Easter recipes with Chef Kelli from Two Unique in Royal Oak
FOX 2 (WJBK) - Easter Sunday is on the horizon and Chef Kelli Lawton stopped by with plenty of recipe and entertaining options to celebrate it.
Chef Kelli is from Two Unique Caterers and Event Planners in Royal Oak to walk us through everything we need for a tasty and fun holiday celebration.
Spring Fever Brunch
Pick a theme; could be as simple as a chosen color palette, thing, or place; French, modern-clean, shabby chic, rustic, spring etc.
With thoughts of snow and cold fading being replaced by longer hours of sunshine and temperatures rising, this creates a path for our entertainment and our menus to follow suit. Trade the heavier winter dishes/ flavors for light, bright and tasty dishes!
Décor
Crisp white base linen, pastel tulips, lemon, or pastel-colored flowers, so much to choose from in the season of spring; colored gerberas, tulips, daisies, greens, and ivy to call out a few would be great candidates when thinking spring floral presence. Citrus-colored accent linen: even stripes or polka dots would be super fun as well as a splash of accent with a table runner or even festive placemats can add some interesting flair to your tablescape.
Assorted citrus fruit stacked linear in vertical vases, peek-a-boo single bud vases tucked here and there for pops of color. Consider whitewashed light wood pieces coupled with any décor you may own which lends to a light spring feeling. Tulips, gerberas, and lots of greenery will perk up your brunch space! White or clear glass serving pieces will lend to a clean and bright table space.
Granola Yogurt Fruit Tarts (Yield: 8-10 servings)
Use a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or eight individual ones
• 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• ¼ cup pecans, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• ¼ cup Michigan honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 2 cups Greek yogurt, coconut yogurt, or your favorite!
Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F.
2. Mix the oats, nuts, seeds, melted oil, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon together in a bowl until thoroughly coated.
3. Press about 3 tablespoons of the mixture into 8 greased mini tart pans.
4. Bake in the center rack of the oven for about 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden.
5. Immediately after removing the tart shells from the oven, use the back of the spoon to press down the centers of the crust to create more of an indentation, and push up the sides. The shell puffs up a bit in the oven, by tamping it down while it is warm it will create more space for yogurt filling.
6. Allow tarts to completely cool in the pan before removing.
7. Use a small knife to gently release the sides of the crust, working around each side. Carefully remove them from the pan, turning them over if needed into your hand, be careful as they will be very delicate.
8. Fill each tart with 3 to 4 tablespoons of yogurt and smooth it out evenly. Do NOT make it in advance as tarts will become soggy. If you want tarts to be more stable, consider "painting" them with melted white chocolate. This will create a moisture barrier and not let the yogurt penetrate.
9. Top with assorted berries or fruit of your choice.
Wild Mushroom & Goat Cheese Yukon Crust Frittata Cups
• 12 small Yukon potato
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 2 cups mixed wild mushrooms, sliced
• ¾ cup sliced asparagus, blanched
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ small white onion diced
• 2 cups spinach
• ¾ cup goat cheese
• ¼ cup red pepper diced small
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons finely julienned basil leaves
• 18 large whole eggs
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon fine fresh ground black pepper
Special Equipment
1 muffin pan (usually 12 units)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375℉.
2. Grease muffin pan
3. Place one small Yukon potato (or cut in half if you can find small ones) season with a sprinkle of sea salt & pepper and a brush of butter. Place in the preheated oven and let potatoes roast until cooked about 15-18 minutes.
4. Remove muffin pan from oven, using a spoon or even small tamper style press (think of something you might use to press coffee into its basket) Press the Yukon down and form a crust, and work smashed potato up the sides as much as possible. Brush molded crusts with a little melted butter and pop back into oven for 5 minutes to crips.
5. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan, add mushrooms and onions, sauté over medium heat, a couple of minutes into statue add finely diced red peppers for 4 -5 minutes until mushrooms are wilted, for extra liquid from mushrooms is cooked away, then add spinach and cover with lid over low heat for 45 seconds to let spinach melt/wilt.
6. In a mixing bowl crack eggs and whisk with heavy cream, sea salt & pepper basil and then add sautéed vegetables, asparagus, goat cheese & shredded mozzarella.
7. Pour mixture evenly into prepared potato-crusted muffin pans
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
9. Let rest for a few minutes and gently side out with a small rubber spatula.
Carrot Cake French Toast (Yield: 10-12 servings)
• 8 large croissants cubed or torn into pieces
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted.
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1.5 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped walnuts.
