Greek Easter x 3 here. Heads Red, our menu was identical to yours except we had dolmades instead of pastichio and we watched the lamb roast while sipping raki smuggled from our village in Greece.

So guys-
I really enjoyed the variations of the menus. Poish, Greek, Asian, American etc.
Now, my question is...what are you doing with your leftover meat?!
I made a 9 lb ham for 4 people who don't eat very much. I have a good 3-4 lbs of super juicy sliced ham left over, and I'm thinking of making a dish with said ham that won't have too much of a "hammy" taste. I'm thinking of a casserole with lots of veggies, and have been browsing allrecpes.com for ideas. I'm looking for something that isn't laden with calories though, and not having much luck.

What about you guys? What are you doing with the inevitable leftover meat?

What about split pea with chopped ham soup? Make a large batch a freeze for the fall.

And this is calorie laden, but flexible (you could eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner). This makes enough for 2 quiches. I prefer making this with bacon, but ham would work well too.

Ham and Asparagus Quiche
2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups chopped ham or crumbled bacon
2 unbaked pie shells
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups shredded Swiss cheese or cheddar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place asparagus in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm, about 2 to 6 minutes. Drain and cool.
Sprinkle crumbled bacon or chopped, cooked ham and chopped asparagus into pie shells.
In a bowl, beat together eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese over meat and asparagus. Pour egg mixture on top of cheese.
Bake uncovered in preheated oven until firm, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

bella54330 wrote:What about you guys? What are you doing with the inevitable leftover meat?

With a flock of hungry nieces and nephews, what little leftover meat there was went home with them.

Hellodali wrote:Greek Easter x 3 here. Heads Red, our menu was identical to yours except we had dolmades instead of pastichio and we watched the lamb roast while sipping raki smuggled from our village in Greece.

we have not gotten my moms dolmades recipe down quite right otherwise i would have made some..yea I pretty much napped next to the spit as I was beat from cooking bbq all day at demo in Pekin on Saturday although I may have foregone the nap for some raki

bella54330 wrote:So guys-
I really enjoyed the variations of the menus. Poish, Greek, Asian, American etc.
Now, my question is...what are you doing with your leftover meat?!
I made a 9 lb ham for 4 people who don't eat very much. I have a good 3-4 lbs of super juicy sliced ham left over, and I'm thinking of making a dish with said ham that won't have too much of a "hammy" taste. I'm thinking of a casserole with lots of veggies, and have been browsing allrecpes.com for ideas. I'm looking for something that isn't laden with calories though, and not having much luck.

Ham and Beans as a leftover meal is a staple in my mom's post-Easter kitchen. She uses cannelini beans, chops the ham into bite sized pieces, and always makes fresh cornbread as a side.

I'd grab some greens (turnip, collard, kale--I even sometimes like substituting asian greens like bok choy or chinese broccoli) and saute with the ham cut in bit sized chunks--delicious--tastes rich but if you go easy on the oil, very satisfying and not overly caloric).

Hellodali wrote:Greek Easter x 3 here. Heads Red, our menu was identical to yours except we had dolmades instead of pastichio and we watched the lamb roast while sipping raki smuggled from our village in Greece.

Was driving up Dempster in Morton Grove saw multiple lambs on spits hit a U-turn and pulled into the lot.

BBQ on Demand parking lot, 4.4.10 cell phone pic



I know nothing about BBQ on Demand, seems to be a full service restaurant that was doing lamb on a spit for customers who preordered whole lamb.

BBQ on Demand
6800 W Dempster
Morton Grove, IL 60053
847-966-1200

Wow...what if that were literally true? BBQ spit-roasted lamb, on demand...I'd weigh 300 pounds...but what a way to go....

As usual, we had lamb cake!

G Wiv wrote:

Hellodali wrote:Greek Easter x 3 here. Heads Red, our menu was identical to yours except we had dolmades instead of pastichio and we watched the lamb roast while sipping raki smuggled from our village in Greece.

Was driving up Dempster in Morton Grove saw multiple lambs on spits hit a U-turn and pulled into the lot.

BBQ on Demand parking lot, 4.4.10 cell phone pic



I know nothing about BBQ on Demand, seems to be a full service restaurant that was doing lamb on a spit for customers who preordered whole lamb.

BBQ on Demand
6800 W Dempster
Morton Grove, IL 60053
847-966-1200

nice..I love it!

Until a few months ago, BBQ On Demand was Mr. Zee's #2 Famous Chicken, which was okay but not special. Standard Greek-owned Chicago fast* food place, with an emphasis on grilled chicken. Didn't go there much despite living less than a mile away. They closed for a couple months and reopened as BBQ On Demand. I was excited to give them a try, but found that it was the same menu, same owner, same staff-- just remodeled and with a new name.

I think by "BBQ" they mean grilled chicken. It is what they do best, so if you find yourself there, that'd be my recommendation. They have ribs and a bbq pork sandwich on the menu, but they were there before and are not featured. Have not tried the ribs; the pork sandwich is pretty tasty, but not at all the pulled pork you might be expecting.

