Classic Easter Side Dishes Reimagined!

March 27, 2018

Easter is another one of those holidays that bring out our inner Giada. We want a special meal, with our special people and one way to get it is looking through recipes we’ve never tried — classics with a new spin!

Asparagus Reinvented

There’s something about Easter that gives rise to asparagus recipes; they are in full bloom on the internet this year. And if you’re a fan of this vitamin-K-packed spring vegetable, you’ll be as delighted as a toddler with ice cream – okay, maybe not THAT delighted — but more than a little happy to see these green sides.

First is Lemony Asparagus, Beans and Peas, a side from Good Housekeeping with sautéed onions, chives, sesame seeds, honey and garlic. Makes your mouth-water just imagining those flavors together, right?

And if you like caprese, try the Delish version with asparagus, cherry tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese. A how-to video walks you through prepping it with a sweet balsamic reduction glaze.

And you know the saying, “everything’s better wrapped in bacon?” Bacon Asparagus Crescents from Delish (in puff pastry!) prove the point. While there is an instructional video, all you really need to do is trim, plop, roll and bake!

Right and Light Easter Sides

For another green veggie side, Cooking Light offers up Creamed Curried Spinach using whole milk yogurt and curry, plus red pepper and garlic, to give it a warm, earthy punch. And their recipe for Nutty Mashed Sweet Potatoes with honey and tahini is a nutty twist on this holiday classic. Less light, maybe, is the Bacon-and-Apple Braised Cabbage side, also from Cooking Light. With sherry (or apple cider vinegar) and brown sugar, the braised chopped cabbage and apple is a stand-out palate pleaser.

Southern Living’s collection of favorite Easter side dishes include a recipe for Neiman Marcus’ Cheddar Cheese Biscuits, Apricot Glazed Carrots and Strawberry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese Croutons.

One Potato, Two Potato

Martha Stewart’s Leek Potato, and Morel Gratin is a rich and flavorful dish with butter, heavy cream and Yukon Gold potatoes. Martha warns at-home chefs not to replace or skimp on the heavy cream. It’s the secret ingredient!

If you’re a simplist and prefer “just potatoes please,” check out My Recipe’s Cream Cheese Potatoes a jazzier, tangier spin on traditional mashers.

Who cares if you’re serving lamb or ham, as long as you’re also having some kind of yummy carb?! Martha Stewart’s creamy Carrot-Lemon Risotto uses carrot juice, white wine, Parmesan and butter with Arborio rice to achieve that velvety may-I-have-more texture. By the way, Martha’s recipes link to “ingredients on sale” near you in Southshore.

Another way to celebrate the holiday is to stop in for breakfast or brunch at the Parkway Bar & Grill in Aurora and let someone else cook and clean up! With eggs Benedict, French toast and chicken fried steak (“the size of your cranium,” said one reviewer!), Aurora residents love this restaurant at 22775 E. Aurora Parkway – less than 10 minutes from Southshore!

Southshore Kitchens Make Easter Special

The kitchens in the master-planned community of Southshore are thoughtfully- designed for the at-home chef in your family, fostering special times of food and fellowship! Tour the spectacular new models from Toll Brothers, Richmond American Homes and Century Communities. This community offers lakeside living in ranch and two-story designs, priced from the upper $300s to the $700s!