• 4 large eggs + 2 yolks
• ¾ whole milk
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
Directions
1. Combine brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved and mixture is smooth, about 3-4 minutes., drizzle over cubed croissant pieces and set aside.
2. Grease the baking dish with olive, butter, or coconut oil.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, cream, milk, syrup orange zest, golden raisins, shredded carrot. spices & sea salt.
4. Add croissant pieces to custard and mix, pour into pan and let sit for 30 minutes or even store overnight in fridge if working ahead.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove French toast from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature while oven preheats. Bake for 20 minutes covered with foil, remove foil, and bake for another 10-15 minutes until a little brown and firm to touch.
Cream Cheese Frosting
• 8 oz. Cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt room temperature
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
Whip softened cream cheese, stir in yogurt and maple syrup. Serve on the side for guest to top their own. We recommend having Michigan maple syrup available too.
Rustic Short Rib Hash (Yield: 10-12)
• 2 lbs. braised short ribs or braised meat of your choice i.e. pot roast, chuck roast etc.) When braising meat, please include carrots and onions as that will add great flavor to the hash. Short ribs or braised meat, torn into medium shredded pieces.
• 2 lbs. Yukon potatoes, when cool, cut Yukon’s into ½ inch coins.
• 1 cup brussels sprouts halved or quartered (blanched or lightly steamed) so they will be a bit more than half-cooked.
• ½ cup diced Spanish onion
• 3 garlic cloves chopped fine
• 1 red pepper, medium diced
• 1 bunch green kale, stemmed and cut into julienne strips.
• Carrots & onions from braised meat
• 5 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee.
Directions
1. Boil or roast Yukon’s in the oven until cooked al dente, allow to cool, fully, this would be great to execute the day before you make your hash.
2. In a large heavy bottom sauté or rondo style pan heat clarified butter and start sautéing onion, in a minute add brussels, potatoes, garlic and diced red peppers cook over medium, heat using a metal spatula, intermittently flipping patches of potatoes/vegetables that are in the pan. Try not to overwork the potatoes, let everything brown nicely on side before flipping, drizzle with additional melted butter and season with sea salt & pepper during cooking process.
3. Add kale and gently mix into hot potato mixture.
4. When vegetables & potatoes are nice crispy & have a little golden color, add braised meat, and check seasoning, adjust as needed. Stir in braised carrots and extra onion from meat dish as desired.
Chef's Note:
• Feel free to prep this dish a day or to go out for a quick sautee' on party day!
• Take liquid from brassie and reduce it by 50 or more percent and then drizzle a little of this reduced thicken jus on platted had at time of service.
Shaved Spring Salad with Berries (Yields: 8-10 servings)
• 4 cups arugula
• 1 cup pea shoots
• 2 cups spinach
• ½ cup raspberries
• ½ cup black berries
• ½ cup quartered strawberries
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)
• 8-10 asparagus shaved in thin slices (with peeler or mandolin)
• 4 stalks celery shaved in ribbons and soaked in ice water for 10 minutes. (Use a vegetable peeler to achieve this)
• ¼ cup cupped mint leaves
Easter Lemon Pavlovas
These delicious Easter Lemon Pavlovas are the perfect treat to add a festive twist to your holiday celebrations. The light and airy meringue provides the perfect texture for the tangy lemon curd filling. You can serve the pavlovas as a MYO (make your own) with lemon curd, whip cream, coconut flakes, sorbet, diced, sliced fruits nuts, even Nutella of chocolate sauce!
• 5 egg whites
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• A few drops food coloring of choice
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract (optional for extra lemon taste)
Directions
• Pre-heat the oven to 250 Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set it aside.
• Whip the egg whites on medium speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar to the mixer in a light "rain"
• Once all the sugar has been added, raise the speed to high and whip for 8-9 minutes, then add food coloring if desired and continue to ship for another 2-3 minutes, total time will be about 12 minutes the meringue should have stiff peaks and should look glossy and shiny.
• Add the cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the meringue and mix with a spatula until incorporated.
• Transfer the meringue to two 16" piping bags fitted with an open star tip.
• Pipe the meringue into 3 1/2" inch nests, leaving some space in the center at the top so you can fill it later.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlovas in there for 30 minutes. Let them cool down before proceeding with the filling. The unfilled pavlovas can be stored for up to 5 days in an air-tight container at room temperature.
• It's very important to leave the pavlovas in the oven after they are done baking. If you remove them from the oven immediately, or if you constantly open the oven door, the pavlovas will crack or deflate due to the sudden temperature change.
Lemon Curd
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature (85 grams)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 6 tbsp lemon zest
Directions
1. Beat the butter with an electric mixer for about 1 minute at medium speed.
2. Add the sugar to the bowl and beat with the butter for 2 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time to the bowl, and mix until combined.
4. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix until combined. You may notice the mixture separating at this point. It’s ok, it will come together later once cooked.
5. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan with a heavy bottom, and cook at medium-low heat, stirring non-stop, for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the curd reaches 170ºf. If you don’t have a thermometer, the curd should be thick enough to heavily coat the back of a spoon.
6. Remove the curd to a bowl and let it cool down, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
7. To assemble
Marshmallow Easter Eggs Makes 12-16 "Eggs"
Equipment
• Candy thermometer
• Plastic easter eggs or molds
• Standing or handheld mixer
• Pastry bag with large piping tip
• Pastry brush, optional
• Old egg carton, optional
Ingredients
• 2 packets unflavored gelatin
• 3 medium- large egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup granulated sugar s
• 3/4 cup water divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
Non-stick cooking spray
Egg decorating supplies: (optional)
• Sprinkles, melted chocolate, sanding sugar white & colored, buttercream.
Instructions
1. Wash and dry your plastic Easter eggs and fit a large pastry bag with a large round tip.
2. Spray the inside of the Easter eggshells with non-stick cooking spray. Set it aside.
3. Add gelatin to 1/4 cup cold water and let bloom for one minute. Once bloomed, put the pan on medium heat and cook until the gelatin is dissolved, stirring the mixture while it cooks so it doesn’t get a film on top. Once it’s completely dissolved, reduce the head to keep it warm while you complete steps 3-6.
4. Fit your standing mixture with a whisk attachment. Add the egg whites to the bowl and vanilla bean if using. Do not start whisking the whites at this time.
5. Stir granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Wipe down the sides of the pan with a pastry dish dipped in water. This will help ensure the sugar mixture doesn’t crystallize. Turn the mixture onto medium-high heat. Once it’s dissolved, simmer until the syrup mixture reaches 250 degrees. This should take between 5-10 minutes.
6. Let the syrup continue to cook untouched until it reaches 281 - 284 degrees. It’s important not to stir the sugar mixture while it cooks.
7. While it’s cooking, start whisking the egg whites on medium-high until stiff peaks are formed. You want to have the syrup at 281 degrees and the egg whites at stiff peaks at the same time. If the egg whites get stiff peaks before the sugar mixture is done, turn the standing mixture to low and continue slowly beating until the sugar mixture is at the correct temperature.
8. Once the syrup is 281 degrees, remove it from the heat and slowly pour it down the sides of the bowl of egg white. It helps if the mixture is slow to lessen splattering.
9. Add warm gelatin, vanilla, and salt to the egg whites. Once it’s combined turn onto medium high speed. Mix until it is thick and glossy, it will take about 5 minutes and should still be warm.
10. Fill the pastry bag with the marshmallow mix.
11. Fill one half of the easter egg with the marshmallow batter, making sure to fill slowly so there are no air pockets. Pay close attention to the bottom and top of the eggs, even though they seem full it’s very easy to get air pockets. You’ll want to start with the top of the pastry bag close to the bottom and fill it upward. Then, fill the second half in the same manner and then close the egg fitting it securely together. The marshmallow mixture will come out of any holes in the eggs. This is good and what you want, it means the eggs are full of marshmallow. It helps to have a wet towel near you when you fill them. That way, you can wipe each egg of marshmallow overflow after you close it. Once filled and wiped of any access marshmallow, place in the egg carton.
12. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Once they’re all filled let them sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours.
13. Once they are ready to be served, remove the plastic shells, and roll in sanding sugar or sprinkles of choice!
Notes
• Make sure the bowl for egg whites is completely clean of any oil or egg yolks. Any type of fat in the egg whites will cause the egg whites to not whip up and stay flat.
• Do not stir the boiling sugar syrup mix or it will cause the marshmallows to get grainy.
• Make sure every sugar crystal has dissolved before adding the sugar syrup to the egg whites. See the troubleshooting section for tips.
• Putting the pastry bag in a large cup or container makes it easy to fill with marshmallow mixture.
• You can make colored marshmallow eggs by adding gel fool coloring when you add vanilla and salt.
• Recipe adapted from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery
• This recipe makes 12-16 marshmallow eggs.
• These will last 5-7 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
For more information on 2 Unique Caterers and Event Planners:
Online go to twounique.com or call them at (248) 549-5242. It is located at 4303 Delemere Ct. Royal Oak