Braised Meats: Healthy, Tender, & Tasty

Remember visiting grandma's house and walking into a kitchen overflowing with the most luscious smells you've ever encountered?  There was always a large pot on the stovetop simmering away.  And when that pot was opened at dinnertime, you found yourself face to face with a plate of the most tasty meats and vegetables you've ever eaten.  Nobody could cook like grandma, right?

Beef top round with parsnips, carrots, onion, gold beets & rutabaga (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Not to diminish your childhood memories, but you can now cook every bit as good as grandma.  Chances are, in that stovetop pot, grandma was braising.  Braising is a method of cooking meats and vegetables.  It is especially effective for tougher, cheaper cuts of meat such as shanks, briskets and rumps.  This is a primary technique taught in culinary school.  Braising is not only great for home cooked meals, it is also a method for gourmet preparations straight from New York or Hollywood.  Cooking school graduates have developed some wonderful variations to the meats, liquids, vegetables and spices included in braising to create some truly elegant meals.

Regardless of what you include in your pot, one thing is certain.  Because braising involves cooking in liquid for longer periods of time, your house is sure to be filled with the most delightful aromas, and your meat will be fork-tender… just like grandma’s. Not only that, but studies have shown meats cooked at higher heat, such as fried or grilled, are more likely to contain carcinogens. Braising is a slow-cooking method at lower heat, so it brings out the flavor and nutrients of the meat in a healthier manner.

In culinary arts school, professional chefs learn to start the braising process by searing the meat in hot oil.  The reason for this is twofold.  First, searing seals the meat (trapping the juices inside) so the meat doesn't become dry when cooked.  Second, searing your meat before braising brings out a lot of flavor.  The caramelization of the meat on the bottom of the pan gives an extra layer of rich essence to the recipe.

Once the meat has seared and is browned on all sides, remove it from the pan.  Create a bed of chopped vegetables (called a mirepoix) on the bottom of the pot.  In culinary school, professionals are taught to pair the meat with the flavors of the vegetables.  For beef or lamb, you might select carrots, onions and celery for your veggie mix.  Allow the vegetables to sweat (cook just until they begin to produce liquid) then add your meat and liquid.

Braised venison shank (Photo credit: izik)

Add the meat back to the pan, add your spices and pour in your liquid.  This is where your creativity will come in.  In the south, you might find braised dishes such as traditional pot roast with carrots and potatoes.  Seasonings could include garlic, salt and pepper.  Liquids might be a combination of beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. 

In the Los Angeles or Hollywood area, you may be more likely to find lamb shanks braised with rosemary, tomatoes, garlic, onion, chicken stock and red wine.  Culinary arts school instructors usually tell would-be chefs to pick up on local flavors whenever possible to bring authenticity to their creations.

Once your favorite seasonings and liquids are in place, reduce the heat to a low setting for stovetop cooking or transfer your pot to the oven and bake at approximately 300 degrees.  (Be sure you have an ovenproof pot.)  Cook for about 3 hours on the stovetop or 2.5 hours in a 350-degree oven.  Plate up your meal and serve with some of the delicious sauce left in the pot!  It's a meal everybody will love - and it's really pretty darn easy.

A Few Tasty Braising Recipes:

• Recipe: Balsamic Braised Short Ribs (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Braise 'til your heart's content (goerie.com)
• Drunken braised short ribs.....a pot of deliciousness! (momgonepaleo.com)
• Chilly Nights Cozy Suppers - The Art of Braising (marysnest.com)
• Brasato Al Chianti-Beef Braised in Chianti (mpitellaitalianfood.wordpress.com)
• Beer-Braised Beef with Onions (atomickaleidoscope.wordpress.com)

Video - High Fiber Muffin Recipe

Here is a quick and fun recipe for some healthy and tasty high-fiber muffins.  Muffins are a great way to get some extra fiber into your diet - they are quick and easy to make, and make an excellent snack or breakfast on the run. If you have a juicer, you'll have lots of leftover fiber - don't throw it away - that's a lot of the good stuff from your fruits and veggies! Instead, use it to make muffins like these. Wow, don't they look delicious?

