Happy Easter Brunch

        Easter, to me has always been about coloring eggs and springtime…a new dress, Sears-photo-studio pictures for Grandma…and of course, good food.

        As a child, we went to church, (one of the three times we went each year). Afterwards, we would go out to neat, usually at a place like North’s Chuck Wagon. My first taste of fresh asparagus with hollandaise sauce was at an Easter buffet. So was my first shrimp omelet. I remember much more about the food than the church service.
        My husband and I have always celebrated Easter with our family and friends. A backyard egg hunt, followed by a lovely dinner, was an annual ritual until the kids outgrew Easter baskets. The dinners continued, but I missed the hunts. Now that we have young grandchildren, we’re hiding eggs again.
       I love to have an Easter brunch, but I don't want to spend the whole morning in the kitchen. The following is essentially a savory bread pudding that can be 
assembled the night before. Make a fresh fruit salad and muffins ahead of time, brew a pot of coffee, and let the entrée bake while the kids hunt for eggs.

 

Shrimp “Soufflé”
Serves 6-8

 

1 lb. cooked salad shrimp

1 - 8oz. package cream cheese

6-8 medium Crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

6 slices English muffin bread, cut into cubes

2 tbsp. butter

6 eggs

½ - cup milk

½ tsp. dill

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. white pepper

2 ripe Roma tomatoes, seeded and thinly sliced

1 cup prepared hollandaise sauce

Heat oven to 325°. Beat the eggs, milk, dill, salt and pepper until well blended. Fold the bread cubes into the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate 15 - 30 minutes until the bread is quite moist. 
Melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté mushrooms over medium heat until softened. Butter or spray a two- quart oblong casserole dish. Repeat layers of bread mixture, cream cheese slices, shrimp and mushrooms, finishing with a bread layer (5 total).  Arrange the tomato slices on top.
Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve topped with hollandaise sauce.

Jordan & Connor, Easter 2012

 

 

Listen for the Sleigh Bells

            For many years, Christmas Eve was reserved for our extended family. The menu was potluck, with the hors devours laid out, buffet style, evolving as items were added. With no set time to eat, we would talk and nibble, maybe sing some songs or play a game. People would arrive; others would leave, on their way to another open house. Someone was always at the buffet, and food was always available. Toward the end of the evening, the savory foods would be removed, replaced by a tray of Christmas cookies and other sweets. 

            Soon, one of the kids would hear sleigh bells on the roof. Everyone would hush for a moment, the children’s excitement palpable as they strained to hear more. The bells would grow louder, as toddler’s eyes grew larger. They were sure the next sound would be Rudolph’s small hoof. (The older kids kept the secret: Uncle Joe suspiciously always missed the bells - and the jingle seemed to be coming from the deck.) After the bells faded, one of the older girls would read “The Night before Christmas” aloud. The kids would listen patiently, eager to go home, or go to bed, knowing Santa was on the way. It was a perfect ending for the evening.

           The family has grown since then, and now includes a new generation of children. This year, there are sure to be sleigh bells.

            We all love seafood, and no party would be complete without the nautical trinity: Dungeness crab, Oregon shrimp and Judd Cove oysters. Since its winter, it’s also nice to have some hot treats. Here are three simple dips that taste like you worked on them all day. As an added bonus…they give you an excuse to use that chaffing dish you have in the back of the pantry.
 

 Hot Dungeness Crab Dip  
1 lb. cooked fresh Dungeness crabmeat
1- 8oz. brick cream cheese
2 or 3 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. horseradish
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Heat the cream cheese with the milk, stirring frequently until melted. Whisk in the horseradish and Worcestershire sauce, using more or less to taste. Continue to heat slowly until bubbly. If it’s too thick, stir in a bit more hot milk. Gently fold in the crabmeat. Serve hot with crackers or vegetable sticks.

Angels on Horseback
1 dozen small fresh oysters, shucked
1 lb. thin sliced, lean bacon

Cut oysters into bite size pieces. Cut each bacon strip into thirds.
Roll the bacon strips around the oyster pieces and secure with wooden picks. 
Place on an ungreased broiler pan or baking sheet. Grill under a pre-heated broiler until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn over and broil the other side. Watch carefully as it will cook fast and may burn .When bacon is done, drain on paper towels.
Transfer to a serving plate. Serve warm with dipping sauces.

