Bring Spring to the table

Eggs and lamb are the traditional table signs of spring, clear signals of new life. So along with Spring green, here are a few ways--some flour free-- to celebrate traditional rebirth rites of Spring: Easter and Passover with enough color for Hindu Holi. Coming next: Make it with maple--syrup, because now is the tapping time when it's fresh. Many farms have been open to the public to see the process.

Smoked Salmon Stuffed Eggs

Flour free, gluten free fabulously fancy first course or brunch buffet item or cocktail companion that's ridiculously easy to whip up and memorably tasty.

8 eggs (1 per person)

4-5 scallions, trimmed and minced

1 tbsp chopped fresh chives

2 tsp drained capers

3 slices smoked salmon cut into bits

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

½-1 tsp prepared horseradish, depending on your taste

¼ c whipped cream cheese, crème fraiche or sour cream

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

pinch of paprika

Boil the eggs 10-12 minutes. Drain, cool and carefully peel. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the yolks. Put them in a food processor, chopper, blender or mixing bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for a bit of the dill or chives held out for garnish. Process into a smooth pate/puree.

  Fill the egg whites with the pate and cover the white edges entirely so nothing shows but the filling. Arrange the eggs on a serving platter and garnish with a pinch of paprika and sprinkle of chives or dill. For color intersperse cherry tomatoes or olives or both. NOTE: The purple in the photo is chive flowers.

Spanish Meatless Soup of Chickpeas, spinach and hard boiled egg

This sort of hearty soup, meat and fish-free, has traditionally been served during Lent, right up to Easter Day, and on meatless Fridays in the very Catholic country of Spain. It's part of my growing can of chickpeas collection.

Serves 6

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (1/4 c + 2 tbsp)

4 slices (1/4 pound) French bread

3 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped or ½ c boxed chopped tomatoes

2 tsp paprika

2 c cooked canned chickpeas, rinsed

1 lb baby spinach washed well and coarsely chopped

1 lb boiling potatoes peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

½ c dry white wine

2 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 c water or vegetable broth for richer soup

3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tbsp pine nuts

¼ c finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Pinch of saffron

1 large hard-boiled egg, chopped

In a soup pot or flameproof casserole, heat ¼ c olive oil over medium heat, then cook the bread until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove bread, rip into smaller pieces, and douse with the vinegar.

To the same pot, add 2 tbsp olive oil, heat, then add onions, tomatoes and paprika. Over medium/low heat cook into a thick sauce, 10 - 12 minutes.

Add the chickpeas, spinach, potatoes, wine, salt, pepper, and water/broth. Turn the heat to high, and once the spinach wilts and the broth is beginning to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes.

Add the garlic, pine nuts, parsley, fried bread and saffron and blend. Remove from heat and top with the hard-boiled egg. Let the soup rest 10 minutes before serving.

Keftiki, Greek roasted lamb and potatoes

You start this the night before to get the lamb marinated and you have to cook it half the day, but not tend to it at all while it's in the oven. So it isn't complicated or very very time consuming. This is a real meat and potatoes way to show off Spring lamb--if you can't get Spring vegetables. 

serves 8

6 garlic cloves

1 tbsp dried oregano leaves

1 tbsp rosemary leaves

3 lemons, zest of one, juice from two

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ c olive oil

4½-5 lb leg of lamb

2¼ lbs waxy potatoes (In Europe favored type is yellow flesh Desiree)

2 lg red onions, peeled and cut half, then half again (wedges)

5 bay leaves

Optional yogurt sauce below

Crush together the garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt using a pestle and mortar or small chopper. Add the herbs, lemon zest, cinnamon, a few grinds of fresh black pepper and blend. Stir in 2 tbsp of olive oil.

Using a sharp knife, create 2-3” deep holes all over the lamb, and rub in this paste, pushing it down. Wrap the lamb tightly in tin foil or a food bag or plastic container. Before closing it up, pour the lemon juice all over the lamb. Tighten the enclosure, put it in the fridge and let the lamb marinate overnight.

The next day, an hour before you want to cook it, take the lamb out of the fridge. Heat oven to 325º.

