Sweet & Spicy Brunch: Cherry-Jalapeno Glazed Ham & Spanish Tortilla
Leisurely brunches are so great, aren’t they? I love them for special occasions like birthday’s, Father’s/Mother’s Day, Christmas Day, etc. One of our favorite things to do is fix a gorgeous brunch, then gather around the television and watch soccer! I serve everything buffet-style so people can help themselves; meaning I don’t have to play “waitress” and can actually enjoy everyone’s company!
To be honest with you, I prefer my own homemade brunches to going out and waiting in line at a restaurant. Luckily, so does my family! Here are a couple of my favorite brunch recipes; and don’t forget my recipe for Mexican Chocolate French Toast that I posted around Mother’s Day! Serve these three dishes with coffee, mimosas, and maybe a fruit salad, and believe me…you WILL NOT have any leftovers.
Cherry & Jalapeno-Glazed Ham
Ingredients:
- 1 10-12 lb. bone-in ham (fully cooked)
- 2 cups frozen unsweetened pitted dark cherries
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of corn starch
- 1/2 cup of orange juice
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of honey, or 1/2 tablespoon of agave-nectar
- zest of one orange
- 1 fresh green jalapeno, sliced into rings
- pinch of salt
For the glaze:
In a small sauce pan on low heat, combine the cherries, brown sugar, orange juice, water and honey. Simmer for 5 minutes. Then stir in the corn starch, orange zest, and a pinch of salt. Thoroughly smash the cherries with a fork to add texture to the glaze. Cook for another 5 minutes, then add the sliced jalapeno. Continue to stir the glaze until it becomes thick and concentrated.
Baking the ham:
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place the ham on a cooking sheet with the flat side down. Brush the glaze over the ham; save the remainder for the second part of the baking process. Cover with foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, and raise the heat to 350 degrees. Uncover the ham and coat it with the remainder of the glaze. Cook for another 5-8 minutes.
Your kitchen will smell like heaven!
Spanish Tortilla (potato and egg frittata)
Don’t be confused by the name! In Spain, a “tortilla” refers to a dish that’s more like an omelet or frittata than what you’d wrap around a burrito. My husband made this dish for me when we first started dating about 27 years ago, but on my recent trip to Spain I fell in love with tortillas all over again. They’re easy to make and you can serve them at room temperature or hot right out of the skillet. Once again, you will need a cast iron skillet, because the whole skillet will go into the oven. (Recommended: Lodge Cast Iron Skillets)
Ingredients:
- 7 large eggs
- 3 Russet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon of butter
- 1/4 cup sliced white onion
- 1/4 cup sliced red bell pepper
- 3/4 cup of whole milk or half-in-half
- 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
- canola oil (for frying potatoes)
- chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and slice the potatoes into thin rounds, slightly thicker than you would use to make potato chips. In a 10” cast-iron skillet, fry the rounds in canola oil until golden brown; approximately 6-8 minutes. Drain the fried potatoes on paper towels and set aside. Use a paper towel to wipe out the skillet
Saute the onions and peppers in butter or olive oil; remove entire skillet from heat when they become translucent.
In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs until the yolks and whites are combined. Add both cheeses and the milk, then stir. Season with a few dashes of salt and pepper.
Grease the sides of your skillet with more olive oil or baking spray so the tortilla doesn’t stick. Layer your fried potato rounds over the sauteed onions and peppers. Place the skillet on low heat, then pour the egg mixture over the top. Let the whole dish cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
Transfer the entire skillet into oven for 10-13 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for another 5 minutes.
To remove the tortilla from the skillet, cover the skillet with a dish flip it over. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley, and cut it into wedges like a pie!
