Does the job fall to you to prepare Easter Brunch this year?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘THIS’ YEAR? DON’T I DO THIS EVERY YEAR?
Ok…. ok. I was just being kind.
According to the Food Network and their ‘All-Star Easter Brunch’…. you have to go ‘all out’ and make candied bacon or affectionately as I call it: ‘heart attack on a plate’. Talk about a side dish that your body just absolutely cannot process….. sugar and the oh so difficult bacon. And Marmalade Butter…. how decadent is that?
BUT CHEF MARIAN! YOU JUST FINISHED COOKING FOR PASSOVER FOR A FRIEND GIVING US HOLIDAY RECIPES WITH PASTA, BUTTER, SUGAR…..
And yes. I know. It’s hard to get away from comfort food at the holidays. So I will put in a disclaimer here: 3 small bites of anything never hurt anyone. But here’s the important part: each mouthful has to be deliberate, and enjoyed to its’ fullest! Deal?
DEAL CHEF MARIAN!
As I scroll over the recipes……. just to see what might be fun to make, it seems that there’s way more wrong than right.
(And by the way, that’s what I found with Passover recipes as well. Add chicken fat? Isn’t that supposed to read: Never use chicken fat)? lol
I mean, think about it. The kids will be eating more chocolate than they’ve had all year….. searching for chocolate, wanting that chocolate bunny, hoping to get enough chocolate in their basket……
So let’s start with the kids. What do you think you can do better? How about dark chocolate…. 55% Cacao and up! Get your kids eating dark chocolate now….. no milk and less sugar/more anti-oxidents…. and you will have done your job! Go to Trader Joe’s. They have all kinds of yummy choices in the dark chocolate area.
Now it’s hard to think ‘pastels’, when all the good stuff is actually dark green and leafy. But let’s think about that. How about coloring (after peeling) hard boiled eggs in pastel shades…. using maybe some beet juice (also pre-packaged comes in a box from Trader Joe’s) to turn them light pink? Let’s look for natural things to color with not Red Dye #3! lol
Now, according to some of my research, traditional foods do include hard boiled eggs…. quickly followed by Hot Cross Buns!
Doesn’t it seem like we could try things this year like ‘stevia’ and apple sauce to soften and sweeten?
Lamb and ham and …. what about spam? Do we draw the line there? lol
Eating Well recommend (on the healthier side, they say) a Mushroom Leek Galette. How many of you know what a Galette is? Click on the link so you can say:
YES CHEF MARIAN. WE KNOW WHAT A GALETTE IS.
Well, to be honest…. I didn’t know it was called that. And I speak French! So there you have it. Learning something new every day. Probably the reason I do this blog!
Ok. Let’s look at the ingredients in this ‘healthy’ choice. Flour, Milk, Cottage Cheese, Sugar, Canola Oil, Sour Cream. Did I miss something here? oooh…Ohhhh yeeeaaah. Leeks, mushrooms… they’re vegetables. Well I guess that makes it healthy.
Come on folks! I’m sorry to be this obnoxious about it but…… really? Really?
Ok. Here’s some quick ideas, off the top of my head.
Ever see quinoa noodles at the store? Well, there are little baby pasta’s and when you add some water and mix and boil, the water becomes like a sauce…. looks like that nice white sauce you find in a chicken pot pie.
Why can’t we make or buy some gluten free crust (so many pizza places actually present a gluten free pizza, like Sammy’s Wood Fired Pizza)? In the places I’ve bought from, it’s 2 for $5.00.
So, it’s not expensive, but your body and every body will process it easier. And you can make a Galette (ok… it’s not a Galette… more like a pot pie…..with the sauce and veggies… in a healthier, more flavorful way, caramelizing onions, roasting garlic, adding some cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg for an unexpected flavor…. I mean, it really CAN be done!
And how cool are people gonna think you are, when they ask: This is gooood. What’s in it?
Let’s use this holiday, not to measure up with decadent standards, but instead to find new ways to give our bodies what it needs, and still satisfy that craving for something decadent. And in the worst case scenario, just remember: No more than 3 bites of anything. YOU CAN DO IT! I’m sure.
Happy Eating,
