Food for Easter

  in Blog
Vegan Almond Butter Easter Eggs – See Recipe Below

Here a few brunch, dinner, and dessert recipes for inspiration for what to make for Easter!

Potato Leek Frittata

1 lb yukon gold potatoes, cooked, cubed
2 tablespoons ghee, clarified butter, bacon fat, or olive oil
1 medium leek, white and light green parts, halved length-wise, rinsed well, and sliced
8 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt + black pepper
1 cup shredded cheese (sharp or smoked cheddar, smoked gouda, asiago, are all good choices)

  1. Heat a 10 inch well-seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat. Add fat of your choice and potatoes. Season potatoes with salt. Cook until the potatoes are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add in the leeks, season with salt again, and continue cooking until leeks are soft, another 5 minutes or so. Reduce heat to low.
  2. Heat oven to 350°F. Beat the eggs, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir in cheese.
  3. Pour egg mixture over the potatoes and cook, undisturbed for about 5 minutes.
  4. Place pan in oven and bake for about 15 minutes. When it’s puffy and golden, it’s done.
  5. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup full fat plain yogurt
1 cup finely grated carrots
clarified butter, ghee, or vegetable oil
Toasted walnuts for garnish

  1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Beat the egg in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk, yogurt and carrots.
  3. Heat butter or oil in a large cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, pour batter into pan and spread out to about 3 1/2 – 4 inches. Repeat to fill the pan but avoid letting the pancakes touch. Cook until bubbles start to appear and pancakes are nicely browned on the bottom. Carefully flip and cook the other sides until brown.
  4. Add more butter and repeat with remaining batter. Keep cooked pancakes warm in a pan in an oven set at 250°F.
  5. Serve immediately with toasted walnuts and maple syrup. Makes about 14 small pancakes.

Cheesy Grits with Spinach, Egg, and Maple Bacon

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 cup grits
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 handfuls baby spinach, coarsely chopped

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and milk to a boil. Slowly add in the grits, stirring. Season with salt. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until grits are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the the cheese and butter. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Season with pepper and more salt if needed and serve immediately with sunny side up or soft boiled eggs.

To cook sunny side up eggs: heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Carefully crack eggs into skillet, turn heat to low, and cover. When the whites are set but yolks are still soft, about 4 minutes, they are done.

Spicy Maple Bacon

8 slices bacon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons your favorite hot sauce

Preheat oven to 400°F. Stir together the maple syrup and hot sauce in a small bowl. Arrange bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fat is rendered and bacon starts to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and brush bacon with maple syrup mixture. Bake another 3-4 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate. Serve warm.

Asparagus Bread Pudding

1 one pound loaf stale sourdough or any crusty bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 cups milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, chopped
4 oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  2. Place bread in a large bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk, broth, eggs, salt, pepper, and dill. Pour the mixture over the bread. Add asparagus to bread along with the mushrooms and green onion and mix well.
  3. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and pat down the top to compact the ingredients. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is browned and crisp. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Potato Ham Smoked Cheddar Gratin

1 tablespoon butter 
1 large shallot, chopped fine
6 oz ham, chopped
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
3 cups smoked cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat and sauté the shallots until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Arrange about 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the gratin dish, overlapping them slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the ham and shallots over the potatoes and then about 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat this process 2 more times, finishing with 1 cup of the cheese. Gently press down on the casserole. 
  4. Whisk the half and half together with the flour and drizzle along the sides of the dish. 
  5. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Let casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Potato Grilled Asparagus Salad

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.
  2. Heat a grill to medium-low. Toss the asparagus spears in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill until slightly charred. Turn and continue grilling until tender and grill marked on the other side. Remove from grill, let cool, and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place in a large bowl.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes; drain well and let cool. Cut potatoes into chunks and add to the asparagus along with the chives and tarragon. Add dressing and toss to combine. Taste and add additional salt and vinegar if needed. Transfer to a platter and serve at room temperature.

Quinoa Tabouleh with Mint & Pecans

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked quinoa*
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup fresh curly parsley, chopped
3 scallions, sliced
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

  1. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic together in a large bowl. Add the nuts, parsley, scallions and mint.
  2. Add quinoa to bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. 
  3. Cover and place in the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 15 minutes before serving.
  4. Gently toss salad, taste, adjust seasonings if necessary, and serve.

*To cook quinoa, combine 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let steam for 5 minutes. Scoop into a bowl and let cool.

Easter Macaroon Chicks

2 egg whites
1 14 oz. can organic sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
4 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips
dried mango slices, cut into small triangles

  1. Heat oven to 325°F. Beat the egg whites with a whisk in a large bowl until frothy. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt and mix until smooth. Add the coconut and mix until combined.
  2. Using a small scoop or soup spoon, scoop out coconut and form walnut sized balls on a parchment covered sheet pan, spaced 1 inch apart.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes or until very lightly golden in color. Remove from oven and immediately press the chocolate chips in for the eyes, while the macaroons are warm. Press in the mango slices under the eyes for the beaks. Let cool completely before enjoying. Makes about 30 chicks.

Vegan Almond Butter Easter Eggs

1 cup smooth almond butter
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil

  1. Mix together the almond butter, coconut flour, maple syrup, vanilla, and sea salt in a bowl. Scoop out walnut sized, or a little smaller scoops of mixture and roll into balls. Form into egg shapes and flatten slightly. Place on a plate. You should have enough for about 12 eggs. Refrigerate for about an hour.
  2. Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a glass or ceramic bowl in the microwave oven or in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth and completely melted. 
  3. Using a cake tester or toothpick, spear an egg and dip into the melted chocolate to coat it completely. Allow the excess to drip off or gently scrape off some of the excess with a spoon. Lay on a wax paper or parchment covered pan. Smooth over the dimple left in the chocolate from the toothpick. Repeat with all the eggs. Refrigerate until chocolate is hard. If you don’t eat them all, keep them refrigerated.

Luscious Lemon Cheesecake

5 tablespoons melted butter
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs or about 12 whole graham crackers
1/4 cup cane sugar
1 16-oz container cottage cheese
3 eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place crackers in the bowl of a food processor and process.  Add the butter and ¼ cup sugar and process until combined and there are no large pieces of cracker. Pat  crumb mixture over bottom and onto sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
  2. Wipe out food processor bowl and add the cottage cheese, eggs, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, 2/3 cup sugar and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour into prepared crust. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool completely and refrigerate before serving. Serve with fresh berries or berry sauce.