Make dyes for Easter eggs from materials in the kitchen.
Red cabbage leaves produce a robin's egg blue color.
Orange peels create a tender yellow.
Carrot tops yield a smoky yellow green.
Yellow Delicious apple peelings dye eggs pale lavender flecked with soft rust.
Brown (not white) onion peels dye orange.
Fresh spinach gives you a pinkish color with gray-green buffs.
To dye eggs, place in a pan and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar and dye material.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently 20 minutes.
The color will deepen or change if the eggs are left in the dye solution overnight.
DO NOT eat the eggs if you leave them out of the refrigerator over night!
Easter Egg Bread
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. active dry yeast
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2/3 c. milk
9 eggs
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
Easter egg coloring kit
1 tsp. water
In bowl, mix sugar, salt, yeast and 1 cup flour.
Heat butter and milk until very warm (125 degrees).
With mixer at low speed, beat liquid into dry ingredients.
At medium, beat 2 minutes.
Beat in 2 eggs, 1 egg white, and 3/4 cup flour, beat 2 minutes.
Stir in lemon peel and 1 1/4 cups flour.
On floured surface knead dough about 5 minutes working in about 1/2 cup flour; place in greased bowl, turning to grease top.
Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, dye 6 eggs your favorite colors, following directions from Easter egg coloring kit, but do not hard-cook eggs; set aside.
Grease large cookie sheet.
Cut dough in half; form each 1/2 into a 30-inch long rope.
On cookie sheet, twist ropes together to form ring, leaving holes for 5 eggs.
Cover, let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Insert raw, colored eggs into holes in twist; place 1 egg in center in cup, beat egg yolk with water; use to brush dough.
Bake 30 minutes or until golden.
Cool on wire rack.
Makes 1 loaf, 16 servings.
Mayeritsa (Greek Easter Soup)
1 entrails (liver, heart,
lungs, intestines) of a
very young spring lamb.
4 tablespoon butter
1 med. onion, chopped
2 tablespoon scallion, chopped
2 tablespoon dill, chopped
1 salt & pepper to taste
1 meat broth
1/2 cup raw rice
2 or 3 eggs
2 lemons, juice only
Wash entrails in plenty of water. Scald in boiling water for abt. 2
min. Cool, the cut into small pcs. Melt butter in a pot. Saute the onion
until light golden color, add scallion and cut-up meats, turning meats
several times. Add dill, salt and pepper, and enough broth to cover. Bring
the whole to a boil and cook covered, until meat is tender (1 1/2 to 3
hrs). About 20 min. before it is done, add the rice, and more broth if
necessary. When rice is tender, remove pot from the heat.
Beat eggs; add lemon juice, beating it in well. Slowly add some of the
hot liquid from the pot, stirring constantly. After the egg-lemon mixture
is well blended, pour it into the soup; stir. Serve hot.
NOTE: The broth is usually made from the lamb's head, breast, or
shoulder, but you can use any meat stock.
Fruit Glazed Easter Ham
5 to 7 lb. shank half smoked ham
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
1/3 c. orange marmalade
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash of allspice
1/3 c. flaked coconut
Place ham, fat side up, on rack in open roasting pan.
Insert meat thermometer so bulb is centered in thickest part. Be careful bulb does not rest in fat or on bone.
Do not add water.
Do not cover.
Roast at 325° degrees until meat thermometer registers 130 degrees to 140 degrees for "fully cooked" half ham (18 to 24 minutes per pound) or 160 degrees for a "cook before eating" half ham (22 to 25 minutes per pound).
Meanwhile, place pineapple, orange marmalade, lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice in small saucepan and cook slowly for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat; stir in coconut.
Spread glaze over ham during last 20 minutes of baking time.
Easter Fruit Salad
1 can Comstock lemon pie filling
1 can chunk pineapple
1 can fruit cocktail
2 c. miniature marshmallows (colored)
2 or 3 bananas, sliced
2 c. whipped topping
Drain pineapple and cocktail.
Combine pie filling and whipped topping.
Fold in fruits and other ingredients.
Chill well.
Serve on lettuce, topped with a cherry.
Easter Cheese
1 dozen eggs
1 quart milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
cheesecloth bag
Heat milk, sugar and salt until dissolved.
Beat eggs well and add to milk.
Over low heat, stir constantly until the consistency of scrambled eggs and the liquid is almost clear.
Place cheese in cheesecloth bag and drain.
Place on paper towels on a dinner plate and refrigerate overnight with weight on top.
