Delicious Easter Dinner Ideas for the Whole Family

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

236g

Yields

Amount Per Serving

Calories 439

Calories from Fat 348

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 39g

61%

Saturated Fat 12g

60%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 23g

Cholesterol 26mg

Sodium 399mg

17%

Total Carbohydrates 10g

Dietary Fiber 3g

12%

Sugars 7g

Protein 13g

Vitamin A

18%

Vitamin C

Calcium

11%

Iron

13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

For The Beets

3-4 medium beets, any color

For The Mustard Vinaigrette

8 tbsp of olive oil
4 tbsp of red wine vinegar
2 tbsp of your favorite grainy mustard

For The Pastry/Tart Crusts

1 - 10x15 sheet of purchased puff pastry (all butter is best)
1/2 pound of your favorite goat cheese
salt and pepper
1/2 lb of peppery greens
edible flowers for garnish

For The Beets

Preheat the oven to 425F.
Clean the beets.
Wrap the beets in aluminium foil packets and roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until tender. Let cool.
Peel the beets with a paring knife.
Slice the beets in half. Thinly slice the beet halves.

For The Mustard Vinaigrette

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard.
While whisking, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mustard mixture until the oil is incorporated and emulsified.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For The Pastry/Tart Crusts

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
Unroll the the sheet of puff pastry on to a cutting board. Using a 5 inch round cutter, cut out 4 circles. Place a 4 inch round cutter in the center of each dough circle. Then, using a fork, dock (prick) the dough within the smaller cutter. This will ensure the center of the pastry does not rise.
Place the circles of pastry on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or one that is sprayed with non-stick baking spray.
Bake 10-12 minutes until the circles are puffed and just beginning to brown.
Remove them from the oven. Let cool. If the center of the circles did rise during baking, simply push the centers down gently with your fingers.
When the crusts are cool, spread a small layer of vinaigrette on the bottom of the crusts.
Fill the crusts with crumbles of goat cheese.
Place slices of beets in a fan pattern over the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the tarts on a baking sheet and return them to the oven. Bake until they are hot and the crust is golden brown about 10 minutes.

To Serve

Lay a bed of greens on a plate. Drizzle the greens with vinaigrette.
Place the tart(s) on the bed of greens. Add a few extra crumbles of goat cheese to the top of the tarts and around the greens.
Garnish with edible flours.

Notes

The tarts can be served hot or at room temperature. The components of the dish can be made a day ahead and stored sealed in the refrigerator. The tarts should be constructed the day of the meal so the crust bottoms do not become soggy from the vinaigrette.
For a vegan option, use vegan puff pastry or vegan pie crust. The goat cheese can be replaced with a vegan alternative.

By Matthew Robinson

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calories

439

fat

39g

protein

13g

carbs

10g

The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/

Back To The Menu

The Main Course and Side Dishes

Ham, Endive and Baby Romaine Gratin

2015-03-26 05:01:21

Serves 4

A delicious and simple ham dish with vegetables and creamy cheese sauce.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

859g

Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 835

Calories from Fat 454

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 51g

79%

Saturated Fat 27g

137%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 17g

Cholesterol 270mg

90%

Sodium 1616mg

67%

Total Carbohydrates 37g

12%

Dietary Fiber 16g

66%

Sugars 9g

Protein 60g

Vitamin A

685%

Vitamin C

54%

Calcium

152%

Iron

41%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

For The Hard Boiled Eggs

2 eggs

For The Sauce

1 tbsp of flour
1 tbsp butter
1 cup of milk
1 lb of gruyere cheese.
salt and pepper

For The Ham/Vegetables Packets

8-12 thin slices of your favorite ham
2 endive
2 baby romaine lettuces
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup of bread crumbs

For The Hard Boiled Eggs

Fill a small pot with water, enough to cover the eggs by an inch. Bring the water to a boil.
Add the eggs and boil 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let sit 11 minutes.
Run the eggs under cold water to cool them.
Peel the eggs.
Using a paring knife, chop the eggs into eighths.

For The Sauce

On a box grater, grate the cheese. 1 cup of cheese is for the sauce another 1/2 cup is for topping.
In a medium pot, over medium heat, melt the butter.
Add the flour to the butter and whisk to combine. Continue whisking and cook the flour and butter (called a roux) one minute to remove the floury taste.
While whisking, drizzle in the milk until it is full incorporated. Increase the heat to bring the mixture slowly to a boil. The mixture will thicken (thick enough to coat the back of a spoon). Turn off the heat.
Slowly sprinkle in a cup of cheese while whisking until it is fully incorporated.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For The Ham/Vegetables Packets

Wash the endive and baby romaine lettuce.
Remove the outer leaves of the endive and baby romaine lettuce if the are bruised.
Trim the bottoms of the endive and baby romaine lettuce if they are discolored. Don't trim the bottoms to high or they will fall apart. Keep the leaves connected at the bottom.
Cut the endive and baby romaine lettuce in half long ways.
In a medium bowl, toss the endive and baby romaine lettuce in olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a grill pan on the stove over medium heat. Grill the endive and baby romaine lettuce for 6-8 minutes per side until the pieces are tender and cooked through. Grill marked are good as they add roasted, nutty flavor. Let cool.