Spicy Bay Shrimp Dip

1- 8oz. brick cream cheese
1 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. extra hot horseradish
¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Using a microwave-safe dish and 70% power, melt the cream cheese with the milk, stirring every 30 seconds. When the cream cheese is melted, whisk in the horseradish, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Return to the microwave for 1 minute at 50% power. Gently fold in the shrimp. If it’s too thick, stir in a bit more hot milk. Serve hot.1 lb. cooked Oregon salad shrimp

 

Mom's Day Brunch

            Mother’s Day is next Sunday. Remember to call your mom! This is my third year with no mother to call, so I’m hyper-aware of it.

            I would love to spend the day with my kids and grandkids, but this year it simply can’t happen. My perfect day would be have a late breakfast with the whole gang, maybe eggs benedict and fresh fruit. I’d even cook it. Then to spend the day together, maybe take the grandbabies to the park or to the zoo. Maybe a barbeque for dinner. Nothing fancy, as long as everyone can be there.

            Years ago, my greatest mother’s day wish was to have a day to myself. A day off. At that time, the kids were in their “tweens”. Our weekends were filled with little league, dance team, home projects, and my husband’s band. Weekdays, there was work and school. Free time was nearly non-existent. So, when they asked me what I wanted as a gift, I told them. “Don’t spend any money. What I would really like is to spend the afternoon doing nothing…no laundry, no phone calls, no cooking.”

            Of course, doing nothing doesn’t mean literally doing nothing. I read the best parts of the Sunday Oregonian. After that, I filled planters with annuals and arranged them on the patio. Then I planted marigolds around the mailbox. When I was done, I sat on the deck and admired my work. All of this without anyone yelling “mom!” even once. By late afternoon, I felt refreshed, and as rested as if I’d spent the day at a spa.
            Pat and the kids took me to dinner at Giovanni’s for the best lasagna in town. I was an awesome day. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that I essentially said, “Leave me alone!”… It’s even harder to believe that they actually did.

            These dishes are nice to make ahead for a mom’s day brunch or supper. Both require a little time to create, but the results are worth it. The shrimp casserole was my mother-in-law’s favorite for brunch. 

           

Shrimp “Soufflé”

Serves 6-8

1 lb. cooked salad shrimp
1 - 8oz. package cream cheese
6-8 medium Crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 slices English muffin bread, cut into cubes
2 tbsp. butter
6 eggs
½ - cup milk
½ tsp. dill
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
2 ripe Roma tomatoes, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup prepared hollandaise sauce

Heat oven to 325°. Beat the eggs, milk, dill, salt and pepper until well blended. Fold the bread cubes into the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate 15 - 30 minutes until the bread is quite moist.

Melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté mushrooms over medium heat until softened. Butter or spray a two- quart oblong casserole dish. Repeat layers of bread mixture, cream cheese slices, shrimp and mushrooms, finishing with a bread layer (5 total).  Arrange the tomato slices on top.

Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve topped with hollandaise sauce.

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My son, James, who is a real chef, taught me how to make this. He adapted the recipe they make at Papa Haydn’s to work with the ingredients I had on hand. 

For this, you will need a heavy skillet, a food processor and a fine mesh strainer.

Chicken Liver Paté

1 lb. raw chicken liver

1 medium tart apple

1 small onion

½ cup dry white wine

1 cube butter

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Rinse and trim the livers, cutting into even pieces. Peel, core and dice the apple. Chop the onion coarsely.

Heat a heavy skillet (well-seasoned cast iron works nicely) to medium high. You can spray with a bit of olive oil, but leave it mostly dry. Caramelize the apple and onion chunks. When they are soft and starting to brown, add the liver and sear until cooked (about 3 minutes).

Remove everything to the food processor bowl. Cover to keep warm. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping the pan and boiling to evaporate the alcohol. Pour the mixture into the food processor. Tighten the lid and puree while adding the cold butter in a piece at a time. Continue to process until butter is incorporated and all is smooth and creamy with no chunks. 

Force the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. This will make your pate silky smooth. After straining, transfer to a serving size bowl (or buttered mold). Chill for several hours or overnight.