Rae Udy

RECIPES: Ruby Mist Tea, Roasted Wham with Pineapple and Vegetables, Honey Cranberry Relish, Date Crescent Rolls

By Rae Udy

Every family has a special menu for Christmas dinner and vegetarians have new options available for the holiday meal.
Worthington Meatless Wham are frozen ham-like slices that can be eaten as cold cuts or in cooking. Roasted Wham with Pineapple and Vegetables will make an impressive main dish for vegetarians in your family.
Two slices contain 110 calories and provide 10 grams of protein while remaining cholesterol-free. These delicious slices are low in fat with just seven grams per serving and are also a good source of calcium with 40 grams. There is only 400 mg sodium per serving compared to 2665 mg in the real meat.
Two slices of pork ham contains about 400 calories, 48 grams protein and 16 grams cholesterol. One serving of ham provides 13 grams of fat and 16 grams carbohydrate.
Complete your low-fat Christmas dinner menu with thirst-quenching Ruby Mist Tea, tart and tangy Honey Cranberry Orange Relish and delightful Date Crescent Rolls. Happy Holidays to all.

RUBY MIST TEA
3 family-size tea bags, orange pekoe or your favorite
1 pint cold water
2 Tablespoons honey
3 pints cold water
1 quart cranberry juice
Place the pint of water in a microwave safe jar and process on High for two minutes or until boiling. Add unwrapped tea bags and allow to steep for five minutes. While tea is brewing, mix remaining ingredients together in a large punch bowl or one gallon picture. Remove tea bags and add the cooled tea to punch bowl. Chill until serving time. To serve for a party, fill the punch bowl with ice and pour tea mixture in. Stir well. Float thin slices of lemon, oranges and limes for a festive look. Serves 12.

ROASTED WHAM WITH PINEAPPLE AND VEGETABLES
2 eight ounce packages frozen Worthington Meatless Wham Protein Slices (found in the frozen food section usually near waffles)
1 16 ounce can sliced pineapple, canned in its own juice (reserve juice)
2 Tablespoons honey
½ (one-half) cup reserved pineapple juice
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
½ (one-half) teaspoon each: salt, ground ginger and dried parsley
4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into quarters
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced into large wedges
2 large red peppers, seeded and cut into thick strips
Unwrap Wham slices and thaw slightly. Drain pineapple but reserve juice for cooking marinade. Line a nine inch by 13 inch baking pan with a large piece of foil or a baking bag. The foil needs to be big enough to bring over Wham roast and vegetables and seal. Arrange slices of Wham alternately with slices of pineapple so they are standing almost straight up and overlapping slightly to form a loaf shape in the center of the pan. In a small bowl, combine honey, pineapple juice, melted butter, lemon juice and spices and mix well. Carefully pour mixture over Wham and pineapple slices. Place prepared vegetables on each side of the Wham. Bring ends of foil loosely over top of Wham and vegetables and secure tightly. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool undisturbed five minutes to allow steam to escape. Carefully unwrap. Serve Wham and pineapple on a festive platter surrounded by roasted vegetables. Yields eight servings.

HONEY CRANBERRY ORANGE RELISH
12 ounce package fresh cranberries
1 medium orange
¼ (one-quarter) cup honey
Quarter and remove seeds from unpeeled orange. Place in food processor and chop fine. Add cranberries and process until mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into a microwave safe bowl and stir in honey. Cover and cook on High for one minute or until mixture begins to thicken. Serve hot with Roasted Wham. Yields about two cups.

DATE CRESCENT ROLLS
1 eight-ounce package chopped and pitted dates
1 cup orange juice
¾ (three-quarter) cup quick-cooking oatmeal
½ (one-half) teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 packages of crescent rolls (found in dairy case), eight rolls each
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Combine dates and orange juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until simmering while stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer five minutes or until very thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in oatmeal and cinnamon. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Remove cardboard from rolls and place dough on cookie sheet. Spread filling over dough to within one-half inch of edges. Carefully slice dough along cut lines and roll up from the wide ends to form crescents. Place on lightly oiled cookie sheets. Brush each roll with egg white. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool two minutes. Serve warm or cold to 16.

Evan, five months, and brother Trenton, 4 3/4 years old, are ready for Christmas 2005.