Easiest Ham Ever

I'm not even kidding. This is the easiest ham ever. Three ingredients, five minutes of effort, one great dish.

You need three ingredients--a ham, some dijon mustard, and some brown sugar. In return for your minimal effort, you get a great-tasting, fancy-looking ham that you'll be able to pull out even on a weekday.

Take your ham out of the wrapper and rinse it off. Then pat it dry. Set it in a roasting pan, preferably one with a rack to get the ham off the bottom of the pan.

Then grab some Dijon mustard.

Slather the thing with mustard. Smooth, grainy, spicy, whatever you like. Just not yellow ;)

Then measure some brown sugar (because you sure don't want to be double-dipping into your sugar with mustardy ham hands!)

Pat the ham all over with the brown sugar. The mustard should help it stick.

Pour a little water in the bottom of the pan, just to keep the sugar that will inevitably fall off the ham from burning.

Roast the ham for 45 minutes-1 hour. The sugar will melt and become nice and caramel-y.

Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving. This will give the hot, melted sugar time to form a crust.













Then serve. Seriously, was that the easiest recipe or what? And guess what--it tastes awesome, too! It also makes great leftovers--Wednesday's recipe will show you how!

Recipe: Easiest Ham Ever

1 3-4 lb. smoked ham
1/3 c. Dijon mustard
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. water

Rub ham with mustard. Pat brown sugar over the mustard until ham is completely coated.

Place ham in roasting pan. Pour water into the bottom of the pan.

Bake ham at 325F for 45 minutes-1 hour. Let rest at least 20 minutes before serving.

Tandoori Game Hens

Tandoori seems to be the new, hot "ethnic" flavor emerging in the food world. And while I don't own the equipment to make truly authentic tandoori, I do have the spices available. These game hens are excellent--unlike some marinades, the spices in this recipe actually are detectable in the meat, and the hens turned out moist and incredibly delicious.

The hens do require an overnight (or at least 5-6 hour) marinade. Some plain yogurt (Greek is preferred, as it's thicker and tangier) and a blend of spices is what you need. There's paprika, garam masala, paprika, cayenne pepper, and coriander.

Scoop the yogurt into a bowl or a large plastic bag.

Add the spices. The first one is garam masala, which is actually a blend of spices. The blends vary on who makes them. Find one you like, and stick with it. It's great to have on hand.

Paprika is next.

Then coriander seeds. For maximum flavor, crush them slightly before adding them, or toast in a pan over low heat until the seeds start to smell pungent.

Turmeric will add some color.

And of course cayenne will add a bit of spice.

And never forget salt and pepper.

Garlic and ginger will be the final ingredients in the marinade. I used this nifty garlic and ginger paste. But if you can't find it in your store, just chop some garlic and ginger until they make a rough paste.

If you've got a kid, this would be a great time for them to help. Just have them squish around the contents of the (closed) bag, to distribute the spices throughout the yogurt.

Grab your game hens.

Remove them from the package, rinse them well, and then pat dry.

Then toss them into the marinade bag. I was able to fit both hens in one large bag.

Put the bag in a large bowl (to avoid cross-contaminating your fridge) and let the hens marinate at least 5 hours and ideally overnight.

When you're ready to roast the hens, remove them from the marinade bag, and discard the bag.

Use paper towels to lightly pat them dry, and place them on a baking sheet or a roasting pan.

To help them cook evenly (and from the bottom from becoming soggy), I roasted mine on top of a heavy-duty cooling rack set on a cookie sheet.

Fold the wing tips underneath the hens. This will keep the tips from burning.

Now to stuff the hens. I used lemon, ginger, garlic, and bay.

Stuff everything in the hens, dividing the stuffing ingredients equally between the two.

Squeeze the juice from the remaining half lemon over the top of the hens.

Use kitchen twine or silicone roasting bands to secure the hens' legs together. Don't bind them too tight--just enough to keep them together.

Pour or brush some melted butter over the hens. Use clarified butter for more authenticity.

Pop the hens in a 425F oven for about 50 minutes-1 hour.

They will look and smell great!

The meat will be lightly flavored, and the yogurt marinade will ensure it's moist and delicious. If you want something different from the ordinary roasted poultry, definitely give Tandoori Game Hens a try!

