No-Hassle Easter

Cupcakes--Make them and freeze them tonight.  Defrost and frost Saturday or Order plain from the bakery and decorate at home.

no hassle Easter menu  serves 8

Deviled Eggs*
Make-ahead Green Bean Salad with Shallot Cream Dressing**
Pan-Grilled Double Lamb Rib Chops with Tapenade**
Oven-Roasted Rosemary Whole Carrots**
Czech Easter Bread, optional *
Cupcakes with Jelly Bean Frosting (Buy or Make)*




My choices for wine:  Bethel Heights Pinot Gris
           Fisher Cabernet Sauvignon -- your choice-- or ask your winemonger for a great Cab for Easter

**Recipes below
*Click link for recipe/choose your own

Czech Easter Bread (Link to recipe above.)

This menu promises full tummies and smiles all around for the Bunny-Cooks who

 bake up/buy some cupcakes in the next day or two, 

 make short work of the  leftover boiled eggs turned starter deviled eggs,

 throw some fresh vegetables into the microwave briefly to create a spring salad extraordinaire,

 and then grill a few tiny, but fat double lamb chops while quick-roasting a pan full of long, slim carrots covered with pepper and rosemary.  Phew. 

Just a few tulips--the perfect centerpiece.

 Or why do it all yourself?  You might get your cousin to do the cupcakes, your sister to do the salad, and so on.  Make the day easy on yourself since someone had to clean the house and put out the egg-shaped candles, afterall. But if you're doing it all yourself, here's how:

No cupcakes for these guys.

 GAME PLAN:  


1. Today or Tomorrow:   Do grocery shopping.  Make/buy carrot cake cupcakes. Freeze plain cupcakes. 
2.  Friday:  Make tapenade and store well-covered.  Keep others out of it until Sunday.  Boil eggs.
3. Saturday:  Used boiled Easter eggs and make deviled eggs.  Store loosely covered in refrigerator. Do not sprinkle with paprika until ready to serve.  Here are three recipes or make your own. 
4. Saturday or Sunday morning:  Make the salad and dressing. (recipes below); refrigerate them separately until Sunday.
5.  Sunday: 

• In the morning:  unthaw and frost cupcakes if not already done.  Store out of reach of the dogs and kids.
• "    "      "       :  set and decorate table
• 1 1/2 hours before dinner:  Bring lamb chops to room temperature.  Uncork/decant red wine.
• Set out deviled eggs and uncork white wine for starters.
• Peel/prepare carrots and place on a half-sheet pan.  Prepare chops for cooking.
• Pan-grill, then roast chops and oven-roast carrots.  Place chops and carrots on a large platter with tapenade and pass at the table.
• Just before eating:  Spoon salad into large serving bowl, drizzle with dressing, and toss well.  Pour red wine. Place bread on table if serving.
• Serve cupcakes and smile. 

  recipes:

 Make-Ahead Green Bean Salad with Cream Shallot Dressing
    serves 8

This recipe calls for you to blanch the beans and fresh peas briefly in boiling water, drain, and cool quickly in an ice bath.  You can also cook them, separately, in the microwave for 2-3 minutes with just a couple of tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe covered bowl.

• 6 cups fresh haricots verts or green beans, trimmed, blanched, cooled in ice bath, and drained
• 3 cups fresh green peas (or frozen), blanched, cooled in ice bath, and drained
• 2 cups sliced celery
• 1/2 c each diced red  bell pepper, yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 4 cups mixed salad greens
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Dressing:   2T minced shallots, 2T lemon juice, 1 cup half and half, 2T finely minced flat-leaf parsley,  1/4 tsp each sea salt/ fresh ground pepper, 1 tsp grated lemon zest,  2 drops Tabasco.  Place all ingredients in a jar with a tightly-fitted lid and shake vigorously when making and just before dressing salad.

1.  One day ahead:  Mix all salad ingredients---except lemon juice-- together in a large bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 
2. When ready to serve, add lemon juice and toss well.  Drizzle with dressing and toss again.  Taste and re-season.  (You'll have leftover dressing.  Store in refrigerator 2-3 days.)

Note: This salad is loosely based on one from the book SALAD FOR DINNER by Patricia Wells, who is one of my favorite cookbook authors.

Pan-grilled Double Lamb Rib Chops with Tapenade and Oven-Roasted Rosemary Carrots

  serves 8

  A. Up to two days ahead, make tapenade and store tightly covered in the refrigerator:

Tapenade- Chopped olives, garlic, parsley and anchovies.  Great with sliced baguette or crackers, too.

• 2 cups pitted kalamata olives
• 3 anchovies
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil                                              
• 1T red wine vinegar
• 1T fresh lemon juice
• Pinch fresh ground pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• salt, if needed, to taste   

Process all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Store, well-covered, in refrigerator until needed.  Serve in a bowl on the table for guests to help themselves or spoon a bit on each chop if you like. 

B.  For chops and carrots ( recipe, see below) -- about 45 minutes before dinner time.

•     8 double lamb rib chops at room temperature
•      olive oil
•      kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper

 

• 2 dozen long, thin carrots, peeled and trimmed
• Olive oil
• Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper
• 4T finely minced fresh rosemary

 
 Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 Place carrots on a large baking sheet/s, drizzle with oil and dust generously with salt, pepper, and   rosemary.  Place pan of carrots in the oven on a rack in the bottom third of the oven and roast until tender and somewhat crispy.

Heat grill pan or large, heavy skillet/s for the chops over medium-high heat.  Place another rack, for the chops, in the upper third.

1. Meantime, drizzle chops with olive oil on both sides and salt and pepper thoroughly on both sides.  Brown chops very well on each side and remove to a roasting pan or oven-safe casserole.  When all the chops are browned, place pan/casserole in the oven and roast until done to your liking. 
2.  Use instant-read thermometer to determine if chops are done.  I like mine fairly rare (quite pink) and took them out to rest when the temperature was between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.  If you'd like them just pink, try 140 degrees.  Quite done is about 160.
3. Remove pan/casserole from oven and remove chops to serving platter.  Let sit 2-3 minutes. 
4. Remove carrots from the oven and add them to the platter. Serve hot with tapenade  

Note:  If you'd like to use nice big and thick bone-in pork chops instead of lamb chops, they'll work just as well using the same process.  You'll want them cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (medium rare) and allowed to rest a few minutes.  Great with tapenade.

Happy Easter and Sing a New Song,
Alyce