For me, Easter is an excuse to cook something different

On the menu this evening:

Braised lamb shanks, brown rice and steamed fresh broccoli.

We bought the broccoli from local farmers at the vegetable stand yesterday.
(We also bought some new potatoes, but those are always good to have on
hand.) Now I'm thinking we probably should have stopped at the grocery
store and bought some dinner rolls. Oh well, they'll be open; there's still
time

Growing up, we didn't have dessert after every meal. Even on holidays it
was hit or miss, so I don't even think about it, much less plan for it. But
I know lots of people who are used to having dessert after a meal, so don't
let me stop you! If I were into desserts I'd want something light and
refreshing. Lemon meringue pie? Or maybe just some chilled mixed fruit.
<shrugs>

Is there anything special on your menu today? Lamb? Ham? BBQ?

Jill

On Sun, 8 Apr 2012 08:40:08 -0400, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

> For me, Easter is an excuse to cook something different
>
> On the menu this evening:
>
> Braised lamb shanks, brown rice and steamed fresh broccoli.
>
> We bought the broccoli from local farmers at the vegetable stand yesterday.
> (We also bought some new potatoes, but those are always good to have on
> hand.) Now I'm thinking we probably should have stopped at the grocery
> store and bought some dinner rolls. Oh well, they'll be open; there's still
> time
>
> Growing up, we didn't have dessert after every meal. Even on holidays it
> was hit or miss, so I don't even think about it, much less plan for it. But
> I know lots of people who are used to having dessert after a meal, so don't
> let me stop you! If I were into desserts I'd want something light and
> refreshing. Lemon meringue pie? Or maybe just some chilled mixed fruit.
> <shrugs>
>
> Is there anything special on your menu today? Lamb? Ham? BBQ?
>
Dessert is a party thing here. Today is a nice excuse to make dessert
and I know I won't have a lot of leftovers hanging around if I do
because dessert isn't a regular thing at anyone else's house either.

I had planned on grilling boneless leg of lamb until I got to the
grocery store and saw the horrific price, so I changed my mind. There
was an awesome fresh pork roast in the butcher case that went all the
way from the front to the back (one huge roast, at least 36" long) and
the butcher was willing to cut a 4-5 pound roast off of it for me, so
my plans changed from lamb to fresh pork roast.

I'm making a galette of apple, butternut squash, caramelized onions, a
little fresh orange juice and probably some sage; a salad of mixed
greens (heavy on the arugula), grilled pears, grilled endive, candied
walnuts and Cambozola cheese; I'll probably wrap bundles of asparagus
with prosciutto to roast too. Dessert will be individual coconut
trifles (using coconut macaroons and coconut milk) served in etched
champagne glasses. I may also make a chocolate pie where the crust is
shredded coconut and the filling is a version of ganache - but I
haven't decided for sure to do it yet. I'm only feeding 7 and I don't
want a week's worth of leftovers. Oh, I forgot the stuffed eggs - I
*steamed* a dozen eggs last night for that. Nobody will go home
hungry today, unless they want to.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Sun, 08 Apr 2012 08:35:37 -0700, sf > wrote:

snip- I
>*steamed* a dozen eggs last night for that. Nobody will go home
>hungry today, unless they want to.

How did the steamed eggs work out for You?? I remember that you had
problems with shelling hard cooked eggs recently.
Janet US

sf wrote:
>
> I'm making a galette of apple, butternut squash, caramelized onions, a
> little fresh orange juice and probably some sage; a salad of mixed
> greens (heavy on the arugula), grilled pears, grilled endive, candied
> walnuts and Cambozola cheese; I'll probably wrap bundles of asparagus
> with prosciutto to roast too. Dessert will be individual coconut
> trifles (using coconut macaroons and coconut milk) served in etched
> champagne glasses. I may also make a chocolate pie where the crust is
> shredded coconut and the filling is a version of ganache - but I
> haven't decided for sure to do it yet. I'm only feeding 7 and I don't
> want a week's worth of leftovers. Oh, I forgot the stuffed eggs - I
> *steamed* a dozen eggs last night for that. Nobody will go home
> hungry today, unless they want to.

