Outdoor Entertaining
Get Your Peeps Together For Easter Brunch
Happy spring! We’ve weathered a winter of social distancing, and, while still not quite “normal” yet, life is significantly better with a little spring in the air – and for some of us, with a little vaccine in the arm. Yes, we’re still masked, and yes, our gatherings are still smaller than we’d like, but gather we will, regardless of our limitations. Fortunately, an early Easter provides us some incentive to get busy planning our season of outdoor entertaining, and I’ll begin with an outdoor Easter brunch. That means it’s time for the first attempt at a spring cleanup of the yard. Wipe off the outdoor furniture and get ready to enjoy some early spring gifts from Mother Nature – sunshine, a little forsythia, and maybe even some daffodils. We will make the most of what we have, wrapping ourselves in some pretty blankets if we must, and celebrating springtime at our beautiful Seven Mile Beach with a fun and delicious Easter brunch.
Certainly, the first spring cleanup can seem daunting, but don’t aim for perfection this early in the season. A quick cleanup of your space is all you need. The yard won’t be perfect. Who cares? Bring a few spring touches to the table and add some pretty dishware and glassware. Tablecloths can be problematic with the spring breezes, so maybe just go with cloth napkins. Nestling them in cute burlap bunny bags with utensils keeps them from blowing away and looks adorable. You can buy these cute bags and stamp or stencil them – even very young kids can help. The more minimal and imperfect, the more charming they will be. Save some bags for filling with little Easter treats, as well. For centerpieces, naturally you can use some forsythia branches and whatever flowers you can find, but also add some vases filled with carrots with the greens attached if you can find them. If not, fill some pretty jars with baby carrots and top with curly parsley. For sure, you’ll get some guest comments on these, and guests can snack on them as well. Use fresh fruit for décor, too. A glass bowl filled with oranges, lemons or limes is so pretty for spring. If you think you will use them, halve them for a really fresh scent. Cluster all these items rather than spacing them perfectly – it’s more interesting.
With the space prepared, let’s discuss menu. Whenever I host outdoor parties, I try to make as many portable menu items as I can. I’ll begin with deviled eggs made to look like little chicks. Kids love them. The trick is to cut the eggs in half opposite of how you normally would cut them so after filling half with the yolk mixture, you can top with the other half of the white to resemble a hatching egg. Some caper eyes and a sliver of carrot nose finish them off perfectly.
Next let’s make some Hash Brown Quiche Cups. You can change up this recipe by using different add-ins. I’ll make mine using bacon and spinach, and of course cheese because cheese is non-negotiable. Consider making a couple of varieties – sausage and peppers, broccoli and mushroom, there are so many options. The hash browns become a nice, crunchy crust for these yummy quiches.
Strawberry-Lime Quinoa Parfaits make a nice complement to the quiches. I love finding new recipes for quinoa, and using almond milk instead of water to cook the quinoa changes everything. Key lime yogurt is the nice surprise in this dish. You can make these in small mason jars for ease of eating, and they add a sweet touch alongside the savory quiche.
Time for dessert. One of two dessert options is pear-berry tarts. I love pears for spring recipes, and these tarts, again, are a nice walk-around food – perfect for outdoor dining. The dough is not too difficult, but if time is tight, you can use the prepared biscuit dough in the market’s refrigerator section and shape it into a rectangle, then cut as described in the recipe. The pear-raspberry combination is nice, but if the kids are not as thrilled with the tarts as the adults are, they will surely get on board with the Peeps bunny race cars or bunnies on cookie skateboards. Surely you have seen this all over social media like I have, and I couldn’t resist adding this bit of whimsy to the gathering. How long has it been since you’ve had a Twinkie? Consider making a couple of these as a display, and have the ingredients gathered and organized for kids to make their own. With the Twinkie car “V” precut, the icing divided into small paper cups, and small craft sticks, kids can easily assemble these while the adults enjoy an Easter brunch cocktail.
Rosemary-pear mimosas are going to be your new go-to summer drink. The surprise of the pear juice with the fragrant rosemary is delicious, and obviously the champagne is essential. Short digression: A few years ago, I planted a rosemary shrub in my yard, and it grows so easily. While other herbs are difficult to grow year-round, this plant is large and fragrant and fresh all year long. It is such a treat to run outside on a winter morning and snip some fresh rosemary for eggs or chicken, and I have a fresh supply for these drinks! This mimosa recipe is a winner. Best of all, you can provide a display of the ingredients for this drink, and guests can easily mix one themselves in seconds.