Recipe: Tandoori Game Hens

1 c. Greek yogurt

1 tbsp. garam masala

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 heaping tablespoon garlic and ginger paste (or 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp. minced ginger)

1/2 lemon, quartered

1-inch knob ginger, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf, halved

4-6 garlic clobes

1/2 lemon

1 tbsp. melted butter (clarified, if you've got it)

Night Before Pot Roast

It had been a while since we'd last had pot roast, and I was craving it. But having a day job means it's sometimes difficult to get everything together that early in the morning. So I came up with this recipe that's mostly made-ahead. All you have to do is a little prep the night before, and then throw everything in the crock pot before you leave for the day.

To make things easier in the morning, get out everything you need the night before, so it's on-hand and ready to go.

 I thinly sliced an onion.

Then I added some garlic cloves, dried thyme, and a bay leaf.

I threw them all in a plastic container, since my crock pot insert barely fits in the fridge.

I added some peeled and chunked carrots on top.

And there's your night-before prep, all done!

The morning of, dump the contents of your container into the crock pot.

Sprinkle some dried mushrooms over the top.

You could use fresh mushrooms, too. I just liked the idea of using dried food in a long-cooking meal. And the dried mushrooms I used were a blend--I believe there were portabella, oyster, morel, and a couple other kinds. Something kind of neat and different.

Scatter them around the crock.

Then lay the pot roast over the top.

 Liquid will help the pot roast braise. First, I added beef broth.

Then I added a bottle of beer. I used a bottle of Mr. Kim Chee's homebrewed Oktoberfest.

Pretty, right?

As always, salt and pepper came next.

And just because I like the flavor, I added a few dashes of Worcestershire.

All ready to go! Just turn the crock pot on low (for 7-8 hours) or high (for 5-6).

If you remembered to plug the crock pot in, you'll come home to a perfectly-cooked pot roast! It should be moist from the liquid, with a slight beer-y taste. The earthiness of the mushrooms should be detectable, and the onions will have melted into the flavorful sauce. And all for 10 minutes of effort!

Recipe: Night Before Pot Roast

1 onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3 large carrots, cut into large pieces
1 oz. dried mushrooms
1 3-4 lb. chuck roast
1 bottle beer
1 can beef broth
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large crock pot. Cook for 5-6 hours on high or on low for any amount of time over that. Serve and enjoy!

Steak With Mushroom Wine Sauce

Some days, I crave a big hunk of red meat--especially in these turkey-and-ham filled days. But I like to serve it with some kind of sauce--something rich and meaty and that can hold its own against a piece of rare beef.

To prepare my steak, I rub it with a mixture of olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, and pepper. I let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, to let all the flavors come together.

Sear the steak over medium-high heat in a dry pan that's not nonstick (does that make sense?)

Cook both sides for 2-3 minutes a side (for rare--you may need to finish the steaks in a 350F oven for a bit longer if you like your steaks well-done.)

Once your steaks are seared, place them on a plate and set them aside.

Now dice a few cloves of garlic and a small onion.

Add the garlic and onion to the same pan you seared the steaks in. Add a pound of mushrooms (halved or quartered if you like.) And a pat of butter, to ensure everything cooks evenly.

Saute the onions, garlic, and mushrooms until softened. The mushrooms should soak up the meaty butter, and the garlic and onions should be giving off a nice, rich flavor.

Once the vegetables are softened, you can add some flour. This will thicken the sauce a bit. There should be enough liquid from the butter and the vegetables, but if not, a bit of butter or oil will help you out. You don't want a sandy-looking roux.

Once the flour has been stirred in completely, you can slowly add a can of beef broth. (This is chicken in the picture--apparently I was out of beef. But do use beef, for maximum flavor.)

Half a cup or so of red wine will make your wine sauce a wine sauce.

Taste the sauce, and salt and pepper as needed.

It smells amazing. I could eat this as its own side dish.

To add some "restaurant richness", add a pat of butter right before serving.














Pour your delicious mushroom wine sauce over your steak and serve!

 Recipe: Steak With Mushroom Wine Sauce
 2 strip steaks
Olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste

1 lb. mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 can beef broth
1/2 c. red wine
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. butter


Season steaks with olive oil, Worcestershire, paprika, salt, and pepper. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

In a dry, non-nonstick pan, sear steak over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Set cooked steaks aside.

In the same pan, saute mushrooms, onions, and garlic with butter until softened.

Add flour; stir well for about a minute. Slowly add beef broth and wine; return to simmer. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Add butter; serve sauce over steak.