Recipes From Louise
By Louise McClain Special to The True Citizen

This Easter you'll be able to create a wonderful dinner to enjoy with your family and friends when you use these delicious recipes.

Glazed Ham with Mustard-

Pineapple Sauce 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar ½ cup maple-flavored or pancake syrup ¼ cup Dijon Mustard 1 whole fully cooked boneless ham (5 lb.) Whole cloves 12 maraschino cherries, halved 1 TBSP cornstarch 1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix sugar, syrup and mustard until well blended; set aside. Score ham with sharp knife; insert cloves into ham as desired. Arrange cherries, cutsides down, on surface of ham. Place ham on rack in shallow baking pan. Bake 2 hours or until ham reaches internal temperature of 140°F when tested in center with meat thermometer. Brush ham occasionally with 1/3 cup of the syrup mixture after 1½ hours.

Mix remaining syrup mixture with cornstarch and pineapple with its liquid in saucepan; cook on medium-high heat until mixture comes to boil and thickens, stirring constantly. Serve with the sliced ham. Serves 24.

Roasted Red Potatoes with

Bacon & Cheese ½ cup Light Ranch Reduced Fat Dressing ½ cup 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese ¼ cup bacon bits 2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered 1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix dressing, cheese and bacon bits in large bowl. Add potatoes; toss lightly. Spoon into lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with foil.

Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake an additional 15 min. or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 8 servings.

Favorite Green Beans 3½ cups fresh or frozen green beans (about 1 pound) 2 TBSP butter or margarine, melted ¼ to½ tsp. seasoned salt ¼ to ½ tsp. chili powder 1/3 tsp. garlic powder 1/3 tsp. onion powder

Place beans in a steamer basket; place in a saucepan over 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 7-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. In a small bowl, combine the butter and seasonings. Drain beans; add butter mixture and toss to coat. Serves 4.

Nana's Fruit Salad 1 can (20 oz.) unsweetened pineapple chunks 1 can (15 oz.) reduced-sugar sliced pears, drained 1 can (15 oz.) sliced peaches in juice, drained 1½ cups seedless red grapes 1 pkg. (3 oz.) cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix 2 medium firm bananas 3 TBSP lemon juice 1 jar (10 oz.) maraschino cherries, well drained

Drain pineapple, reserving juice in a 1-cup measuring cup. In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, pears, peaches and grapes. Cover and chill. Add enough water to pineapple juice to measure 1 cup. Pour into a small saucepan. Whisk in pudding mix. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; set aside to cool to room temperature. Slice bananas into a small bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice; gently toss to coat. Let stand for 5 minutes; drain. Add bananas and cherries to chilled fruit. Add cooled pudding; toss gently to combine. Refrigerate until serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12 servings, ½ cup per serving.

Delicious Lemon Pie 1 pkg. (.8 oz.) sugar-free cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix 1 pkg. (.3 oz.) sugar-free lemon gelatin 2 1/3 cups water 1/3 cup lemon juice 1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust (8 inches) 1½ cups reduced-fat whipped topping

In a small saucepan, combine pudding mix and gelatin. Add water and lemon juice; stir until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes longer or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Pour into crust. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Spread with whipped topping. Makes 8 servings.

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat, ½ fruit.