Palm Sunday

          Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week in the Christian calendar.  The week between Palm Sunday and Easter celebrates the last days of Jesus’ life, His death and resurrection.  This is my favorite time of the year.

 

This is a feast day and celebrates Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem.  He was welcomed with people throwing palm branches and coats in His path as He entered the city on the back of a donkey colt.  On this day we process into Church with palm branches singing Hosanna!

 

I like to serve a palm theme festive dinner for Palm Sunday.  Traditionally ham or lamb is served for Easter.  I usually serve one for Palm Sunday and the other for Easter.  Lamb is readily available in grocery stores.  It is associated with spring.   So this is what I’m serving this year.

 

            Menu for Palm Sunday

                        Palm Sunday Salad

                        Herb-Panko Encrusted Rack of Lamb

                        Oven Roasted Asparagus

                        Sautéed Mushrooms

                        Boiled new potatoes

                        Homemade bread

                        Palm Sundae

 

This Week’s Challenge - What’s in season?

 

            It is finally spring.  Take a look at produce that is season this month.  Research on online, visit a produce store, like Sprouts of Mother’s, look for what is new in the stores.  Try something you have not tried before.

 

Tip for this Week – Berries are in Season

 

            Strawberries are at their peak.  In California the season runs from February to August.  Of course the best strawberries are locally grown and picked ripe.  Most strawberries found in grocery stores are picked before they are ripe.  Unfortunately, strawberries do not ripen after being picked.  They will continue to turn red, but they stop storing sugar after being picked.  Even if they are beautifully red, they will not be as sweet as a strawberry that is ripe before being picked. 

            Berries should not be rinsed or washed, but gently wiped clean, like mushrooms.  This is so that they do not taste watery. Washing adds to the water content.  At least that is the correct method.  I do wash my berries and my mushrooms.  So I leave it up to you to decide how you will handle cleaning your berries.

 

This Week in Punkin’s Kitchen

 

Palm Sunday Salad

 

Palm Heart Salad

1 pack.           Salad greens of choice

1 C                  Cherry tomatoes

1 can              Hearts of Palm, drained and cut into ½ inch slices

1 inch             Cucumber, sliced thin

2-3                  Radishes, sliced

¼                     Bell pepper, cut in thin slices

                        Red onion or shallot, sliced in rings

2 T                   Sunflower seeds, shelled and roasted

 

1.    Place the vegetables, in a salad bowl.

2.    Top with feta and pine nuts.

3.    Make the dressing.

 

 

Balsamic Vinegraitte

 

2 T                   Balsamic Vinegar

¼ C                 Olive oil, extra virgin

1 t                    Dijon mustard

1 t                    Tarragon, dried and crushed

2 T                   Water

                        Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

 

1.    Place all the ingredients in a jar or curette and shake to combine.

2.    Add to the salad just before serving.

 

 

Palm Sundae Dessert

 

                        Ice cream of choice

Package        Palmier cookies

                        Berries of choice

                        Syrup or sauce of choice

 

The ingredients

1.    Place a scoop of ice cream in a small bowl

2.    Add the sauce (optional).

Palmiers are made from puff pastry.

 

3.    Place one or two palmiers in the bowl. It depends on the size of the palmier.

4.    Top with berries.

 

Add caption

*I usually use vanilla ice cream, no syrup topped with fresh raspberries.

 

Fish of the Week

 

Fish Curry with Green Peppercorns

 

6-4 oz.            Fish of choice, cubed

½ lb.                New potatoes, quartered

1/2 C               Onion, chopped

1 package      S & B Golden Curry Sauce Mix

1/3 C               Green peppercorns

Water or broth to cover

                        Salt and pepper to taste

 

The ingredient

Green peppercorns and Golden Curry sauce mix

The curry sauce mix I a soft brick that
melts to thicken and season the curry.
All or part od the brick can be used.
It comes in three strengths, mild,
 medium or hot.

 

1.    Place the fish, potatoes and onion in a soup pot and cover with water.

 

2.    Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until the potatoes are tender.

3.    Add The Curry sauce mix.  It comes in a brick.  Break it into smaller pieces and allow it to dissolve.  It will season and thicken the curry.

Peppercorns and sauce mix added.

 

4.    Add the green peppercorns and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sauce mix melted and incorporated

 

5.    The sauce with thicken as it cools.

6.    Serve over steamed rice.

 

 

*Other vegetables can be used.  I usually keep the Golden Curry sauce on hand for quick curry.  You can use any meat or a variety of vegetable and then add the sauce mix.  I often make it by cubing chicken breast, and boiling it with carrots, celery, potatoes and onions.  Sometimes I add peas, corn or green beans.  It is very versatile and comes in three strengths, mild, medium and hot.  It is a good way to use leftovers, too.

I serve this with Urdu Papad which is a cracker like bread.  It comes raw and needs to be toasted over an open flame. 

The package

uncooked



Place over the open flame for less than a second and turn.

Turn it continual to keep from burning.  As it
cooks, it will turn light and bumpy.

Keep turning it over and over until all of
the papad is light and bumpy

It is almost done.

I like to scorched part.  It with
turn hard and crispy as it cools. 
Papad come in differ flavors,
 plain, pepper, and chile

 

Happy Cooking!