This year, spruce up your Easter menu with one or all of these recipes.
Assemble the apple cinnamon bread breakfast soufflé a day ahead, and while it’s baking everyone can hunt for Easter eggs!
Replace a traditional leg of lamb with these delicious baby lamb chops.
Radishes and pea sprouts are sure signs of spring—this refreshing salad works well either as a starter to dinner or following the main course.
Happy Easter and bon appétit!Apple & Cinnamon-Bread Breakfast Soufflé(Serves 6–8)About 6 cups thick cut cinnamon-raisin bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
Grated zest and juice of one lemon
5 eggs, beaten
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon or more unsalted butter, softened
Cinnamon for dusting
About 2 cups pure maple syrup, hot
About 2 cups heavy cream or milk, hotTo prepare:Make one day ahead.
Generously butter a deep baking/serving dish large enough to hold the bread and fruit.
Place apples in a bowl, drizzle lemon juice and zest over them and toss well.
Add apricots and bread cubes and mix well.
Transfer to prepared baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs with milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla together until blended.
Pour egg mixture over the bread, the liquid should come up the sides of the dish.
Cut remaining butter into little squares and scatter them on the bread and dust the top with cinnamon.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.To bake and serve: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the soufflé until the top begins to brown, about 20 minutes.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and continue baking until soufflé has puffed up and a table knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes to one hour in total.
Set dish on a rack and cool 10 minutes before serving.
Cut into serving sized pieces, transfer to cereal bowls and pass hot syrup and cream at the table.
Add fresh berries to complete the breakfast.Center-Cut Baby Lamb Chops With Shallot Sauce(Serves 8)16 center cut baby lamb chops about 1 1/4-inches thick (they look like miniature T-bone steaks) trimmed and scored
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
Coarse sea salt
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, washed, tough stems removed
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1/2 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
Few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and bruised
1 tablespoon unsalted butter plus extra for finishing sauce
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1/2 cup good quality veal stock
Juice of one large lemon
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley leaves, finely choppedTo prepare:With a sharp knife, cut two or three slashes through the membrane on the edge of the chops. Rub chops with thyme and pepper and set aside.
In a heavy skillet over high heat, sprinkle the bottom with salt, wait 60 seconds. (Do not add oil.)
Using tongs to hold the chops in place, stand them on the slashed edge, bone edge, and other edge, searing each edge until brown, about 45 seconds per edge.
Next, sear both sides of the chops until brown, about one to two minutes per side, the cooking time will depend on the thickness of chops and personal preference (about four to six minutes total for rare).
Remove the chops and keep warm. (Can be done ahead and reheated in hot oven)To make the sauce:With a paper towel, wipe excess salt out of the skillet, but do not wash.
Set skillet over high heat, coat the bottom with oil, add shallots, scallions and thyme and sauté until shallots are soft and translucent.
Add butter and capers, and sauté briefly.
Add vermouth and ignite to burn off the alcohol.
Add stock and cook until the liquid in the pan is reduced by half.
Add pepper and lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in parsley and about 1 teaspoon of softened butter at the end.
Meanwhile, if chops were done several hours ahead, reheat them in 500 degrees F. oven; just until they are hot, do not overcook.To serve:Place a small handful of spinach leaves on the dinner plate, arrange one or two chops on spinach and top with a spoonful of sauce.
Pass extra sauce at the table.Easter Sunday Salad(Serves 8)2 heads Bibb lettuce, washed and spun dry, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 heads baby hearts of romaine lettuce, washed and spun dry, cut into thin slices
2 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry
1 bunch fresh red radishes, trimmed and sliced thin
1 cup fresh pea sprouts, washed
8 slices Chevre (preferably Cypress Creek, Humboldt fog)
1/3 cup roasted salted pistachios
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons Grey Poupon mustard
1 tablespoon white balsamic pear infused vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 1/3 -1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or more if needed
1/2 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced very thinTo prepare:Toss lettuces, arugula, radishes, and pea sprouts together in a bowl.
Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper together.
Slowly whisk in oil until the mixture becomes an emulsion.
Stir in scallions, taste and adjust the seasonings.
Can be done ahead.
Spoon just enough dressing over the vegetables in the bowl until the leaves glisten.
Divide among salad plates, top with a slice of Chevre and sprinkle pistachios over the salad.
Serve at once.
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