Ham and Spinach Stuffing

This stuffing is superb with veal. Makes enough to stuff a shoulder of veal for roasting or a breast of veal for braising.

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch spinach
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 cup finely chopped ham
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 ounce (30 g) butter
1 cup soft breadcrumbs

Method:

1. Cut the spinach leaves away from the stalks and wash well. Place in a heavy saucepan with a little salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cover the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened, shaking occasionally to prevent sticking.
2. Drain well and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as possible with your hands. Chop the spinach finely and place in a bowl with the ham. Season with salt and pepper.
3. While the spinach is cooking and cooling, cook the onion gently in the butter until soft and golden. Add to the spinach and ham, then add a pinch of nutmeg and the breadcrumbs and mix the ingredients lightly together with a fork. Correct the seasoning.

Layered Ham and Cheese Bake

To complete this tasty meal, accompany the bake with a stir-fry of vegetables such as snow peas, sliced onions, sliced carrots, pepper strips and celery sticks. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2/3 cup milk
8 slices wholemeal bread, cut into quarters
4 ounces (125 g) leg ham, chopped
4 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
6 spring onions, chopped
1 cup grated tasty cheese

Method:

1. Place eggs and milk in a mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Brush bread with egg mixture. Combine ham, red pepper and spring onions.
2. Place 4 slices of bread into a lightly greased ovenproof dish, top with half the ham mixture and sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Pour over any remaining egg mixture and bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until firm and top is golden brown.

Smooth Chinese Corn Soup

This is an easily prepared hearty soup, golden in color with egg white and pink ham. Recipe serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked ground (minced) chicken
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons chopped cooked ham
2 tablespoons water chestnuts, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups chicken stock
2 egg whites
4 large mushrooms (dried)
1 tablespoon pickled cabbage
2 cups pureed corn
1 tablespoon cornflour

Method:

1. Bring stock to boil in wok, add chopped mushrooms, salt and pickled cabbage and cook until tender.
2. Add pureed corn and continue to boil for about 5 minutes then add chopped chicken and ham, sherry and chestnuts. Boil for a further 2 to 3 minutes and add cornflour mixed in 2 tablespoons cold water.
3. Stir until clear. Reduce heat and gently stir in egg whites. Serve hot.

Trout and Parma Ham Risotto Rolls

This makes a delicious and elegant Italian meal. The risotto - made with porcini mushrooms and prawns - is a fine match for the robust flavor of the trout rolls. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

4 trout fillets, skinned
4 slices Parma ham
Caper berries, to garnish
For the Risotto:
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 large raw prawns, peeled and the vein removed
1 medium onion, chopped
Generous 1 cup risotto rice
About 7 tablespoons white wine
About 3 cups simmering fish or chicken stock
2 tablespoons dried porcini or chanterelle mushrooms, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water to cover
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. First make the risotto. Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan or deep frying pan and fry the prawns very briefly until flecked with pink. Lift out on a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.
2. Add the chopped onion to the oil remaining in the pan and fry over a gentle heat for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add the rice and stir for 3-4 minutes until the grains are evenly coated in oil. Add 5 tablespoons of the wine and then the stock, a little at a time, stirring over a gentle heat and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more.
3. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and cut the larger ones in half. Towards the end of cooking, stir the mushrooms into the risotto with 1 tablespoon of the reserved mushroom liquid. If the rice is not yet al dente, add a little more stock or mushroom liquid and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the prawns. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Take a trout fillet, place a spoonful of risotto at one end and roll up. Wrap each fillet in a slice of Parma ham and place in a greased ovenproof dish.
6. Spoon any remaining risotto around the fish fillets and sprinkle over the rest of the wine. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until the fish is tender. Spoon the risotto on to a platter, top with the trout rolls and garnish with caper berries. Serve at once.

Tip: There are no hard and fast rules about which type of risotto to use for this dish. Almost any risotto recipe could be used, although a vegetable or seafood risotto would be particularly suitable.

