Ham I am

Over the Christmas ham yet? If your refrigerator has been set at 4C and you have kept your ham tidy, no chunks of skin or fat flopping about, and it has always been stored on a clean plate under a clean cloth, you can now enjoy ham for breakfast or lunch. The recipes first appeared in Zest in 2004. Hamand eggs Eggs baked over ham and under cheese in a small entree dish or ramekin. Child’s play really. Preheat oven to 150C.

Use one dish per person, grease it with cooking oil or butter, cover its base with 2 thin slices of ham, shredded.

Crack in one large fresh egg, carefully add 1 Tbsp cream, 1 Tbsp tomato sauce or 1tsp readymade mustard, a generous sprinkle of finely grated cheese – any cheese is fine – and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake uncovered in oven for 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives and serve. Ham’n’ all flan Somewhere between a quiche and a frittata this is perfect holiday food in that it empties the fridge in a tasty kind of way, includes carbs as well as protein and fresh greens (herbs!), and is completely forgiving if you leave out some ingredients.

It smells wonderful as it cooks which makes it the perfect wet day lunch, sure to lift the holiday gloom. It can be served hot, warm or cold, slices nicely for picnics and even – if cut into eeny-meanie squares – dresses up as nibbles with drinks.

Fry one large chopped onion in a little cooking oil until soft, adding two cloves of chopped garlic for the last minute or two. Put aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 200C. Put cup of self-raising flour in a large mixing bowl.

In another bowl, combine 3-4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 2 Tbsp sour cream, 2 Tbsp fresh parsley and chives or any green leafy herb chopped, 1 glug of sweet chilli sauce, 2 tsp readymade mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.

Add to the flour and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Add the cooled onions and garlic, 2 cold diced potatoes, 1 cup of diced ham and cup grated cheese. Mix carefully, spoon into large oven proof dish and bake until the top is browned and crusty. Very good with a tomato salad. Serves 4-6.