Fun and Simple Spring Holiday Menu Ideas
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Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal and though spring holidays will be celebrated a little differently this year, whether you are celebrating with Zoom, FaceTime, phone calls, or proper social distancing with family at home, we can still celebrate our favorite Spring Holidays with festive menus and tasty treats. Though it may not be exactly how we may have thought we would celebrate spring this year, embrace this time, allow it to be the norm for now, have peace in your heart, be patient with yourself and others and continue to be safe and well! Check out these recipes, straight from Fun & Simple Gourmet, for a casually festive Easter feast. Wishing you all a most Happy Easter and Happy Passover Week!
We will celebrate Easter at home, just the two of us, with a brunch of Panettone French Toast and festive Mimosas and then enjoy the day watching highlights from last year’s Master’s Golf Tournament, which would have taken place over the Easter Holiday this year. Then we’ll finish the day with a lovely Easter dinner of Lamb and Spring Vegetables finished with a delicious Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake. You know I have to get my Easter chocolate! I’m not much of a candy person, but this rich and creamy dark chocolate swirl cheesecake, with a hint of orange is the perfect sweet ending to this holiday meal. Now, first things first, delicious and festive not so traditional mimosa cocktails~
Spice up your Spring Holiday Brunch with these festive drinks. Sparkling Cider makes a great non-alcoholic version. The garnishes of aromatic herbs add a wonderful fresh aroma and flavor.
The Venetian~ Fill a champagne flute half way with Prosecco. Add one jigger Campari and a splash of soda water. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.
Gigi Bellini~ Fill a champagne flute 3/4 full with your favorite champagne. Add a drizzle of Grand Marnier (orange liqueur) to taste and garnish with a fresh rosemary stalk.
Pink Lady~ Fill a champagne flute 1/2 - 3/4 full with your favorite champagne. Add freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice. Top with a pinch of fresh lemon zest and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.
It is tradition to celebrate Easter and Passover with fresh spring flowers, spring vegetables and Eggs! Yes, eggs are used to celebrate both Easter and Passover. Easter eggs are common gifts during Eastertide, whether boiled and dyed or chocolate filled with an array of confections, eggs in general are a symbol of rebirth. Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus. Hard boiled or roasted eggs are also very symbolic on the Passover Seder Plate, symbolizing the temple sacrifice and the continuing cycle of life. They are eaten during the Seder Meal, dipped in salt water. My Jeff wants his eggs, deviled…go figure right! And trust me, he can eat an entire dozen, I literally have to hide them so he won’t totally overindulge and eat them all in one sitting! Now, about those eggs! Jeff is crazy for deviled eggs. So simple to prepare, this basic traditional recipe comes from my grandmother.
Place one dozen fresh organic eggs a large saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cover, allowing the eggs to rest for 20-25 minutes. Rinse with cold water and carefully crack and peel eggs. Slice in half lengthwise with a smooth bladed knife and place the yolks in a medium bowl, whites on a serving plate. Smash the yolks with the beaters on an electric mixer and add 1/2 cup mayo, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard and 1 teaspoon sweet pickle juice. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until well combined and creamy. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and thoroughly combine. Spoon creamy yolk mixture into a pastry bag or a Ziploc baggie, pressing the mixture into one corner. Snip the corner of the Ziploc baggie with a pair of kitchen shears and fill each egg white half with the yolk mixture, 1-2 teaspoons of filling in each one. Sprinkle with paprika and finely chopped chives if desired.
Panettone French Toast is my favorite holiday brunch dish, served with 100% pure organic maple syrup with a little orange liqueur (Grand Marnier) to bring out the orange flavor in the french toast, always an Easter Brunch tradition. For the rest of our casual Easter feast recipes, simply click on the photos!
Lamb is a traditional Easter dish and this Colorado Rack of Lamb with lemon, garlic and fresh herbs is tender and succulent, finished with a lovely red wine sauce. So elegant yet super simple to prepare. The Penne Pasta with Spring Vegetables, sugar snap peas, asparagus, scallions, carrots and Brussels sprouts, is fresh and light with a lemony and aromatic cilantro and basil pesto sauce, a perfect compliment to the flavors of the lamb. I included my Mediterranean Potato Salad, also a great side dish with lamb. I always like a fish option on a holiday table and this year it’s my Grilled Citrus Salmon, with a sweet orange and rosemary glaze. For dessert, the Dark Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake, and a Pear & Ginger Crumble topped with vanilla bean ice cream and toasted slivered almonds.
Enjoy these Fun & Simple Spring Holiday dishes! If we have to be quarantined at home, we can still enjoy a wonderful celebration with delicious food, festive cocktails and mocktails with our immediate family. An Easter toast on Zoom or FaceTime will be fun too! Whatever you traditions may be, and though we may be celebrating them a little differently this year, I wish you all a very healthy and happy spring holiday weekend!
For more Fun & Simple recipes and menu planning ideas to keep you busy during “Stay At Home” lock down, download Fun & Simple Gourmet on your iPad or iPhone. Super simple to navigate with beautiful food photography and lots of my favorite dishes to keep your lock down tasty with Fun & Simple Gourmet!
