Christmas Eve Recipes

• 5-6 lb fully cooked Ham
• 2/3 cup Butter
• 1/2 cup Dark Corn Syrup
• 1-1/2 cups Honey
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Orange Juice
• 1/4 cup whole Cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground Cardamom
• 1/8 tsp White Pepper

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Position ham cut side down in a roasting pan which has been foil-lined. Score the surface of the ham (make cuts in layer of ham fat) in a diamond pattern using a sharp knife. Put the whole cloves in the scored intersections.
• Mix the corn syrup, honey, brown sugar, orange juice, cardamom, butter, and pepper in the top half of a double boiler. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and mixture is even. Keep this glaze in the top half of a double boiler with hot water in the bottom half, while ham is being baked.
• Brush this glaze over the ham and cover with foil. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325°F, while basting ham frequently with the warm honey glaze. In the last 5 minutes of baking time, remove the foil and turn on broil the ham from top to caramelize the glaze. Take out ham from oven, wrap with foil, and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• Drizzle the pan juices over each slice of ham and serve hot.

• 4 1/2 lb Salmon Steaks
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 tbsp fresh chopped Dill
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 1/8 tsp White Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Salt

• Put salmon in a glass baking dish. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Coat steaks by pouring the mix over them and turning. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
• When ready to cook, heat the grill and oil rack with medium coals. Position steaks on grill and cook from medium coals for about 10-20 minutes, turning once, until the salmon flakes easily with fork.

• 6 Baking Potatoes
• 4 slices cooked and crumbled Bacon
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/8 tsp White Pepper

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Pierce potatoes with a fork and rub with a bit of butter. Put on oven rack and bake for about 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pressed. Remove from oven and keep aside for 20 minutes.
• When potatoes are cool enough to hold, carefully cut lengthwise into halves. Scoop out cooked flesh from potato skins, leaving about 1/4 inch shell of flesh and skin. Put cooked potato flesh in large mixing bowl. Put in butter and beat until evenly combined. Whisk in sour cream, bacon, cheese, salt, and pepper and beat nicely until fluffy.
• Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells and sprinkle paprika on top. Bake for about half an hour or until potatoes start to turn golden brown on the edges and are somewhat puffed.

• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 finely chopped Garlic Cloves
• 1/4 cup chopped Shallots
• 1/4 cups chopped Onion
• 1/4 tsp crushed dried Thyme
• 1/2 tsp crushed dried Marjoram
• 1 (15 oz) can Pumpkin
• 3 cups Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 1/2 cups Milk

• Melt the butter in large saucepan over medium flame. Add chopped garlic, shallots and onion into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become soft. Stir in thyme and marjoram and cook for 1 minute. Transfer broth and pumpkin into the pan and bring the ingredients to a boil. Cover and reduce the flame to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes more, stir occasionally. Remove the pan from the burner. Beat in milk and peanut butter.
• Put the mixture in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the blend back to saucepan. Heat over medium flame, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soup is heated through.
• Serve in soup bowls along with soup sticks.

• 4 lb boneless Pork Loin Roast
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp. dried leaves of Marjoram
• 1 tsp dried leaves of Thyme
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp minced Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Pepper

• Position pork roast in a shallow roasting pan. Mix olive oil, marjoram, thyme, salt, garlic and pepper in small bowl; beat to make a paste. Brush the paste over the roast. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Place pan in the oven and roast pork for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 250°F without opening oven door. Further roast the pork until internal temperature registers 155°F, about 24-30 minutes per pound.
• Remove from oven and let roast stand, covered, 5-10 minutes before carving.