Char’s Easter Feasting Menu

Celebrate Spring with this spectacular (if I do say so myself) Easter Feasting menu! In true ‘Char fashion’, recipes are delicious, doable, nutrient-dense and use mostly pantry staple items. No doubt your family & friends will devour these dishes.

Note: all recipes are gluten-free with the exception of the bulgur salad. For a gluten-free dish, use quinoa or basmati rice instead of bulgur.

Spiced Carrot & Cashew Soup

The addition of fresh ginger, orange zest, garlic and chili flakes at the end of cooking (before pureeing) really enhanced the flavour of this hearty and good-for-you soup.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
• ½ tsp (2 mL) each of salt and ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) ground cardamom
• 4 cups (1 L) chopped carrots, well washed (skin left on)
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) raw cashews
• 6 cups (1.5 L) vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated orange zest
• 1 clove minced garlic (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) chili flakes

Garnish

• Swirl of 35% cream (or sour cream), chopped fresh mint and chili flakes (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium heat.
2. Cook onion for about 3 minutes, stirring, until lightly brown.
3. Add maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom and stir until spices are fragrant (a few seconds).
4. Add carrots, cashews and vegetable stock, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pot (using a wooden spoon) while stirring.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes (until carrots are fork tender). Remove from heat.
6. Stir in ginger, orange zest, garlic and chili flakes. Cool slightly.
7. Using an immersion blender (or stand up blender), puree soup in batches.
8. Reheat soup. Garnish each portion evenly with cream, chopped fresh mint and chili flakes.
9. Makes about 8 cups (2 L).

Delicious & Doable Tip

~ Double batch and freeze half. Perfect for those soup-and-sandwich kind of nights.

~ Add 1 cup (250 mL) drained and rinsed white kidney beans to soup instead of cashews

Roasted Turkey Breast with Green Onion & Mint Pesto

If you find cooking a whole turkey too much fuss and/or perhaps you’re feeding a smaller crowd, I highly suggest roasting up one (or two) turkey breasts. Top each breast with my green onion & mint pesto for a flavourful, spring inspired main course.

~ click here for recipe

Roasted Rutabaga with Savoury Lemon Yogurt & Pistachios

I absolutely LOVE rutabagas! If you’re team rutabaga too, this recipe will not disappoint.
This dish works well using sweet potatoes or carrots too.

~ click here for recipe

Char’s Sweet Potato Mash with Caramelized Onions & Blue Cheese

When hosting gatherings I tend to lean toward setting the food up buffet style. This way folks can help themselves to exactly what their taste buds are craving. This dish is always a hit with my friends’ taste buds = less dishes for me as this platter is always scraped clean!

If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, use crumbled goat cheese or Brie cheese instead (see tip at bottom of recipe).

Ingredients

• 3 lbs (1.5 kg) sweet potatoes, well washed and cut in cubes (leave skin on)
• ½ cup (125 mL) milk
• ¼ cup (60 mL) butter
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
• ½ tsp (2 mL) pepper
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) each of: ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil.
2. Cook until fork tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and place back in the same pot you boiled them in.
3. Add remaining ingredients. Using a potato masher, mash until desired consistency.
4. Place in a casserole dish and set aside while making caramelized onions.

Caramelized Onions

This homemade condiment is an absolute favourite of Colgan’s (my yongest son). He loves them as a mashed potato topper (with a massive dollop of sour cream).

