Easter is steeped in tradition and as always, revolves around food. This time of the year typically marks the beginning of spring, daffodils and lighter nights. Should you prefer to tantalise the taste buds with something sweet, savoury or vegetables of spring, there are foods to appeal to all tastes.
A signature traditional food loved by all is the simple sweet hot cross bun, spiced with nutmeg and full of flavoured fruit. Traditional chocolate eggs and Easter bunnies galore, are high on the list of sweet options, for both adults and kids. In this post however, we look at a few ways to make the most of other seasonal produce.
Ways to use Eggs at this Time of Year
Savoury
Eggs can be used not only at breakfast, but also as an appetizer.
Amongst the savoury foods you could try are scotch eggs. Why not try to make your own? Use a good quality sausage meat from your local butcher. If you have no local butcher available, good quality sausages can be used from your supermarket, by just taking the skin off the sausage, and using the sausage meat to cover your egg. Add some spices to the meat, or jazz it up with a little fruit, eg. chopped apple or apricots.
This tastes great, try it!
Sweet
As an alternative desert, you could try making some meringue pots. Using the staple eggs for your sweet fix adding a little less on the waistline.
Simply add some ready-made custard to the bottom of a ramekin. Top with your favourite forest fruit and berries, chill for 1-2 hours. Before serving, whisk up your meringue to make a perfect topping. Grill for 1-2 mins until lightly browned and puffed up. This takes less than 20 mins plus chilling – a family favourite treat.
The Easter Dinner Meat
Spring leg of lamb, ham, pork and of course chicken, all popular meats used for Easter dinners.
For an interesting twist, spice up your meat with tasty combinations of fresh fruit, a combination of pears, apricots and citrus fruits. How about adding herbs, such as mint, cloves and ginger? Try to be adventurous and throw in some toasted almonds.
Maximize the flavours in your ham dishes by incorporating orange juice and marmalade with mustard.
Goat Meat
Another popular meat not so readily promoted in your local supermarket is Goat meat. You can find goat meat for sale at farm shops and local butchers. You may feel apprehensive of trying something different, but don’t be intimidated by trying something new! There are many Goat recipes to experiment with online to expand your culinary skills.You can try a braise a goat shoulder, try a goat stew, biryani or goat curry.Curried goat is most commonly known dish, mainly used in Jamaican cookery. With a little preparation the night before using a slow cooker, this is the perfect solution for a hearty meal at the end of the following day. The aroma of your evening meal will permeate the air as you walk in the door, after a busy day at work, perfect for the all of the family!