You did it. You found a way to enjoy some time with friends and family. Social distancing is so difficult. We’re not meant to stay apart, so we find ways to gather with those we love in the safest way we can. Thank goodness for spring’s sunshine and flowers, and let’s hope Mother Nature is kind to us this year. Now sit back and enjoy your cocktail – and let someone else organize the Easter egg hunt!
Deviled Egg Chicks
Ingredients:
12 large eggs
½-cup mayonnaise
¼-cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 slices carrot
24 capers (blotted dry)
Directions: Place eggs in a saucepan with enough water to fully submerge them. Bring the water to a boil on a high heat, cover with the lid and remove from the heat. Leave the eggs to cook in the saucepan for 12 minutes. Cool, then peel. Slice a bit off the bottom of the egg so that it can stand upright on its own. Cut off the top third of the egg, reserving the "lid" you've just removed. Gently remove the yolks and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add the mayonnaise, Parmesan and mustard to the egg yolk and mix together until smooth. Transfer the yolk mixture to a ziplock bag. Snip a small hole in the corner of the bag and pipe the mixture back into the hollowed-out eggs. Fill the egg, as well as in extra inch above the rim. Cut carrot into very small triangles. Place capers in the place of eyes and carrot as a beak. Top the yolk face with the egg white "lid" removed earlier. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to one day.
Hash Brown Quiche Cups
Ingredients:
1 large egg
¼-teaspoon salt
1/8-teaspoon pepper
2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
¼ cup shredded Asiago chees
Filling:
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1/3-cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
1/3-cup fresh baby spinach, thinly sliced
2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease eight muffin cups. In a bowl, whisk egg, salt and pepper until blended; stir in potatoes and Asiago cheese. To form crusts, press about ¼-cup potato mixture onto bottom and up sides of each prepared muffin cup. Bake until light golden brown, 14-17 minutes. For filling, in a small bowl, whisk eggs and chives until blended; stir in cheese and spinach. Spoon into crusts; top with bacon. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 6-8 minutes.
Peeps Race Cars
Ingredients:
Peeps bunnies
Twinkies – vanilla or chocolate
Mini-Oreos
Vanilla icing (for glue)
Yogurt or chocolate covered pretzels
Directions: Using a bread knife, cut a notch in the Twinkie. Place a Peep in the car. Dab a bit of icing on a pretzel. Place the pretzel in front of the peep in the Twinkie like a steering wheel. Attach mini-Oreos to the Twinkie like wheels, using icing for glue.
Pear-Rosemary Mimosa
Ingredients:
2 parts Champagne
1 part pear juice
1 sprig of rosemary, to garnish
1 slice of pear to garnish
Directions: Pour all of the ingredients into a glass, stir and add the garnish.
Strawberry-Lime Quinoa Parfaits
Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla almond milk
½-cup quinoa, rinsed
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
4 containers (6 ounces each) key lime pie-flavored yogurt
22/3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
½-cup flaked coconut
Directions: In a small saucepan, bring almond milk to a boil. Add quinoa. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 12-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork. Stir in lime zest; refrigerate 30 minutes. Layer 1/3-cup yogurt, 1/3-cup strawberries, ¼-cup quinoa mixture and 1 tablespoon coconut into four parfait glasses. Repeat layers.
Pear-Raspberry Breakfast Tarts
Ingredients:
½-cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
2 large eggs, room temperature
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups chopped peeled pears (about 2 large)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
½-cup fresh raspberries
1 large egg white
3 to 5 tablespoons milk, divided
11/3 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions: Cream butter and ½-cup sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; gradually beat into creamed mixture to form a dough. Divide dough in half; shape each into a rectangle. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine pears and remaining sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved and pears are softened, 6-8 minutes. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into pear mixture. Return to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; cool. Stir in raspberries.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough into a 15-by-8-inch rectangle. Cut into 10 4-by-3-inch rectangles. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets spoon about 2 tablespoons filling over each pastry to within ½-inch of edges. Roll remaining dough into a 15-by-8-inch rectangle; cut into 10 4-by-3-inch rectangles and place over filling. Press edges with a fork to seal. Whisk egg white and 1 tablespoon milk; brush over pastries. Bake until golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Remove from baking sheets to wire racks to cool. For icing, mix confectioners’ sugar and enough of remaining milk to reach desired consistency. Spread or drizzle on pastries.