I'll be having an 8oz Banquet frozen dinner (Sweet and Sour chicken).
I like your meal better.

Gary ;-o

On Sun, 8 Apr 2012 08:40:08 -0400, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>Is there anything special on your menu today?

We had a nice Easter brunch -- monkey bread, pigs in blankets,
strawberries, pineapple, and a egg, potato, and cheese casserole. I
think I'm going to cook some breakfast sausage and use that and the
rest of the casserole to fill some breakfast burritos for the freezer.

Tara

"jmcquown" wrote:

>For me, Easter is an excuse to cook something different
>On the menu this evening:
>Braised lamb shanks, brown rice and steamed fresh broccoli.

I wouldn't appreciate the lamb odor but I wish I could at least see
it... snap a few. After three days I'm tired of eating my spiral cut
ham so for dinner tonight I'm planning on this, never tried this
particular *stuffed* model befo
http://tinypic.com/r/15rk41i/5
I still have enough ham for a couple of healthy sandwiches, then the
meaty bone joins the other in the freezer for soup... I'm wondering
how cheesey ham potato soup freezes. The stone-agers should note the
perforated pan, far better baking results than the Flintstones
method... the flattened carton makes a good trivet, fast clean up. I
usually doctor these some, along with extra seasoning I may add some
diced ham to make it more Eastery eating. Happy Holidays!

On Apr 8, 5:40*am, "jmcquown" > wrote:
> For me, Easter is an excuse to cook something different
>
> On the menu this evening:
>
> Braised lamb shanks, brown rice and steamed fresh broccoli.
>
> We bought the broccoli from local farmers at the vegetable stand yesterday.
> (We also bought some new potatoes, but those are always good to have on
> hand.) *Now I'm thinking we probably should have stopped at the grocery
> store and bought some dinner rolls. *Oh well, they'll be open; there's still
> time
>
> Growing up, we didn't have dessert after every meal. * Even on holidays it
> was hit or miss, so I don't even think about it, much less plan for it. *But
> I know lots of people who are used to having dessert after a meal, so don't
> let me stop you! *If I were into desserts I'd want something light and
> refreshing. *Lemon meringue pie? *Or maybe just some chilled mixed fruit.
> <shrugs>
>
> Is there anything special on your menu today? *Lamb? *Ham? *BBQ?
>
> Jill

We always have dessert on holidays. I bought a huge container of
strawberries at Costco the other day, so I will be making biscuits
shortly for shortcakes. We will also have ham, potato salad, and
asparagus, plus a few other things I'm not privy to!

On 08/04/2012 8:40 AM, jmcquown wrote:
> For me, Easter is an excuse to cook something different
>
> On the menu this evening:
>
> Braised lamb shanks, brown rice and steamed fresh broccoli.

Leg of lamb here. My brother and his wife are coming for dinner. She
loves lamb but my brother hates it. I would have just passed him more
rolls and vegetables, but my wife is doing glazed peameal bacon for him.
Roasted potatoes, parsnip and carrots, and steamed Asparagus.
Chocolate eclairs for dessert.



> Growing up, we didn't have dessert after every meal. Even on holidays it
> was hit or miss, so I don't even think about it, much less plan for it.


Dessert was always part of a meal in our house. My mother was pretty
good baker and always had something good to top off the meal.

Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
> "jmcquown" wrote:
>
> >For me, Easter is an excuse to cook something different
> >On the menu this evening:
> >Braised lamb shanks, brown rice and steamed fresh broccoli.
>
> I wouldn't appreciate the lamb odor but I wish I could at least see
> it... snap a few. After three days I'm tired of eating my spiral cut
> ham so for dinner tonight I'm planning on this, never tried this
> particular *stuffed* model befo
> http://tinypic.com/r/15rk41i/5
> I still have enough ham for a couple of healthy sandwiches, then the
> meaty bone joins the other in the freezer for soup... I'm wondering
> how cheesey ham potato soup freezes. The stone-agers should note the
> perforated pan, far better baking results than the Flintstones
> method... the flattened carton makes a good trivet, fast clean up. I
> usually doctor these some, along with extra seasoning I may add some
> diced ham to make it more Eastery eating. Happy Holidays!

Don't forget to make some ham hash! Diced ham, onions, and potatoes. One
of my favorite leftovers for ham.

Gary

On Sun, 08 Apr 2012 09:41:06 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:

> On Sun, 08 Apr 2012 08:35:37 -0700, sf > wrote:
>
> snip- I
> >*steamed* a dozen eggs last night for that. Nobody will go home
> >hungry today, unless they want to.
>
> How did the steamed eggs work out for You?? I remember that you had
> problems with shelling hard cooked eggs recently.

To be perfectly honest, I steamed them so I wouldn't have that green
ring around the yolk, not because I believed steaming makes the
slightest bit of difference in the shelling. The ones I had trouble
with were too fresh. I bought fresh yesterday too, but I used the
eggs that had been in the refrigerator a few days - so I only had one
little gouge this time around. I spent the time perfecting my
shelling technique instead of prying the shells off one piece at a
time. Now I'm tapping each end, one tap in the middle and rolling to
craze the shell. By the time I finished, the shells were coming off
in two big pieces.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
...
> "jmcquown" wrote:
>
>>For me, Easter is an excuse to cook something different
>>On the menu this evening:
>>Braised lamb shanks, brown rice and steamed fresh broccoli.
>
> I wouldn't appreciate the lamb odor but I wish I could at least see
> it... snap a few.


I've never noticed any appreciable lamb odor from braising shanks. If I
think about it I'll take some pictures.

Yesterday we drove into town and walked around. I forgot to take my camera
along. We checked out some shops and some art galleries. We wound up
eating at a place called Panini's. What a great old building! (In the days
of Bonny & Clyde, it was a bank.) John had the fettucini alfredo (yeah,
yeah, there's no such thing, which explains why it's on so many restaurant
menus). I had shrimp & yellow grits in a "mediterranian style" sauce, that
is to say, tomato based.

> After three days I'm tired of eating my spiral cut
> ham so for dinner tonight I'm planning on this, never tried this
> particular *stuffed* model befo
> http://tinypic.com/r/15rk41i/5
>
I've never had a DiGiorno frozen pizza. I like Red Baron if I'm going the
frozen pizza route.

> I still have enough ham for a couple of healthy sandwiches, then the
> meaty bone joins the other in the freezer for soup... I'm wondering
> how cheesey ham potato soup freezes.

Hmmm, I would have to wonder about that, too. Leave the cheese out until
reheating?

Jill
Jill

Too late for us this year, but these just crack me up:

Hard to Find Eggs (colored and textured like grass, rocks, bark, and
soil):
http://www.amazon.com/Wonka-Hard-Fin.../dp/B004B9Q5JQ


Zero Gravity Eggs (loops and suction cups):
http://www.candywarehouse.com/occasi...-12-piece-bag/

Tara

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 08 Apr 2012 09:41:06 -0600, Janet Bostwick
> > wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 08 Apr 2012 08:35:37 -0700, sf > wrote:
>>
>> snip- I
>> >*steamed* a dozen eggs last night for that. Nobody will go home
>> >hungry today, unless they want to.
>>
>> How did the steamed eggs work out for You?? I remember that you had
>> problems with shelling hard cooked eggs recently.
>
> To be perfectly honest, I steamed them so I wouldn't have that green
> ring around the yolk, not because I believed steaming makes the
> slightest bit of difference in the shelling. The ones I had trouble
> with were too fresh. I bought fresh yesterday too, but I used the
> eggs that had been in the refrigerator a few days - so I only had one
> little gouge this time around. I spent the time perfecting my
> shelling technique instead of prying the shells off one piece at a
> time. Now I'm tapping each end, one tap in the middle and rolling to
> craze the shell. By the time I finished, the shells were coming off
> in two big pieces.

