PSARI PLAKI aka GREEK BAKED FISH is a delicious and healthy traditional recipe served with tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and herbs. This is one of my favourite meals to enjoy all year round but especially when we have family over so I’ll be adding this to my seafood-themed Easter menu for a lighter and healthier Easter spread this year. This recipe is authentic to our family and just the way my parents love to enjoy fish but I have added my own twist this year by adding a creamy cauliflower mash. I am aware many kids prefer potatoes over cauliflower so alternatively, you can serve it with mashed potatoes, fragrant rice, or Greek baked potatoes. And now, here is a fun clip my daughter and I put together to show you how simple it is to cook our Psari Plaki, and as always come on over to my Instagram and Facebook page to say hello! Enjoy! Watch How to Make It Greek Baked Fish with Cauli Mash Serves 4 Prep 15 Cook 30 Baked Fish: 4 x 200g Barramundi fillets (or white firm fish fillets) 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large brown onion, sliced 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped ¼ cup dry white wine 400g diced tomatoes ½ cup kalamata olives, sliced 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped 1 teaspoon Greek dried oregano ½ teaspoon sweet paprika ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1 tablespoon lemon juice Sea salt and pepper Cauliflower Mash: 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets 1 large potato, peeled, diced into small cubes 2 tablespoons butter (use dairy-free option if needed) ¼ cup full cream milk (use dairy-free option if needed) 1 teaspoon ground garlic ¼ teaspoon nutmeg Sea salt and pepper, a generous amount -when you've salted the food, add a little more! 😂 1. Add to a frying pan the extra virgin olive oil, rosemary leaves, and onions. Sauté for a few minutes then add the garlic, tomatoes, olives, oregano, paprika, and parsley and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season generously. Finally, add the wine, bring it to boil for a few minutes and then turn off the heat. 2. Preheat oven to 200C fan-forced. Ladle half the sauce into a baking dish, then lay the fish over the top. Squeeze the lemon over the fish and season generously with sea salt and pepper. Cover with the remaining sauce. 3. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the fish pulls apart easily with a fork. 4. In the meantime, prepare the cauliflowers mash. Bring to boil the cauliflower and potato for 15 minutes. Drain well. 5. Place into a food processor and add the milk, butter, garlic, nutmeg and seasoning and pulse until creamy and smooth. 6. Serve the fish over some cauliflower mash and spoon some extra tomato and onion mixture over the top. NOTE: Alternatively, serve with rice or baked potatoes.

Bolognese Pasta Soup is comfort food at its best and is the perfect one bowl dinner! I grew up eating Spaghetti Bolognese at least once a fortnight. We called it “Makaronia me kima” and my mum cooked it so well that I would grab a spoon to scoop the Bolognese Sauce into my mouth while it was still hot - it would often burn my tongue but I didn’t care. I went for another mouthful until my mum would walk in and see me hovering over the pot on the stove and yell at me. That is how much I love a good Bolognese Sauce. Now that I'm a mum myself, I often see my children hover over the pot of Bolognese Sauce and scooping a few spoonsful into their mouths! #whatgoesaroundcomesaround The problem is, they eat so much of it that I'm not left with enough for our pasta! So, what I decided to do was create a soup combining the two. My BOLOGNESE PASTA SOUP. As you know my daughter is a #coeliac and I am so grateful that Barilla has the Elbows shape as part of their Gluten Free Pasta Range. It is the perfect pasta for this recipe along with their Bolognese Sauce that is made with 100% Italian Tomatoes and is Gluten Free! If you do not eat gluten-free then you have a wider variety of pasta you can add, including, Risoni pasta, and if you are of Greek background then I suggest adding "hilopites" which are small square-shaped egg pasta that is perfect for soup or even "fithe" which is a thin short noodle pasta also used for soup. The recipe is pretty straightforward and I have added a quick video for you to see how easy and quick it is to cook. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. Happy Creating, Margaret Watch How to Make It Bolognese Pasta Soup Serves 4 Cook 30 minutes 340g Gluten Free Elbows Pasta 400g jar passata 500g beef mince 2 Roma tomatoes, skin peeled and finely chopped 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, finely diced 6 garlic cloves, minced ½ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped 2 litre vegetable or chicken broth/stock Sea salt and freshly Ground Pepper, a generous amount Parmesan cheese, to garnish (optional or use dairy-free alternative) 1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pot and add the beef. Break up with a wooden spoon while it cooks. Once it has been browned, add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes stirring regularly. 2. Add the passata sauce, fresh tomatoes, parsley, sea salt, pepper, and 1 litre of vegetable broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover with lid and simmer for 15 minutes. 3. Remove lid and tip in the Elbows Pasta into the Bolognese soup along with the remaining vegetable broth and cook over high heat until the pasta is tender (approximately 7 minutes). Turn off the heat, add the basil, and cover with a lid. Allow setting for 5 minutes before serving. 4. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. #createcookshare #bolognese #pasta #familymeals #coeliacdisease #glutenfreepasta