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
• 4 cups (1 L) thinly sliced white onion
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) each of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh rosemary
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) fresh cracked pepper

Garnish

• 2 oz (60 g) crumbled blue cheese
• ⅓ cup (75 mL) each roughly chopped almonds and chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add onions and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until very soft and starting to lightly brown.
3. Add vinegar and brown sugar. Cook, while stirring (being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon) for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are soft and caramelized.
4. Remove from heat and stir in rosemary and pepper.
5. Scatter onions evenly over hot sweet potatoes.
6. Garnish evenly with crumbled blue cheese, almonds, and parsley.
7. Serve immediately.
8. Makes 8 servings as a side dish

Delicious & Doable Tips:

~ Recipes halves well if feeding a smaller crowd, but leftovers are delicious, and they freeze well too!
~ Don’t fancy blue cheese? Use Brie or crumbled goat cheese instead

Bulgur, Sweet Pea, and Fennel Salad with Shaved Parmesan Cheese

This salad makes a perfect side dish for any Spring and/or Easter gathering (it doubles well too, if you’re hosting a large crowd). Or, serve with a piece of grilled chicken or salmon for a simple weeknight supper – any leftovers can be packed up for lunch the next day.

Maple Lime Dressing

• finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
• 2 tsp (10 mL) maple syrup
• 1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
• ½ tsp (mL) each of salt and pepper

Salad

• ½ cup (125 mL) bulgur
• 1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas, thawed
• 1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced (or diced)
• ½ cup (125 mL) chopped green onion
• ½ cup (125 mL) dried cranberries (or sliced dried apricots)
• ½ cup (125 mL) roughly chopped (or torn) fresh mint leaves
• ½ cup (125 mL) grated parmesan cheese

Garnish:

• ½ cup (125 mL) shaved parmesan cheese (I like to use a vegetable peeler)
• ¼ cup (60 mL) each of frozen peas (thawed) and chopped fresh mint
• Drizzle of quality olive oil

Directions

1. Whisk together dressing ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
2. Cook bulgur according to package directions. Cool completely.
3. Toss bulgur with remaining salad ingredients and reserved dressing until well combined.
4. Place on serving dish and garnish evenly with additional cheese, peas, mint and drizzle of oil. Serve immediately.
5. Makes about 6 cups (1.5 L).

Delicious & Doable Tip:

~ if making this salad a day in advance: add peas and grated parmesan cheese right before serving. Be sure to toss salad well and taste for seasoning – it might need a bit more salt if refrigerated overnight.

Black Bean Brownie Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting & Mini Eggs

If you have followed me for any time, you know I’m a huge fan of canned beans. They are one of my favourite pantry staple items! If you have never tried my black bean brownie cake, you’re in for a real treat (literally & figuratively).

Tip: I find the easiest way to crush mini eggs is to hit the unopened bag (or place eggs in a resealable bag) with a rolling pin. For this recipe, I like the eggs to be roughly crushed (as seen in pictures below) – so you can see the fab pastel colours of the eggs. Great way to let out frustration too…hahaha!! Place bag on a tea towel (on countertop or flat surface) then hit the bag a few times with rolling pin (the tea towel will protect your countertop).

Black Bean Brownie Cake

Ingredients

• 1 (540 mL/19oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup (60 mL) softened butter
• 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
• ½ cup (125 mL) quality cocoa powder
• ½ cup (125 mL) dark chocolate chips
• ½ cup (125 mL) brown sugar
• ¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
• ½ tsp (2 mL) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
2. Place beans in a bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until roughly chopped.
3. Add eggs, butter, and vanilla and pulse until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down sides of the bowl when needed.
4. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until batter is very well combined.
5. Pour batter into a 9-inch round springform pan (or cake pan) lined with parchment paper and greased on sides.
6. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly.
7. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 6 oz (180 g) cream cheese, softened (about ¾ ‘s of a brick of cream cheese)
• ¼ cup (60 mL) icing sugar
• ½ cup (125 mL) 35% whipping cream
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• ½ cup (125 mL) Mini Eggs, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Beat together cream cheese and icing sugar on high speed for about one minute until light and fluffy.
2. In a separate bowl, beat cream until still peaks form.
3. Add cream cheese mixture to bowl with whipped cream. Add vanilla and salt. Beat until just combined.
4. Fold approximately half of the crushed mini eggs into the cream mixture. Dollop mixture over cake in a rustic mound – leaving about 1-inch of cake showing. Garnish top with remaining roughly chopped mini eggs.
5. Makes 8 servings.