(The full recipe with ingredients and measurements is at the end of the short video. You'll probably want to hit pause when you get there to write them down, as it goes pretty quick.)

High Fibre Muffin Recipe
For more like this visit: www.legourmet.tv In this recipe video we use the Fibre left over from our Breville Ikon Juice machine. Dont throw out that fibre you need it in your diet. This recipe can use any leftover fibre from juicing.
 

More High Fiber Recipes:
   

High-Fiber Recipe - Tasty Italian Cabbage Soup

If you're trying to get more fiber into your diet, here's a good one to try. This tasty Italian soup is chock full of fiber and flavor - cabbage, potatoes, and beans add fiber and lots of different interesting textures, while garlic, onions, and parsley make this soup a delicious way to warm up on a cool spring evening! This version is vegetarian, but if you wish to add meat, crumbled or sliced Italian sausage links would make a nice addition.

Healthy Italian Cabbage Soup
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lb potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks
4 cups of vegetable stock
1 small head cabbage, washed and chopped
1 can cannellini beans, drained (you can also pre-cook 2/3 cup dry beans ahead of time if you don't want to use canned)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the onion until tender. 
2. Add the garlic and stir for a minute. 
3. Stir in the potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. Pour in the stock and parsley and simmer for about 10 minutes. 
5. Add the cabbage and beans and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for a further 15 minutes. Check seasoning.

Serve immediately in soup bowls, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and enjoy with crusty bread.

More Tasty High-Fiber Recipes:
   

Why You Should Include High-Fiber Foods In Your Daily Diet

In today's American diet full of fast food and sugary snacks, it can seem hard to find foods that are actually good for you.  But if you want an easy way to be healthier and feel better, then you should try adding fiber to your diet. 

Fiber is a material produced by plants that we can’t digest.  So why would we want to eat something we can’t digest?  Insoluble fiber dissolves in water and gives your food a thicker consistency.  This makes you absorb sugar into your blood stream more slowly, which can be helpful for moderating or even avoiding diabetes.  Soluble fiber absorbs water, but doesn’t dissolve it.  This makes your stool moist and helps clean out your digestive tract. 

idealized curves of human blood glucose and insulin concentrations during the course of a day containing three meals; in addition, effect of sugar-rich meal is highlighted; (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The most notable benefit from eating high fiber foods is that it can help calm or even prevent certain diseases.  People diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, suffer from chronic abdominal pain, along with other symptoms such as constipation or diarrhea.  High fiber foods may ease these symptoms without the use of prescription drugs.  Because fiber clears unwanted material out of your colon, it also has been proven to reduce the risk of colon cancer.  If this isn’t enough of a benefit, a high fiber diet has also been advocated for people with high cholesterol because it has been shown to lower overall cholesterol levels. 

Nowadays, people get a lot more processed and refined sugars in their diet than the body was meant to handle.  When we eat simple sugars, our insulin response is triggered causing our blood sugar levels to drop.  This can lead to weight gain because our body stores these sugars as fats.  Fiber slows the absorption of sugar into the body and reduces the insulin response, keeping our blood sugar at reasonable levels instead of bouncing it up and down throughout the day.  High fiber foods are recommended for people with hypoglycemia and diabetes to help steady blood sugar levels - and it may even help keep you from developing these conditions in the first place. 

Berries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In addition to making us store fat, our insulin response leaves us feeling drained, tired, and wanting another sugar pick-me-up.  The more sugar we have at once, the lower our blood sugar drops afterwards, and the faster we get hungry again.  Fiber is a great way to stop this cycle in its tracks.  It keeps us feeling fuller longer, so we end up eating less.  Plus, what we eat is just a little healthier.

So why not add a little extra fiber to your diet?   It’s not as hard as it sounds.  You can find lots of tasty high fiber fruits (pears, apples, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, raisins, and dried peaches, figs, and apricots), grains (whole grain pasta and bread, bran cereal, and oatmeal), legumes (black, lima, and baked beans, lentils, and assorted nuts), and vegetables (carrots, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, artichokes, peas, turnip greens, and Brussels sprouts - and lots more) that taste great and are good for you.  Just add a few of these foods to your diet every day, and you’ll be healthier and feeling great in no time.  Happy eating!