It’s the silky pasta, roasted vegetables and a flavourful pesto that creates this ‘knock your socks off’ recipe and it's ready in only 15 minutes. It’s the silky pasta, roasted vegetables and a flavourful pesto that creates this ‘knock your socks off’ recipe to kick start and celebrate Gluten Free cooking and #coeliacawarenessweek During this week we celebrate all things Coeliac and I am honoured to team up with @barillaaus who is a proud supporter of raising awareness of the disease. Their Gluten Free Pasta range is made with a unique combination of rice and corn flour and it looks, cooks, and tastes like regular pasta so the whole family can enjoy it together. Along with their pasta is the sauce and pesto range that is all naturally Gluten Free as well. Since we love that Barilla has created such amazing products for the coeliac community, I wanted to share my easy, delicious, healthy, and fuss-free weeknight pasta meal that I cooked with their Gluten Free Spaghetti and Basil and Rocket Pesto. I hope you enjoy it as much as we love it. Enjoy! Watch How to Make It Spaghetti Pesto with Roasted Vegetables Serves 3-4 Prep 5 -10 minutes Cook 10 minutes 340g Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti 190g Barilla Basil and Rocket Pesto or Pesto Genovese 150g chargrilled eggplant, cut into strips 150g Chargrilled red capsicum, cut into strips ½ cup semi-sundried tomatoes, cut into strips ½ cup marinated kalamata and green olives, pitted and sliced ¼ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped Sea salt Freshly Ground Pepper Basil leaves 1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and reserve a few tablespoons of pasta water. 2. Pour over the pasta the pesto and pasta water combine until evenly coated and then add the eggplant, red capsicum, tomatoes and olives. Gently stir through until well combined. 3. Serve immediately with fresh basil leaves, chopped walnuts and optional chilli flakes.

Planning your meals for the week ahead? Look no further! Try creating these Crispy Noodle Salad with Quinoa in a Jar for a filling workplace meal. Meal prep is key to continuous healthy and balanced eating habits. Trust me, I know this from experience. When I haven’t meal prepped my lunch, I tend to grab a packet of chips or something on the go which NEVER ends up being healthy. On the other hand, when I make something very light, I end up being hungry by 3pm and grab a chocolate bar. I’m DOOMED! So, when Chang’s Asian Food asked me to create a lunch meal with their crispy fried noodles I jumped on the opportunity. Firstly, why create any other salad when their Famous Crispy Noodle Salad is delicious? Many people from many cultures in Australia have made it and rave about it, instead, why not enhance it to create a filling meal? So here it is. Nothing fancy but it sure does hit the spot and I can guarantee you, that you will be serving this on a platter on the weekend to your family and friends. Helpful Tips Do not add the salad dressing in the jar as it may soften the crispy noodles. My suggestion would be to store the sauce in separate little containers which you can find at your local supermarket. In Australia décor sells packs of 6 dressing tubs. These are fantastic. If you're worried about the crispy noodles softening in the fridge then you can add these each morning to your ready-made salad-filled jars. I usually do this myself. Crispy Noodle Salad in a Jar with Quinoa Makes 5 large jar servings ¼ green cabbage, finely shredded ¼ purple cabbage, finely shredded 6 green onions 1 cup slivered almonds 1 bottle Chang’s Crispy Noodle Salad Dressing 1 packet Chang’s Crispy Fried Noodles (choice of Original, Crunchy or Gluten Free) 1 large carrot, grated 1 cup quinoa 1. Prepare quinoa according to packet instructions. (Suggested to cook 1 cup quinoa to 2.5 cups of boiling water and simmer until all the water has been absorbed. Lightly season with sea salt). Allow to completely cool. 2. Add to the jars the ingredients in the following order. Quinoa, purple cabbage, green cabbage, carrot, almonds, green onions and top off with crispy noodles. Store sauce in separate jars that fit approximately 40-60ml. *If you're worried about the crispy noodles softening in the fridge then you can add these each morning to your ready-made salad-filled jars. I usually do this myself.