To Prepare The Ham/Vegetable Packets

Butter a 9x11 baking dish.
On a clean surface, lay out a slice of ham. Place one piece of endive or romaine in the center of the ham slice so that the leaf end is pointing up and there is an inch and a half of ham exposed at the bottom. If the vegetable is very large or thick, use two slices of overlapping ham. Fold the ham up over the bottom of the vegetables' root end. Then fold the ham over the vegetable from the left side. Then roll the vegetable over to the right so a ham/vegetable package is created with the leaves on the top poking out.
Place the ham/vegetable packets in a single layer in the buttered baking dish.

To Serve

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Top the ham/vegetable packets with the chopped eggs.
Pour the sauce down the middle over the ham/vegetables packets and chopped eggs so they are covered nicely but not drowned and the vegetable tops are still visible.
Sprinkle the remaining half cup of gruyere over the sauce.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the ham/vegetables are heated through, the cheese is melted and browning, the sauce is bubbling, and bread crumbs are becoming golden.
Serve hot.

Notes

The dish can be made a day ahead and stored covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator then baked on the day of the meal.
For a vegan/vegetarian option, replace the ham with crisped tofu cubes or vegan/vegetarian meat alternative. A vegan sauce can be made with cheese and milk alternatives or with the cheese omitted . Flavor the sauce with nutmeg to taste. Omit the eggs.

By Matthew Robinson

beta

calories

835

fat

51g

protein

60g

carbs

37g

The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/

Potatoes Anna

Potatoes Anna with Thyme

2015-03-26 05:17:17

Serves 4

Delicious layers of buttery potatoes - tender on the inside with crispy edges.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

201g

Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 250

Calories from Fat 103

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 12g

18%

Saturated Fat 7g

37%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 31mg

10%

Sodium 50mg

Total Carbohydrates 34g

11%

Dietary Fiber 3g

10%

Sugars 1g

Protein 4g

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

18%

Calcium

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Ingredients

3-4 medium baking potatoes
4 tbsp of butter
a small bunch of fresh thyme
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Line a baking tray with a piece of parchment paper.
Wash and peel the potatoes.
Melt the butter.
Using a knife, v-slicer or mandolin, thinly slice the potatoes (try for an 1/8th of an inch) end to end slicing as evenly as possible.
On the parchment paper, fan out one layer of potatoes in a circle about 5 inches in diameter.
Using a pastry brush, coat the potato fan with butter.
Season the potato fan with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the potato fan with sprigs of fresh thyme.
Add a second layer of fanned potatoes. Brush with butter, season with salt and pepper and season with fresh thyme.
Repeat the above steps until 4 individual potato rounds are made.
Cover the baking pan with aluminium foil. Bake the potatoes for 25-30 minutes until they are tender.
Remove the foil and bake another 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are golden and the edges are crisp.
Serve hot.

Notes

You can add as many layers as you would like. The thicker the potatoes, the longer the first baking time will be.
The potato layers can be baked, cooled and reheated the day of the meal. For this dish, freshly made is best though.
Other herbs like rosemary can certainly be used as can finely chopped garlic. Very thin slices of sweet onion can also be put into the layers.
For a vegan option, omit the butter and replace it with vegan, soy margarine.

By Matthew Robinson

beta

calories

250

fat

12g

protein

carbs

34g

The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/

Buttery Peas and Asparagus in Artichoke Cups

2015-03-26 05:51:45

Serves 4

The taste of spring! Buttery peas and baby asparagus in artichoke cups.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

297g

Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 238

Calories from Fat 82

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 9g

14%

Saturated Fat 6g

28%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 23mg

Sodium 167mg

Total Carbohydrates 33g

11%

Dietary Fiber 14g

55%

Sugars 9g

Protein 11g

Vitamin A

27%

Vitamin C

119%

Calcium

10%

Iron

22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

For The Artichokes

4 globe artichokes (the bigger the artichokes the bigger the artichoke cups)
1 lemon

For the Peas and Asparagus

3 cups of fresh or frozen peas
1/4 lb of fresh baby asparagus
3 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

