Spring is in the air and the crocuses are already popping up in my neighborhood. It’s time to make Easter plans!

Most of my energy is going toward a festive Easter dinner for the family. Lamb is a tradition in our house, and this holiday I’m making a Rack of Lamb with Chimichurri Sauce (a classic South American sauce of mint, shallot, jalapeño, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and oil).

I pop the whole lamb roast in the oven for convenience, but it’s also more festive to serve as a whole roast, then carve it into chops. The crispness of the fresh snap-pea salad with Thai chile and cilantro that accompanies it (the salad recipe is included with the lamb recipe) complements the richness of the roasted meat. On the side, I’ll serve this Wild Rice and Barley Pilaf. (that includes a choice of dried cranberries, apricots, and/or currants, for a sweet touch and chewy texture).

Inevitably I have lamb leftovers, so I’ll cook up this protein-packed Lamb Lentil Soup. After a big Easter dinner, the soup makes a satisfying lunch that won’t leave you feeling heavy. (Drizzle some leftover chimichurri over the soup to make it even more flavorful.) This soup requires only 20 minutes of active cooking time, which is key after all that holiday cooking earlier in the week. Plus, I can freeze any leftover soup to have on hand for another meal days later.

In the Easter spirit, I’m also going to dye Easter eggs without an actual kit, using natural dyes from foods like beets. The blog Serious Eats gave me some interesting techniques: Check out: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/how-to-dye-easter-eggs-naturally-without-a-box-onion-skins-beets-cabbage.html.

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Categories: Cook Once, Eat Twice | Tags: Easter, Easter Dinner, Easter Lamb Dishes, Lamb
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