My Salmon with Summer Vegetables is packed with flavour, full of nutritious ingredients that are in season, is easy to make and cleaning up is a breeze! I often post on the social media page photographs of my vegetable patch. These images are my favourite because I am so proud of the work my husband and I put into them. Growing organic vegetables is not easy I assure you. We are out there checking under leaves for caterpillars daily so we do not have to use any pesticides. Only this chore could take us up to 30 minutes a day but I must say, the rewards are worth it. My grape tomatoes growing in my raised garden beds 2021 Even though it is summer in Australia, after a month of rain and cold weather my tomatoes finally ripened and looked ready to harvest. So, with an abundance of zucchini and fresh vine tomatoes, I decided to make this dish that combines the two along with my favourite piece of seafood – salmon. Helpful Tips Vegetables I am often asked by family and friends that come over for dinner whether they can swap potatoes for sweet potatoes or zucchini for eggplant and vice versa. My advice is to cook with whatever vegetables your friends or family (especially if you have children) prefer. Just make sure that you cut the vegetables to a size that will allow them to all cook evenly. For example, eggplant takes longer to cook so you’ll need to make sure to slice it thinner or cook them an extra 7-10 minutes prior to adding the other vegetables. Feta or Dairy Free Alternative I have given the option to add crumbled feta to this recipe as it is absolutely delicious. The feta once baked is warm, soft and creamy and the added saltiness pairs well with both the salmon and vegetables. I am aware that many people do not like to combine dairy with seafood (especially my mum!) so I have left it out of the photos – but trust me – it's so good! Watch How to Make It Salmon with Summer Vegetables Cooking time: 35 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients: 4 Salmon fillets approx. 200g each 2 small red onions, cut into quarters 2 small zucchini, cut into quarters lengthwise 1 large potato, sliced 0.5cm thick discs 12 cherry or grape tomatoes 3-4 tbs extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp dried Greek oregano Sea salt and pepper 1 lemon, sliced into discs Optional: 100g feta, crumbled (dairy free option) Instructions: 1. Preheat oven 200C fan forced. Line a tray with baking paper. 2. Place into the tray the onions, zucchini and potatoes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of Greek oregano. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. 3. Remove tray from the oven. Place over the vegetables the salmon fillets and tomatoes. Season with sea salt, pepper, oregano and extra virgin olive oil and lemon slices. Optional and recommended to sprinkle the crumbled feta over the tray at this stage so that it softens whilst the salmon is baking. Bake for 15 minutes or until salmon is cooked to desired taste. 4. Remove from oven and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves and squeeze lemon slice all over.

