Baked Bean And Ham Casserole

6 slices diced bacon or ham
1 lg. onion, diced sm.
1/2 c. catsup
3 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp. prepared mustard
2 tbsp. brown sugar or to taste
1 can string beans, drained
1 can kidney beans
1 can B&M oven baked beans
1 can lima beans or any other kind of bean you like

Instructions: Simmer meat and onion until meat is cooked through. Add catsup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and brown sugar. Simmer a few minutes. Add beans. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour at 325 to 350 degrees.

  Baked Glazed Ham (pineapple #1)

1 12 lb. ham
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon mustard
1/4 cup pineapple juice
6 slices fresh or canned pineapple
6 maraschino cherries

Instructions: Place ham, fat side up on rack in open roasting pan. Bake in 350*F oven for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Combine sugar, mustard and pineapple juice. Remove ham from oven 45 minutes prior to completed baking time. Pour off excess fat. Spread 1/3 of the glaze on fat side. Arrange pineapple slices and cherries on the glaze, pressing firmly. Return to oven and baste with remaining glaze every 15 minutes.

Baked Ham Slices With Pineapple Glaze (#2)

4 slices (3/4 inch thick) ham
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp. prepared mustard
1 (1 lb. 4 oz.) can sliced pineapple, drained (reserve syrup)

Instructions: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix sugar, mustard and 2/3 cup reserved pineapple syrup. Brush over ham. Bake. Before ham is ready, place pineapple slices on ham. In saucepan, simmer remaining syrup mixture until thickened. Brush pineapple and ham with hot syrup mixture.

  Baked Holiday Ham

Ham
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. honey
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. red wine or rose
6 oz. 7-Up

Instructions: Combine all ingredients and pour over ham in baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes per pound.

  Classic Boston Baked Beans

2 c. Great Northern beans or navy soaked in 1 c. water for 10 hours
1 chopped white onion
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. dark honey
2/3 c. black molasses
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. catsup
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 chopped garlic clove
Ham to desire or ham hocks

Instructions: Pre-boil ham until tender. While cooking ham, simmer soaked beans for 1 1/2 hours until tender but not broken. Skim off any foam on the beans prior to cooking. Put beans and 1/2 the juice into the large pan with ham and juice. Add diced garlic and onion. Mix in separate bowl honey, molasses, vanilla, maple syrup, catsup, and dry mustard, adding 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Stir well and pour over beans cover and bake at 275 degrees for 7 hours, adding water as needed. Stir with wooden ladle every few hours. Uncover during the last 45 minutes to brown beans and ham a little. They burn easy be careful. Serve warm with pumpernickel bread. To get rid of gas effect which beans produce, just soak them for at least 24 hours prior to cooking, adding 1/2 teaspoon ginger root for every 2 cups of beans.

Soups

  Easy Tomato/Vegetable Soup

28oz can of Petite Diced Tomatoes

15oz can have mixed vegetables.

2oz chopped onion

(1) 2oz diced celery

Take 12oz of the Petite tomatoes and place them in a food processor and liquefy them.

Pour the liquefied tomatoes and diced tomatoes and mixed vegetables into proper saucepan.

Cook at a slow simmer, bringing the soup to a lite heat.

Drop the chopped onion and diced celery into the soup.

Allow to heat but avoid boiling.

Turn off burner and cover. Allow to sit covered for fifteen minutes.

Eat!

 Fresh Tomato Gazpacho

This is also terrific with yellow tomatoes. Garnish with thin cucumber slices and some chopped red onion, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings.

2 pounds large tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound country-style bread, crust removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
1 cup chopped peeled English hothouse cucumber
1 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 cup water

Working over bowl, gently squeeze tomato halves to release seeds and juices. Strain juices, pressing on solids to extract as much juice as possible (about 1/2 cup). Discard seeds.
Chop tomatoes. Transfer chopped tomatoes and tomato juices to large glass bowl. Add next 9 ingredients. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

Working in batches, puree gazpacho with 1 cup water in blender until smooth. Pour gazpacho into coarse strainer set over large bowl. Press on solids to extract as much soup as possible. Season with salt and pepper. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Serve cold.

  New England Clam Chowder

6 servings

The summer is almost gone and winter is approaching. This soup is wonderful on a cold day. Tastes just like New England's famous clam chowder.

3-4 cups clams in clam juice

2-3 bacon strips plus 2 Tbs. bacon grease
1 small onion, copped fine
2 Tbs. flour
3 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups milk
3 Tbs. butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
pinch of paprika (sprinkle on top)
1 parsley sprig (garnish)

Drain juice from clams to make 2 1/2 cups. Add water, if necessary. Cook bacon and remove from grease. Cut up bacon and set aside.

Add onion to bacon grease and cook until golden. Sprinkle flour over onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add potatoes and clam juice. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add clams and simmer 10 more minutes or until clams are cooked and potatoes are tender.

Add milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Heat until butter has melted. Add bacon. Serve in separate bowls and sprinkle with paprika. Add a sprig of parsley as a garnish.

You can also freeze the soup and serve at a later time. Let the frozen soup thaw and then reheat on the stove or microwave.

  Asparagus Soup

1 lb. fresh asparagus

6 Cups cold water (for boiling)
4 Tbs. margarine
4 Tbs. flour
1 cup cold water
1 cup cold milk
1 egg yolk
4 Tbs. sour cream
2 tsp. corn starch
5-6 Tbs. cold water
1 Tbs. chopped parsley
salt and ground white pepper to taste

Clean the asparagus and cut the heads off. In a large saucepan with 6 cups salted water cook on medium high until tender.

Drain and set aside, reserve the water.

Cut the rest of the asparagus into inch long pieces and cook in reserved salted water until tender, than process or pass through a sieve. Reserve the asparagus water.

Melt margarine, add flour and cook until golden brown. Add 1 cup cold water and 1 cup milk, mix well and add around 4 Cups reserved asparagus water and mashed asparagus. Put cooked asparagus heads into soup and bring to boil.

In a small bowl mix sour cream, 2 teaspoons corn starch, egg yolk, chopped parsley with 5 tablespoons cold water until smooth.

Remove soup from heat and add cream mixture to soup, stir and simmer very slowly but do not boil.

Season with ground white pepper and salt.

  French Onion Soup
Makes 4 quarts

5 lbs.onions, unpeeled
1/2 cup butter - (1 stick)
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbs. paprika
1 bay leaf
7 cans beef broth (16-ounce cans) divided (Swanson's)
1 cup dry white wine - optional
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. salt
French baguettes, optional
Swiss or Gruyere cheese, optional

Peel onions and slice 1/8 inch thick, preferably in a food processor. Melt butter in a larger stockpot. Add onions; cook, uncovered,
over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper, paprika and bay leaf; sauté over low heat 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Pour in 6 cans broth and wine. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Dissolve flour in remaining 1 can broth. Stir into boiling soup. Reduce heat and simmer slowly for 2 hours.

season with salt. Refrigerate overnight. To serve, heat soup in microwave or on stove.

Top with a slice of bread and grated cheese. Heat under the
broiler until cheese melts and bubbles, about 5 minutes.
Leftover soup can be frozen.

  Avocado and Green Chile Soup

3 large ripe avocados, peeled, seeded
1/2 onion, quartered
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
1 (4-ounce) can ORTEGA® Diced Green Chiles
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Place avocado and onion in food processor or blender; cover. Process until onion is coarsely chopped.

Combine broth and half-and-half in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Stir in avocado mixture, chiles, cumin, garlic salt and white pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until warm. Ladle into bowls. Garnish as desired.

Makes 8 servings.