For Easter Brunch, instead of :
-Eggs Benedict with Canadian Bacon and Spinach try the Spinach Tomato Frittata with avocado
-Crepes w/ sugary sauce try Whole Wheat Crepes with fresh fruit (maybe sweetened w/ xylitol or stevia)
-Pastries try Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon Pecan Scones
For Easter Dinner, instead of :
-Sugaring up your ham, try leaving the sugar packet off the ham and top it instead with dried cherry and caramelized onion sauce
-Potatoes Gratin try Sweet Potato Gratin
-Sugared carrots try a big spinach salad with strawberries, roasted almonds, fresh spring peas, fresh carrots and herbs topped with lemon olive oil dressing with garlic and chopped shallots.
-Easter Pie try Blueberry Cobbler
Spinach Frittata Recipe already posted
Whole Wheat Crepes
4 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
pinch salt
Stir flour and eggs together slowly. Gradually add milk and salt. Beat til lumps disappear; force through a sieve or strainer. Should be like heavy cream. Add more milk if necessary. Let set in fridge. 1 -2 hours. Then, heat crepe pan over high heat til a drop of water evaporates instantly. Brush w/ oil. Pour about 2 Tb. batter into pan and tip it so it covers the bottom. batter should cling to pan and begin to firm up almost immediately. Cook for a minute or so, turn for a few seconds and remove from pan. Chill at least 2 hours before filling. Keep covered tightly.
Blueberry Lemon Pecan Scones (from sweeten your life the xylitol way)
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tb. spelt four of whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup xylitol
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tb. unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup blueberries, frozen
1 egg, beaten
1 Tb unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup reduced sour cream
Optional:
Egg wash (1 egg beaten w/ 1 Tb. water)
1 Tb. xylitol
Thoroughly combine flour, xylitol, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in pecans, lemon zest, and blueberries. In a separate bowl, combine egg, applesauce, and sour cream, and stir into flour mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and lightly oil the top of the paper. Transfer the dough to the paper. Lightly flour hands and shape the dough into a 7" diameter round. Using a sharp knife that has been floured, cut the round into 8 wedges. If desired, brush top of scones with egg wash, and sprinkle with xylitol before baking.
Bake scones at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. These scones are best when served immediately after baking : makes 8 scones.
Glazed Ham with Dried Cherry Caramelized Onions (altered by me from foodreference.com)
Serves 10.
• 3 pound cooked boneless ham
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 5 medium onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 cup almonds, sliced or slivered and toasted
Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Place ham on rack in shallow baking pan. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a meat thermometer registers 140 degrees F. (about 15 to 18 minutes per pound).
Meanwhile, for glaze, in a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons agave nectar, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon mustard. Brush ham with glaze during the last 5 minutes of baking.
To caramelize onions, cook onions in a covered Dutch oven in hot butter over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until onions are just tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in 1/2 cup dried cherries, 1/3 cup cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons agave nectar and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom.
Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Stir in toasted almonds.
Slice ham; serve with onion mixture.
Sweet Potato Gratin (from myrecipes.com)
3
4
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Butter a 9- by 13-in. baking dish with 1 tbsp. butter. Arrange a third of the sweet potatoes, overlapping slightly, in the dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat with two more layers of sweet potatoes and cheese.
2. In a small bowl, combine cream, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Pour over potatoes. Dot with the remaining 2 tbsp. butter. Cover dish with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until sweet potatoes are tender and top is browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine cream, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Pour over potatoes. Dot with the remaining 2 tbsp. butter. Cover dish with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until sweet potatoes are tender and top is browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
1/2 cup xylitol
2 Tb. arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tb. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tb. unsalted butter
Recipe for 9" pie crust
Combine xylitol, arrowroot, cinnamon, and nutmeg; add blueberries, stirring until coated. Spoon blueberry mixture into a buttered 8" square baking dish. Sprinkle lemon juice over berries, and dot with butter. Roll pastry out 1/8" thick; trim pastry dough to fit an 8" square baking pan. Place pastry over blueberries, and seal edges to sides of dish. Cut several 1" long slits in pastry. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Yields: 9 servings
Whole Wheat 9" Pie Crust
1 cup spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour
3/8 tsp. salt
5 Tb. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 - 3 Tb. ice water
Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Cut butter in until mixture is texture of coarse meal. Sprinkle 1 Tb. of water at a time over flour mixture, and mix lightly with a fork after each addition until pastry is just moist enough to hold together when pressed between fingers. Shape the pastry into a flattened disc, cover with plastic wrap, and shill for 30 minutes. Roll pastry between two sheets of wax paper until pastry is desired size. Refrigerate briefly; remove wax paper and fit pastry into pie plate.
Happy Eating and Happy Easter!!
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