Risotto with Chicken

This is a classic Italian combination of chicken and rice, cooked with Parma ham, white wine and Parmesan cheese. Recipe serves 6.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces (250 g) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups risotto rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
3 pints (1.75 litres) simmering chicken stock
2ounces (60 g) Parma ham, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons butter, cubed
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flat leaf parsley, to garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over moderately high heat. Add the chicken cubes and cook, stirring, until they start to turn white.
2. Reduce the heat to low and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft. Stir in the rice, saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until all the rice grains are coated in oil.
3. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the wine has been absorbed. Stir the saffron into the simmering stock, then add large spoonfuls of stock to the rice, allowing each to be absorbed before adding the next.
4. When the rice is three-quarters cooked, add the Parma ham and continue cooking until the rice is just tender and the risotto creamy.
5. Add the butter and the Parmesan and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the risotto hot, sprinkled with a little more Parmesan, and garnish with parsley.

Leek and Ham Risotto

Another simple Italian risotto that makes an easy dinner, yet is special enough for a dinner party. Recipe serves 3-4.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 ounces (40 g) butter
2 leeks, cut in slices
6 ounces (175 g) prosciutto, torn into pieces
3 ounces (75 g) button mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups risotto rice
4 cups simmering chicken stock
3 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oil and butter in a pan and fry the leeks until soft. Set aside a few strips of prosciutto for the garnish and add the rest to the pan. Fry for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.
2. Add the rice. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until the grains are evenly coated in oil and have become translucent around the edges. Add a ladleful of hot stock. Stir until this has been absorbed completely, then add the next ladleful. Continue in this way until all the stock has been absorbed.
3. When the risotto is creamy and the rice is tender but still has a bit of "bite", stir in the parsley and Parmesan. Adjust the seasoning, remove from the heat and cover. Allow to rest for a few minutes. Spoon into a bowl, garnish with the reserved prosciutto and serve.

Chinese Cabbage with Ham

This easy Chinese vegetable stir-fry is perfect for using up leftover cooked ham. Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 small leek
10 ounces (315 g) Chinese cabbage
11 ounces (345 g) cooked ham
2 cloves garlic
3/4 inch (2 cm) fresh root (green) ginger
1/4 cup sunflower or corn oil
Salt to taste
Freshly milled pepper
1 tablespoon medium sherry
2 teaspoons cornflour
1/2 cup vegetable stock
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Method:

1. Trim leek, slit length-wise and wash thoroughly under cold, running water to remove grit and mud between layers. Shake dry. Cut into thin rings.
2. Separate Chinese cabbage leaves. Wash each leaf thoroughly under cold, running water and drain. Cut leaves into thin strips, discarding stalks.
3. Cut ham into thin strips, removing any fat and gristle.
4. Crush garlic on to plate with garlic press. Peel, slice and finely chop ginger.
5. Heat oil in wok until hot, but not smoking. Add ham, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute.
6. Mix in leek and strips of Chinese cabbage leaves and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Moisten with sherry.
7. Mix cornflour with stock and soy sauce until smooth. Add to vegetables in wok. Bring to boil. Reheat until piping hot, stirring. Adjust seasoning to taste.
8. Serve straight away with rice or rice noodles.

Ham Salad Sandwich with Tangy Mustard Dressing

This highly flavored combination of ham and mustard can also be made with any leftover cooked meat or poultry. Leave out the gherkins if you are trying to keep your salt intake to a minimum. Recipe makes 2 sandwiches.

Ingredients:

1 cup diced cooked ham
1 small carrot, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons low-calorie (kilojoule) mayonnaise
2 sweet gherkins, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon bottled horseradish (optional)
4 slices pumpernickel or wholemeal bread

Method:

1. In a small bowl, combine the ham, carrot, mayonnaise, gherkins, mustard and horseradish, if desired. Spread 2 slices of the bread with half of the mixture. Top with the remaining bread and cut the sandwiches in half.

Cheese Variation: Omit the meat from the spread mixture. Place a 1 ounce (30 g) slice of tasty, low-fat cheese on 2 slices of bread and spread with half the mixture. Top with remaining bread and cut in half.

Sweet Apple Variation: Omit the mustard and the horseradish. Add half a Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced, and 1/2 tablespoon sultanas or raisins.