6 minute read
On the Easter Recipe Hunt
Look no further for the perfect recipes to create a memorable Easter brunch or dinner!
BY ZARA ABBASI PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE CHILDS
Spring is in the air and I love seeing all the beautiful flowers in bloom. I love all the pastel colors on store shelves, all the cute kids’ outfits, and you already know I love any reason to celebrate and gather for food. With Easter fast approaching, it’s best to be prepared with some delicious brunch or dinner ideas. One of my favorite and funniest Easter memories happened two or three years ago. We hid eggs for the kids, as you do. Well, the kids had a blast finding all of them and then opening the eggs to find out what candy loot awaited. After they got their fill of the candy, and the stuff in their baskets had been played with, some of the excitement had worn off. Then, I had a pretty genius idea. We had company coming over that night for dinner and no matter how much you try, a home with three kids will always find a way to look messy. Well, I had to make Easter dinner AND clean up again? Nope. Not doing it.
I’d already cleaned once the day before to prepare for everyone, so I was frustrated about having to repeat the process the very next day. This is where that genius idea comes in: I asked the kids if they’d like to go for a treasure hunt for eggs again. Well, of course they just lit up. But, their eggs were empty and they wondered what I’d put in there. I told them there would be tons of surprises inside BUT they must clean the house first from top to bottom. They did not even hesitate one bit. They rushed around cleaning and picking everything up and made the house truly spotless!
I kept my end of the promise and hid eggs everywhere. I filled them with dollar bills, little sheets of paper made into coupons (example: good for one milkshake from Sonic; or, good for family movie night), and the last few were filled with any leftover candy. They ran and excitedly searched for their treasure eggs and it was the most amazing experience watching them light up while reading their rewards. So what was once a pretty simple bribe has now turned into a game and tradition for us. Because of all their help, the house was clean, they were in fantastic moods, and I was able to focus on Easter dinner. Hey, if it works, it works! And, in my case, it’s been working for years.
If you need help with the housework and some extra time to devote to Easter dinner or brunch, I’d suggest a coupon treasure egg hunt! Here I’ve come up with a few different Easter recipes to try whether you host brunch or a full-on dinner.
Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
Whether you enjoy a baked ham or prime rib for Easter dinner, this side goes perfectly with either choice. I love it because it has such bold, yet spring-y flavors. I love the saltiness of the cheese balanced out with the lemon zest. Give this one a try with whatever you decide as the main course.
1 pound of fresh green beans trimmed 1 stick softened butter 2-3 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning Zest of 1 lemon 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan (plus more for garnish) Salt and pepper to taste Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. In a large bowl, combine all your ingredients (except parsley) and spread onto a large, rimmed baking sheet.
3. Roast for 15-20 minutes, making sure to stir a couple of times.
4. Remove from oven and transfer to your platter of choice. Garnish with fresh parsley and more fresh Parmesan.
Mini Brunch Tarts These are the cutest little individual brunch items. You can personalize them to everyone’s liking. They look adorable for presentation purposes, and are pretty simple and flavorful to make.
1 package puff pastry (thawed) 6-12 eggs (depending on how many individual servings you’d like to make) 1-2 cups shredded cheese of your choice 6-7 sprigs fresh thyme Cut chives for garnish Salt and pepper to taste Optional: 1 cup crumbled bacon Optional: ¼ tablespoon spicy mustard
(Fruit version): 1-2 cups of berries 1 cup lemon curd ½ block softened cream cheese 2 tablespoons sugar
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper
2. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry and use a large, round cookie cutter or a large glass to cut out however many pies you’d like to make. (I like to trace about a half-inch outside the border and then cut in order to give room to pinch edges up.)
3. Place your dough circles on the parchment paper and keep making folds around the edges in order to create a mini barrier.
4. Use a fork to pierce the center of the dough. For the egg pies: brush bottoms with spicy mustard if using, then bake for 5-6 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle shredded cheese in center, then gently crack an egg in the center, making sure you have a tallenough barrier so the eggs don’t slide out. 6. Top with herbs and seasonings. 7. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until the eggs are done and the puff pastry is cooked through.
8. For the fruit cups: Follow the same steps to cut out the dough, but mix the cream cheese and sugar and set aside.
9. Assemble as follows: dough, a tablespoon or two of lemon curd, berries on top, and then dollops of cream cheese mixture on top of berries, and then bake for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
Delicious Carrot Cake If there is one cake synonymous with Easter, it’s carrot cake. This one has a ton of ingredients but it’s also a cake from scratch, after all. Once in a while, we should all attempt to make one from scratch, and this one is certainly worth it. Decorate this in an easy robin’s egg blue with brown speckles from the flick of a paintbrush, or leave simple in its natural beauty.
4 eggs 1¼ cups vegetable oil ¼ cup applesauce 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon ginger 3 cups grated carrots 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 1 cup flaked coconut
Frosting: ½ cup butter, softened 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 4 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flaked coconut
Frosting: ½ cup butter, softened 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch pan or two 9-inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, both sugars and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in carrots and coconut. Fold in nuts. Pour into pan(s).
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes (30-40 for two pans), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To make frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake.