By African Plate
Spring has just begun and we are approaching an incredibly special, fun and flavourful time of year. This week’s blog is all about Easter, the memories that can be made and all the tasty FOOD that we should not miss out on.
What is Easter Actually about?
So now let us look at what Easter is all about. Although it is commonly known for Easter egg hunts, bunnies, hot cross buns and chocolate, there is so much more to it. Easter which is also referred to as resurrection Sunday is a traditional Christian festival that celebrates the ’Bringing back to life’ of Jesus following his crucifixion. It tends to be a joyous holiday where Christians give thanks and enjoy happy times to appreciate the sacrifice that was made. Even though Easter has Christian origins, it is still a period of time that anyone can get involved in, by just celebrating, eating good food and by showing gratitude for life.
Easter is usually responsible for bringing people together at this time of year and so it is only right that there is good tasting food for everyone to share and enjoy.
Why is Easter A family favourite?
Easter is a valuable time for many families because regardless of its origin, it brings the family together and provides fun times for all age groups.
For younger children, they may choose to enjoy an active Easter egg hunt or a festive drawing activity, while others might watch a fun movie, spend time outdoors or take some time to try all the wonderful foods that this day has to offer.
What will you be getting up to this Easter Sunday? Let us know below in the comments…
What are the best Easter dishes to celebrate spring?
For us at African Plate, we believe that the best part of Easter is definitely the wonderful food that is shared and eaten, but you may be wondering what the easiest and best tasting dishes actually are…
For brunch, ‘Hot cross buns,’ ‘muffins,’ ‘salmon,’ eggs of your choice and fresh fruit tend to go down a treat. These are all light and palatable foods that will ensure that you start off your Sunday the right way.
The showstopper of the food is certainly the ‘Roast Sunday Dinner’ that always leaves people asking for second helpings!
Roast Lamb shanks, roast Chicken and roast Beef are most commonly cooked on this day as they are easy to make and succulent to eat. However, a meat that should not be overlooked this year is ‘Turkey’ and ‘Seafood’ main courses as they can be just as easy and delicious to eat when prepared the right way.
For our vegan family, roasted and stuffed pumpkin could be a nice warming dish to try this Easter as it is inexpensive to make and luscious to eat.
Roast vegetables like potatoes, carrots, parsnips and onions as well as stuffing and warm gravy are all roast dinner essentials for whatever you choose to have at your dinner table.
And lastly, for desserts and snacks, cupcakes, carrot cake, cheesecake, nuts, fruit and cheese all tend to be great for this season. So, what food will you be trying this Easter?
How can you add that African Plate Influence to your cooking?
No matter what food you decide to bless your family and friends with, it is important to add that African Plate twist to your cooking and here we will tell you how.
Plantain and puff-puff work well as a breakfast staple and so by adding these to your spread you are already off to a great start on Easter Sunday.
When it comes to prepping, marinating and cooking your meat, flavour, juiciness and overall texture is especially important and so spices like our Ami Ami spice blend, our Barbeque Spice blend and our Cameroon Pepper can make for a delicious and authentic main dish. They all are great for adding flavour, heat and soul to your special dinner. Our Agoyin spice would be perfect to add to the Roasted and stuffed pumpkin that we had mentioned earlier also.
Jollof rice is just the perfect side dish for any occasion and with our jollof spice mix you can take it to the next level.
And our sweet Coconut crunchies are perfect to add along to your dessert, cheese board or even as a snack throughout the day when you are waiting for the other food to be complete.
There are loads of ways to add an African Plate twist to your cooking to make unforgettable moments and unforgettable dishes for your friends and family to share.
So, let us know which ones you will be trying?
Thank you for reading this blog and we are wishing you a happy, memorable and tasty Easter.
From us to you x
With Love From African Plate…
Written by Nayana Mena.