“Makaronada” - A bowl of pasta with crumbled cheese and extra virgin olive oil was my grandfather’s favourite meal. Every time my mother would make it, she would tell me stories of my “pappou” and how much he loved it. Well now I’m sharing this super simple yet super delicious recipe with you. Only a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes later you have the best bowl of pasta you will ever eat. But firstly, let me explain what this Greek cheese is. Mizithra cheese is a Greek cheese made from goat’s and sheep’s milk. When it is first made, fresh mizithra resembles ricotta cheese, but then when it is salt-dried into a harder cheese it resembles salty parmesan cheese. This Mizithra is considered the Greek cuisine’s parmesan cheese and is used to sprinkle over pasta and risotto dishes. It tastes like a hard and salty version of feta and is absolutely delicious! If you start searching for recipes similar to this you will find recipes that add burnt butter instead of extra virgin olive oil. Even though it tastes wonderful, it is heavy and does not taste like the Mediterranean dish I grew up with so, I highly suggest you try it with a good quality first cold pressed olive oil. It’s light, fresh and so very healthy for you. If you are making this for dinner, as a side dish, slice some ripe Roma tomatoes, sprinkle a touch of sea salt and Greek oregano, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Watch How to Make It And now it’s time to start cooking! As always, if you make any of my recipes, I would love to hear your feedback. I am available here via email or you can catch me daily on Instagram and Facebook. Don’t forget to save it on your Pinterest board as well! I have a board named CreateCookShare that you can follow and save. Can’t wait to hear from you. Happy Creating, Margaret Spaghetti with Mizithra 1 packet (400-500g) spaghetti pasta (gluten-free) 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 250g Mizithra cheese, crumbled 2 cloves of garlic minced or 2 tsp garlic infused olive oil Freshly ground pepper Sea salt (added only when boiling the pasta) Zest of 1 large lemon Basil leaves to garnish 1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until soft and silky and slightly overcooked (do not cook it al dente, this is not how it is cooked in Greece). Drain and set aside. 2. While pasta is cooking crumble the Mizithra and set it aside. 3. Toss the pasta with the extra virgin olive oil (add extra if needed), add the garlic and season with plenty of freshly ground pepper and combine throughout the mizithra. 4. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

Cooking Lamb Kleftiko-Style is the only way I cook a lamb leg (or shoulder). In fact, I posted my pull-apart Greek Lamb Roast many years ago and it is still in my top most searched recipes. The lamb is so juicy, tender and flavourful that many have said to me they can’t believe they never thought to cook a whole leg of lamb using this technique. What is Klefiko? Kleftiko is derived from the word “steal” which is where the English word Kleptomaniac comes from. So, it roughly translates to Stolen Meat. This is because the Outlaws or Bandits would steal a lamb or goat and take it up to the mountains where they hid and slow cooked it in the ground. Cooking this way prevented any flames and smoke in case it would reveal their location. Because the lamb takes a little while to cook, the aroma, taste and texture is mouth-watering. It truly will have you going back for seconds. In saying how long it takes to cook, keep in mind it only takes 10 minutes to prepare. Put on the alarm to remind yourself to turn off the oven and in the mean time, you can forget all about it. Doesn’t get any simpler than that! I have created this video to show you how simple this is to prepare. I have also cooked this with potatoes which I peel, marinate with olive oil, lemon, oregano and sea salt and add to the oven for an hour prior to the lamb finishing off. This way the lamb and potatoes finish cooking at the same time. Watch How to Make It This lamb is wonderful to serve with a Greek Salad and Tzatziki Dip. I have my recipe for it here: https://www.createcookshare.com/single-post/greek-tzatziki And now it’s time to start cooking! As always, if you make any of my recipes, I would love to hear your feedback. I am available here via email or you can catch me daily on Instagram and Facebook. Don’t forget to save it on your Pinterest board as well! I have a board named CreateCookShare that you can follow and save. Can’t wait to hear from you. Happy Creating, Margaret Lamb Leg Roast, Klefiko Serves 6 Prep 10 Cook 4 hours Lamb Leg: 2kg lamb leg 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1.5 tsp garlic granules) 2 rosemary springs, leaves removed, chopped 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano 2 teaspoons sea salt 1.5 teaspoons paprika powder ½ teaspoon black pepper Juice of 1 lemon Dressing: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Juice of 1 lemon 1/2 teaspoon Greek oregano Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced / 200°C conventional oven / 400°F. Arrange a baking tray large enough to fit the lamb. 2. Lay a long piece of foil and a long piece of baking paper on the bench. One widthway and the other lengthways to form a cross. You will be placing the lamb in the center and wrapping it with baking paper and foil. 3. In a bowl combine the garlic, rosemary, oregano, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and form a ‘paste/ rub’. Use this to rub and massage all over the lamb. Transfer to the baking paper and fold the baking paper and foil over to completely enclose the lamb. Place into the baking tray and roast for 4 hours (Adjust time according to the weight of the lamb leg). 4. In the meantime, prepare any side dishes such as Greek salad, baked vegetables, and tzatziki dip. 5. Once the lamb is cooked, carefully open the foil and baking paper and place back into the oven for 10 minutes to golden. 6. Whisk the dressing in a small bowl and pour it all over the lamb (and if you have baked potatoes, pour it over the potatoes too). Serve immediately.

