Easter is a favorite time of year for us. It brings us back to when our kids were little. They loved to dye eggs and then have Easter egg hunts in the yard.
This is also a time to come together and celebrate with the ones we love, and that always means sharing a good meal. We have come up with an easy menu that can be thrown together in just a couple of hours, leaving you time to enjoy visiting with family and friends and, best of all, find those elusive Easter eggs in the flower beds.
THE MENU:
• Sautéed Spring Peas with Garlic and Mint
• Grilled Filet Skewers with Balsamic Garlic and Herbs
• Whole Roasted New Potatoes with Fresh Parsley
• Maggie’s Five-step Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
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SAUTÉED SPRING PEAS WITH GARLIC AND MINT
This brightly colored spring side dish is one that truly takes just a couple of minutes to prepare. It has so few ingredients, but is the perfect complement to a meat-and-potato meal. The hint of fresh mint elevates these simple peas into something really delicious and a bit more unexpected.
Servings: 6
2 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil2 (12-ounce) bags frozen spring peas (rinsed and drained)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon fresh chopped mint
1. In a large skillet, sauté the minced garlic in the olive oil for 15 seconds.
2. Add the peas and continue to sauté 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the peas for another couple of minutes, or until they are tender and heated through.
4. Remove from the heat and toss in the mint. Transfer the peas to a serving bowl and serve.
GRILLED FILET SKEWERS WITH BALSAMIC GARLIC AND HERBS
These grilled filet skewers are delicious and can be prepared well in advance. They can be made with beef tenderloin, but they also work well with lamb. If you are using lamb, we suggest a top-round cut for the skewers.
The balsamic marinade is tangy and delicious, and it complements the hearty flavor of either beef or lamb. Remember when grilling meat on a skewer to make sure to cut the meat into uniform sizes to ensure each piece will cook evenly. That being said, the size you cut the meat will determine how long to grill it. If the meat is smaller and you are serving it rare, it will only take 2-3 minutes per side on a hot grill.
Servings: 6
6 (4- to 6-ounce) pieces of beef tenderloin or top-round lamb cut into chunks
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh chopped mint
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
¾ cup olive oil
6 skewers
1. Place the chunks of meat into a shallow dish.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the fresh garlic, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and fresh chopped herbs together.
3. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until all is combined. Pour the marinade over the meat.
4. Cover the meat and chill 2-3 hours. Divide the meat and thread onto the skewers.
5. Allow the meat to come to room temperature. Heat the grill to 375 degrees.
6. Grill the skewers 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and cover for 5 minutes before serving.
WHOLE ROASTED NEW POTATOES WITH FRESH PARSLEY
Produce is so abundant in the spring, and one of our favorite things to cook is little red new potatoes. They are so easy to prepare because they are small, and the skin is so tender, you don’t even have to cut and peel them. Just make sure that you wash and dry them well before blanching them, which allows the potatoes to cook more evenly and quickly. Make sure to pat dry after blanching to help them crisp up as they roast in the oven.
Servings: 6
2 pounds small red new potatoes, washed and dried
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Large pot of water
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bring the large pot of water to a rolling boil.
3. Add half the salt to the pot of water. Drop the potatoes into the pot.
4. Blanch the potatoes for 2 minutes. Drain well.
5. Pat the potatoes dry and place them into a large bowl.
6. Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil. Season with the remaining salt and the pepper. Toss to coat.
7. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven 15-20 minutes or until crispy on the outside but tender and creamy on the inside.
8. Remove from the oven, toss with the fresh parsley and serve.
MAGGIE’S FIVE-STEP CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING
Easter and carrot cake seem to go hand-in-hand. It is the perfect way to finish off this lovely Easter buffet. The ingredients are as easy to put together as a box cake, and Tracey’s 12-year-old daughter Maggie has perfected this homemade cake down to just five simple steps. The cream cheese icing is perfect for this moist treat, and it can be made in just a few minutes. Even those who aren’t bakers can master this delicious cake. (Recipe by Maggie Koch)
Yields: Two-layer eight-inch cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
3 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
¾ cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups fresh grated carrots
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1 small can crushed pineapple (drained)
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 stick melted butter
¼ cup vegetable oil
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease two 8-inch cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, beat together on medium speed the eggs, brown and white sugars, buttermilk and vanilla until well combined. Then add the grated carrots, grated ginger, drained pineapple and nuts. Mix well to combine.
4. With the mixer running slowly, add the dry ingredients into the wet. Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, drizzle in the melted butter and oil. Keep the mixer running until all is well blended.
5. Pour into the prepared baking pans and bake in the heated oven 25-35 minutes. Cool completely before icing with the cream cheese icing.
THREE -MINUTE CHREAM CHEESE ICING
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1 stick softened butter
8 ounces softened cream cheese
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1. Place the softened butter and cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer.
2. Add the sifted powdered sugar and place a towel over the bowl to prevent a mess while the mixer is on.
3. Turn the mixer to low speed. Once everything begins to come together, increase the speed to medium high.
4. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla. Keep mixing for another minute or two to make sure everything is blended and smooth. Make sure the cake is completely cooled before icing it.
This article was originally published in the April 2017 issue of 225 Magazine.