Easy Easter Dinner – Stress Free Plan!

Easter is coming up, and typically, that means a family gathering with food. Maybe this is your first year hosting or you have always found family dinners to be a bit of an ordeal. I tend to freak out over planning them and usually try to do too much. Experience has taught me that sometimes less really is more. Especially if you want to enjoy time with your family and not regret you invited them over!

So here is my idea of an Easy Easter Dinner.

• Lamb Chops – Season with olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic and rosemary on both sides and preheat your broiler on high for 5 minutes. Pro-tip: leave your oven door open while broiling to keep your oven's thermometer from turning itself off. Broil chops 5 minutes then flip them and broil them for another 3-5 minutes or until the center is pink. 

Don’t have a broiler pan? Get one at www.cheftools.com/broilerpan.

• Brussel sprouts – Season with olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Cut off the brown ends of the brussel sprouts and then slice them in half. Place in a baking dish into a preheated 400°F oven. Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring with tongs halfway through for even cooking. 

Don’t have a baking dish? Get one at www.cheftools.com/le-creuset-baking-dish.

• Potatoes – Cut potatoes into 1 to 1-1/2 inch chunks and place in salted water that just covers the potatoes and bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes until they are fork tender. Drain potatoes. Place potatoes in a bowl, mash them and add butter and milk until desired creaminess. Salt and pepper to taste. Pro-tip: do not over mash the potatoes or they will become gluey instead of creamy. 

Want lump-free mashed potatoes? Try this RSVP Potato Ricer here: www.cheftools.com/potato-ricer.

• Chocolate Easter Egg Nests – Thanks to The Curvy Carrot for this easy dessert that you can make ahead of when your family is to visit. Need a muffin tin to set these nests? Get one here: www.cheftools.com/muffintins

Enjoy your time with your family and have a wonderful Easter dinner!

Stunning glassware on sale at Cheftools.com. Add to your serving dishes for Easter & stay on budget!

Donuts for Easter

Besides a basket of candy, the one thing I used to look forward to on Easter Sunday morning when I was a kid was donuts. My family would gather at my grandmother’s house after church and my uncle Joe would bring over a couple of boxes of Munchkins (donut holes) and donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts. The Munchkins were for the kids, the donuts for the adults; when my cousins and I grew up (we’re talking 8, 9, 10), we graduated to full-size donuts.

I hated the powdered, lemon-filled ones, but loved Boston kreme. I used to stuff chocolate Munchkins in a mug full of hot milk and eat with a spoon. The standard vanilla glazed donuts were my favorite, and I can still feel the dryness of the plain old-fashioned variety.

So, when I was checking out Brandi Henderson’s blog (she’s the pastry chef at Delancey, an excellent Seattle pizza place), I Made That, all those Easter donut memories came rushing back. Except, her donuts look a lot fresher and more delicious than the fast food ones I used to eat.

I’ve made donuts at home before, but, unlike her, never used yeast in the batter, which is probably why they turned out more like a fried cookie than a cakey donut. I really like how she lets the donuts rise on a baking sheet – think of all the delicious little caverns created by taking that one little (totally genius) step. Her recipe seems so simple, so delicious – I might even spring for a sprig of vanilla bean.

I’m going to attempt Brandi’s recipe this Easter. I’ll probably have to make a dozen, at least, because I’m going to a friend’s house for lunch. It’s very important to have a hole in the donut large enough so that you can hold the thing while dunking in coffee. So, I’ll be using this Ateco doughnut cutter for speed and consistency. And, of course, a big, sturdy wire strainer to move the donuts in and out of the oil, like this one from Helen Chen.

Now, if I could just get Dunkin’ Donuts to ship me a couple of liters of fresh coffee, I’d be able to re-live my childhood Easters.