Easter is my favorite holiday! It’s better than Christmas. It’s better than Thanksgiving. Easter is the most important religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which Christians believe occurred on the third day after his crucifixion some time in the period AD 27 to 33. As with many other Christian dates, the celebration of Easter extends beyond the church. Since its origin, Easter has been a time of celebration and feasting. Celebrate the glorious gift of Easter with a scrumptious brunch. Vegetable Salad Tea Sandwiches and the ingredients for Broccoli Salad with Berries and Cashews can be prepared a day ahead. Ground Lamb Quiche can also be baked and reheated. After church, invite friends and family over for bloody Mary’s and mimosas. Add a platter of deviled eggs and your delectable Easter brunch menu will be complete. Happy Easter!
Vegetable Salad Tea Sandwiches
The filling for these dainty sandwiches takes a little extra effort to prepare, but it’s worth it! Use a fancy cookie cutter to cut bread rounds from your favorite bread.
2 cucumbers
2 carrots
1 small onion
2 stalks celery
1 cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon salt
1 (.25-ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup boiling water
Sandwich bread
Chopped Italian parsley
Peel and remove seeds from cucumbers. Grate cucumbers over a paper towel and squeeze to remove the juice. Grate carrots and onion. Chop celery very fine. Combine cucumbers, carrots, onion and celery with mayonnaise and salt. Mix well. Combine unflavored gelatin with boiling water until gelatin is dissolved. Pour gelatin mixture into vegetable mixture. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours until mixture is set. Spread between slices of bread. Roll sandwich edges in chopped parsley before serving. Serves 8 to 10.
Broccoli Salad with Berries and Cashews
Broccoli salads are great for lunches, picnics and of course, church suppers. Make it an entrée by stirring in some crispy fried bacon just before serving.
For the dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
For the salad:
5 cups broccoli florets, trimmed
¼ cup chopped red onion
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1/3 cup salted cashews
Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place broccoli, red onion, strawberries, blueberries, and mandarin oranges in a large bowl. Toss gently with dressing. Garnish with cashews. Serves 6 to 8.
Ground Lamb Quiche
The best way to create a quiche is to make it in layers. Put the filling in the bottom, followed by the cheese and then topped with the egg custard. Layering helps create a barrier against the liquid egg mixture and ensures that all the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout each slice.
1 (9-inch) deep dish frozen pie crust, thawed in refrigerator
1 egg white, save yolk for quiche filling
1 pound ground lamb
1 small onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 large eggs plus remaining egg yolk
1 cup milk
Chopped Italian parsley, to garnish
Place thawed pie crust on a large baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork, prick the crust multiple times to keep it from puffing while being par-baked. Separate yolk and white from one egg. Place white in a small dish and beat. Reserve yolk to add to quiche filling. Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom and sides of the crust with the beaten yolk. (The egg yolk will help seal the crust during baking and prevent a soggy bottom after filling is added.) Bake crust in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and cool to room temperature. Brown ground lamb in a large skillet; drain well on paper towels. Remove excess grease from skillet; cook onion and red bell pepper until soft. Return lamb to the skillet and stir in garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for a minute or two. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill par-baked pie shell with lamb and vegetable mixture. Spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Mix eggs with milk and pour over the lamb. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with Italian parsley. Serves 6.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-525-0350 or by email at debbicovington@gmail.com.
