Put down that bottle of Mint Jelly… those lamb chops are screaming for something much sexier: Mint Chimichurri.

C’mon, you know what chimichurri is, right? It’s that tangy, garlic-infused parsley-based sauce-like condiment that is a must-have on every table in Argentina. For a split second a few years back, chimichurri was the darling of every chef and on every menu in every restaurant everywhere.

Okay, I’m exaggerating a little. But, I’ve just made standard chimichurri a bit more interesting by substituting fresh mint for the parsley to create an easy to make Mint Chimichurri. The mint brings a sunny, spring-like freshness to this sauce while still keeping the heat. And, yes, it IS gluten-free!

Double this Easy Mint Chimichurri recipe because, once you taste it, you’re going to want to slather it on everything from scrambled eggs, to hamburgers to roasted asparagus!

And if you need help with the lamb chops, here’s my recipe for Roasted Rack of Lamb.

 

Okay pals, I’m not going to sugarcoat this… wait, I AM going to sugarcoat this… here’s your super-sweet Easter treat: Easter Egg Cakes!

We don’t sweet-eat like this all the time, so a little indulgence is okay.

Lemon extract gives the crumbly cake filling a bright flavor… but you can pick your favorite flavor (orange? mint?) or just keep it simple. I used Wilton’s Candy Melts (confectionary coating), because when they harden, they wrap the egg-shaped cake in a nice hard shell… just like, hmm… a real egg! Makes decorating super simple.

I’ve included a step-by-step tutorial just below the recipe. Oh, and don’t worry if your eggs aren’t shaped like perfect eggs… put a stick into them and call them cake-pops!

Tutorial: Easter Egg Cakes 

1. Gather your ingredients: For the cakes you’ll need 1 package (16.25 ounce) white cake mix, 1¼ cup water, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 3 egg whites, 2 teaspoons flavored extract, drops of food coloring, 1 cup (3 ounces) marshmallow cream, 2 bags (12 ounces each) white Wilton’s Candy Melts (confectionary melting wafers). For the Decorating Icing you’ll need ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons water.

2. Place oven rack in middle of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom only of a 13 x 9-inch pan. I used Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake Mix, so  I mixed the water, oil, egg whites, extract (see below), and food coloring (I used a blue and red combo to make lavender) in a large bowl on low speed for 30-seconds, then on medium speed 2-minutes. Make sure you scrape the bowl occasionally.

3. Pour into the greased pan.

4. Bake for 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. My cake cracked, but it doesn’t matter because I’m going to break it up anyway.

5. Crumble cooled cake into a large bowl.

6. Fold in marshmallow cream until well blended.

7. Shape into 3-inch balls then roll to form an egg shape. My Easter Egg Cakes look like purple potatoes, so don’t worry if yours don’t look like perfect eggs. Refrigerate 2-hours.

8. Melt Wilton’s Candy Melts (confectionary melting wafers) as directed on package.

9. Dip Easter Egg Cakes one at a time with a fork, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a wax paper-lined tray to dry completely. I used my Silpat silicone non-stick pan liner because I was out of wax paper.

10. Mix the confectioners’ sugar and water in a small bowl until well blended.

11. Make piping bags: I like to use Ziploc® Brand Gallon Size Bags because the sandwich bags always break (I probably squeeze too hard!). On a diagonal, cut off the bottom two corners of one Ziploc® Brand Gallon Size Bag. This will give you two small bags to fill… but make as many bags as you need for the number of colors that you want. Place the “bag,” corner tip down, into a small glass. Fill with the Decorating Icing.

12. Place a few drops of the desired food color into each bag; twist the top of the bag to close (or tape closed). Gently knead the bag to mix the colors; set aside. Carefully cut off the tip of the bag. The closer to the tip, the smaller the hole.

13. Decorate the eggs with the piping bags. Let stand 15 minutes or until hard. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

We fancy! Lobster is cheap right now, so we’re whipping up Lobster Deviled Eggs!

Cheap lobster you say? Yep, you bet. For a variety of reasons, there’s an overabundance of lobsters, so prices are falling. Costco, Sam’s Club and Walmart are selling frozen lobster tails and cooked claws at amazingly low prices.

And… if you really want to indulge yourself, pick up some live lobsters. Scared to try? Don’t be… here’s what you need to know.

So splurge this weekend and give it a shot! I’ve got a step-by-step how-to-do-it below the recipe. If Lobster Deviled Eggs aren’t your thing, buy the lobster tails anyway, prepare as directed in the recipe below and just dip them into warm melted butter.

Look who’s fancy now!

Step-by-Step Lobster Deviled Eggs

1. Gather your ingredients: 8 eggs; 1 8-ounce lobster tail, thawed; 1 teaspoon seasoning (like Old Bay); 3 tablespoons mayonnaise;  1 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste); 3 tablespoons finely chopped celery; 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives (plus a little extra for garnish).

2. Boil the eggs. If you’re not sure how to do it, click here. Cool, peel and set aside.

3. Cut lengthwise through the top of the lobster tail all the way down to the tail with a pair of kitchen shears.

4. Reach inside the shell and loosen and pull the meat away from the shell (don’t remove the meat… the shell is the little oven that gives the lobster flavor); set aside.

5. Fill a saucepan with about ½ inch water and add the seasoning.

6. Place a steamer into the pan and bring to a boil. Place lobster tail on the steamer in the saucepan.

7. Cover and steam for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meat is no longer opaque.

8. Remove lobster tail from pan and cool completely. Pull meat from the shell and chop into ½-inch pieces (you’ll get about 5 ounces of meat); set aside.

9. Carefully slice the boiled eggs lengthwise. Wipe your knife off on a damp paper towel in between eggs so you don’t get yolk all over the egg halves. Place the yolks in a large bowl.

10. Slice off a tiny sliver on the bottom of each egg white so they don’t wobble on the plate; set aside.

11. Add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and salt. Mash the mixture with a potato masher. Taste and adjust the seasonings. I don’t add a lot of mustard because I don’t like to lose the lobster flavor.

12. Gently fold in the celery, chives and lobster. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings. Sometimes a shake of Old Bay is needed.

Spoon the Deviled Lobster mixture evenly into each egg white half. Sprinkle on the remaining chives (or get creative). Cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Leftover Matzo. Leftover Easter Eggs. Leftover Salsa.

Mama’s building cultural bridges one meal at a time.

For the unitiated, Matzo is an unleavened bread (well, more like a crisp cracker) traditionally eaten during the week-long Passover holiday.

Over the years, I’ve found that Matzo is a great conduit for leftovers and especially for making a quick snack:

Matzo + Pasta Sauce + Pepperoni + Mozzarella = Matzo Pizza
Matzo + Hummus + Cucumbers + Red Peppers = Matzo Mediterranean
Matzo + Refried Beans + Jalapeños + Cheese = Matzo Nachos

If you’ve never purchased Matzo, you should give it a try. It makes a fun and interesting sandwich for the kids’ lunches and a crunchy alternative to regular chips for dips and salsas. Oh… Gluten Free Matzo is available.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get back to brokering peace in the Middle East…