It's Christmas Season and I wanted to send you all a recipe that you may like to add to your Christmas Menu. A few days ago I sent you my Fasolakia recipe and my Christmas Ham recipe. Well, now I want to share with you this. Before I tell you how easy it is to put together, let me say how mouthwateringly scrumptious! This classic summer salad is transformed into a whole new taste and texture with the addition of these three ingredients: Radicchio, Peaches and Honey. Super juicy, aromatic, and slightly bitter with a good amount of sweetness - this Greek Salad with a twist is the perfect addition to your menu. Enjoy! Greek Salad with Radicchio and Peaches Serves 6-8 as a side salad Salad Ingredients : 1/2 head radicchio, washed, dried and ripped into pieces 2 Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced 6 Roma tomatoes, ripe but firm 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 3 white peaches, thinly sliced 1/2 cup kalamata olives 150g Greek feta, crumbled Dressing Ingredients: 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (extra if required) 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 heaped tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons Greek oregano 1. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl. 2. Whisk the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over evenly just before serving.

Fasolakia, also known as Green Beans Stew, is a traditional Greek dish, cooked in the summer months, that is simple, cooked in one pot, healthy and flavour packed. It combines velvety green beans, diced potatoes, carrots and zucchini that are slowly cooked in a rich olive oil and tomato sauce until they all soften and flavours are infused. First Published Dec 2020 Revised Jan 2023 What are Fasolakia Fasolakia is green beans stewed in a good amount of olive oil, tomatoes, and onion. This Greek dish belongs to the category of 'LATHERA', which is a whole category of Greek recipes where vegetables are cooked in extra virgin olive oil and tomato. LATHERA foods are traditionally eaten with bread that is used like a spoon, to "scoop up" the tomato-olive oil sauce. The meals are often served with olives and feta cheese. Watch How to Make It Helpful Tips Green Beans There are 2 types of green beans that can be used for this recipe. The traditional round green beans or the flat and wide green beans. This recipe works the same, regardless of which green beans are chosen. It is recommended that if you choose the flat green beans, a potato peeler is used to peel both string sides of the beans, as they can be hard to chew. Swapping Vegetables Traditionally, onions, potatoes, and carrots are added to fasolakia and this enhances the rich and velvety sauce. However, this is not limited to only these vegetables. I have swapped potato for cauliflower florets and carrot for sweet potato. This changes the flavour of the fasolakia, but the meal still falls in the food category of LATHETRA. Vegetable Stock If homemade vegetable stock is available, then this is a wonderful addition to the dish. However, I have found to really enjoy SAN ELK certified organic artisan stock. It is gluten and dairy free, made with real ingredients and one container makes about 12 litres of stock as the ingredients are finely ground. You can find them HERE What to Serve with Fasolakia Fasolakia is eaten as a main meal and served with feta, olives and bread, however, here are some ideas to serve it with, if made as a side dish. Roasted Leg of Lamb Lamb Cutlets with Sage and Chickpeas Chicken and Halloumi Tray Bake Deconstructed Chicken Souvlaki Rice Stuffed Vegetables Below shows how feta can be crumbled over the top and fresh herbs added. And now it’s time to start cooking! As always, if you make any of my recipes, I would love to hear your feedback. I am available here via email or you can catch me daily on Instagram and Facebook and don’t forget to save it on your Pinterest board! Happy Creating, Margaret Fasolakia, Green Bean Stew Serves 4 Prep 15 minutes Cook 45 minutes INGREDIENTS 500g round or flat green beans 400g can diced tomatoes 60ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil 1 heaped tablespoon of tomato paste 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 medium size potatoes, 4cm cubed 2 medium size carrots, 2cm thick 2 medium size zucchinis, 3cm thick 1 cinnamon stick 2 teaspoons sea salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper Vegetable Stock: 700-800ml boiling water 1 tablespoon organic vegetable stock powder* (see notes below) To serve optional: Feta Olives Bread INSTRUCTIONS 1. Prepare all ingredients and have them ready to cook. If the green beans are very long, then using a potato peeler, peel the string ends on each side of the beans and cut them into 10cm long pieces. Bring to boil the kettle or heat the vegetable stock if using a ready-made liquid stock. Please see below* for vegetable stock options. 