Easy Pineapple Glazed Ham and Lemony Roasted Asparagus

 

I can't believe that it's been over a week since I last posted a recipe! It also seemed as though Easter was just a few weeks away-- and now, I realize that it's in just a few days.

It's that time of year, when work becomes really hectic until the Class of 2013 marches to Pomp and Circumstance.  Once again, I will wave farewell to the students who have grown near and dear to my heart over the last four years.  I am so looking forward to Spring Break, so that I can take a little breather from the business of work. I'm planning to stay-cation and to do a little catch up on chores. I have a backlog of savory recipes and baked goods that I'm anxious to share with all of you.

This is the ham that I glazed and baked, for last year's Easter brunch, but I never posted.  Well, better late than never, right?  I just wanted to show you how easy it is to turn a spiral cut bone-in ham into something that looks impressive, but isn't a whole lot of work.  As tired as I get, this time of year, I need recipes that are easy to do.   
 

I'm not a fan of ham, at all.  I'm out numbered, because my men love it, so this is for them-- and the guests we invited to join us.   The enclosed ham glaze packet doesn't do much for me.  I used some homemade pineapple jam (a very easy recipe), dijon mustard and brown sugar.  I didn't measure, but I can tell you I use about 1 cup of pineapple jam, 3/4 cup of brown sugar and a couple healthy tablespoons of Dijon mustard.  I slathered the ham and loosely covered it in foil.  Following the instructions that came with the ham, I set it on a roasting rack and warmed it at about 275F for about 1-1/2 hours.  I removed the foil during the last hour and I though the ham glazed nicely. I was surprised at the drippings I found in the roasting pan.

I poured the drippings into a pot, add a bit of chicken stock and then made a quick cornstarch-water blend.  

 This made a lovely thick gravy, that I hadn't planned on!

I love asparagus steamed, sauteed or roasted.  Roasted, I think, is my favorite way to prepare and serve them.  I simply cut off the woody ends, sprinkle them with coarse salt & fresh cracked pepper and drizzle them with olive oil, then toss them to coat evenly.  This time, I sliced a couple of lemons fairly thin and laid the asparagus on top of a few of them, then spread the remaining lemon on top.  I roasted them on 450F for about 10 minutes, until they were just becoming tender, but not super soft.
I loved how the asparagus had a delicate notes of lemon.  Perfect.

The most loved dish I served was this Scalloped Yukon Gold and Sweet Potato Gratin with Fresh Herbs.   Incredible!

I'm not a fan of going out for Easter Brunch, so this Sunday, I'll most likely make this same menu. It feeds a crowd, doesn't wear me out too much and I can put my feet up and savor a whole week of vacation.

I'll be busy in the kitchen, making some recipes I've been anxious to experiment with. But, first, I need to finally edit and organize recipes I've been posting teaser photos of on my Facebook Fan Page.

I always post a printable recipe card at the end of each recipe post. If you cannot view it, you might be using an older version of Internet Explorer. You should be able to view my recipe cards with Safari, Mozilla, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. If you still can't view the recipe card, all of my recipes are stored on Key Ingredient, by clicking here. If you still can't figure out how to view the printable recipe card, please email me at foodiewife@gmail.com and I am happy to help.

Happy Spring and Happy Easter!