I never have problems with hard boiling eggs ( so long as they are not very
new) Into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil, boil for 6 minutes. Off
the heat and under a cold tap for 4 minutes!!! I roll them too which helps
to peel them easily. Of course, if they are very fresh .. all bets are
off

--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On 4/8/2012 8:06 AM, sf wrote:
>
> To be perfectly honest, I steamed them so I wouldn't have that green
> ring around the yolk, not because I believed steaming makes the
> slightest bit of difference in the shelling. The ones I had trouble
> with were too fresh. I bought fresh yesterday too, but I used the
> eggs that had been in the refrigerator a few days - so I only had one
> little gouge this time around. I spent the time perfecting my
> shelling technique instead of prying the shells off one piece at a
> time. Now I'm tapping each end, one tap in the middle and rolling to
> craze the shell. By the time I finished, the shells were coming off
> in two big pieces.
>

You could try cooling the eggs off rapidly after cooking. It works for
me. It was startling to see the bright yellow yolk the first time I did
it. It made a beautiful egg salad!

You can see both sublime and ridiculous Easter cakes on Cakewrecks
today.:

http://www.cakewrecks.com/

I love the little bunny tail sticking out of the tree trunk.

Tara

On Sun, 8 Apr 2012 21:59:24 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

> I never have problems with hard boiling eggs ( so long as they are not very
> new) Into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil, boil for 6 minutes. Off
> the heat and under a cold tap for 4 minutes!!! I roll them too which helps
> to peel them easily. Of course, if they are very fresh .. all bets are
> off

"Too fresh" was the problem last time and I made the mistake of
posting here looking for after the fact type tips. Of course I got
lots of advice that didn't address the issue at hand.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Sun, 08 Apr 2012 11:08:41 -1000, dsi1
> wrote:

> On 4/8/2012 8:06 AM, sf wrote:
> >
> > To be perfectly honest, I steamed them so I wouldn't have that green
> > ring around the yolk, not because I believed steaming makes the
> > slightest bit of difference in the shelling. The ones I had trouble
> > with were too fresh. I bought fresh yesterday too, but I used the
> > eggs that had been in the refrigerator a few days - so I only had one
> > little gouge this time around. I spent the time perfecting my
> > shelling technique instead of prying the shells off one piece at a
> > time. Now I'm tapping each end, one tap in the middle and rolling to
> > craze the shell. By the time I finished, the shells were coming off
> > in two big pieces.
> >
>
> You could try cooling the eggs off rapidly after cooking. It works for
> me. It was startling to see the bright yellow yolk the first time I did
> it. It made a beautiful egg salad!

I've done that, no significant difference AFAIC.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 8 Apr 2012 21:59:24 +0100, "Ophelia" >
> wrote:
>
>> I never have problems with hard boiling eggs ( so long as they are not
>> very
>> new) Into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil, boil for 6 minutes.
>> Off
>> the heat and under a cold tap for 4 minutes!!! I roll them too which
>> helps
>> to peel them easily. Of course, if they are very fresh .. all bets are
>> off
>
> "Too fresh" was the problem last time and I made the mistake of
> posting here looking for after the fact type tips. Of course I got
> lots of advice that didn't address the issue at hand.

Really I was responding to your comment about a green ring around the yolk.
As for ' lots of advice that didn't address the issue at hand', I never mind
that because there is often some snippet that I am pleased to have
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

sf wrote:

> I made the mistake of
> posting here looking for after the fact type tips. Of course I got
> lots of advice that didn't address the issue at hand.

You're famous for changing the subject yourself.