Recipe - Vegetarian Stroganoff

Here's one for you vegetarians who miss the taste of a delicious stroganoff, but want to avoid meat. Or for those who like to skip the meat once a week or so, or if you're just looking to bring a vegetarian side dish to a potluck, this is a tasty variation you may enjoy.

Vegetarian Stroganoff
(Serves 4)

Sautéing Mushrooms (Photo credit: Leptonist)Ingredients:
1 onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lb mushrooms of your choice, chopped
½ cup white wine
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp natural yogurt or sour cream (if you're a vegan, you can also substitute some of the new vegan yogurts that are now available)
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions:

• Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan and sauté the onion until almost cooked. Then add the garlic and stir for a few minutes. 
• Increase the heat and add the mushrooms. 
• Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with paprika. 
• Sauté until the mushrooms are tender and brown. 
• Pour in the wine and vinegar. Stir well. 
• Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes. 
• Stir in the yogurt and cilantro and adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Recipe - Healthy Asian Chicken Salad

Here is a delicious and healthy chicken salad recipe, full of protein, fiber, and antioxidant-rich veggies. The tangy Asian-style dressing is a healthy change from the typical creamy dressings, and will delight your taste buds with lemon, honey, and a touch of peanut butter. Makes a great lunch or light supper.

Chicken Salad (Photo credit: DaveOnFlickr)Healthy Asian Chicken Salad
(Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side.)

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 can (14oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14oz) corn, rinsed and drained
½ cup cucumber, diced
1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

Dressing:
3 tbsp peanut butter (creamy)
¼ cup fresh parsley
1/3 extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
Place chicken, tomatoes, black beans, corn, cucumber and chopped lettuce into a large salad bowl and combine.

Add all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour over the chicken salad mixture, and toss. Serve with warm pita bread if desired.

4 Tips For Eating Healthy Every Day

Healthy eating means balancing the food you eat to keep your body in great health.  When you eat healthy foods that are fresh and contain the nutrition you need, you'll have energy all day, get the vitamins and minerals you need, stay strong for activities you enjoy, and maintain a healthy weight.

Here are 4 great tips for eating healthy on a daily basis:

1.  Don't skip meals
Eating 3 meals with light but nutritious snacks in between is the ideal way to maintain both energy and a healthy weight. When you skip meals and get hungry, you're more likely to choose foods that aren't very good for you.

If you are eating away from home, take food with you or know where you can buy healthy food from when on the go.

Healthy eating pyramid similar to that of the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)2.  Learn about how to prepare healthy foods
Instead of deep frying, try grilling, stir frying, microwaving, baking, and even boiling.  You should also try fresh or dried herbs and spices to add flavor to your food. Check this blog on a regular basis for tasty from-scratch recipes that won't make you feel deprived!

3.  Avoid sugar (and artificial sweeteners)
Drinks and foods that contain a lot of sugar are a major source of empty calories.  What this means, is that these foods and beverages contain a lot of calories that your body may not need, and don't contain many (or any) vitamins or minerals.  However, if you absolutely must drink soda pop, stick with the regular variety - diet sodas contain a lot of chemicals that taste sweet, but which actually have been shown to INCREASE your appetite, and make you want to eat more, and they also are completely empty of any nutrition. So stick with regular, and try to cut down to once a week or save it for special occasions.

4.  Avoid fad diets
There are no good food nor any bad foods.  Just about any (real) food can be a part of a healthy diet, when eaten in moderation.  You don't need to buy low-carb, fat-free, or even diet foods, as these foods normally are highly processed, and have lots of other added ingredients (none of which are good for you) to replace the carbohydrates or fat. You're better off to choose plenty of whole, fresh, unprocessed foods, and make it a habit to eat a nice balance of these, and avoid processed foods with artificial ingredients as much as possible.

