Family Meal

At The Motherhood, quite a few of us have a passion for cooking, trying new recipes and coming up with some of our own. When a holiday approaches, we’re all quick to share and exchange recipes we love. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite spring-inspired dishes (and a dessert!) to share with you.

Read on for some of our favorite Easter recipes and Passover dishes, and feel free to share some of your favorites in the comments below!

 

Italian Easter Pie

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Italian Catholics make it a tradition to enjoy this savory pie to mark the end of the Lenten season. The week of Easter, Brittney visits her local Italian market to pick up some basket cheese (the name comes from the basket in which it’s formed). Some years she makes the crust from scratch, while other years she goes the pre-made route, but this dish is always on her family’s table!

Italian Easter Pie Recipe

Approx. 10-12 servings

INGREDIENTS:

For the Pie Dough:

2½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

13 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ¼-inch cubes

7 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cold, cut into pieces

4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

For the Pie Filling:

8 ounces sweet Italian sausage

1 small sweet onion, finely chopped

4 ounces pepperoni, chopped

4 ounces hard salami, chopped

4 ounces prosciutto, chopped

1 pound fresh basket cheese, drained and cut into bite-size pieces

1 pound ricotta cheese, drained

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork

Freshly grated black pepper

For the Egg Wash:

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

Visit Brown Eyed Baked for the complete recipe, including recipe directions.

 

Springtime Asparagus & Mushroom Lemon-Parmesan Pasta

Source: Brittnee Hammonds

Brittnee’s husband’s family has a strong Italian heritage, so he’s never been one to get overly excited about her family’s traditional Easter spread of ham, potatoes and various side dishes. So, when it was their turn to host Easter, she asked him what would get him excited about dinner and his (not surprising response) was, “Pasta!” This light, spring-inspired pasta dish was born from that request.

Springtime Asparagus & Mushroom Lemon-Parmesan Pasta Recipe

Approx. 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Olive Oil

1 pound fresh asparagus

16 ounce fresh mushrooms

Salt, pepper, garlic salt

1.5 pounds spaghetti noodles

2 lemons (both juice and zest)

1 large orange (both juice and zest)

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Asiago or preferred cheese to shave over top of pasta

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put water on to boil 1.5 lb spaghetti noodles. Add salt generously to water and cut half of your lemon (juice it and set aside for later), and toss lemon into boiling water to flavor water.
2. Clean and cut (into bite size pieces) asparagus and mushrooms. Heat splash of olive oil in large pan. Toss asparagus and mushrooms in pan, seasoning with salt, pepper and garlic salt, to taste. Sauté until cooked to your preferred doneness. Set aside.
3. Put noodles on to boil; cook until al dente.
4. Juice and zest the rest of your lemons into a bowl (using the juice you set aside earlier, as well), in addition to your large orange.  Add olive oil (approx. ½ cup), as well as salt, pepper and garlic salt, to taste.
5. Drain pasta, and add cooked veggies, citrus and olive oil mix you previously made and grated parmesan cheese. Toss until noodles are coated. Add additional olive oil as needed.
6. Season with additional salt, pepper and garlic salt, to taste. Shave Asiago (or cheese of choice) over top of pasta dish and serve warm.

 

Cuban Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls

Source: The Cuban Reuben

Erin’s family is not Jewish; however, a number of her close friends from college are, and she learned a bit about the holidays and culture from them. During her senior year in college, a group of both Jewish and non-Jewish friends combined efforts to cook traditional dishes and host a Seder dinner for Passover, including one of her favorites, matzoh ball soup. This recipe is an interesting twist on the standard matzoh ball soup.

Cuban Chicken Soup with Matzoh Balls Recipe

Approx. 8-10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

For the matzoh balls

1 cup of matzoh meal

½ cup club soda

4 eggs with yolks

⅓ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon of salt

dash of pepper

dash of nutmeg

For the soup:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

15 whole allspice berry

3 bay leaves

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 medium malangas*, peeled and coarsely diced

2 quarts of low sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon of bijol powder (optional)*

6 culantro leaves*

½ Kabocha squash, peeled and coarsely diced

Kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper

4 baby bok choy, cut into quarters, lengthwise

2 zucchinis, sliced into ½” slices

1 lime, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Visit The Cuban Reuben for the complete recipe, including recipe directions.

 

Easter Egg Cookie Dough Truffles

Source: Wine and Glue/Taste of Home

Serena was looking for a cute, spring-themed dessert recipe for her family’s Easter brunch that both the kids and adults would enjoy. She’s been intimidated by chocolate-dipped recipes before, but as Lisa of Wine and Glue said, these truffles “stay together perfectly, and they dip beautifully.”

Easter Egg Cookie Dough Truffles Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup of butter, softened

3/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1 cup mini chocolate chips

pink, blue, purple, and white candy melts

DIRECTIONS:

Visit Wine and Glue for the complete recipe, including recipe directions.

Will you be trying any of these recipes? If so, let us know which one!