There have been requests for my menu for Easter Dinner. So, I am posting it here. (Warning: this is not vegetarian!)
Our family loves a good feast. We have a feast on Thanksgiving (turkey and all the trimmings and way too many pies), Christmas (ham and lots of yummies and more pie), and Easter.
Easter Dinner normally includes lamb, asparagus, and other side dishes. This year I am trying some new recipes – I will post the links to them, but I can’t tell you how good they are yet.
The menu:
Breakfast
Cinnamon Roll Bunnies (http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cinnamon-Roll-Bunnies)
Appetizers
Mustard Dill Tortellini Skewers (http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mustard-dill-tortellini-salad-skewers-10000001879924/)
Fruit tray
Veggie tray
Dinner
Garlic Roasted Lamb with Apple Mint Jelly
Steamed Asparagus with butter and parmesan cheese
“Everything Stuffing” (although it should be called dressing because it isn’t going inside anything) (http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/-Everything–Stuffing)
Roasted Fingerlings and Green Beans with Creamy Tarragon Dressing (http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-fingerlings-green-beans-with-creamy-tarragon-dressing-10000001723321/)
Apricot-Glazed Carrots (http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/apricot-glazed-carrots-10000000257693/)
Cheddar Bay Biscuits (this is a mix from Red Lobster)
Dessert
Hazelnut Cookies
Pie – flavor still to be decided
The Lamb Recipe
This is something I learned from a friend many years ago and I have adapted a bit.
Ingredients:
1 boneless leg of lamb
8-12 (or more) cloves garlic
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2-3 springs fresh thyme)
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary (or 4-5 springs fresh rosemary)
Method:
Start with a boneless leg of lamb. Remove it from any packaging but leave it in the string net holding it together.
Rinse it. Place it in the baking pan.
Peel several cloves of garlic (how many depends on how much you like garic and how big the lamb is. I try to include 8 -12 cloves)
With a paring knife make one crosswise cut (stab the knife into the lamb once then a second time perpendicular to the first cut) for each clove of garlic and press the clove into the hole you made. Repeat for each clove of garlic.
Rub the lamb with olive oil (2-3 tablespoons). Sprinkle with course ground sea salt, fresh ground pepper, thyme (~ 1 teaspoon), and rosemary (~ 1 Tablespoon). If you have fresh thyme and rosemary use 3 – 4 springs of each and place across the top of the lamb.
Roast in a 325 degree oven. I always have to look up the time (http://www.bhg.com/decorating/roasting-rules/?page=2) and it varies depending on the size of your lamb. You want to take it to an internal temperature of 145-170 and this will take between 2 and 4 hours. Use a meat thermometer to make sure. I usually stop the cooking at about 160.
When the internal temperature is reached, remove the lamb from the oven and let sit for a few minutes. Then slice and serve with mint jelly on the side.