From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

This recipe (originally from Lithuanian Heritage magazine) would have been made with one of the hams, bone in, really thick layer of fat and skin and selling for about 79c/lb, versus the very expensive (and yes, delicious) spiral cut ham ($10/lb) from that chain that sells fancy hams. At my last Lithuanian cooking demo in March with an Easter menu, I was saying how my father and then I, would soak one of these cheaper hams for 24 hours, drain, fresh water and cook, then drain and finish in oven. This used to be the only type of ham that was available. One of the ladies said her mother always did it that way, so did she until her husband asked her why and she really didn’t know.
To get rid of excess salt–
she and her husband were happy to get a sensible answer.

Last year I bought for the first time, Carando labeled gluten-free, sliced, spiral boneless brown sugar and spice ham. $2.99 or $3.99 per lb, at my local Market Basket with long refrigerated shelf life. Remove red foil cover, then netting. Hold plastic vacuum wrapped ham over sink, cut open, drain off juices and then I put it in large ziploc bag on a dinner plate in fridge. I find that if you separate the spiral slices and immerse them in raspberry wine glaze and refrigerate for 1-2 days, they really absorb flavor of raspberry, wine and butter. Then gently reheat in sauce to serve. The ham darkens in color, remember raspberry glaze will stain white tablecloth.

Gluten-Free Raspberry Wine Glazed Ham

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup dry white wine or sherry – I used Fetzer Gewűrtztraminer
  
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 2 teaspoons gf cornstarch
  
• 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam _ I use Trappist, ~$3 for 12 oz jar in my local store -Market Basket.
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  

Elsbeth, a German lady from my Lithuanian cooking demos, suggested adding 3 crushed Juniper berries (I buy juniper berries from Penzey’s –Nationwide mail order or stores) and one whole clove to deepen flavor as you make glaze, just remove them as you serve.

Roughly three times quantity, so more glaze for soaking slices of spiral cut, rather than glazing whole ham:

• jar of seedless raspberry jam
  
• 2 oz butter, I actually used a 4 oz stick last time.
  
• 3/4 c wine
  
• ¼ c lemon juice – ~1 lemon, genuine lemon please, not the bottled stuff.
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325*. Place whole boneless spiral ham in deep serving dish, If you are leaving the spiral ham whole.

2. In a small saucepan, blend wine and lemon juice with cornstarch.

3. Add about half the jam. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the remaining jam and butter. Heat and stir until butter and jam are melted.

4. Brush ham with the raspberry glaze. Bake in 325 * oven until glaze is bubbling and browning without burning- 15-30 minutes. Check internal temperature of ham. It needs to be cooked or reheated to 140*. Spoon any remaining glaze over ham. With a spiral cut ham left whole, you can ‘persuade’ the glaze to drizzle down between slices.

Remove from oven, let stand 15 minutes before serving. You can really taste the butter so don’t leave it out. Or just gently reheat the slices in glaze/sauce.

Or

1. Drain soaked raw ham, cover with fresh water, gradually bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 1-2 hours, timing from when the water boils (which could take almost an hour). This helps remove more salt (there seems to be more salt in cheaper cuts) and keeps ham moister during cooking, rather than drying out in oven. I normally only give the ham one hour in the oven to finish off with a glaze after simmering. With a fully cooked ham, I still prefer to soak it, change water and simmer for about 45 minutes, then finish with the glaze.

I love good smoked salmon and served it at our wedding and our son’s christening on Irish soda bread. It makes for an easy appetizer that’s elegant looking, can be made in advance, and is very, very popular.

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoon honey Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 English cucumber
• 4-8 oz smoked salmon

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients except cucumber and smoked salmon. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow flavors to blend.
2. Wash cucumber, leave skin on and cut into 1/4-1/2 inch slices on a diagonal. Experiment and see what thickness you like best, but remember that a cucumber slice that is too thin can’t hold the weight of salmon and sauce.
3. If need be, slice smoked salmon into smaller pieces.
4. Check on sauce, and add a bit of water to thin it if necessary.
5. Top each cucumber slice with salmon and a spoonful of sauce, and garnish with finely chopped chives or fresh dill.