Line the base of a large lidded heavy oven proof casserole dish (or line a roasting pan with two layers of parchment paper large enough to fold together over the top of both sides – you’ll probably need two pieces at right angles). Peel potatoes and cut in wedges. Line the bottom of the cooking vessel with the cut potatoes and onion. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt and the last of the olive oil over them. Pour any juice around the lamb into the pan. Place the lamb itself on top. Add 1 c water and seal the lamb in by folding up the parchment or by closing the lid on the casserole (to make sure it is really tight you can slide a piece of moist parchment on top of the pot before putting the lid down). Roast 4 ½-5 hours. The lamb should be very tender.

Remove pan from the oven. Raise the oven temperature to 400º. Unwrap or uncover the lamb (scrunch down the parchment on each side) and baste the lamb with the juices in the bottom. Return to the oven for 20 minutes to brown. Remove the lamb from the pan, wrap in foil and let it rest. Remove bay leaves and discard them.

Stir the onions and potatoes to flip and return the pan to the oven 15 minutes so they brown. Remove and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

While the potatoes brown, you can make the optional yogurt sauce:

1 c thick Greek yogurt (plain)

2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ c chopped fresh mint leaves

Whisk everything together and pour into a gravy or spouted serving bowl.

To Serve: slice the lamb and lay on a serving platter with the roasted potatoes and onions. Pour the pan juices on top. Serve with yogurt on the side.

Creamy Rice pudding with lemon
This is one of my oldest most beloved recipes and it's served with a twist that's perfect for Easter egg celebrating. sorry no photo: I was making this long before cameras were a necessary kitchen tool and didn't have time to get a batch for this post.
serves 6

1/2 c white rice
1/2 c dark raisins
1 qt milk (obviously whole milk will make a richer pudding but it's your choice here)
4 egg yolks (save the whites for something else like meringue cookies or omelet)
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/4 c powdered/confectioner's sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lemon, zest of it all
1/4 tsp ground nutmegish: 8 canned apricot or peach halves very well drained and dried1 c fr
1 tsp vanilla extract
to garnish: 8 canned apricot or peach halves very well drained and dried
1 c freshly whipped cream

In a small saucepan with 1/2 c water, parboil the rice and raisins 5 minutes. Drain.
In a med/lg heavy pot, scald the milk. (This means heat it quickly just until it starts to bubble at the edges and a skin forms.) Add the rice and raisins. Over low heat cook 45 minutes stirring occasionally to nothing sticks to the bottom. While that's happening, whisk the granulated sugar and cinnamon into the egg yolks. Put the powdered sugar through a sieve to remove its lumps.
Carefully whisk the egg yokes into the milk mixture followed by the powdered sugar. Stir in the lemon zest and vanilla extract and 1/2 the nutmeg. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until the pudding is thickening significantly. (It will thicken more as it cools.)  Immediately put it into a large shallow serving bowl and level the top. Sprinkle the remaining nutmeg over the top.
To serve: spread a layer of freshly whipped cream across the top and nestle the dried fruit halves cut side down in it to create the look of sunny side up eggs!

Chocolate Dried Fruit Torte
Gluten and flour free and full of beans (chocolate is a bean!). This is ridiculously simple to pull together and ridiculously rich. You can only eat a tiny bit at a time so it goes a long way. It also lasts a long time in the fridge. And what a gift if you're invited to someone else's celebration!

serves 12 with small wedges

¾ c dark chocolate, best quality
½ c unsalted butter (1 stick)
4 eggs
A pinch of salt
½ c dried apricots, chopped
½ c figs, chopped

1/4 c dried cherries
I tbsp orange zest (minced) or 1/2 tsp orange flower water

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 c shredded coconut
Optionally: cocoa powder, to dust before serving

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a    " round baking dish or pie plate with parchment, enough to come up over the sides.

In a double boiler/bain marie, with barely simmering water in the lower pot, over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter slowly. Remove from heat. Whisk in the eggs, then salt, dried fruits, zest and spices. Blend until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle coconut all over the top.

 Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until it is firm. Leave to cool in the pan. 

Remove from pan by pulling up on the parchment. Slide the torte onto your serving dish and dust with cocoa powder to serve.