Easter Brunch 

 

Celebrate Easter with Flair!

 

                   

                      Beef Eggs Benedict

 

Beef Tenderloin

3 pound, butt end, beef tenderloin, trimmed

2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

Mix all ingredients together except olive oil.  Once blended, add olive oil and mix well.  Rub all over beef tenderloin and place in a roasting pan.  Preheat over to 400 degrees.  Roast until beef reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees (about 45-50 minutes).  Remove from over and let rest 20-30 minutes.

Herbed French Bread

Fresh baked French bread loaf

4 tablespoons melted salted butter

1 teaspoon minced shallot

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme

Mix melted butter, shallot and thyme together in a small bowl.  Cut french bread into 3 1/2 inch sections.  Cut sections in half and brush on herbed butter.  Place herbed butter sides down in a large saute pan and brown over medium-low heat.  Turn over and brown bottom sides.  

Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg yolks room temperature

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup melted butter

Salt 

White pepper

In top of a double boiler over low heat beat egg yolks and lemon juice with a hand held mixer until thickened and double in volume.  Do not let water touch the top half of double boiler.  Slowly drizzle in butter, while beating until thickened.  Remove from heat. season with salt and white pepper and keep warm until ready to use.     

Makes about 1 cup.

Cook eggs in a saute pan to over-easy or over medium.  You want them to be runny.  Season with salt and pepper.  Square off eggs by using a sharp knife so they lay uniformly on top of the French bread slices.

Assembly:

Place an egg on top of each French bread slice.  Top with thin slices of beef tenderloin and finish with hollandaise sauce.  Season with fresh cracked pepper.  Serve.

 

Ham Crepes with Asparagus & Orange Sauce

6 cups chopped ham

1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

18 asparagus spears

olive oil

Garlic salt

Spiced Ham

Place chopped ham in a food processor and sprinkle evenly with thyme and ground clove.  Pulse 2-3 times to chop ham and mix.

Asparagus Preparation:

Snap the bottom ends off of each asparagus, brush with olive oil and then lightly season with garlic salt.

Bechamel Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups hot whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese 

Melt butter over medium low heat.  Add flour and whisk continuously until it becomes golden in color, 5-6 minutes.  Add milk in gradually, whisking continuously.  Cook for ten minutes and then stir in salt and nutmeg.  Remove from heat mix in white cheddar cheese and cover.  

Orange Sauce

1 cup orange marmalade

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

2 tablespoons water

Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium low heat while stirring.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Crepes

1 egg

1/3 cup whole milk

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons melted butter

Butter for cooking crepes

Pulse all ingredients together in a blender for about 15 seconds.  Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to allow bubbles to subside.  Coat a small non-stick pan with a little melted butter and heat over medium low.  Pour about 1 ounce of crepe batter into the center, swirling so the batter spreads out evenly.  Cook for 30 seconds and then flip and cook for 10-15 seconds.  Remove from pan and let cool.  Layer parchment paper between each one if stacking.  

Assembly:

Fill the center of each crepe with about 1/2 cup of spiced ham and spread out to both ends.  Follow with Bechamel cheese sauce and then top with 2 spears of asparagus per crepe.  Place in a lightly greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  If your asparagus are thicker than average bake about 5 minutes longer.  Let cool.  Brush with orange sauce and serve.

 

                   

Raspberry Citrus Punch

 

3 cups fresh raspberries

2 cups spring water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

3 cups sparkling water, Perrier or similar

Cheesecloth

Sieve

1 lime cut into rounds

1 lemon cut into rounds

Fresh raspberries for garnish

Fresh mint

Place raspberries and spring water in a medium sized sauce pan and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and mash the raspberries to release flavor.  While hot add sugar and honey and stir.  Let cool and add lemon and lime juice.  Line a sieve with cheesecloth and strain liquid into a bowl.  Make sure you squeeze all of the liquid from cheese cloth.  Pour juice into a pitcher and add sparkling water.  Fill pitcher with ice and let melt about 5 minutes to dilute.  Squeeze lemon and lime rounds on top and drop into pitcher.  Add fresh raspberries and mint.  Muddling or tearing the mint first will release more flavor.  Serve

 

  

Green Bean Casserole with Onion Rings

 2 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium garlic cloves chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh chopped oregano

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 cups sliced baby Portabella mushrooms

 

2 cups cold whole milk

1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups fresh green beans French cut

1 5.2 oz block Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

7 slices cooked bacon

 

2 tablespoons melted salted butter

3/4 cup Panko crumbs

Mix melted butter with Panko bread crumbs

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.  Add garlic and oregano and cook until garlic is lightly browned.  Add chicken stock and mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes.  

In a separate bowl whisk flour into cold milk.  Add to saute pan and stir continuously.  Add green beans and cook 2-3 minutes.  Add Boursin cheese, salt and pepper and stir.  Crumble bacon over the top and stir.  Pour into a shallow lightly greased baking dish, top with Panko crumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and arrange onion rings on top and bake another 3-5 minutes.  

Celery Seasoned Onion Rings

1 small yellow onion cut into rings

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Celery salt

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup bread crumbs

Safflower oil

In a medium sized bowl mix the flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon of celery salt.  Dip the onion rings into the flour mixture to coat and set them aside.  Beat the egg and milk together in a separate bowl.  Add the flour mixture and mix well.  Dip the onion rings into the batter and place them on a wire rack so excess batter cab drip off.  Place the bread crumbs on a plate and dip the battered onion rings into the bread crumbs to coat.  Fill a large frying pan with safflower oil and heat over medium.  Fry the onion rings until they’re la light golden color.  Place on a plate lined with paper towels, season with celery salt and let cool. 

 

 

Mini Potato Salad Bites

18 mini red or gold potatoes

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 strips cooked bacon

Olive oil

Garlic salt

Parmesan Reggiano Cheese

Green Onions

Place washed potatoes in a pot and cover with salted water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 12-15 minutes until almost done.  Drain and let cool.  Cut the tops off of potatoes and scoop out the insides using a 3/4 inch melon ball scooper and place in a medium sized bowl.  Mix scooped out potato with mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallots and salt.  Chop up 4 strips of bacon and mix in.  Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Fill each one back up with mixture using a spoon and top with Parmesan Reggiano Cheese.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cut the last 2 strips of bacon into match stick shapes and top potatoes with them.  Finish with sliced green onions and serve with sour cream.  

    

Pineapple Ginger Cake with Coconut Custard

 1 cup bread flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

2 tablespoons candied ginger, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

8-4.5 inch mini pie baking dishes

 

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Add milk and vanilla and mix.  Add pineapple and ginger and mix.  Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each mini pie dish by placing in microwave.  Place 3 tablespoons of batter on top of melted butter in the center of each mini pie baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove from oven and prepare custard.  

 Coconut Custard

 2 1/2 cups coconut milk

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons corn starch

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large egg yolks

Whisk coconut milk and whole milk together with corn starch.  Pour into a large sauce pan and heat over medium stirring continuously.  Stirring with a spatula and scraping the bottom back and forth will prevent burning.  Once hot add sugar and salt and stir until dissolved.  Temper in 3 eggs yolks by whisking in vigorously so eggs don’t scramble.  Bring almost to a simmer and remove from heat.  Pour hot over the top of each pineapple ginger cake, filling them to the rim.  Let cool.  

 Whipped Cream

 2 cups heavy cream

4 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Sweetened coconut flakes

Pineapple bits

Using a hand held mixer beat confectioners sugar into cream at a low speed.  Turn speed up to high and beat cream until stiff peaks form.  Dollop on top of cooled custard and top with pineapple bits and coconut flakes.