BAKED HAM with LEMON - SPICE GLAZE

1 cooked, bone-in-half-ham the shank or butt (6 to 7 lbs)

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Finely shredded zest and juice of 5 medium lemons

1 - 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350. Cut off tough, leatherlike skin from ham (if it has it) and score fat and meat in a crosshatch pattern. Put ham, fat side up, in a large roasting pan and tent loosely with foil. Bake until a thermometer in thickest part of meat reaches 120, about 1 - 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, make glaze: In a bowl, whisk sugar, zest, juice and ginger until smooth.

Uncover ham and pour glaze over it into pan. Bake ham, uncovered, basting ham and stirring glaze every 10 minutes, until glaze is a thickened, shiny syrup and thermometer in meat reaches 135 to 140, 15 to 30 minutes.

Let ham rest 5 minutes, then brush with glaze and transfer to a cutting board. Scrape remaining glaze into a small bowl. Carve ham and spoon more glaze on top.

YIELD: Serves 8, with ample leftovers

Notes: Be sure to buy a ham without added glaze; it would mute the flavor of the extra-citrusy one.

SPICY PORK SKEWERS

1 - 1/4 pounds ground pork

1 - 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground paprika

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 - 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes (if using metal skewers, proceed to step 2). drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the pork, garlic, cumin, paprika, onion, salt and pepper. Form into small meatballs, each about the size of a golf ball, then thread the meat onto the skewers.

Lay skewers over medium coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 4 to 5 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides and no longer pink in the center, about 8 minutes. Serve warm.

BRAISED CHILE CHICKEN

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 chicken (4 to 5 lbs), cut into pieces

1 can (14 - 1/2 oz) diced peeled tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 can (4 oz) whole green chiles, cut into strips

1 fresh jalapeno chile, minced

1 can chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced

black pepper

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a pot just large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, whisk together cornmeal, chile powders and salt. Dredge chicken in cornmeal mixture, turning to coat.

Add half the chicken pieces to pot and cook, turning once, until well browned on all sides and skin is very crisp, about 8 minutes; remove and set aside. Brown remaining chicken the same way.

Add tomatoes, chicken stock, canned chiles, half the jalapeno and the chipotle chile in pot. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and arrange chicken pieces, side side up, on top of sauce. being careful not to let sauce completely cover crisp skin. Simmer, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove chicken from sauce and transfer to a platter. Season with salt and pepper and add remaining jalapeno to taste. Spoon sauce around chicken and garnish with cilantro.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Notes: Serve with rice and beans, cornbread or flour tortillas. The leftovers make GREAT!!! tacos.

WE HAVE A WINNER!!! for the Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms Cookbook

Well, we have a winner for the Make-Ahead Meal for Busy Moms Cookbook. I carefully assigned each entry a number and the winner is Wendy @ Relatively Unique. She has been notified and has 48 hours to respond.

THANKS!!! to all who stopped by, entered and followed my blog.

If you want order is GREAT!!! cookbook visit Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com and purchase a copy for yourself or as a GREAT!!! gift.