Not big on cooking, or don't know much about preparing your own healthy foods at home?  Check out http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html for some helpful tips and resources.

Recipe - Bacon-Wrapped Mustard Chicken Strips

A package of Oscar Mayer brand turkey bacon. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Here's another simple recipe that will make you look like a gourmet chef! Choose organic meats if at all possible, and prepare the sauce ahead of time to reduce last-minute prep time even further.

Bacon-Wrapped Mustard Chicken Strips

Ingredients: 

4 chicken tenders, each cut in half lengthwise
8 strips of bacon, uncooked, use turkey if you wish
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1/4 tsp chili powder

Directions:

• In a bowl, whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, and chili powder.
• Take 1/4 cup of sauce out and put in a separate bowl, cover, and put in refrigerator. This is your dipping sauce.
• Lay chicken strips out on a glass plate or shallow dish and spread the remaining mustard sauce over them, making sure to completely coat each strip; set aside and let marinate for 15 minutes.
• When ready to prepare, preheat broiler, with rack about 6 inches away from heat source.
• Take one chicken strip out of marinade, take one piece of bacon, and wrap it around the chicken starting at the top and working your way down to the bottom; lay it on the broiler pan. Repeat with each marinated chicken strip, laying each one on broiler pan, arranging them evenly. Discard any marinade remaining in the pan you had the chicken in. (Note: When you lay them on the broiler pan, try to have the loose bacon ends facing down.)
• Put bacon wrapped chicken under the broiler for about 4 to 5 minutes, then turn and broil for another 4 to 5 minutes. The bacon should get crispy and the chicken should be cooked through.
• Remove to paper towel covered cooling rack.
• Serve with the dipping sauce you saved in the beginning.

This is a good snack for a protein rich - low carb diet, but be sure to check your mustard and mayonnaise labels. You may use turkey bacon for less fat.

Recipe - Flank Steak With Roasted Balsamic Veggies

Yum!

Here's a great one, with high-quality protein, fresh veggies, and low carbs - and it's an impressive meal that looks amazing without a ton of work - even beginning cooks should be able to master this one. Enjoy!

Flank Steak With Roasted Balsamic Veggies

A shot of balsamic vinegar (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Ingredients:
1 lb flank steak (preferably organic)
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper
2 sweet bell peppers, cleaned and cut each into 8 wedges
1 medium size eggplant, washed and cut in quarters lengthwise, then into rough shaped cubes
6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp good balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

• Turn broiler on and set rack about 6 inches from heat source.
• Put flank steak on working surface and drizzle lime juice over, then salt and pepper; turn and repeat on the other side. Place on broiler pan.
• Put broiler pan under broiler and cook flank steak for about 4 minutes, then flip and cook for about 4 more minutes.  The steak should feel somewhat firm.  Remove to cutting board and let rest. Cover loosely with a piece of foil to keep it warm.
• Turn oven broiler off and oven heat on 450 degrees.
• On a shallow baking pan, spread out the bell peppers and eggplant. Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil over and mix with your hands to coat veggies well.
• When oven is preheated (which won't take long since you used your broiler already) put veggies in and roast for 10 minutes. Then, using a big spatula, turn veggies to brown evenly, and continue cooking for 5 to 10 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a separate large bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, clove, and parsley, and set aside.
• Remove veggies and immediately add to vinaigrette mixture, tossing to combine.
• Uncover steak and slice into very thin slices.
• Put a spoonful of roasted veggies on plate and arrange strips of steak alongside and on top.  Spoon more of the vinaigrette from the bowl over the top of the steak if desired.
• This may be stretched by serving over rice or pasta, if your diet permits.

Thinking About Trying A Cooking Class?

Whether you are a seasoned pro when it comes to the fine art of cooking or an utter novice there should be some cooking classes or resources in your area that can help you learn and improve your existing skills. Surprisingly few people manage to utilize the many wonderful opportunities that are available to them when it comes to cooking classes.

