Hop to it with this easy Easter Sunday menu

Forget hiding Easter eggs. This Sunday, your guests will be stumped trying to find the extra fat and calories absent from this light and tasty Easter feast. Be sure to make extra, as this meal will satisfy even the heartiest of eaters at your table.

Happy Easter!



Course 1: Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients

6 slices low-sodium turkey bacon
2 cups chopped onions
2 lb. thin-skinned potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
5 cups skim milk
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large sauce pan, cook bacon until crisp, then drain on paper towels. When cool, chop into small pieces and set aside. Add onion to pan with bacon drippings and cook until tender. Add potato cubes and broth. Cover and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. In a small bowl blend flour and milk until smooth. Add to broth and boil for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add pepper and parsley. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with bacon pieces.

Servings: 8
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
Counts as: 2 starches, 1 dairy, 1 fat



Course 2: Eggplant Caponata

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3-4 Tbsp. black olives, pitted and chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a baking dish, combine olive oil, eggplant, garlic, onion, and green pepper. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add water, parsley, black olives, tomatoes, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Return to oven and bake 30 minutes, or until eggplant is soft. Remove from oven and transfer to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight before serving. Serve chilled.

Servings: 18
Serving size: 1/3 cup
Counts as: 1 vegetable



Course 3: Spring Salad

4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. orange juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 packets artificial sweetener
1/4 tsp. light salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
6 cups mixed greens
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. snow pea pods, cut in to thin strips
1 cup seedless grapes
2 oz. light feta cheese

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, orange juice, oil, sweetener, salt and pepper. In a large salad bowl, combine greens, cucumber, snow peas, and grapes. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Top with cheese. Serve chilled

Servings: 5
Serving size: 1/5 of recipe
Counts as: 1 fat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable



Course 4: Glazed Ham

4- to 6-lb. ham
1 1/2 cups apricot halves in light syrup
1/2 cup no-sugar-added apricot preserves
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Place ham in baking pan. Pour apricot halves and juice over ham. Sprinkle with cloves and ginger. Heat ham in oven according to package directions.

To prepare glaze, place preserves in small dish and microwave 10-20 seconds, until preserves begin to thin. Brush ham with warm glaze during last 30 minutes of cooking.
Continue to brush ham every 10 minutes until cooked. Note: Preserves may need reheating between brushings.

Allow ham to sit 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm

Serving size: 3 or 5 oz cooked ham
Counts as: 1 protein, 1 fruit



Sides:

Wild Rice Pilaf

1 1/4 cups water
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice
1 Tbsp. light margarine
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
3/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. light salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine water and broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add wild rice and cover. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour or until tender. Drain excess liquid.

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Melt margarine in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion. Saute until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, pecans, poultry seasonsing, salt, and pepper. Combine rice and mushroom mixture in a 2-quart casserole, coated with nonfat cooking spray.

Cover and bake at 325ºF for 25 minutes.

Servings: 8
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Counts as: 1 starch, 1 vegetable.



Lemon Green Beans

1 lb. fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1/4 cup chopped green peppers
2 Tbsp. fresh dill
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground fresh garlic
2 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Place green beans in 4 quarts of boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking process. In a large bowl, combine green beans, peppers, dill, onion, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Toss until coated and serve.

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Counts as: 2 vegetables



Creamed Spinach

2 lb. fresh baby spinach
2 Tbsp. light margarine
2 tsp. flour
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Dash of nutmeg

Cut and discard stems from spinach. Rinse and pat dry. Bring 2 quarts water to boil.
Add spinach; bring back to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes. Drain in colander, pressing spinach with hands to remove any excess moisture. Finely chop the spinach.

Melt margarine in a saucepan, add flour and cook, stirring until a light golden brown. Slowly add milk, whisking until thick. Add spinach, pepper, and nutmeg. Toss together and serve.


Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Counts as: 1 vegetable, 1 fat



Course 5: Bread Pudding

1 cup egg substitute
3 Tbsp. skim milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
6 packets Splenda
4 slices diet bread
2 Tbsp. raisins

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a bowl, mix egg substitute, skim milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Tear bread into small pieces and add to mixture. Spray an 8x8 baking sih with nonfat cooking spray and pour in bread mixture. Bake at 375ºF for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350ºF and bake for 30 minutes, or until center is firm.


Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 pan
Counts as: 1/2 protein, 1 starch



Sparkling Fruited Gelatin

2 apples
1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained
1 tsp. lemon juice
10 grapes
1 3 oz. package, sugar-free mixed-fruit flavored gelatin mix
1 cup hot water
6 oz. diet ginger ale

Peel, core and cut apples into thin slices. Place apple slices in medium bowl. Add pineapple and lemon juice. Slice grapes in half and add to fruit mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix gelatin and hot water. Stir until gelatin is dissolved and pour in ginger ale. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or until gelatin mixture is the consistency of raw egg whites. Add the fruit mixture to gelatin and fold in gently. Refrigerate until firm. Serve chilled.

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1 cup
Counts as: 1 fruit



Spiced Tea

4 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
12 whole cloves
4 decaffeinated tea bags
Juice from 2 oranges
Sugar substitute to taste

In a saucepan, combine water, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add tea bags. Steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Stir in orange juice. Sweeten to taste.

Servings: 5
Serving size: 1 cup
Counts as: 1 unlimited beverage, 1 condiment.