As spring arrives we welcome back all the wonderful flowers and fresh produce this season brings after a long, hard winter. The budding of spring brings with it the first true holiday of the season — Easter. A time for Christians to celebrate the life and resurrection of Christ. A time for the Easter bunny to hide colorful eggs that children have so lovingly decorated. And a time for families to gather around a bountiful feast in honor of this holiday.

If you happen to be the lucky host for this year’s festivities, Glutenfreeda is here to help you plan a fabulous meal. As with all of our menus and recipes the goal here is to create a delicious gluten-free feast that tastes as good, if not better than Easter feasts enjoyed in the past (before diagnosis).

Smoked Salmon & Asparagus Strata

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, washed, trimmed and blanched
• 1 loaf sandwich bread, toasted
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup shallots, chopped
• 5 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
• 1-3/4 cups milk
• 2 cups cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 6 ounces gf smoked salmon, sliced
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 Tablespoons chives, chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dill, chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoons thyme, chopped
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 5-6 ounces of chevre
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions:

Butter a 2-1/2 to 3 quart baking dish.
Slice blanched asparagus lengthwise and then into 1" pieces.
Cut the bread slices into 1" cubes.
Melt butter in a skillet over low heat and add shallots. Sauté until golden; remove from heat.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a layer of bread cubes. Cover the bread cubes with a layer of 1/2 of the salmon, half of the asparagus, half of the parmesan cheese, half of the shallots, half of each of the herbs and all of the chevre, crumbled. Cover with another layer of bread cubes, remaining salmon, asparagus, herbs and shallots. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and gruyere cheeses. Pour egg mixture over all to within one inch of the top of the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator over night.
Remove from refrigerator and let come to room temperature. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes about 1 lb. or 8 small patties

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1-1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon anise seed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients until well blended and refrigerate overnight. Form into 8 small patties and fry in a non-stick skillet until cooked through.

Sautéed Potatoes

Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Parboil, gently, uncovered for about 4 minutes. Drain and let stand until dry for about 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté half the potatoes, turning the potatoes occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 4-6 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the potatoes, turning them occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet, sprinkle with thyme and keep warm in the oven. Repeat this process with the remaining parboiled potatoes.

Strawberry Pancakes

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 4 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 12 ounces gf cream cheese
• 2-1/2 cups gf flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced thin

Directions:

In a food processor purée 4 cups frozen or fresh strawberries, lemon juice and 6 tablespoons sugar until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve; set aside. In food processor combine cream cheese and 1cup of strawberry purée; blend until smooth. In a large bowl, combine gf flour, baking soda, salt and remaining 4 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk and milk. Whisk milk mixture into flour mixture until evenly moistened. Place a griddle over medium heat; coating griddle lightly with butter. Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle and cook until pancake is golden brown on bottom and edges begin to look dry. Turn with a wide spatula and brown other side. When pancake is done transfer to a platter and keep warm in a 200°F oven. Repeat process with remaining batter. To assemble pancakes, spread each pancake with strawberry cream cheese and roll up. Set two rolled pancakes, seam-side down on each plate. Top evenly with sliced strawberries and drizzle with strawberry purée.

Happy Easter!

- Glutenfreeda