Large and small skillets (Photo credit: Wikipedia)If you are considering a cooking class you should be glad to know that many communities offer them for a nominal fee at night and sometimes on the weekend. These classes are rather basic and often designed to help women learn the basics of a few economical and healthy meals to prepare for their beginning families. If you fit the bill for this, then you should check out your local library for possible leads for these sorts of classes in your area. Even if they do not have the information available it is quite likely that they can point you in the right direction.

If you are looking for cooking classes that you can take with your children, check out your library once again for the first resource. There are also many gourmet food shops that offer cooking classes for parents to take with their children. This is a great opportunity to bond with your child while you both learn to prepare a new dish or two together. It is quite likely that you will be quite surprised by the things you can learn from your child as well as the things you can learn by simply taking the class.

For those among us who are seeking culinary experience with very specific cuisines you will have to search a little more for the perfect cooking classes in which you can achieve your goal. They do exist however, though your chances of learning Thai cooking are much greater in a larger city than in smaller towns throughout the country. If you are really interested in learning some exotic cooking techniques perhaps you should consider a vacation in which you can try out a few new cooking classes while you are there. If you prefer other things on your vacation to cooking A cook sautees onions and peppers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)you could make a point of attempting one basic class in the cuisine of your choice for each vacation you take. This will give you a little more than the same old souvenir to bring back from your trip and an experience that in many cases is quite memorable.

Finally, if you are looking for a romantic idea, how about signing up to take a couples cooking class? Believe it or not, these classes are often offered in both big and smaller cities. They seem to be all the rage around Valentine's day, perhaps the hint is that the other partner in a relationship can share some of the cooking responsibility or perhaps the idea is that there is more than one way to steam up the kitchen.

Regardless of the reason for taking cooking classes they can bring not only a great deal of enjoyment to your dining room, but also increase your ease in your kitchen. If you've never taken a cooking class, there is no time like the present to do so. No matter how skilled you are in the kitchen there is always something that can be learned.

Easter Recipe-Cheesy Asparagus Souffle

Here is a great one for your Easter brunch or dinner. It incorporates eggs with lots of fresh veggies, and it's low-carb as well, to help balance out some of those starchier casseroles and rolls on your Easter table. Feel free to substitute or add other veggies like spring greens - arugula or spinach would work well - or broccoli, for a slightly different twist.

Doubly Cheesy Asparagus Souffle

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 medium yellow squash, sliced into 1/4 inch thick circles, then cut in half
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips
2 Tbsp green onion tops, chopped
6 eggs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, put the oil, onion, yellow squash, and asparagus; cook, stirring frequently, until fork tender but still slightly crisp.
• Remove skillet from the stove and add the roasted red peppers and green onion tops, stir, then put a bowl and set aside and let cool.
• In a large bowl, put the eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and whisk together; add the cheese, tossing to combine, then add the cooled squash and asparagus and stir together. 
• Prepare a loaf pan by spraying with a cooking spray, then cut parchment paper to fit, line the bottom of the loaf pan with it and spray the parchment paper surface with more cooking spray.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, cut another piece of parchment paper to fit the top, spray the parchment paper with cooking spray, and lay over the top of the mixture.
• Place the loaf pan in a larger baking dish on the center rack in the oven, then pour hot tap water into the bottom dish so it comes halfway up the loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour (or a little more) until the middle bounces back when touched. Test with a toothpick stuck in the middle; if it comes out dry, the souffle is done.
• Remove and let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges by running a thin knife around the edges, tip over and slowly slide out of loaf pan, remove parchment paper pieces.
• Slice and serve warm.

Recipe - Devilish Spicy Eggs

 A classic picnic treat, deviled eggs are also a great appetizer for Easter - you'll need a way to use up all those Easter eggs anyway, right? What better way than a tasty classic with a spicy twist! Try these at your Easter brunch or dinner, or just your next picnic or barbecue - they're sure to be a hit!

Devilish Spicy Eggs
(Makes 24 appetizers.)

