12 Mediterranean Recipes for Your Easter

In my family, we always celebrate Easter twice as more often than not Orthodox Easter does not coincide with Western Easter.  Orthodox Easter usually falls one to four weeks after its celebration by Western Christians, but occasionally, the two coincide.  This year, just like last year, Orthodox Easter falls one week after the Western celebration and will be celebrated on April 16.

The Week Leading to Orthodox Easter:  Holy Week 

Easter is the most important religious holiday in the Orthodox Christian calendar.  During the Holy Week, that is the week between Palm Sunday and Easter, preparations for Pascha (Easter) include the dyeing of the eggs, making the Greek Easter Cookies, and, baking the traditional braided and highly aromatic sweet-bread known as tsoureki (in the picture, above).  All these recipes are linked in this post.

12 Mediterranean Recipes for Easter 

If you are looking for some ideas to add to your Easter table this year, I hope you will find some inspiration with the recipes I have rounded up for this post.  From the traditional Easter bread, to my favorite lamb recipes, easy side dishes, and a few delicious desserts, I am pretty confident that you will find something you like in my list of 12 Mediterranean recipes for Easter!

Traditional Roasted Lamb and Potatoes

If you are looking for something different than ham this year for your Easter centerpiece, you might want to look to roasted lamb, which is the meat of choice in many Mediterranean countries for this holiday.  Lamb dishes, in their many variations, are always present on the Greek Easter table.  This recipe for traditional roasted lamb and potatoes is perfect for those cooking lamb for the first time.  The “low and slow” roasting method is foolproof.  While it will take some time to cook in the oven, it is well worth it!

Greek Lamb Fricassée

Lamb fricassée with avgolemono (αρνάκι φρικασέ) is a Greek-style lamb braised with lots of greens and finished with the traditional egg-lemon (avgolemono) sauce.  The dish utilizes greens that are growing at this time of the year and it is surprisingly light and extremely flavorful.  Tender pieces of leg of lamb are braised slowly with sweet leeks, mild spring onions, and aromatic fresh dill before the dish is finished off with the tangy and creamy avgolemono sauce.

Grilled Lamb Loin Chops

If you are thinking of grilling lamb, you might want to try these flavorful lamb loin chops with lemon and garlic.  You can also sear these chops in a heavy bottomed skillet, if you prefer, in this versatile recipe.  The quick rub with seasoning, garlic and herbs of your choice is all you need to have on hand and the cooking takes only minutes.

Creamy Scalloped Parmesan Potatoes

These scalloped potatoes are a real crowd pleaser and they can be assembled ahead of time, baked ahead of time, then reheated before serving.

Skillet Roasted Potatoes

Easy skillet potatoes with lemon and parsley is the perfect side dish for your Easter dinner table if you are a potato lover (even if you are not)!  They are wonderful served with lamb and always disappear fast!

Asparagus with Lemon, Garlic and Parsley

The perfect side dish to celebrate spring.  This is a classic Italian favorite for which you can also swap the asparagus out for fresh green beans

Greek Panzanella Salad

This is my Greek version of the Italian panzanella salad, with a few more vegetables added, along with Kalamata olives and Feta cheese. The addition of Greek oregano (instead of the basil) gives the salad an unmistakable Greek flavor profile.

Greek Easter Tsoureki

The Greek Easter bread, or tsoureki, is a brioche-type of yeast bread made with eggs, milk, and butter in the week leading up to Greek Orthodox Easter.  It is traditionally eaten after midnight services on Easter, breaking the Lenten and Easter fasts. Out of all these 12 Mediterranean Recipes for Easter, this bread is a must for the Easter table!

Greek Easter Cookies

These Greek Easter cookies, flavored with oranges and vanilla, are usually made in great quantities, because they keep so well and last for weeks after Easter!

Orange Custard Ruffled Filo Pie

Layers of golden, crispy, “ruffled” sheets of buttered filo pastry, baked in a delicious orange custard then drizzled with an orange simple syrup while it is still hot and just out of the oven.  This truly is Heaven on a plate, as my friend Cynthia would say:)

Ricotta and Chocolate Crumb Cake

This cake is an older recipe which I learned from the time we lived in Italy.  It is an example of a very flavorful, simple, not fancy treat, the perfect make-ahead dessert for your Easter table!

Almond Cake with Rhubarb Compote

This is a great recipe if you can get your hands on some rhubarb that has now started to show up at the markets. The simplest of desserts with or with our the topping!

I want to wish a Happy Easter to everyone who is celebrating Easter this Sunday

 Kalo Pascha to all my Greek friends around the world! 

Thank you all for reading my posts and trying my recipes!