Easter Dinner

The Menu

• Herbed Lamb
• Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and Red-skinned potatoes
• Spring salad with roasted beets, pinenuts, goat cheese and avocado
• Asparagus drizzled with olive oil and roasted garlic
• Strawberries and pineapple dipped in chocolate
• Zeppole
• Hazelnut lamb cake with ice cream

Zeppole

Vegetable oil Coconut oil 1 pound prepared pizza dough 1 cup of heavy whipping cream 1 cup Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips Pour equal parts of vegetable oil and coconut oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Open the dough tube but don't roll out the dough.  Cut the dough into rounds about a half inch thick or so. When the oil is hot, working in batches, fry the doughnuts until they puff but are still pale, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the doughnuts to paper towels to drain. Cool slightly. Cool the fried doughnuts to room temperature. Stir milk chocolate and  whipping cream in a heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until the chocolate melts. Set aside until the chocolate sauce comes to room temperature but does not set. Dip 1 side of each doughnut into the chocolate mixture. Spring mix salad with Beets and Goat Cheese 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 3 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 medium beets, cooked and quartered 9-12 cups fresh Spring mix, depending on how large your family is 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted,  1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed 3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Whisk the vinegar, garlic, and honey in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss the beets in a small bowl with enough dressing to coat. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the beets are slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Set aside and cool. Toss the spring mix and pine nuts in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Arrange the beets around the salad. Sprinkle with the avocado and goat cheese, and serve.

These two recipes are variations of recipes found in Giada's Family Dinners.  Recipes for the Roasted Lamb and the Hazelnut Lamb Cake are at the 4Reallearning Forum.

Comments

[stef]

wahoo!!!! another Catholic homeschooling mom joins the food blog world:D! looking forward to your posts, elizabeth, esp. since we're food blogging from opposite perspectives (you can't eat some of the things you prepare for your family -- and i can eat what i can't prepare for them LOL).

[Theresa]

Wow! Sounds yummy! How do you do it? I am so impressed! Glad to have a place to find some good recipes, should I ever have the courage (and energy) to move beyond chicken and pasta!

[Meredith]

These recipes look so yummy I can't wait to try the Zeppole, it sounds amazing!

[Rebecca]

Elizabeth, would you mind sharing how you prepare the herbed lamb? I have wanted to make lamb but haven't found a way that everyone seems to like.

[Elizabeth Foss]

Rebecca,
The lamb recipe is on the first page of this thread:
http://4real.thenetsmith.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3995&PN=2&TPN=1

It's awesome! I marinated for almost 48 hours and it was worth every minute.