Don't get me wrong, it's miles ahead of, say, the KFC across the street if you're looking for lunch on that block. And the lambs in that photo do entice me to give them another try.

*not actually fast, in this case.

G Wiv wrote:

Hellodali wrote:Greek Easter x 3 here. Heads Red, our menu was identical to yours except we had dolmades instead of pastichio and we watched the lamb roast while sipping raki smuggled from our village in Greece.

Was driving up Dempster in Morton Grove saw multiple lambs on spits hit a U-turn and pulled into the lot.

BBQ on Demand parking lot, 4.4.10 cell phone pic



I know nothing about BBQ on Demand, seems to be a full service restaurant that was doing lamb on a spit for customers who preordered whole lamb.

BBQ on Demand
6800 W Dempster
Morton Grove, IL 60053
847-966-1200

I am bringing the main course which is in the oven as I Post.
Picked up a 25# Baby Lamb at Fresh Farms Touhy on Thursday.
Had the butcher remove the neck and shanks, make a cut to separate the front half from the rear just behind the ribs, cut the saddle whole and then separate the legs.
I boned out the saddle and froze along with the legs, shanks, head and internals for future use.
I removed the front legs when we got home, trimmed the front end.
Prepared a marinade of olive oil, red wine vinegar, Oregano, garlic, black peppercorns and lemon rind.
Mixed 4#’s of ground lamb with reduced onion mixture, white pepper, sage, and salt.
Rubbed the lamb with the marinade, stuffed the front end and tied. Into the oven at 400F for 30 minutes, reduce to 300F until about 160F for transport wrapped in foil.
The two shoulders will be in the oven for about 1 hour or until 130F, rested and served rare.
I have no idea what the others are bringing?
Baby lamb at Fresh Farms requires an order ahead and $100 deposit.
-Richard

Hi,

Was your baby lamb delivered fresh or frozen? I have seen lambs hanging in freezer cases at Costco, though I never checked the weight.

If you do not mind sharing, what was the cost per pound?

Were there any extra costs for butchering to your specs? Did you request in advance with your order or when you went to collect it?

The ground lamb was stuffed into the shoulder?

This is all so interesting. Thank you for posting and perhaps update with your opinion on the outcome.

Regards,
CAthy2

Pimento Cheese (appetizer)

Relish tray: green and black (unpitted) olives from Fresh Farms, goat feta, piquillo peppers, pickles

Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Ham (sliced and seared)

Gravy made from ham stock

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Honey Worcestershire glaze

Salad (from my son)

Mashed Potatoes (my sister-in-law, the recipient of most of the gravy)

Freshly baked rolls


Dessert not pictured: Chocolate Pudding Pie in Matzoh Meal Crust, Watermelon (sorry no pictures)

A casual menu with a fair amount of homemade stuff:
Cheese & sausage tray including homemade bresaola & Lebanon bologna
Crackers
Hummus with zaatar
Yogurt cheese spread
Veggie tray with pickled cauliflower and homemade dill yogurt
Dried beef roll ups (Buddig beef with horseradish cream cheese)
A double smoked ham made from a cheapsky PicknSave ham
Rolls
Purchased potato salad
Chocolate cake from Oliver's bakery in Kenosha
Cedar Crest Zanzibar chocolate

Instant Pot lamb shank with many herbs - mint, thyme, Greek oregano, rocket, chives, parsley, etc. Pressure cooked Saturday, then braised Sunday to reduce the gravy.

Mashed turnips with chives.

Spinach with feta and crumbled pressed bacon.

Baked potatoes with more chives.

Homemade bread. Of course, Danish Maid lamb-shaped butter.

Blueberry/mango crumble.

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

Was your baby lamb delivered fresh or frozen? I have seen lambs hanging in freezer cases at Costco, though I never checked the weight.

If you do not mind sharing, what was the cost per pound?

Were there any extra costs for butchering to your specs? Did you request in advance with your order or when you went to collect it?

The ground lamb was stuffed into the shoulder?

This is all so interesting. Thank you for posting and perhaps update with your opinion on the outcome.

Regards,
CAthy2

Lamb was fresh.
Weighed 25# and cost $250.
You have to put down a $100 deposit beforehand.
You tell the butcher how you want it cut at time of pickup with no additional cost.
The lamb comes with head attached and internal organs.
The head can be sawn in half, neck removed separately.
I usually grill the organs and roast the head.
Ground lamb stuffed into the upper half.
I did removed the upper legs and roasted separately, the upper half and stuffing for 3 hours and the upper legs, less than an hour.
Wrapped in foil and rested for 30 minutes.
Next time I will ask for cuts at each rib where the rib joins the backbone for easier carving. So each person can get a rib chop or two with bone and stuffing.
If you have a rack of lamb with ribs attached you essentially have half of what I roasted.
It’s a bit of a chore to purchase and prepare but with a Baby lamb the cuts are small and the rib chops very small so the stuffing comes in handy. The fore legs add additional meat depending on how many you serve.
We served 10 and have leftover lamb.
If you bone out the saddle, stuff and roast, it is an elegant preparation and easy to carve and serve.
-Richard

Budrichard,

Thanks for the information. It is very inspiring.

