AN EASTER SUNDAY FAMILY FEAST

CREATING TRADITION STRENGTHENS FAMILY TIES

BY

ANNA MAY KINNEY

         Call me old fashioned; I believe that there is nothing healthier, for our bodies, minds and spirits, than to sit down to a homemade meal with family and friends. Sadly, we’re becoming a society of fast food junkies, seldom having the time to relax, sit down and share a good conversation while we leisurely enjoy a meal.

          Yes, it is quicker to throw something into the microwave or even faster to order in, but nothing makes the house smell more like HOME than something cooking in the oven.  If you plan ahead, it’s not hard to serve a fantastic Easter dinner, and then your family will have some of these fantastic mouth watering memories 

Here’s an easy to prepare feast that you can start preparing in stages. No need to bake, you can purchase a couple of packages of good dinner rolls from a bakery, place in oven for five minutes before serving. Being limited on space, I have posted the dessert on my website, it’s listed under This Week’s  on the Recipe page, I hope you enjoy. Have a Happy and Blessed Easter.

HONEY ROASTED HAM WITH CRANBERRY RELISH

1 large ready to eat ham (your favorite variety will do)

HONEY BASTE    1cup honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, heat in small saucepan till honey is liquefied. Baste ham with honey before placing into oven, bake at 350 degrees, basting every 15 minutes, until ham is lightly brown on the outside and heated thoroughly.

CRANBERRY RELISH

½ cup of cherry flavored brandy

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

2 cups dried cranberries

2/3 cup toasted, chopped, pecans (about 3 ounces)

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

In a medium, heavy saucepan combine cherry brandy, sugar and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, add dried cranberries stir in and reduce heat. Cover and simmer until cranberries are plump, about five minutes. Mix in orange peel and pecans. Season with salt to taste, cool and refrigerate. This dish can be prepared a few days ahead. Serve as with ham.

FIVE-BEAN SALAD WITH CHILI DRESSING

Prepare this dish up to 2 days ahead; it is best after being refrigerated for 24 hours.

¾ lb. dried white beans, cleaned

¾ lb. dried kidney beans, cleaned

¾ lb. dried black beans, cleaned

½ lb. cooked, but firm green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

½ lb. cooked, but firm yellow beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

DRESSING

3 minced garlic cloves

1 fresh or jarred jalapeno chilly, minced (wear rubber gloves and keep away from eye)

¼ teaspoon of coriander seeds mashed

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup olive oil

Soak and prepare all dried beans according to the directions on their package, keeping each bean separate until they are all cooked. Drain out liquid, reserving it for soups or other dishes. Place beans in large bowl.

Combine all ingredients in dressing, mix well and pour over cooked beans while they are still warm. Keep covered in refrigerator until ready to serve, tossing often. This salad is best served at room temperature.

MAPLE-GLAZED SWEET POTATOES WITH
PECAN TOPPING

4-5 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into ¼ inch-thick, rounds

2/3 cup of pure maple syrup

½ cup of chilled butter, cut into ½ -inch pieces

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup, packed, light brown sugar

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 13 X 9 X 2-inch glass baking dish.

Add yams to a large pot of salted boiling water, cook about 4 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water.

Arrange yams in prepared dish, overlapping slightly. Season with salt. Pour syrup over yams. Dot with 1/3 of the butter, cover and bake until yams are almost tender, about 30 minutes. In medium bowl, mix flour and brown sugar. Add remaining butter; rub with fingers until mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Mix in pecans.

Sprinkle pecan mixture over yams and bake until yams are tender, about 20 minutes. This dish can be prepared a couple of hours ahead and re-warmed uncovered in a 375°F. oven for 20 minutes.

How I love springtime, it means fresh fruit. This is one of my favorite spring desserts. The raspberries add that extra special touch. Early in the season, I use frozen apples and raspberries with fresh rhubarb. Fresh or frozen fruit works well.

RHUBARB-RASPBERRY-APPLE CRISP

Topping

¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup old-fashion oats

¾ cup (packed) brown sugar

1/3 teaspoon ground cloves

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons, room temperature butter

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

Filling

3  cups of apple, cut into 1/2 –inch pieces

2  cups of rhubarb, cut into ½ -inch pieces

2 cup frozen or fresh raspberries

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

For Topping;

In a medium size bowl, mix first 5 ingredients. Rub in butter until mixture begins to clump together, mix in nuts.

For Filling;

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine apples, rhubarb, raspberries, sugar, flour and vanilla extract, toss fruit to coat. Place mixture into a 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit. Bake about 45 minutes, until the fruit is tender when pierced with a knife and the topping is crisp. (if it appears to be browning to quickly, cover topping with aluminum foil. Cool 20 minutes and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

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