The Easter Celebration Menu

Many of you have been waiting to see what I have planned for the Easter Celebration Menu, so I will get right to it.  I have put a lot of thought into the dinner selections in an effort to first, maintain simplicity and second, meet the needs of many. Notice that I said many, not all, although all is the real goal. I believe I have achieved meeting the needs of all, with out going overboard and keeping some flavor.
 

The Easter dinner celebration menu will consists of a whole smoked turkey, crispy fried salmon steaks with a balsamic sauce and very thinly sliced rosemary ham. No, I didn't forget that we have some people coming to dinner that don't want to see any pork, so I will hide the ham from them in the kitchen in one of the ovens that has cooled down. If you want ham, you know where it is. Once I decide on meat selections, then I began building the remainder of the meal. In this case, I choose staples that family members love and items kids would eat just in case they decide to skip the meat. Macaroni and cheese and a onion and herb roasted fingerling potato will support the meat family. Now, the vegetables are very important also, I look to compliment the meat and starches and also satisfy taste buds.  In my family, I cannot seem to get away from preparing greens of some sort, so, we will have kale greens, broccoli and green beans. Yes, smoked turkey will be used to season the kale greens and green beans as it provides great flavor. Let me say it here, and forever more, if you don't have any flavor, what's the point in eating!

Dinner rolls and deviled eggs will round out the Easter dinner celebration menu. But wait, what about dessert? I thought you would never ask...here again simplicity and keeping it light is the key. I want something very specific for the kids for dessert and something to center the dessert table, so we will have a Bunny Cake (white Cake) decorated with icing, white chocolate shavings and jelly beans. The kids will love it! The adults will chose between the Pineapple Upside Down Cake and a Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd unless they decide to be a kid on Sunday and have the Bunny Cake.

There you have it, the Easter Day Celebration Menu!  It's been made simple, yet yummy for flavor, Happy Easter everyone!

Easter is Coming!

My, how time flies, Easter is just around the corner. Easter is a religious holiday celebrated by many, so it posses some challenges when you think about the time spent in the kitchen preparing for the holiday feast.

I will admit that I have not finished menu planning for the big day. What's the hold up? In years past, I did not have to be concerned with avoiding certain meat selections, but I do this year. We have some new members that have been added to the family and they don't eat pork, so no Honey Baked Ham this year. There also appears to be some preference for seafood and avoidance of eggs. Can you imagine, no eggs for Easter! So, I have been wondering exactly what to do to mix things up and stay in keeping with the spirit of the day.

I know one thing for sure, there will be dessert! Stay tune to see what's on Chef Donna's menu for Easter dinner.

What are you and your family doing for Easter and what's on the menu? Will you be dining in or dining out?

Mitchell's Fish Market Twin Lobster Tails or Sea Bass Shanghai Style

Mitchell's Fish Market specializes in seafood and prepares all 80 of their seafood dishes very well. Two dishes I want to recommend (because I have enjoyed both in the last couple of weeks) are the Twin Lobster Tails and the Sea Bass Shanghai Style.They both leave you wanting more. These dishes are prepared so well that you want to continue to revisit the flavors, texture and deliciousness of them over and over in your mind.

The sea bass is tender and flaky as it sits atop a bed of rice that is covered with a delicious fresh ginger sauce. Fresh spinach surrounds the sea bass and rice which is topped off with sesame seeds. The lobster tail will simply melt in your mouth as it is seasoned perfectly. A sea salt baked potato and asparagus accompany it. The lobster tail and the sea bass dishes have been cut in half to accommodate two people.

If you cannot eat in, call and order from the retail menu and prepare your own seafood dinner; I'm sure you will enjoy the fresh seafood from Mitchell's Fish Market.

Devil Eggs Weight Watchers Style

Devil eggs, Weight Watchers style, have a unique taste with unique ingredients. They are not your mama's devil eggs. Mama's devil eggs are smooth, creamy and flavorful. Let's face it, mama's devil eggs are down right fating with the addition of Mayo or Miracle Whip and in some recipes, both. Weight Watcher's devil eggs have eliminated the fat while incorporating texture and flavor from fresh veggies, which may take some getting use to.The addition of the veggies does add an interesting texture not of the norm and one could grow to love over time.

Since eliminating salt is a priority, the next time I prepare the recipe, I plan to finely chop three or four olives to add and eliminate the  one forth teaspoon of salt. Using a food processor to chop the veggies made the veggies finer and less chewy.If you are going to add veggies to your devil eggs, you might as well add veggies that you love, so feel free to change it up, but keep them finely chopped.

There are a few devil egg recipes on the weight watchers's site but only one will read with fat-free sour cream, deli style mustard and veggies (chopped celery, sliced carrots and thinly sliced scallions).

The recipe that follows is curdosty of  weightwatchers.com.

Ingridients:

8 large eggs

1/4 c celery, finely chopped

1/4 c carrots, shredded

2 Tbsp scallions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp fat-free sour cream

1 Tbsp light mayonnaise (Best Foods)

2 tsp mustard, deli-style

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper, ground

Place the eggs in a saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer; add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat and cook at a bare simmer, 12 minutes. Rinse under cold water and, when cool enough to handle, remove the shells.

Halve the eggs lengthwise. Place 4 whole yolks in a medium bowl and discard the remaining yolks. Chop 4 of the egg white halves and add to the bowl; mash well with a fork. Add the celery, carrot, scallion, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper; blend with a fork.

Spoon the filling into the hollows of the remaining 12 halves of whites, mounding to fill. Place on a platter, cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve cold. Yields 2 stuffed egg halves per serving. Enjoy!