Go full-on zucchini with our Easter Sunday menu idea

Easter is one of my favourite holidays. Every year I can't wait for spring. I like the blooming nature, the twittering birds, the fresh vegetables and the homemade smoked ham we used to prepare at my grandparents house, which is usually ready for Easter. I like decorating my house with spring flowers and colorful Easter eggs. This year I made an Easter wreath with an Easter bunny. :)

On Easter Sunday, we always eat smoked ham with eggs and fresh vegetables. For dinner, we used to eat a roasted leg of lamb with potato and salad. For dessert, we use to bake at least 3 type of cookies, cakes, pies or muffins, to be enough for the kids and guests.

This year I try to prepare a traditional Easter Sunday menu, using the healthy zucchini. I will prepare and recommend you this delicious, hearty Easter menu:

• zucchini roll-ups with bacon and ricotta
• roasted leg of lamb with zucchini-potato-tomato casserole
• zucchini-chocolate muffin

Appetizer: Zucchini ricotta roll-ups

I will prepare for appetizer zucchini roll ups filled with bacon and ricotta. The grilled zucchini slices are crispy, but tender, with the ricotta inside, the roll-up's flavour is amazing. These roll-ups are fresh, tasty, healthy and last but not least beautiful.

They are easy to prepare, just grill the zucchini slices, which takes 10 minutes, then roll them up with bacon and ricotta.

After 15 minutes of baking are ready to eat. These fresh zucchini roll-ups are the perfect spring appetizers, find here how to prepare them!

Level: easy
Cost: medium
Calories: medium

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini
• 10 slices of bacon
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 50 g grated cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley
• pepper
• salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Cut the washed zucchini in 10 thin slices using a mandolin slicer or a vegetable peeler. Preheat one tablespoon olive oil in a pan, when the oil is hot, put the zucchini slices in pan. Grill the slices for 7-8 minutes, both sides. You can grill them on a BBQ as well.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F. Grease a baking tray.
3. Mix the ricotta with the parsley and season it with a pinch of salt and pepper (salt is not necessary because the bacon is salty).
4. Lay down a slice of grilled zucchini slice, put on it a slice of bacon (if the bacon is too wide, cut it lengthwise). Put a spoonful of ricotta on the end of the zucchini ribbon, roll up and skewer with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining zucchini slices.
5. Place the roll-ups on the greased baking tray. Sprinkle the tops with grated cheese. Bake the roll ups for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted on the top. Serve it warm by itself or with toast.

Main: Roasted leg of lamb with rosemary

An authentic Easter Sunday lunch can't miss the roasted lamb dish. This recipe of roasted leg of lamb is based on traditional Hungarian recipes but is prepared the same way all around he world. The lamb is prepared with fresh herbs and onion, is roasted in white wine. Hope you will like it!

Level: medium
Cost: high
Calories: high

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 120 mins
Total time: 2 hours 15 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 kg (4lb) leg of lamb
• 1 red onion
• 0,2 kg pancetta (or bacon)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 0,4 l white wine
• 3 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
• 1/2 tablespoon pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F.
2. Prepare the leg of lamb: wash it well, then remove all of the fat and membranes. Stab it in a couple of places with a knife or skewer. Rub the meat with salt and pepper.
3. Chop the pancetta and mix with the rosemary and minced garlic. Rub the lamb with this mash.
4. Grease an ovenproof dish with 1 tablespoons olive oil. Chop the red onion and place them into the bottom of the prepared dish, place the leg of lamb on the onion Pour the rest of the olive oil on top of the meat. Put the dish in the oven. Roast the lamb for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 170°C/350°F. Besprinkle the lamb with the white wine and pour a little water in the dish. Roast the meat for 2 hours. If the water from gravy begins to evaporate, replace it.
5. When the lamb is softened, remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. sprinkle it with the gravy. Let it cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve the lamb slices sprinkled with gravy.

Side: Layered zucchini, potato and tomato casserole

While the lamb is roasting, prepare the zucchini potato and tomato casserole, which is the perfect side dish next to roasted meat.

Slice the vegetables into thin slices and layer them alternately: one potato slice, one zucchini slice and one tomato slice, repeat it until you run out of veggie slices.