2. In a wide base pot heat the extra virgin olive oil and then add the onion and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. 3. Next add the carrots and green beans and sauté for a further 2 minutes before adding the potatoes and zucchini. Combine. 4. Add the tomato paste and combine so that it evenly coats all the vegetables. Sauté for a minute before adding the diced tomatoes, boiling water, vegetable stock, sea salt and pepper, and cinnamon stick. There should be enough water to just cover most of the beans and vegetables. 5. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 35 minutes. Halfway through gently stir making sure all beans and vegetables have been covered and cooked in the liquid. 6. After 35 minutes, remove the lid and cook over heat for a further 5 minutes, to allow the sauce to thicken and reduce. Turn off the heat, cover again with the lid and allow sitting to further absorb liquid for at least 5 minutes. 7. Take the pot to the table and serve warm with crusty bread, feta and olives! *Options for vegetable stock Homemade vegetable stock Add a tablespoon of vegetable stock concentrate or finely ground vegetable stock powder to boiling water and combine well to create vegetable liquid stock. Store-bought liquid stock

A tangy yet sweet glaze with a hint of holiday spices is exactly what this Easy and Delicious Christmas Ham will taste like. This is the recipe you want to have handy when you know you'll be busy on Christmas Day but you want to make sure your ham turns out perfect with minimal effort. This recipe is literally mixing up a few ingredients, peeling off the ham skin, and then basting. Three simple steps to the most perfect Christmas Ham you will make and serve. And by the way, this recipe is refined sugar-free which means more ham on our plate! It’s a win-win! Helpful Tips Picnic Ham rather than Leg Ham I actually used a picnic ham this time round which is part of the foreleg, not a back leg to see whether the recipe also works, and yes it does! I actually found it carved easier too so don’t be shy to use this part as your “Christmas Ham” Serve it with... I love to serve this ham with a creamy or tangy potato salad and pan-fried green beans. It makes a wonderful Christmas Day meal and it is light and fresh. Leftovers? If you have leftover ham, why not freeze it in slices? Just make sure you use a zip seal bag that is air-tight so it doesn’t dry out the ham. Scoring I choose to score the ham fat in parallel lines over a diamond pattern because a) I prefer the look of the ham this way, and b) it is easier to slice because it keeps the fat intact with the slice you are cutting. Decorate Decorate your ham as you choose. I have tied a ribbon around and added sage leaves from my garden. You could add rosemary and even a few small twigs and leaves from your fresh Christmas tree if you have one in the garden. Anything goes! Watch How to Make It And now it’s time to start cooking! As always, if you make any of my recipes, I would love to hear your feedback. I am available here via email or you can catch me daily on Instagram and Facebook. Don’t forget to save it on your Pinterest board as well! I have a board named CreateCookShare that you can follow and save. Can’t wait to hear from you. Happy Creating, Margaret Easy Christmas Ham Serves 10+ Prep 10 minutes Cook 1 hour 40 minutes Ham: 2-2.5kg half leg of ham or picnic ham 2 carrots, sliced in half 2 celery sticks, remove strings 2 large onions, sliced into rings Glaze: 200ml maple syrup 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 2 tbs wholegrain mustard 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground cloves 1. Preheat oven to 160C fan forced. 2. Run a sharp knife down the skin of the ham and using your fingers and running them back and forth, remove the skin, leaving the fat intact. Then again, using a sharp knife, score the fat either in a diamond pattern or in parallel lines. 3. Place a sheet of baking paper in the baking tray. Spread evenly the vegetables and then place the ham over the top (cover the knuckle with foil to prevent it from burning). Set aside to make the glaze. 4. In a bowl combine the glaze ingredients and whisk. 5. Brush 1/3 of the glaze all over the ham and place on a baking sheet and then foil over the top. Tuck in so no steam evaporates. Bake for 45 minutes (2kg ham) to 1 hour (2.5kg ham). 6. Remove baking paper and foil and baste ham with glaze. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Baste a second time and bake for a further 20 minutes. Baste a third time and bake for a final 20 minutes. 7. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before carving. Delicious Option: You can add the pan drippings and vegetables to a food processor with any remaining glaze and process until it is a paste. This makes a delicious “condiment”.