Chilled Crudite Asparagus with Mustard Dill Sauce

This is a delicious side dish or appetizer!  

Make sure you have fresh asparagus.  No one likes chewy wooden spears to swallow!  You can often find good asparagus all year round, but the best time of year is April-May-think Easter.

image from here

1.  Boil asparagus spears in water 1 minute.  Immediately immerse in an ICE water bath.  *Note the time for boiling depends on Asparagus thickness.  You want to error on the side of boiling less.  The 1 minute boiling time is for thinner asparagus (which I prefer since it is less "woody").  Make sure your asparagus is FRESH--it makes a HUGE difference!

2.  You can serve immediately with sauce, or store in a plastic bag in fridge until ready to serve.  I LOVE THIS dish because it can be made ahead of time.

3.  Arrange asparagus on platter.  Before serving, squeeze 1/2 a lemon over asparagus.  Optional:  grind a little fresh pepper and sprinkle salt over asparagus. Serve with this delicious Dill Mustard Dip (recipe below).

Herb Dip:
1/2 c. fresh chopped Italian Parsley
1 tsp dill
2 tsp prepared mustard (dijon or regular)
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonaise
juice from one lemon (or more to taste)
freshly ground pepper

THE BEST Lemon Sour Cream Pie

 

Think Key Lime Pie---but better.  I actually think you could use a similar technique to improve the typical key lime pie!  I love how the sour cream and whipped topping reduce the strong acidic/sweet tones of the straight lemon or key lime pie.  If you love lemon desserts, this will win you over!

Image and Recipe from Here.  I've just made a few adjustments to the original recipe.  Also note that this works really well with a prepared 10" graham cracker crust which makes it even easier to make!  I actually prefer the graham cracker crust myself.

Ingredients

• 1 homemade pie crust , baked and cooled (or 10" graham crust)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
• 3 large egg yolks , lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup butter , softened
• Zest of one lemon , about 1/2 tablespoon
• 1 cup sour cream

For whipped cream topping:

• 1  1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• Zest from one lemon

Instructions

• Crack eggs in a small bowl, beat slightly with a fork and set aside. 
• In a large saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in milk and fresh lemon juice and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and bubbling.
• Reduce heat to low and cook for two more minutes. Add a spoonful of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and stir well. Repeat this process with two or three more spoonfuls of the hot mixture added to the egg yolks. (The goal is to temper the egg yolks so they don't cook when added to the hot saucepan.)  Poor egg mixture into the saucepan and stir well.  Remove from heat.
• Add softened butter and lemon zest and stir until butter melts completely. Allow mixture to cool and then stir in sour cream. Add filling to your pie shell.

For the topping:

• In a mixing bowl, beat heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer. While beating, add sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie filling. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
• Enjoy the best lemon sour cream pie ever!
•  Note:  If you want a stronger lemon taste, add 4-8 drops Doterra lemon essential oil.

Easter (Passover) Week Meal

 

A few years ago, I wanted to expand our Easter Week traditions.  This Passover, Easter, or Jerusalem Dinner has become a favorite tradition with our children.  They enjoy eating on the floor with pillows around them and eating with their fingers!  I know this is not "perfectly authentic" but it still makes for a memorable evening.  We gather pottery from around the house and various items that seem more time period appropriate.  We use a Mity Lite table (leave legs down) and rest in on some blocks or low boxes.  

We often couple this with some sort of devotional or spiritual thought.

Menu ideas:

Hard boiled eggs

Crudite Asparagus

Carrots

Haroset (apple, nut, cinnamon salad)

olives

cheese

tomatoes

cucumbers

pita bread/crackers/matzo crackers

white fish

horseradish

beans

grapes

dried apricots

fresh herbs

pumpkin seeds

Breakfast Bruschetta

No fancy recipe here, just a picture is enough :)  Top some buttered artisan toast with your favorite scrambled eggs (I like to put in some fresh parsley or chives), and top with fresh cherry tomatoes, ground pepper, and some pecorino romano cheese.  BAM!  You have one delicious, simple and yet FANCY meal!

Homemade Turtles or Homemade Rolo Treats

You may have eaten some version of this.  I think these are a GREAT treat for involving kids.  They can do all the unwrapping :)  I also love how easy it is to make these fit any holiday by changing the M&M colors, add a candy corn etc.  The ones piecture above are obviously for Christmas.

Ingredients:
1 bag Snyders waffle Pretzels
2 bags rolos (this will fill up one 11x17 cookie sheet packed tight edge to edge with pretzels)
M&M's (any kind!), toasted pecans or almonds, candycorn, etc.

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place pretzels on a 11x17 baking pan.
3. Top each pretzel with one Rolo, larger side faced-down.
4. Put in oven for 3 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and place one M&M (or desired topping) on top of each Rolo and push down slightly.
6. Let cool. **I put them in the fridge/freezer to speed up the cooling process.  I actually then keep them in the fridge because I just like to eat them cold as well.

Holiday M&M Salad

I have another food blog with "less healthy" recipes.  I have found I just can't keep up with two, so I'm going to slowly transfer those recipes to this blog.  

This special recipe 
was shared with me at a book club meeting.  The woman let us know that her husband probably married her for this recipe!  The title is sure to delight your children!  Make this for any fun holiday event.

Ingredients:
Many many bags of different M&M's
-Combine and mix together in a big bowl! (Pictured are pretzel, peanut, almond, peanut butter, and coconut "Easter" M&Ms)

Easter Cupcakes

We made these growing up, and now I make them with my kids.

Top your favorite cupcake recipe with frosting and coconut (to color coconut green, put some coconut in a Tupperware with a few drops of food coloring, top with a lid and shake and shake until evenly colored).  Add a few jelly beans and a pipe cleaner handle and poof you're done!