Happy Easter!  I thought I’d grace you will some fabulous Easter recipes this week.  These are fun and easy so you’ll have plenty of time to incorporate them into your meal tomorrow.

Fresh Mint Sauce

image via http://www.iskandals.com

Instead of serving mint jelly that comes in a glass jar from the store’s shelves with your leg of lamb, here is an easy fresh mint sauce to serve. Works with lamb chops as well!

1 cup very finely chopped fresh mint leaves, washed and dried
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
4-6 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
1-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Place the mint in a deep bowl. Combine the sugar with 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar in a small nonreactive saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately pour over the mint and toss well. Taste and add more sugar or vinegar as needed; the flavor should be sharply minty and sweetly balanced.

Slightly Twisted Mashed Potatoes

And here is a slight twist for your mashed potatoes.  Instead of boiling the potatoes before you mash them with butter and cream, use russet potatoes, bake them and then scoop the insides out.  Add butter and a mixture of milk and cream.  The more liquid you add, the soupier they will get so start slow and add until you reach the level of smooth and creamy you want. Baked potatoes tend to make the mashed potatoes a little fluffier and lighter than the boiled version.

Mint Julep

And don’t forget to serve mint juleps with the left over mint that you might have.  Bourbon, sugar syrup and crushed mint are all you need for those!

Hoping Spring finally comes your way.  We are still waiting for it in D.C., although at least the snow has melted!