With Easter behind us, I’m guessing many of you have a little leftover ham!  While scalloped potatoes are always a treat…ditto with a grilled ham & cheese…how about adding a new ‘go-to’ recipe to your files?

Rosti is a tradional Swedish potato pancake typically served as a side dish, but plumped up with ham & Swiss, it makes a perfect weeknight supper with it’s own side of steamed asparagus!

Ham & Cheese Rosti from www.eatingwell.com

• 1 large egg
• 1 cup diced ham, (about 5 ounces)
• 1 cup shredded part-skim Jarlsberg, or Swiss cheese, divided
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1. Beat egg in a large bowl. Stir in ham, 1/2 cup cheese, shallot, rosemary, pepper and salt. Add frozen potatoes and stir to combine.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pat the potato mixture into an even round in the pan. Cover and cook until browned and crispy on the bottom, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Place a rimless baking sheet on top. Wearing oven mitts, grasp the pan and baking sheet together and carefully invert, unmolding the rösti onto the baking sheet. Wipe out any browned bits from the pan. Return it to the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Slide the rösti back into the pan. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, cover and cook the second side until crispy and browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Slide onto a platter, cut into wedges and serve.

A strata is a casserole made of eggs, cheese, and cubed bread/potatoes.  It is considered a ‘comfort food’ and can be layered with many different ingredients including meats, sausages, and veggies.  The combinations are endless and depending on the ingredients, a strata is flexible enough to be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  This is one of my favorites!

BRIE & EGG STRATA  From www.cookinglight.com

• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 2  cups  chopped onion
• 1 1/2  cups  diced unpeeled Yukon gold potato (1 large)
• 1  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 1  cup  halved grape tomatoes
• 1  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 3/4  pound  ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes, toasted
• Cooking spray
• 4  ounces  Brie cheese, rind removed and chopped
• 1  cup  egg substitute
• 2  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon  herbes de Provence
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3  cups  1% low-fat milk
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley

I decided that Valentine’s Day was the perfect time to share my favorite fig recipe! Why figs? Because figs were once thought to be an aphrodisiac… and reportedly Cleopatra’s favorite food. Many cultures also associate figs with fertility. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

DRUNKEN CHOCOLATE FIGS from www.goodhousekeeping.com

1 cup ruby port wine
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
12 fresh, ripe, green or black figs

In heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, heat port wine, sugar, and cinnamon stick to boiling on high. Reduce heat to medium and cook 13 minutes, stir-ring frequently to prevent syrup from boiling over (syrup will reduce by half). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (syrup will thicken as it cools).

Meanwhile, line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place chocolate in micro-wave-safe small bowl or cup. Heat, covered with waxed paper, in microwave on high for one minute or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until smooth.

With fingers, hold 1 fig and dip into melted chocolate, leaving top half uncovered. Shake off excess chocolate. Place chocolate-covered fig on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining figs and chocolate.

Place chocolate-covered figs in refrigerator 15 minutes or until chocolate is set. Figs will keep at room temperature up to 2 hours. If not serving right away, refrigerate figs up to 12 hours. To serve, arrange figs on 4 dessert plates and drizzle with port syrup.

In honor of the fabulous little villa in Portugal recently featured in Looking for Love, I thought this recipe might help get you in the mood! Enjoy!

PORTUGUESE-STYLE CHICKEN from www.taste.com.au

2 small fresh or frozen thawed chickens
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 long fresh red chili, deseeded, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, to serve

FOR THE SALAD
1 pint red grape tomatoes, washed, halved
1 head bib lettuce leaves, rinsed, drained, torn
1 Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup drained pitted Kalamata olives
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Place one chicken, breast-side down, on a clean work surface. Use kitchen scissors or poultry shears to cut down both sides of backbone and discard. Turn chicken, breast-side up, and push down to flatten. Tuck wings under. Pat dry with paper towel. Repeat with the second chicken. Use a knife to make several ¼ inch deep by 1 inch long cuts into chicken meat. Place in a glass or ceramic baking dish.

Combine the lemon juice, oil, paprika, oregano, sugar, garlic, chili and salt in a bowl. Season with pepper. Pour over the chicken and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 6 hours to develop the flavors.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place chicken and marinade in a roasting pan. Roast in oven, basting occasionally with pan juices, for 40 minutes or until brown and juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a skewer. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.

Meanwhile, to make the salad, place the tomato, lettuce, cucumber, onion and olives in a bowl. Place oil, lemon juice and oregano in a screw-top jar and shake to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss. Cut each chicken in half and serve with lemon wedges and salad.