Regards,
CAthy2

Corn, salmon, asparagus. Leftover ice cream cake.

click to enlarge




Ice cream cake, count me a Fan!

Hi,

Within the last year, a friend and I were discussing hams. I learned she always simmers hams and I have only baked. Since it was brought up and recalling comments from Evil Ronnie, I want to make a ham simmered in Coca-Cola. I just have not settled on to how to do it. If someone here has a tried and true, that will be of use.

I plan to make a pineapple, cheddar cheese and Ritz cracker gratin. Something with artichokes and spinach, and may make a kugel because my Dad recently tried one and liked it. Of course a jello mold, because it is not a holiday without one. Several occasions recently I wanted stuffed eggs, then it sort of drifted off the menu.

I already have a ham defrosting and will buy another this week for the freezer.

At some point, I will have more defined plans.

Regards,
Cathy2

Coca-cola, root beer, and Dr Pepper are all popular for ham basting and glazing. I haven't done a taste test comparison but would probably stick to the regular sugar-sweetened version of each versus a diet version to avoid any bitter flavor in the cooked glaze (although if anyone's done it with a diet soda and not had that problem I'd be glad to hear it). I personally tend to stick to (ha ha) a brown sugar glaze, but I am curious about trying Dr Pepper ...

Katie wrote:Coca-cola, root beer, and Dr Pepper are all popular for ham basting and glazing. I haven't done a taste test comparison but would probably stick to the regular sugar-sweetened version of each versus a diet version to avoid any bitter flavor in the cooked glaze (although if anyone's done it with a diet soda and not had that problem I'd be glad to hear it). I personally tend to stick to (ha ha) a brown sugar glaze, but I am curious about trying Dr Pepper ...

Definitely don't glaze with aspartame, as it degrades with heat (into harmless amino acids, unless you have a rare gene variant)

This menu is my attempt at balance between a very busy morning (early breakfast pot-luck, multiple musical obligations, etc) and wanting to cook all the things (also - family members who despise all the usual Easter mains):

Breakfast potluck: Dark Chocolate Conchas

Mid-day Dinner for 10

Snacks (will hopefully keep the hangry at bay because who knows how much will actually get done on time):
Humous, Veggies to dip, Cheese, Pretzels, and crackers

Meal
Pork tenderloin (coat it in salt, pepper, orange-zest and honey then grill)
Dilled potato and pickled cucumber salad
Fruit Salad
Deconstructed Wedge Salad (iceberg lettuce, red onion, bacon, home made blue cheese dressing, plus another - store bought - dressing choice)
Publican Bread (in my dreams we'd be having biscuits or some other homemade bread, but I know that would be a bridge too far)

Dessert
Easter candy!
Carrot cake cupcakes (some with cream cheese frosting, some with 7 minute frosting, we have a guest allergic to dairy)
I really want to make macaroons - will see what happens on Friday / Saturday

- zorkmead

JoelF wrote:Definitely don't glaze with aspartame, as it degrades with heat (into harmless amino acids, unless you have a rare gene variant)

Having worked on an early launch of aspartame, heat degrades it primarily into 5-benzyl-3,6-dioxo-2-piperazineacetic acid.

Given that the sugar (or corn syrup) in the soda is the active component for glazing, using diet is counterproductive (except for Splenda). The beauty of the Easter season is that you're at peak Passover-Coke season (yellow caps on the 2L bottles designate cane sugar).

nr706 wrote:

JoelF wrote:Definitely don't glaze with aspartame, as it degrades with heat (into harmless amino acids, unless you have a rare gene variant)

Having worked on an early launch of aspartame, heat degrades it primarily into 5-benzyl-3,6-dioxo-2-piperazineacetic acid.

I was misinformed. But regardless, it's no longer sweet.

No problem. At a press conference, the assistant brand manager was asked the same question, and gave your answer. She didn't last long.

spinynorman99 wrote:Given that the sugar (or corn syrup) in the soda is the active component for glazing, using diet is counterproductive (except for Splenda). The beauty of the Easter season is that you're at peak Passover-Coke season (yellow caps on the 2L bottles designate cane sugar).

I used to always keep an eye out for kosher-for-Passover Coke but had forgotten to look for it for a while. Thanks for the reminder.

The soda simmered ham should be interesting as long as it doesn't soak up too much flavor. I still have nightmares about some root beer chicken I had 20+ years ago.

I've also heard of using 7Up in a glaze. And if anybody is looking for a cheap ham for experiments, Jewel isn't enforcing the minimum buy on 69¢ and 79¢ hams. There were a bunch of little $3ish butt pieces at the Gurnee store this afternoon.