Joseph's Easter Extravaganza!
Posted by Joseph Sherlock on April 18, 2011 at 02:18 PM
Hi Everyone.
I have come up with some really simple but really tasty Easter Recipes. Impress your Family and Friends with my Easter Extravaganza Menu...
Happy Cooking and Happy Easter :)
Joseph Sherlock.
Joseph's Easter Extravaganza
Brie and Asparagus Tart:
Ingredients:
- 350g Brie roughly chopped.
- 150g Ricotta.
- 300ml Double Cream.
- 2 Eggs plus 5 extra yolks.
- 3 Bunches thin Asparagus Spears.
- 250g Plain Flour.
- 50g Grated Parmesan Cheese.
- 125g Chilled and Cubed Unsalted Butter.
- 1 Egg.
Method:
- For the Pastry; Place the flour, parmesan and cubed butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the egg and pulse again until the pastry comes together to form a ball. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cold water if needed.
- Flatten the pastry into a disc shape and enclose in plastic wrap. Chill the pastry for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven 180 degrees Celsius and grease a 28cm X 20cm loose bottomed tart pan.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 35cm x 25cm rectangle. Press into the prepared tart pan and chill for a further 15 minutes.
- Line with baking paper and pastry weights or uncooked rice, then blind-bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, then bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden and dry.
- Meanwhile, whiz the brie, ricotta, cream, eggs and extra yolks in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste, then pour into the pastry case and lay the asparagus spears on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the filling is set and the top is golden.
Serving Suggestion:
- Serve the tart warm or at room temperature with a green salad.
Roast Lamb stuffed with Olive and Rocket Pesto:
Ingredients:
- 1 Bunch Rocket ends trimmed.
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves.
- 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed.
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Rind.
- 80g (1/2 cup) Pitted Olives, coarsely chopped.
- 45g (1/4 cup) Pine Nuts, toasted.
- 125ml (1/2 cup) Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- 2 (about 800g) Lamb Mini Roasts, string removed.
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 220°C.
- Place rocket, basil, garlic, lemon rind, olives and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor. Process until coarsely chopped. Add extra virgin olive oil. Process until smooth.
- Place the lamb on a clean work surface and open to lie flat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread 1/3 cup of the pesto along the centre of each piece of lamb. Roll up to enclose filling.
- Use unwaxed white kitchen string to tie at 2cm intervals. Cover and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to marinate.
- Rub lamb with half the olive oil. Heat the remaining oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add half the lamb and cook for 10 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a roasting pan. Repeat with remaining lamb.
- Cook for 30-35 minutes for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Cover loosely with foil and set aside for 15 minutes to rest.
Serving Suggestion:
- Serve the lamb with roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
Easter Cake:
Ingredients:
- 350g Unsalted butter, softened.
- 350g Caster Sugar.
- 6 Eggs.
- 350g Self-Raising Flour, sifted.
- 1/4 teaspoon Pink Food Coloring.
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon.
- 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder.
- 500g Cream Cheese.
- 180g Unsalted Butter.
- 300g (2 cups) Pure Icing Sugar, sifted.
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract.
- 8-10 Small Chocolate Eggs, to decorate.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of two 22cm round cake pans with baking paper.
- Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined.
- Fold in the flour with a large metal spoon and divide the mixture evenly between 2 bowls.
- Add the pink food coloring to one bowl, and the cinnamon and cocoa to the other. Stir each to combine.
- Place the pink mixture in one pan and the chocolate mixture in the other, spreading each mixture evenly.
- Bake on same shelf in the oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool slightly, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, to make the icing, place the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and use an electric hand beater to beat until smooth.
- Halve the cakes horizontally by using a sharp knife to slice through centre of each cake.
- Spread 3 tablespoons of icing on one cake half and place a different colored half on top. Spread with another 3 tablespoons of icing, then repeat the process.
- Use the remaining icing to completely cover the cake. Use a fork to make zigzag lines over the surface of the icing. Decorate perimeter of cake with eggs.