For The Artichoke Bowls

Cut the lemon in half.
Fill a medium bowl with water. Squeeze 1/2 the lemon into the water. This water bath will be used to store the artichoke hearts and help prevent them for browning. Use the other half of the lemon to rub the artichoke directly while cutting it to avoid oxidation.
Using a sharp knife, cut the top 1/3rd of the artichoke off.
Remove the hard, outer, bottom leaves of the artichoke. The heart will begin to reveal itself.
Using a pairing knife, carefully cut off the hard bits remaining from the leaves that were just removed cutting from the top down toward the stem. The stem can be peeled, too. Rub the artichoke with lemon where it has just been cut.
Using the pairing knife, cut the leaves of the artichoke that are above those that were just removed by cutting around the circumference of the artichoke. Cut just deep enough to remove the leaves. More of the heart will reveal itself and the line between the heart and the upper leaves will be seen. Slice the upper leaves off at that line. Rub the artichoke with the lemon.
After slicing off the upper leaves, the choke will be revealed. It is the hairy purple part in the center. Gently scoop the choke out with a spoon to create the artichoke cup. Rub the inside of the heart with the lemon. Trim the stem off so the bowl can sit on its own. Trim the bowl of any remaining hard parts. Put the heart in the bowl of lemon water. Reserve the stem for other cooking use.
Repeat the above steps until all the artichoke hearts are removed and turned into bowls remembering to rub them with lemon as you go and storing them in the lemon water until ready to cook.

For the Peas and Asparagus

Fill a medium pot with water and bring the water to boil.
While the water is coming to boil, create an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water.
When the water boils add the asparagus. Blanch the baby asparagus for about a minute (this will depend on the size of the asparagus) or until the asparagus is bright green and tender but not mushy.
Remove the asparagus immediately and plunge it into the water bath to stop cooking.
When the asparagus are cool, drain them well.
If frozen peas are used, make sure they are defrosted (no blanching needed).
If fresh peas are being used, refresh the water in the pan and bring it to a boil. Refresh the ice bath. When the water boils, add the peas. Blanch the peas for about 2 minutes (this will depend on the size of the peas) until they are bright green and just tender.
Plunge the peas immediately into the ice bath to stop cooking. When they are cool, drain the peas.

To Serve

Fill a medium pot with water and salt the water to taste.
Bring the water to a simmer. Add the artichoke bowls and simmer until they are tender about 10-12 minutes.
Remove the artichoke bowls to a serving dish. Tent the artichoke bowls with a piece of aluminium foil to keep them warm.
In a large saute pan, heat 3 tbsp of butter. When the butter is melted, add the peas and asparagus and toss them well until they are heated through. They have already been cooked and need only to be heated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the peas and asparagus into the artichoke bowls.
Serve hot.

Notes

If baby asparagus is not available use the tips of regular asparagus.
Artichoke hearts are delicious, but are a lot of work. To cheat, purchase artichokes hearts at the grocery store. They are found in cans or in the freezer section. They may be available in cup form. If you wish to omit the cup part, simply defrost (if frozen) and dice the artichoke hearts and toss in butter with the peas and asparagus.
For a vegan option, omit the butter and use olive oil or a vegan, soy margarine.

By Matthew Robinson

beta

calories

238

fat

protein

11g

carbs

33g

The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/

Desserts

Raspberry Paris-Brest

2015-03-26 06:51:52

Serves 4

A delicious dessert with creamy raspberry cream.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

448g

Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 776

Calories from Fat 396

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 45g

69%

Saturated Fat 25g

127%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 13g

Cholesterol 401mg

134%

Sodium 260mg

11%

Total Carbohydrates 76g

25%

Dietary Fiber 8g

33%

Sugars 38g

Protein 19g

Vitamin A

35%

Vitamin C

51%

Calcium

26%

Iron

14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

For The Pastry

1 cup of milk
4 tbsp of butter
1/8 tsp of salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 cup of flour
4 eggs
4 tbsp of cream

For The Filling

1 lb of fresh or frozen raspberries plus extra fresh for garnish.
3/4 cups of milk
1/2 tsp of vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tbsp of corn starch

