Easter Recipes: Main Dishes For an Elegant Holiday Table

We here at Greensbury make it easy for you to enjoy a delicious holiday meal this Easter. We pulled together main dish recipes to inspire your table and elevate your gathering.

Easter is coming up soon, on April 17th, 2022. Regardless of whether or not you celebrate, we hope you’ll try these recipes! You can order our quality meats and seafood well in advance of any holiday and trust that they’ll keep very well in your freezer.

The easy favorite is our Antibiotic-Free Spiral Sliced Ham, with the Bone-in.  It's a 7-8 lb spiral cut hams are pre-cooked and pre-sliced for effortless serving and offer a picture-perfect entrée for the center of your dining table.  Included with each ham is a delicious brown sugar, herb and spice glaze packet. 

The next recipe is a favorite in Ted’s* home: Grilled Lamb Chops! Use our Antibiotic-Free Lamb Chops.

Next, we suggest an alternative to cooking a whole ham: Cider-Brined, Mustard-Glazed Pork Loin! This recipe uses our Boneless Pork Loin Roast. You’ll save time and hassle versus going for a whole ham, without losing out on flavor.

For those of you who prefer fish (for Easter dinner, or every Friday), try Salmon and Spring Vegetables Baked in Paper. We recommend our Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon, but this recipe can be adapted for your favorite fish. Enjoy colorful spring vegetables alongside amazing salmon fillets for a lighter holiday meal.

Check out the recipes below.

Happy Spring!
Dine Well and Live Well.

-Your friends at Greensbury

*Ted Hopper, CEO of Greensbury

Here are the recipes:

Grilled Lamb Chops

(Adapted from The Food Network)

This is one of Ted's favorite recipes for Easter dinner.

Ingredients:

• 6 Antibiotic-Free Lamb Chops (about 3/4-inch thick)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Coarse sea salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, and salt to a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse until combined.
2. Add olive oil and pulse into a paste.
3. Rub the paste on both sides of the lamb chop.
4. Marinate the chops for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
5. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the chops to come to room temperature (takes about 20 minutes).
6. Heat a grill pan over high heat until almost smoking.
7. Add the lamb chops to the pan. Sear for approximately 2 minutes.
8. Flip the lamb chops over and cook for an additional 3 minutes for medium-rare, or 3 1/2 minutes for medium. (Internal temperature for medium-rare is ~145 degrees.)

Cider-Brined, Mustard-Glazed Pork Loin

(Adapted from Rhoda Boone’s recipe)

Looking for an alternative to the hassle of cooking a whole ham? Enjoy this ham-inspired recipe that uses our Boneless Pork Loin Roast!

Making healthy choices goes beyond calorie counts, but as an extra incentive to choose a pork loin roast over a holiday ham, here’s a basic comparison of a 6oz serving of each:

Typical bone-in, spiral sliced, honey glazed ham: 390 calories, 3690mg sodium, 12g fat

Greensbury’s Boneless Pork Loin Roast: 250 calories, 85mg sodium, 11g fat

Source: https://www.verywellfit.com/holiday-ham-calories-and-nutrition-3495647

Of course, if you prepare the pork loin according to our recipe below, you’ll be adding brown sugar, maple syrup, and apple cider. The good news is: you’ll know exactly what’s in your dinner. You’re in control.

Serves 8–12

Ingredients

For the brine:

• 1 (5-pound) boneless pork loin (tied if desired)
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, lightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
• 12 thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups apple cider, divided

For the pork:

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup country Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
• 2 cups apple cider

Directions

To make the brine:

1. Bring salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, thyme, bay leaves, 2 cups apple cider, and 2 cups water to a low boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Cook, whisking, until sugar and salt dissolve, about 4 minutes.
3. Transfer brine to a large bowl.
4. Add remaining 2 cups apple cider and 2 cups ice.
5. Let cool to room temperature.
6. Place pork and brine in either:

• ...A very large resealable plastic bag. Turn to coat.
• ...A large stock pot where the roast can be completely submerged in the brine.
• ...Or, Ted’s high-tech turkey briner. (Click here to see it!)
• Seal and chill at least 8 hours.

To roast the pork:

1. Remove pork from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.
3. Place rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400°F.
4. Season pork all over with salt and pepper.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
6. Sear pork, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides (including ends), 10–12 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, combine mustard, brown sugar, syrup, and thyme in a medium bowl.
8. Pour apple cider into a large roasting pan or glass baking dish.
9. Transfer pork, fat side up, to pan.
10. Brush all over with mustard mixture.
11. Roast pork, basting every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 145°F, 50–70 minutes.
12. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Salmon and Spring Vegetables Baked in Paper

(Adapted from Joanne Weir’s recipe)

Serves: 6

This recipe features our Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon. The overall presentation of the salmon fillets tied in paper with spring vegetables is what will make it a hit at your Easter table. You can substitute the fish and vegetables based on your preferences, or what you have on hand.

Ingredients:

• 6 Wild Sockeye Salmon fillets (6 oz. each), skin removed
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced (12 slices total)
• 1 small bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, strings removed
• 12 sprigs fresh tarragon
• 1⁄4 cup dry white wine (recommended: Sauvignon Blanc)

Preparation:

1. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the carrots and simmer for 3 minutes.
3. Drain and set aside.
4. Heat the oven to 400°F.
5. Cut 6 pieces of parchment paper (or foil*) in the shape of a heart, about 20 inches across at the widest part of the heart. Brush liberally with olive oil.
6. Place one piece of salmon on half of the heart and brush the top of the fillet with more olive oil.
7. Season with salt and pepper and place two slices of lemon on each fillet.
8. Divide the carrots, asparagus, and snap peas evenly among the 6 parchment hearts, scattering them on top of the salmon.
9. Place two tarragon sprigs on each fillet.
10. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. of white wine on top of the fish.
11. Season with salt and pepper.
12. To seal each parcel, fold the heart in half and then fold and crease the edges to enclose the salmon and vegetables. Continue folding the paper down over itself until the parcel is completely enclosed. Tie the ends if needed.
13. Place the parchment parcels on a baking sheet, seam side down, and put in the oven; bake until well puffed, about 15 minutes.
14. To serve, place one parchment parcel on each plate and snip the center open with scissors.

*A note on paper vs. foil: If you have foil on hand, you can instead cook in foil packets and skip the paper and twine. We love the presentation of the paper for a holiday table, but want you to do whatever works best!

 Peach Glazed Pork Tenderloin

(Adapted from Hayley Lucero's Recipe @ Real Food With Altitude)

This recipe features our organic, boneless pork loin roast. This is a quick but delicious meal to make on Easter. The candy-like peaches really help flavor this glaze, but the sweetness was definitely matched with the vinegar. Many pork tenderloin recipes are filled with sugar, so for those who are looking for a sugar-free glaze, look no further.