On 4/8/2012 11:35 AM, sf wrote:

> I'm making a galette of apple, butternut squash, caramelized onions, a
> little fresh orange juice and probably some sage; a salad of mixed
> greens (heavy on the arugula), grilled pears, grilled endive, candied
> walnuts and Cambozola cheese; I'll probably wrap bundles of asparagus
> with prosciutto to roast too. Dessert will be individual coconut
> trifles (using coconut macaroons and coconut milk) served in etched
> champagne glasses. I may also make a chocolate pie where the crust is
> shredded coconut and the filling is a version of ganache - but I
> haven't decided for sure to do it yet. I'm only feeding 7 and I don't
> want a week's worth of leftovers. Oh, I forgot the stuffed eggs - I
> *steamed* a dozen eggs last night for that. Nobody will go home
> hungry today, unless they want to.

That all sounds just so good and very creative! I hope everyone loved it!

I've never tried grilled endive before and it sounds lovely. Do you
have a recipe for your coconut trifles?

On Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:55:33 -0400, Cheryl >
wrote:

> On 4/8/2012 11:35 AM, sf wrote:
>
> > I'm making a galette of apple, butternut squash, caramelized onions, a
> > little fresh orange juice and probably some sage; a salad of mixed
> > greens (heavy on the arugula), grilled pears, grilled endive, candied
> > walnuts and Cambozola cheese; I'll probably wrap bundles of asparagus
> > with prosciutto to roast too. Dessert will be individual coconut
> > trifles (using coconut macaroons and coconut milk) served in etched
> > champagne glasses. I may also make a chocolate pie where the crust is
> > shredded coconut and the filling is a version of ganache - but I
> > haven't decided for sure to do it yet. I'm only feeding 7 and I don't
> > want a week's worth of leftovers. Oh, I forgot the stuffed eggs - I
> > *steamed* a dozen eggs last night for that. Nobody will go home
> > hungry today, unless they want to.
>
> That all sounds just so good and very creative! I hope everyone loved it!

Everything was fantastic, thanks... I did make that chocolate pie and
it was wonderful too.
>
> I've never tried grilled endive before and it sounds lovely. Do you
> have a recipe for your coconut trifles?

Here it is, I digressed from it just a bit. I substituted canned
coconut milk for cows milk, so I didn't have to use coconut extract
and I put vanilla extract, not coconut extract, in the yogurt layer.
I'm trying to remember if I put agave syrup in the yogurt layer and I
don't think I did.

Finding macaroons was quite an adventure. I went up and down the
cookie aisle a couple of times and couldn't find them, so I asked and
was directed to the bakery department. The clerk there looked at me
like I was crazy and led me across the store to the Jewish foods
section... well I'll be darned, there they were (on sale).

Coconut Cream Trifle
http://www.dinnersanddreams.net/2012...i-trifles.html

3 To 4 Servings Prep Time: 10 Min Cook Time: 5
Min

Ingredients:

4 large coconut macaroons

Custard

1 ¼ cups whole milk
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 tablespoons potato starch (or cornstarch - non-kosher)
½ teaspoon coconut extract

Yogurt Layer

1 ¼ cups Greek-style yogurt
2 ½ tablespoons agave syrup
¼ teaspoon coconut extract

Topping

2 tablespoons freshly toasted shredded coconut


Directions:

Chop the macaroons into ½-inch cubes.

Heat the milk in a saucepan, but do not boil it. Place the yolks,
potato starch (or cornstarch) and agave syrup in the bowl of an
electric mixer. Whisk until smooth. Add the warm milk to the egg
mixture and continue whisking until well combined. Place back in the
pan over very low heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until
the mixture thickens into custard. Remove from heat. Stir in the
coconut extract. Let cool a bit.

In a small bowl, stir the yogurt, agave syrup and coconut extract
until combined.

Assemble the trifles by dividing the chopped macaroons among four
small dessert cups. Add a layer of custard. Finish with a layer of
yogurt. Top with toasted coconut.

Refrigerate for 1 hour before eating.



--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.