Savor spring with Easter entertaining
Easter may come early this year but it's never to early to celebrate the colors and flavors of spring.
Fill your Easter table with bright fruits and vegetables sure to please the eye and the palate.
Juicy berries make a great snack by themselves or a tart topping for salads or decadent desserts.
The tang of mustard adds a bright flavor to glazed ham.
For a springtime side, try fresh asparagus, topped with Italian dressing and sliced almonds.
With so many light, bright flavors to choose from, you may even forget those Easter eggs.
1 pint strawberries, sliced1 McIntosh apple, chopped1 Granny Smith apple, chopped2 tablespoons sliced green onion2 tablespoons chopped cilantro¾ cup raspberry vinaigrette reduced fat dressing6 cups torn spinach or Romaine lettuceToss strawberries, apples, onion, cilantro and dressing in large bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.Makes 6 servings.Add spinach; toss lightly.Substitution: Prepare as directed, omitting spinach. Serve over cooked chicken.Variation: Make salsa by preparing as directed, omitting spinach. Substitute chopped strawberries for sliced strawberries. Serve with tortilla chips.
1 package (6 squares) white baking chocolate, chopped½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine1 package (2-layer size) white cake mix1 cup milk3 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla2 Tbsp. seedless raspberry jam1 cup raspberriesWhite chocolate-cream cheese frosting1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine, softened1 package (6 squares) white baking chocolate, melted, cooled slightly1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups powdered sugarFor the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans; set aside. Microwave chocolate and butter in medium microwavable bowl on high 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted; cool slightly.Beat cake mix, milk, eggs, vanilla and chocolate mixture in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, scraping side of bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes or until well blended. Pour evenly into prepared pans.Bake 25 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.To make frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add melted chocolate and vanilla; mix well.Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy after each addition.Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread with layers of X\c cup of the white chocolate-cream cheese frosting and the jam. Cover with remaining cake layer.Frost top and side of cake with remaining frosting. Top with raspberries just before serving. Store in refrigerator.Makes 16 servings.Marbled white chocolate raspberry cake: Prepare batter as directed. Remove 1 cup of the batter; place in small bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam and 2 drops red food coloring. Spoon remaining batter evenly into prepared pans. Drop spoonfuls of the pink batter over plain batter in each pan; swirl with small knife for marble effect. Bake and frost as directed.
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar½ cup maple-flavored or pancake syrup¼ cup dijon mustard1 whole fully cooked boneless ham (5 pounds)Whole cloves12 maraschino cherries, halved1 tablespoon cornstarch1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, undrainedPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, syrup and mustard until well blended; set aside. Score ham with sharp knife; insert cloves into ham as desired. Arrange cherries, cut-sides down, on surface of ham. Place ham on rack in shallow baking pan.Bake 2 hours or until ham reaches internal temperature of 140 degrees when tested in center with meat thermometer, brushing occasionally with ½ cup of the syrup mixture after 1½ hours.Mix remaining syrup mixture with cornstarch and pineapple with its liquid in saucepan; cook on medium-high heat until mixture comes to boil and thickens, stirring constantly. Serve with the sliced ham.Tips: If ham begins to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.To score ham:use a sharp knife to make ¼-inch-deep parallel cuts in the top surface of the ham, about 1 inch apart. Make additional scores at right angles to form diamond shapes.Makes 24 servings.
