Easter Activities: Simple Easter Brunch

Potato, Proscuitto, and Gruyere Gratin

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 lb. Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup finely chopped leeks
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 lb. Proscuitto, diced
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add leeks to potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until potatoes are tender, about 3 – 5 minutes more. If necessary, add another tablespoon of oil to prevent potatoes from sticking to skillet. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Cut a wax paper round to fit the bottom of an 8-inch round baking pan. Butter bottom and sides of baking pan. Place wax paper in pan and butter top of wax paper.

Scatter garlic over bottom of prepared pan. Place 1/2 potato leek mixture in an even layer over bottom of pan. Scatter 1/2 prosciutto over potatoes. Scatter 1/2 cheese over top. Repeat layers with remaining potato leek mixture, prosciutto, and cheese. Whisk together cream, egg, salt and pepper until creamy. Pour evenly over top of ingredients in pan.

Bake for 40 – 45 minutes until top is golden brown and bubbly. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes to allow gratin to set. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Makes about 6 to 8 servings

To Make-Ahead: Prepare recipe as instructed one day before serving. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, set on a microwave-safe plate and heat. Transfer to a decorative platter and serve warm.

Champagne Citrus Sauce tossed with Fresh Fruit

1 cup Champagne
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or orange liqueur
1 tablespoons orange zest
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 orange, peeled, cut in sections
1 cup melon, cubed
1 cup chopped apples
1 cup fresh seasonal berries

Heat Champagne, orange juice, Grand Marnier, and zest in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until liquid reduces to 1/2, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Cool to room temperature.

Place fruit in a large bowl and pour Champagne Citrus Sauce over fruit. Toss lightly to coat and serve cool.

Makes about 6 to 8 servings.

To Make-Ahead: Place fruit in a serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, toss with Champagne Citrus Sauce.

Lobster Egg Salad in Holiday Egg Shell Cups

4 extra large eggs
1 cup finely chopped, cooked lobster tail meat
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced chives plus chive stems
1/4 teaspoon salt
22 Holiday Eggshell Cups (recipe below)
Sour Cream
Red salmon roe, for garnish

Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then continue to cook the eggs for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. When cool to touch, peel eggs and finely chop. Add eggs and lobster to a mixing bowl. Stir in Mayonnaise, chives, and salt until blended. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

When ready to serve, fill each Holiday Eggshell Cup with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Lobster Egg Salad. Top egg salad with a dollop of sour cream, red caviar, and chive stems. Set filled eggshell cup upright on a napkin ring to display and serve with sorbet spoons.

Makes about 2 cups

To Make-Ahead: Prepare recipe as instructed one day before serving. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, transfer to a decorative platter. To present eggs “on end” place in eggcups or in napkin rings on platter.

Holiday Eggshell Cups

22 extra large eggshells
Food Coloring Pens

Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Using a sharp pointed knife, poke a hole in the top of the egg at the narrow rounded end. Empty out the raw egg inside and discard. Use your fingers to gently chip away at the opening until about 1/4 of the eggshell top is gone and the top edge is relatively smooth and even all around. Using tongs, dip the egg in the boiled water to sterilize the inside. Empty out water from inside egg and gently wipe outside dry with a paper towel. Use food coloring pens, (available at many craft stores), to draw a holiday image on the side of the egg.

Individual Artichoke and Red Pepper Quiche Cakes

4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Jack cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped artichoke hearts, canned
1/2 cup finely chopped roasted sweet red pepper, jarred
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of white pepper
11 slices white bread
3 tablespoons butter
1 large bunch Italian parsley
11 baby red tomatoes

Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Line 11 cups of muffin pans with foil baking cups. Spray cups with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk together eggs, milk, and cream. In a small bowl, combine artichoke and peppers. Fill each prepared foil cup with 4 tablespoons of egg mixture, 1 tablespoon of artichoke and red pepper mixture, and a heaping tablespoon of Jack cheese.

Fill a large baking pan halfway with warm water. Set muffin pan inside water pan and place pans in the oven. Bake 1 hour or until knife inserted off-center of egg cake comes out clean. Carefully remove pans from oven, as water will be hot. Cool for 10 minutes and serve immediately or cool completely, cover egg cakes in muffin pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Reheat egg cakes in muffin pan with oven preheated to 350F for about 10 minutes or until just warm when ready to serve.

Cut out rounds from bread using a 3-inch diameter cookie cutter; toast rounds. Butter toasted rounds and arrange parsley leaves around the perimeter as a wreath. Gently remove foil from each egg cake and place upside down in the center of the wreath parsley round. Garnish top with parsley leaves and sliced baby red tomatoes.

Makes about 11 quiche cakes

To Make-Ahead: Prepare recipe as instructed one day before serving. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, set on a microwave-safe plate and heat. Transfer to a decorative platter and serve warm.