It’s the spring holiday season, and these dishes lend themselves to both Easter and Passover.
It’s the spring holiday season. With everything going on in the world, there is an urge to sit down together as family and friends and take a moment to celebrate the idea of renewal, of a new season. Each holiday has its own traditions and rituals: Jelly bean trails.
Chocolate Easter eggs. Matzah ball soup and haroset. Roasted lamb, potatoes, asparagus and salad. But you don't have to serve the same holiday meal your parents or grandparents insisted on. You can mix things up a bit. Instead of the traditional roast lamb or braising a brisket for hours, I’ve reimagined a menu that works for both Passover and Easter and comes together with very little effort or time. This starter takes under 20 minutes to put together and bake: a thick slice of feta cheese surrounded by cherry tomatoes and topped with Za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice mix, and honey. Serve it with matzah if you celebrate Passover, or warm crusty bread for an Easter gathering. Next is a main course that works for either holiday: a braised chicken with dates, apricots, green olives, carrots and artichoke hearts. This dish is best made a day ahead of time, freeing you up to be with your family and friends. This beautiful braised chicken dish bursts with fresh flavors, colors and textures. The chicken is browned and then braised with white wine or chicken stock, apricots, artichoke hearts, green olives, dates, carrots, thyme and saffron . The entire dish can be made ahead of time and reheated just before serving, freeing you up to focus on other side dishes for your holiday seder or Easter dinner. Serve with cous cous, pearl cous cous or roasted potatoes.1 chicken, about 3 pounds, cut into 8 pieces, or 3 pounds chicken pieces About 1½ tablespoons olive oil4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole8 ounces carrots, about 6 small or 4 medium, peeled and cut in half lengthwise and then into 1-inch pieces½ cup pitted green olives, cut in half of large or left whole if small3 cups dry white wine or chicken broth, or a combination of bothSeason the chicken with salt, pepper, and half the thyme on both sides. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat half the oil over moderately high heat. Working in batches, brown the chicken, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken and olive oil if needed.Heat the skillet over low heat and add the onion and the sliced and whole garlic, salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the saffron if using and stir it into the onion mixture. Add the carrots, apricots, dates, olives, artichoke hearts, parsley and remaining thyme and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. In a clean stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they become foamy. Add the lemon juice and beat until the whites billow to soft peaks. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites. Scoop the egg whites into the bowl with the almond flour and gently fold them in until you have a stiff, sticky paste. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. Very lightly moisten your fingers and gently press the tops of the ricciarelli to flatten them slightly. Dust liberally with the remaining confectioners’ sugar. Let the cookies sit, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours to dry out. Arrange the ricciarelli on a decorative platter and dust with additional confectioners’ sugar before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Recipe excerpted from"Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region" by Domenica Marchetti. Photos by Lauren Volo. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.
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