Easter dinner isn't generally the sort of meal we try to rush. The whole point is to savour the meal, not sprint through it the way we do most weeknights.
But that doesn't mean we don't appreciate the easy, time-saving trick here and there. In this case, I've applied the same technique to both the appetizer and the dessert. It's an approach that frees me up to focus on the rest of the meal 鈥� the all-important glazed ham, the roasted vegetables, perhaps a cocktail (or three).
The trick begins with purchased frozen phyllo pastry cups (also called "fillo shells"). You'll find them in the grocer's freezer section alongside the puff pastry (and often near the frozen fruit). These tiny cups (each holds about 1 tablespoon or so of fillings and they usually come 15 to a box) come fully cooked and thaw in minutes. All you need to do is fill them and eat them (though you may need to bake them depending on your filling).
For the appetizer, we don't even need a recipe. All I do is transform the classic Easter quiche into bite-size treats.
To do this, heat the oven to 400 F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, then arrange the phyllo cups on it. Fill each cup with a small amount (about 1 to 2 teaspoons) of fillings. Chopped cooked meats, chopped vegetables and shredded cheese are great choices.
In a 1-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk 1 egg, a splash of water, milk or cream, and a bit of salt and pepper. Carefully pour about 1 teaspoon of the egg mixture over the fillings in each cup. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the egg is puffed and the fillings are lightly browned. That's it. The quiche cups can be served warm or room temperature.
For the dessert, I went with a ridiculously easy and delicious no-cook option 鈥� creamy lemon-berry tartlets. These are so simple you even could delegate this part of the meal to the kids.
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CREAMY LEMON-BERRY TARTLETS
Assuming these tartlets won't be consumed immediately, you don't even need to let them thaw before filling them. Just proceed with the recipe and by the time they are eaten they will be perfect. You'll usually find jarred lemon curd in with the jams and jellies.
Start to finish: 15 minutes
Makes 15 tartlets
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons purchased lemon curd
Pinch cinnamon
15 frozen baked phyllo cups
1 cup fresh berries
Powdered sugar, to sprinkle
In a small bowl, whisk together the creme fraiche, lemon curd and cinnamon until slightly thickened. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of the mixture into each phyllo cup. The filling should be lightly mounded in the cups, but not overflowing.
Top each cup with several berries, then arrange the cups on a serving platter. Spoon powdered sugar into a mesh strainer, then hold it over the filled cups and gently tap to dust with sugar.
Nutrition information per serving: 50 calories; 35 calories from fat (70 per cent of total calories); 4 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 15 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 1 g protein; 25 mg sodium.
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J.M. Hirsch is the food editor for The Associated Press. He blogs at http://www.LunchBoxBlues.com and tweets at http://twitter.com/JM_Hirsch
