Your Easter Recipe Guide

Easter  is fast upon us and it's this week, Holy Week, that should be a balance of observance and preparation. Do you have the main curse settled? What about the sides? Will it be an Easter brunch or a potluck? Holiday dinner or  barbecue. Then there are the desserts.Is it all up to you or will it be a group effort? Will there be an egg hunt with treats too? It's time to start deciding and writing up lists.

One of the most important decisions is the main course. The most traditional choices are lamb and ham. The first is big in Mediterranean households, namely Italian and Greek.  Do you cook a whole lamb (which is not for the squeamish) or leg? If it's a small gathering , then a leg of lamb would be the best choice. Your butcher and some groceries can debone and butterfly it.Keep in mind that there are difference between New Zealand and American bred kinds.The American sort is meatier, fattier and sweeter than the other.You could also go with lamb chops too or the slightly tougher shoulder of lamb. Remember that lamb can also be barbecued.What should you serve with them? Fresh spring greens such as asparagus and peas. Ham is another beloved Easter main course. If you feel that it may take over your oven , then assign sides to guests .Another question to ask yourself, do you want it as part of a formal holiday meal or a brunch? That changes the sides. A more traditional dinner would have sides of roasted baby beet salad and possibly green beans with shallots and hazelnuts.Peas with mint are another lovely  side that's both fragrant and tasty. A brunch would not only have the ham as the centerpiece but also veggie laden quiches filled with asparagus and dandelion greens. Also make sure that there are mimosas and bellinis for the adults and juice and seltzer sparklers for the kids.

Easter is more a time of sweets, more so than savory bites. If you have the time, you can bake and ice a lamb cake.It is labor intensive work ( as my previous pictorial posts demonstrate) and it's easier to do if there are two people. Another festive and a bit easier  project is an Easter egg cake.It's just a one layer cake decorated with three or four dyed icings.  You can also buy an Easter egg cookie decorating set. Stop & Shop sells these and they come with already baked shortbread cookies, icing and candies for decorating.  This can also be part of the holiday activities for the kids. There is also the Peeps Coop  which has six already baked cookies to be assembled and decorated with bright yellow icing.  Sprinkles and jelly beans can be added for more dazzle.  As for the young ones, think about making Rice Krispies chicks and bunnies. It's making a whole sheet of the treat and then cutting the shapes with a cookie cutter. The mix can be tinted with food coloring  to make the pops more festive. Cake pops are another fun bite. Coat them in the various chocolates and dip in festive yellow and pink sprinkles. If the dinner is just adults , then end it with a light yet sophisticated lemon jelly roll dusted in confectioner's sugar. A raspberry trifle is also a sweet classy end to a ham or lamb dinner.

This is the time to make decisions for the holiday ahead.  Choose what dishes and treats will work for you and buy their ingredients. Then shop for the dinner ahead. It'll be easy with a list and a clear vision of what you want to make and bake,