Deviled Eggs shot during the Inaugural Portable Potluck Project on March 23, 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Ingredients:
12 large eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon grated onion
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon good mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper to taste
paprika to taste
parsley for garnish

Instructions:

1. Fill a large pot with cold water and add eggs along with a tablespoon of white vinegar (this helps keep the white from leaking out of any cracked shells.)
2. Bring the pot to a good rolling boil, put cover on pot, remove from heat and let stand for exactly 13 minutes.
3. Meanwhile fill a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water and set in sink. As soon as timer goes off, remove eggs from water and immediately put eggs in ice water bath to cool quickly (this prevents the yolks from turning green.)
4. When the eggs are cold, peel. (Hit egg on fat end, then roll on counter to crack completely to make peeling as easy as possible.  Hint: If you're using fresh eggs from a farmer's market or your own chickens, they won't peel as well. Store in refrigerator for a week or two before using, to make them easier to peel.)
5. Taking a sharp knife, cut the eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks carefully, putting them in a bowl.
6. Add to the yolks the mayonnaise, jalapeno, cumin, mustard, and cayenne pepper. Mash and mix together until smooth and creamy, then stir in salt, black pepper, and paprika to taste.
7. Fill egg white halves with yolk mixture. Top with a sprig of parsley if desired.
8. Store in refrigerator until needed and serve cool.

Cooking Tips for An Easter Dinner That Will Impress Without the Stress

Easter is another one of those days that brings friends and family together. There are many great dishes and plans that can be made for Easter dinner depending on where in the world you may be celebrating. Just remember to try to avoid making plans for Easter dinner that are contingent upon the weather to work because it never seems to do exactly the opposite of what you plan for, no matter where in the country you may be.

A dozen boiled eggs in a saucepan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)With so many dyed eggs around it would be a shame not to incorporate them into the meals that are being prepared for your Easter menu. There are many ways to do that and a favorite in my house is deviled eggs. In addition to deviled eggs which are excellent appetizers, you can also chop the eggs up and include them in potato salad, egg salad, or chicken salad (which also happens to make excellent finger sandwiches for a light appetizer). You may also use boiled eggs in the making of cornbread dressing and/or giblet gravy, which are both popular Easter dishes in some southern states.

The good news is that there are plenty of dishes that go wonderfully well with eggs. If you like ham this is a great dish to serve with dressing, to make ham salad with later, and to simply have along with your favorite egg recipe. Ham is relatively simple to make as the hard part is often waiting on it to be finished. If you want super simplicity the only thing you really need to do to have an excellent ham dinner is pour a can of Coca-Cola over the ham, cover it in aluminum foil, and bake it for the necessary duration. This is really yummy, and it really can't get any easier than that though there are plenty of more complicated ham recipes available.

You will want to offer plenty of side dishes to compliment your main dish. Popular favorites are vegetables, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, dressing, sweet potato casserole, and rolls. These are all relatively simple to prepare, not very time consuming and can also be delegated to guests if you'd like without too terribly much fuss. You'll also want to have a few appetizers on hand for the time before dinner is ready and a couple of desserts for the perfect finish (as if those chocolate bunnies from the Easter basket's are not enough)!

A salad platter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)For those looking for fare that is a little lighter on Easter, I recommend offering big salads, several different steamed veggies (there should be some good fresh spring greens, asparagus, and the like available right now), and offer fruit as a dessert, as well as a raw veggie platter along with the appetizers. Easter is a day to celebrate and you shouldn't leave family members who are dieting to dread their lack of healthy eating options. You'll also find yourself surprised by those who, given the option, will eat the healthier foods if they are available.

Make sure you offer plenty of drink options as well. If you are hosting Easter dinner at your home, in addition to these cooking ideas I also suggest offering a place for your guests to change clothes if necessary. Many people come wearing their Sunday best and while it was great for church services and photo opportunities they don't often fare too well with gravy, butter, or grass stains.

Of course you could skip all the advice above and go for a down-home hoe down of a barbecue for the Easter holiday that in some parts of the country signals the approach of Spring. If it's warm enough outside, barbecues are often appealing because they limit a good bit of the mess to the great outdoors and give the kids involved a great place to run, play, and let off steam.

Have a very happy Easter, and be sure to check back later this week for some tasty Easter recipe ideas!