For The Whipped Cream

1 cup of whipping cream
1/2 tbsp of powdered sugar plus extra for sprinkling

For The Pastry

Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a medium pot, add the milk, salt, sugar and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
When the mixture is boiling, pour in all the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to low. Keep stirring until the dough comes off the side of the pan - about 1 minute. Keep stirring for another minute to cook the floury taste from the dough.
Turn off the heat.
Add one egg directly into the pot stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate the egg into the dough. After the egg is added, the dough will be clumpy and sticky, but will come back together when the egg is fully incorporated. Repeat this step until all the eggs are incorporated and dough is a thick paste. A stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a food processor can be used to incorporate the eggs instead of a wooden spoon.
Let the dough cool and transfer it to a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch plain or star piping tip or a plastic bag with a corner cut off and a piping tip inserted.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Draw 4 five inch circles on the parchment. Flip the parchment paper over so the dough does not touch the pencil lines. These circles will be a guide for piping the dough.
Pipe one circle of the dough around the pencil circle right on the line.
Pipe another circle just inside the first circle so they are touching.
Pipe a third circle of dough on top but between the first two circles.
Repeat until all four dough rings are made.
Using a pastry brush, brush the rings with cream.
Bake the rings in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until they are golden brown and have puffed up. To make sure they are as dry as possible, simply turn the oven off after baking and let them sit in the oven for another 20-30 minutes.

For The Filling

Place the raspberries in a blender. If they are fresh, a little bit of water may need to be added to help get the blending started. Blend the berries until smooth.
Pour the puree through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.
In a small pot, heat the milk, vanilla and 1/4 cup of raspberry puree until they are hot, but not boiling.
Separate the eggs reserving the whites for another purpose.
In a medium pot, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together until the mixture is pale yellow.
Slowly drizzle the hot milk mixture into the eggs whisking constantly. Turn the heat on to medium high. Continue whisking until the mixture boils and thickens. The mixture will be very thick and bubbly.
Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap so the plastic wrap touches the surface of the pastry creme so a skin does not form. Let cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For Whipped Cream

In a large bowl, add the whipping cream and 1/2 tbsp of powdered sugar. Using a hand mixer or a whisk, whip the cream to stiff peaks.

To Serve

Stir a small portion of the whipped cream into the raspberry pastry creme to loosen it. Gently fold the rest of the whipped cream into the pastry cream until the whipped cream is incorporated and the pastry creme is moussey. Take care not to over fold and deflate the filling.
Transfer the pastry creme (pastry creme + whipped cream is called Creme Legere) to a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch star piping tip or a plastic bag with a corner cut off and a piping tip inserted.
Slice the Paris-Brest pastry open horizontally in half. Set the top aside.
Pipe dollops of raspberry filling around the ring. Arbitrarily place a few fresh raspberries on top of the filling.
Replace the pastry top.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Serve!

Notes

The rings can be replaced with dollops of pastry dough making cream puffs. Spoon tablespoon dollops on to a parchment lined baking pan and bake as directed above. Cut the puffs in half and fill with cream.
The rings and raspberry pastry cream can be made a day or two ahead. The rings can be re-heated in the oven to dry them if they have become moist. The raspberry cream should be kept covered and refrigerated.
The whipped cream and the final filling should be made on the day of the meal.
The piping of the raspberry filling can be omitted by spooning it into the rings. Simply spoon and spread the raspberry filling around the ring and top with fresh raspberries.
For an even simpler filling, fill the pastry with strawberry, raspberry or your favorite ice cream and top with whipped cream.
For a vegan option, the milk can be replaced with water or coconut/soy/almond/rice milk. The whipped cream can be replaced with soy whipping cream. For the pastry creme, omit the eggs and increase the cornstarch to 1/2 cup and follow the directions as listed. For the pastry, change the butter to margarine. Add 1 tsp of baking powder. Omit the eggs and stir in 2 tbsp vegetable oil instead. Omit the cream or replace it with soy cream.

By Matthew Robinson

beta

calories

776

fat

45g

protein

19g

carbs

76g

The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/

Mocha Brigadeiro Truffles

2015-03-26 07:01:05

Yields 20

Delicious Mocha Brigadeiro truffles.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

20g

Yields

Amount Per Serving

Calories 65

Calories from Fat 19

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 2g

Saturated Fat 1g

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 7mg

Sodium 20mg

Total Carbohydrates 11g

Dietary Fiber 1g

Sugars 10g

Protein 2g

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Calcium

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Ingredients

1 cup of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1 tbsp butter
2 shots of strong espresso
powdered sugar or cocoa powder for dusting

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a small pan except the dusting ingredients.
Turn the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer whisking.
Whisk the mixture until it pulls away from the sides of the pot about 10-12 minutes.
Let the mixture cool until it can be handled.
With wet or buttered hands, roll the mixture into one inch balls.
Toss in powdered sugar or cocoa.

Notes

These truffles can be flavored in many ways. One way is simply by omitting the cocoa. It can be replaced with nuts, fruit piece, etc. The truffles can be rolled in sprinkles, coconut or nuts, too.

By The Brazilian Government and Matthew Robinson

beta

calories

fat

protein

carbs

11g

The Culinary Exchange http://www.theculinaryexchange.com/