Easter and lamb are synonymous in our houses. As children, our parents always served a lamb roast or a braised leg of lamb for Easter dinner. This season, we decided to simplify the preparation a bit—since we’re all so busy and lamb can be quite time consuming.
We came up with a delicious, rustic Mediterranean-inspired Easter supper. It is casual yet hearty enough to be served any night of the week. Even though this meal is simple to prepare and can be made in advance, the flavors are sophisticated enough to serve for a celebratory feast.
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER HUMMUS This is a fun twist on one of our favorite classic Greek and Middle Eastern appetizers. It has many components of the classic hummus—lemon juice, fresh garlic and the sesame paste known as tahini. But because this hummus is made from roasted cauliflower instead of chickpeas, it has a little more texture and flavor. It’s also a great way to sneak a little extra vegetable into your meal.
Servings: 6-8
For the roasted cauliflower:
1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. 2. Place the cauliflower onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the olive oil and seasonings. 3. Toss well to coat, and make sure the florets are in a single layer. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden and fork tender. 4. Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven. Cool completely.
For the hummus:
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup tahini paste
¼ cup and 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Place the roasted cauliflower into the bowl of a food processor. 2. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice and tahini paste, and turn on the processor. 3. With the processor running, add the water and olive oil. Turn off the processor and scrape down the sides. Turn it back on and continue processing until fully pureed. The hummus will have more texture than regular hummus. If it is too thick, add a little more water to smooth it out. 4. Adjust the seasonings by adding in salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the roasted cauliflower hummus drizzled with a little olive oil and sprinkled with some smoked paprika.
HOMEMADE PITA BREAD A piece of warm pita bread is pretty hard to pass up. However, a piece of fresh homemade pita bread is simply decadent. If you haven’t tried to make pita bread yourself, you’ll be surprised by how doable it is. It’s well worth the little effort it requires. The ingredients are simple, and the only extra equipment you need is a pizza stone or heavy oven-safe cast-iron skillet. This recipe makes 8 (6-inch) pita breads, but it can easily be doubled. The dough can be made a day ahead of time and left in the fridge until you are ready to roll out and bake. Note: If you are making the dough ahead, allow it to rise before punching it down, wrapping it and placing it in the fridge.
Servings: Yields 8 (6-inch) pitas
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package of yeast
2½ cups flour
1¾ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1. Heat the cup of water to between 110 and 120 degrees. Add in the sugar and yeast, and allow the mixture to begin bubbling. 2. Place ½ cup of the flour into a large mixing bowl, and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir until all is incorporated. Set aside for 15 minutes. 3. Sift together the remaining flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir the flour and salt into the yeast mixture. Drizzle in the olive oil. Continue mixing until a ball forms. 4. Sprinkle a little flour onto a work surface, and turn the dough out. Begin kneading it, adding a little extra flour if it is sticking. Knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes or until a smooth, soft ball forms. 5. Grease a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free place. Allow the dough to rise for 2 hours. 6. Place a pizza stone or a cast-iron skillet into the oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. 7. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each one out to a ¼-inch thick and 6-inch round disk. 8. Lightly brush the dough on both sides with olive oil. Place one at a time into the preheated oven to bake. Bake the pita 3 to 4 minutes per side. The pita will puff up a bit as it bakes. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Remove the pita from the oven.Keep wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
GREEK-STYLE MEATBALLS This recipe is a favorite in our houses. If you are not a fan of lamb, the meatballs are equally delicious when using ground beef. We mix the two, using an 85% lean beef. This gives the meatballs the right amount of fat so they are tender and juicy. The addition of dried mint, oregano, cumin and smoked paprika help to round out the flavors, giving this dish authentic Mediterranean flair.
Servings: 6
1 pound 85% to 90% ground beef
1 pound ground lamb
2 eggs, slightly beaten
½ cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried mint
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika 1⁄3 cup plain Panko breadcrumbs
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. 2. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef and lamb, eggs, garlic, onion, herbs and spices. Use your hands to begin to mix everything together. Slowly add in the breadcrumbs as you mix until everything is fully incorporated. 3. Use a tablespoon or a cookie scoop to form the meatballs. Bake the meatballs for 20 to 25 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve the warm meatballs along with the Eggplant Moussaka and topped with a little homemade Tzatziki.
TZATZIKI
We like to serve a traditional Tzatziki sauce with these meatballs to add a little richness. This creamy sauce will also make a great dip for veggies. It is a nice accompaniment to other grilled meats, as well.
Servings: 6
½ English or hot house cucumber, peeled
1½ cups whole-fat Greek-style plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon dried dill
1. Line a mesh strainer with paper towels. Grate the cucumber directly into the strainer and allow it to sit and drain for 30 minutes.
2. Squeeze the remaining liquid out of the grated cucumber. Place into a mixing bowl.
3. Add the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, olive oil and dill. Stir well to combine. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
Eggplant Moussaka
Versions of this dish can be found all over the Mediterranean. In France, there is ratatouille. In Italy, you will find caponata. Greek cuisine features dishes like eggplant moussaka, which consists of ground meat and tomatoes and is layered with eggplant. It’s all topped with béchamel and then baked. We combined a few of these classic dishes and came up with our own very easy version of a smothered eggplant. The eggplant is cooked down with tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil and herbs. The result is a delicious side dish that can be served hot or cold, and goes well with all kinds of meats. We like to serve it with warm, freshly made pita bread to help round out this rustic Greek-inspired Easter supper. Opa!
Servings: 6
2 medium eggplants
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
2 (15-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon salt
1. Peel the eggplants and cut into bite-size chunks. Place the cut eggplant into a strainer. Sprinkle with salt. Set this over the sink, allowing the eggplant to release some of its liquid. This will take about 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant, and drain well. 2. While the eggplant is draining, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet. Sauté the onions for 2 to 3 minutes. 3. Add the garlic, pepper flakes and dried herbs. Continue cooking for another minute. 4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Fold in the drained eggplant, tomato paste and salt. Bring the moussaka up to a boil. Stir well. 5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Stir every 10 minutes, cooking for 30 to 35 minutes or until the eggplant is very tender. Serve along with the Greek meatballs and homemade pita bread.
This article was originally published in the April 2019 issue of 225 Magazine.
