Simple, delicious twists on Easter favorites

Easter is approaching quickly but, as "Early Show" contributor Katie Lee showed Wednesday, there's still plenty of time to plan a great brunch filled with easy, wallet-friendly, fresh seasonal dishes that will impress your friends and family without hours and hours of work.

Her simple, delicious brunch consists of an asparagus, leek and wild mushroom frittata, followed by an apricot glazed ham, a layered pea salad and, for dessert, a delicious blueberry sour cream coffee cake with lemon glaze. And, to wash it all down -- a sparkling mimosa punch!

Enjoy all our "Early Show" recipes!

RECIPES

Apricot-Glazed Ham

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (7 to 8 pound) cured smoked ham, bone-in
• 2 cups apricot jam
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of ground cloves
• Pinch of cinnamon

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees 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 jam, dijon, butter, sage, vinegar, bay leaf, 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 degrees 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.

Asparagus, Leek, and Shiitake Frittata

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 leeks, whites only, thinly sliced
• 1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup (about 4 ounces) gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1?4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and sauté about 5 minutes. Stir in asparagus and mushrooms, and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until asparagus is crisp tender.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Gently move the eggs around the vegetables, but do not stir. Let the edges set, about 1 minute. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center is set. Use a spatula to run around the edges of the pan to loosen the frittata and invert onto a serving plate. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Layered Pea Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 8 green onions, chopped (white part only)
• 1 10 ounce package green peas, thawed and drained
• 1 cup Mayo
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

METHOD:

Place the lettuce in a large clear bowl. Top with a layer of celery, then the red pepper, the scallions, and the peas.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, and parsley. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over peas. Sprinkle with the cheese and the bacon. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the dessert and Mimosa punch recipes, go to Page 2.

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Lemon Glaze

INGREDIENTS:

For the topping:

• 6 tablespoons (3?4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 3?4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the batter:

• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3?4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1?2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 extra large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup blueberries

For the glaze:

• 1?2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour an 11-inch spring-form pan.

FOR THE TOPPING:

In a bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and flour. Set aside.

FOR THE BATTER:

In a mixing bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients, taking care not to overmix.

Pour one half of batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the batter. Pour the remaining batter over the blueberries. Sprinkle with the topping. Bake 50 to 60 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack and remove from springform pan. Transfer to serving plate and drizzle with glaze.

FOR THE GLAZE:

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.

Mimosa Punch

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 8 ounces pineapple juice
• 1 liter club soda
• 1 bottle sparkling wine or prosecco
• 1 orange, thinly sliced

METHOD:

In a punch bowl, combine orange juice concentrate and pineapple juice. Add club soda, then sparkling wine. Gently stir. Top with orange slices.