Gluten-Free Blackened Chicken with Grilled Peaches

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Crunchmater® Multi-Seed Rosemary & Olive Oil Crackers, ground
• 4 Fresh peaches, sliced
• 1 Large apple, chopped
• 1 Head bibb lettuce, torn
• 4 Skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 1 tbsp. Ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. Dried thyme
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil, plus more for grill grates

Directions:

1. Heat grill to medium-high heat; brush with olive oil. In a bowl, combine 1 Tbsp. olive oil, paprika, pepper, sea salt, cayenne, thyme and Crunchmaster® Crackers; rub olive oil mixture onto chicken and peaches.
2. Grill chicken breasts and peaches for 4 minutes each, then flip and cook for another 4-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside and peaches have grill marks.
3. Transfer to a serving platter; serve chicken atop a bed of Bibb lettuce with chopped apples and grilled peaches.

Gluten-Free Quinoa Cilantro Taco Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Crunchmaster® Roasted Garlic Multi-Seed Crackers, crushed
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Cumin
• ½ tsp Chili powder
• ¼ tsp Sea salt
• 2 tbsp Poppy seeds
• 1/3 cup Sunflower seed
• 1 cup Quinoa, cooked
• 4 cups Mixed salad greens
• 5 Fresh chives
• ½ cup Cabbage, shredded
• 6 Cherry tomatoes
• 1 Medium red onion, sliced
• ½ cup Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 Medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1 Ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 Papaya, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, cumin, chili powder, sea salt, poppy seeds and quinoa in a large mixing bowl; gently toss to combine.
2. In a large serving bowl, add mixed salad greens; top with quinoa mixture. Add crushed Crunchmaster® Crackers and remaining ingredients; mix well.

This sweet and tangy cranberry chutney perfectly complements the rich flavor of our Sweet Slice Boneless Smoked Ham for an elegant dish worthy of any holiday gathering.

Gluten-Free Sweet Slice Ham with Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients:

• cup Cranberry-Pomegranate Juice
• 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp Cranberries
• ¼ tsp Ground ginger
• ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
• ½ cup
  Sweet Vidalia Onions in Sauce
• 2 tsp
  Honey Mustard
• Sweet Slice Boneless Smoked Ham, Sliced

1. Heat the juice in a small saucepan and add the red wine vinegar.
2. Add the dried cranberries, cover and let steep 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the spices, onion sauce, and mustard. The chutney can be cut into smaller portions if desired.
4. Serve slightly warm along with ham slices, or store in the fridge until ready to use.

Gluten-Free Creamy Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Cheddar Cracker Melts

Ingredients:

• 24 Crunchmaster® Tuscan Peasant Fire Roasted Tomato Basil Crackers
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives, divided
• 1 cup chopped prepared roasted red peppers
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup 35% heavy cream
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Pinch chili flakes
• 1 can (28 oz) no-salt added diced tomatoes
• 4 cups organic no-salt added vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large saucepan set over medium heat; cook onion, carrot, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, paprika and chili flakes for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly softened.
2. Stir in broth, tomatoes, roasted peppers and bay leaves; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves. Let cool slightly. Transfer to blender; purée in batches until smooth. Stir in cream, remaining salt, half of the chives and vinegar.
3. Cheddar Cracker Melts: Meanwhile, preheat broiler to high and position rack in center of oven. Arrange crackers on parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
4. Divide soup among 6 bowls. Sprinkle with remaining chives and serve with Cheddar Cracker Melts.

Tip:Use mild, medium or aged Cheddar, or substitute smoked mozzarella if desired.

Gluten-Free Mini Quiches

Makes 24 mini quiches

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups finely crushed Crunchmaster® Rosemary & Olive Oil Multi-Seed Crackers
• Gluten-free non-stick cooking spray
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ¼ tsp. grated fresh nutmeg
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup milk
• Oils & Vinegars
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 – 10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 roasted red pepper, cut into 48 small slivers
• 2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a min muffin pan (24 tins) with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine the cracker crumbs and melted butter. Divide crumb mixture among the prepared mini muffin cups and press down firmly. Bake for 7 – 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and add the chopped onion. Cook the onions until very soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Squeeze all the liquid out of the spinach, add to the onions along with the salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Divide the mixture evenly on the cracker crumbs. Divide the shredded cheese on top of the spinach mixture.
4. Whisk the eggs and milk together and spoon into the muffin cups; do not fill all the way. Top with the roasted red pepper slivers and bake until set and browned, about 20 minutes.