustard, paprika and garlic powder. In 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, add ham; pour cider mixture over ham. Cover and cook on high 3 hours or low 6 hours or until internal temperature reaches 140°, turning once. Transfer ham to cutting board; loosely tent with aluminum foil and let stand 10 minutes.
- Transfer 2 cups cooking liquid to medium saucepot; heat to a boil over medium heat. In small bowl, stir cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water; whisk into saucepot and cook 2 minutes
- Carve ham and drizzle with 1/2 cup sauce; serve with remaining 1-1/2 cups sauce.
Ham Jambalaya
- 1-1/2 cups ham, cubed
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 1 tsp.)
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes
- 1 can (14 oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
- 1-1/2 cups quick-cooking rice
Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in hot oil about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in undrained stewed tomatoes, chicken broth, ham, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Stir in rice. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Serves 4.