Easter Menu

Written by Rosemary Mantini | 09 April 2009

April brings with it beautiful warm days that will have you dreaming of the beach only to sideswipe you with those freak episodes of freezing rain -- all the more reason to come out of hibernation. Celebrations abound at this time of year -- Easter, Passover, Earth Day, Administrative Professionals Day... Cure spring fever with these tasty remedies that cover the gamut from appetizer to dessert. 

Eggs

They’re not only nutritious; they have to be the most versatile food around. Scrambled, over-easy or (my favourite) sunny-side up. Begin a meal with a platter of brightly coloured hard-boiled and deviled eggs. Avoid that unsightly green ring around the yolk with this four-step process.

1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water.

2. Bring water to a rolling boil; immediately turn off heat.

3. Cover the pan, and allow the eggs to stand in the hot water for about 15 minutes.

4. Drain the eggs. Place them in a bowl of ice water or hold them under cold running water until they’re cool. Peel off the shell. If you’re not using them right away, they can be refrigerated for up to one week.

Decorating Hard-Boiled Eggs 

1. Cover the table or floor with newspaper.

2. Use empty egg cartons as ideal drying racks.

3. Stir 7 to 8 drops of food colouring into 1 cup of hot water. Add 1/4 cup white vinegar. Set out 3 to 4 containers of different colours.

4. Lower eggs, one-by-one, into the colour of your choice. Make tie-dyed eggs by placing elastic bands around the egg then dipping it into the dye.

Why not make your own homemade dyes? Boil ingredients you have on hand in water and a tablespoon of vinegar until the desired shade is reached, then strain to remove the solids.

To make:

yellow: yellow onion skins or ground turmeric

orange: yellow onion skins and beets

red: beets or paprika

blue: blueberries or grape juice

green: spinach

brown: brewed coffee or tea

Devilled Eggs with Fava and Caper Filling

Devilled Eggs with Tzatziki and Salmon Filling

Almond Dacquoise with Chocolate Buttercream Filling

The Main

Celebrate the season by spicing up the usual fare. Instead of ham, try a Florentine specialty instead. Make Rabbit Sauce for Pasta or Rabbit Succotash Chowder and serve it with Pinot Noir or a full-bodied Chardonnay. Rabbit meat has the texture of chicken, but is a bit gamier in flavour. Roasted Lamb enjoyed with a glass of Zinfandel and a side of Wild Rice and Citrus Greens with Balsamic Glaze make a very flavourful treat. As for seafood, there are as many ways to prepare it as there are fish at the market. Try an old stand-by, like Pan-Fried Trout with chilled Pinot Gris; or, go the extra mile with the very elegant Lobster Crêpes served with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. 

Chocolate

What would Easter be without chocolate? Chocolate eggs, chickens and rabbits seem to have overrun stores at this time of the year. But, making your own chocolate treats is very easy. Start by purchasing plastic moulds, your favourite chocolate, sticks and clear bags in craft, bulk food or kitchen shop. Once you’ve got the chocolate, melt it in the top of a double boiler. Then, place the moulds on an even surface, and using a spoon or a squeeze bottle, fill them half full with melted chocolate. Finally, put the lollipop sticks into position, then completely fill the moulds to the top. Tap the moulds very gently to remove any air bubbles. Refrigerate the chocolate until set. When the chocolate is hard, release it from the moulds.

There are probably as many ways to use up leftover chocolate as there are chocolate shapes and flavours. Smash chocolate pieces with a mallet and toss them into cookie dough for chunky chocolate chip cookies. Add them to a cake mix, pancake batter, or sprinkle them onto ice cream. Let your imagination be your guide.