Prep Much of Easter Dinner Ahead of Time!
You don't want to spend all of Easter Sunday working over a hot stove.
So, you should get an early start on some of your cooking some Easter staples.
On "The Early Show" Friday, contributor Katie Lee shared some secrets on how to go about it.
Her entire menu uses spring ingredients, as a way of celebrating the new season's bounty.
Here are her recipes, followed by her suggested schedule!
On the menu: Deviled Eggs, Orange Marmalade-Glazed Ham, Gruyere Grits, Roasted Asparagus, Healthy Carrot Cupcakes
RECIPES
Deviled Eggs
1 dozen eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Paprika
Place eggs in a stockpot and cover with water. Add vinegar and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat and cover. Let sit for 15 to 18 minutes. Drain water. When cool enough to touch, remove shells.
Slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a food processor. Add mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper to the yolks. Blend until smooth. Scoop the yolk mixture into a plastic baggy. Use scissors to snip off the end of the baggy. Use the baggy like a pastry bag to pipe the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Sprinkle each deviled egg with paprika. Chill until serving time.
Orange Marmalade-Glazed Ham
1 (7 to 8 pound) cured smoked ham, bone-in
2 cups orange marmalade
1 orange, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Place ham on a roasting rack in a roasting pan with the fat side up. Use a knife to lightly score the fat in a diamond pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat. Bake ham for one hour.
While ham is baking, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, combine marmalade, orange slices, butter, sage, cloves, and cinnamon over medium low heat. Stir until thin and syrupy.
After ham has baked one hour, brush with about half of the glaze and return to the oven. Continue to glaze the ham about every 15 to 20 minutes for about an hour to an hour and a half longer, until the internal temperature reaches about 130 F. If the glaze starts to burn, tent with a piece of greased foil.
Remove ham from oven and tent with a piece of greased foil. Let rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
Gruyere Grits
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 leek, split lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 cup grits (not instant)
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in leeks and sauté until tender. Remove and reserve leeks. In the same saucepan, combine broth and milk and bring to a low boil. Whisk in grits and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally, until the grits have thickened, about 25 minutes. Stir in cheese, reserved leeks, salt, and pepper, and cook until cheese is melted.
Roasted Asparagus
2 bunches asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Cut off the bottom ends of asparagus. If they are thick, use a vegetable peeler to lightly peel the bottom half. Spread the asparagus on a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes.
Healthy Carrot Cupcakes
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 extra large eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 pound carrots, grated (about 4 cups)
1/3 cup golden raisins
for the frosting
4 ounces light cream cheese (i use neufchâtel), at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
time:
Prep time: 20 minutes inactive, 30 minutes to cool the cupcakes; cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 12 cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar and oil for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the yogurt, carrots, and raisins. Mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
Using a 3-ounce ice-cream scoop or a 1/3 cup measure, spoon batter into paper lined muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
For the frosting:
Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Spread each cupcake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with walnuts. Store in an airtight container.
THE SCHEDULE
On Saturday:
Prepare glaze, cool and refrigerate.
Boil eggs, cool and refrigerate.
Sauté leeks, cool and refrigerate.
Shred gruyere cheese.
Wash and trim asparagus. Wrap in damp paper towels and refrigerate.
Make and bake cupcakes. Let cool and store in an airtight container.
Morning of:
Two hours before baking, remove ham from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Reheat glaze, and start baking about 3 hours before serving time.
Prepare deviled egg filling. Put in baggy and refrigerate.
Make cream cheese frosting and ice cupcakes.
Just before serving time:
Fill deviled eggs.
Cook grits.
While ham is resting before carving, roast asparagus.