In the milk - soured cream mixture the veggies will cook soft but will also remain crispy. If you sprinkle the top with cheese, the casserole will be more delicious.

Thyme gives the veggies a fresh favour, which makes the casserole an amazing side dish. If you are curious how to prepare it, read the recipe below!

Level: easy
Cost: low
Calories: medium

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 35 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 medium zucchinis
• 4 medium potatoes
• 4 medium tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 100 ml soured cream
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• pepper
• salt

Instructions

1. Cut the peeled potatoes into 2 mm thin round slices. Slice the zucchinis into 3 mm slices, the tomato into 5 mm slices. Chop the garlic.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 360°F. Grease an ovenproof dish with olive oil. Sprinkle the bottom of the dish with the chopped garlic.
3. Place the vegetable slices in the dish: alternately place a slice of potato, tomato and zucchini half-overlapped each other. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with thyme.
4. Mix the soured cream with the milk and 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Pour the mixture on the vegetable. You can sprinkle the top of the dish with grated cheese.
5. Put the dish in the oven for 30-35 minutes, bake the vegetable casserole until the top is golden brown. Before removing from oven, make sure the potato is cooked well.
6. Serve it immediately with the roasted lamb leg and salad.3.2.2929

Dessert: chocolate zucchini muffins

For Easter lunch dessert I will make chocolate zucchini cupcakes with chocolate carrot decoration and mini Easter egg decoration.

I love chocolate muffins in every way is prepared, I think I am not the only one. Why not try with zucchini? Is healthier, don't have to use so much flour, but the taste is the same.

I made a probe baking to practice the muffin decoration. Certainly I did well, because my frosting wasn't good. The whipped cream on top of my muffins melted too quickly, I think it wasn't thick enough. Next time I have to whisk it better or I have to add more sugar.

Let's see how to prepare the chocolate zucchini Easter cupcakes:

Level: medium
Cost: medium
Calories: high

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 1 medium zucchini (200g)
• 5 tablespoons yogurt (80 ml)
• 5 tablespoons oil
• 225 g flour
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 60 g chocolate chips or grated dark chocolate
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon grated cinnamon
• salt
• butter frosting or heavy cream
• food coloring
• chocolate decoration

Instructions

1. Grate the washed zucchini, put in a strainer and squeeze the excess of water. Leave the zucchini in the strainer while prepare the batter.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line the muffin cups in a muffin pan, grease them or use baking spray.
3. In a medium bowl combine the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Stir it carefully. If you like the muffin with more chocolate, add 3 tablespoons of cacao powder.
4. In an other bowl stir the eggs with the sugar using an electric mixer, spoon the yogurt and melted butter into the mixture, finally add the oil. Mix it until the butter is smooth. Slowly add the dry mixture, stir it. Finally add the grated zucchini and the chocolate chips, stir it gently for 3-4 times.
5. Spoon the butter into the prepared muffin cups. Put the muffins in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, bake it until the toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan before removing.
6. Meanwhile the muffins are cooling, prepare the decoration. If you're using prepared frostings, just mix it with food colouring. (if you want colourful muffins). I was using whipped cream frosting. Just whisk the heavy cream until is thick, then add 1 cup of icing sugar and the food colouring. I prefer this method, because we like the taste of whipped cream better. :) Frost the completely cooled muffins with the coloured frosting and top each with a chocolate carrot and/or mini chocolate eggs.

Easter egg decoration

And finally we have to dye the indispensable Easter eggs.

Back home we used to dye Easter eggs in various ways. We used to decorate them with leaves, flowers and wax to draw traditional Hungarian motifs.

My mom is using the wax technic, she draws Hungarian motifs on the cooked eggs using a wax pencil, then she puts the eggs in the dye.

The wax resists dyeing, so where the egg is drew, there remains white. The embroidery designed eggs are really beautiful and amazing.

The traditional eggs are dyed with red onion, which gives the egg a reddish brown colour - my grandmother is still using this method.

This year I made colourful marbled eggs with nail polish.

ATTENTION: using this kind of technique makes the eggs toxic.
Do not eat the eggs.

Here are my Easter eggs:

Enjoy your holidays! Happy Easter!