An Easter Fit for One Through Fifty
Scalable recipes FTW
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Religion aside, everything we associate with Easter these days hangs on the assumption that you are part of a big, happy family network. One you are delighted to spend major holidays with.
Except for many people, it’s not like that. It’s certainly not like that for me. I live abroad and flights are prohibitively expensive at this time of year so I won’t see a single family member.
There is a temptation as a recipe writer to lean into traditions during major holidays. To write about turkey at Christmas or roast lamb at Easter.
But if you’re not part of a big family at Easter time, do you really need a whole leg of lamb?
Probably not.
So this week I’m focusing on scalable recipes. Recipes that suit one person just as much as 10. Recipes that are still a celebration of food and life but don’t hinge on a big group being in attendance.
So here’s the deal.
Below you’ll find links to five Capsule Pantry dishes I think are perfect for a scalable Easter.
I’ve chosen these recipes because:
They won’t go wrong if you scale either up or down.
Their leftovers are easy to store or repurpose. This is great if you have a big group who don’t eat as much as you thought they would or you’re a small household who wants to make extra for later.
They are not overly precise recipes so it’s hard to muck them up when you scale them up or down.
They are incredibly flexible which means if you can adapt for your crowd, be they vegetarians, vegans or omnivores.
You’ll see that each recipe is for four people, so just scale it up or down from there.
Most importantly, these are recipes which hit everything you want in an Easter lunch. They’re centrepieces but not fussy. They’re impressive but not difficult to make. They don’t use expensive cuts or ingredients.
Whether you’re celebrating alone, with your partner, or with a whole bunch of people, they’re not going fail you.
The best thing about this recipe is how little it matters about quantities.
If you like chickpeas, stick more in. Aubergine-fiend? Add more. Or swap for courgette, bell peppers or tomatoes. Leave out the chicken if you’re catering for vegetarians. Add nuts. Or don’t.
It’s an easy one pot, in-the-oven job which gives you more time for doing whatever you’re doing this Easter, from hanging with family to watching the telly.
This will be what’s on my table this Easter.
Buried in this ode to aubergine is a recipe for aubergine parmigiana. A bubbling, cheesy, aubergine classic that has all the hallmarks of a great Easter dish. Easy to put together, make ahead, and always, always welcome by pretty much everyone.
Meatballs for Easter dinner? I mean, why not. They’re lamb, after all.
If you’re hosting (or you are) vegetarians this Easter, Albanian Fergesë is the way I would go. I once made this for six people at a party and watched as one dude demolished the whole lot. It’s addictive for sure.
It’s also easy to scale, easy to make and tastes incredible the next day.
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