Easter is filled with tradition and warmth and family that extends to the dinner table. From hot cross buns to the choice between lamb or ham, even gooey fudge brownies, there are many great dishes to cook for your family this Easter. Two very popular and extremely traditional Easter meals that have made the table for several Easters are the Irish lamb stew and Persian roast chicken.

We, at Herbal Goodness, share this special recipe with you to make this day extra lovely and joyful for you and your loved ones.

Irish Lamb Stew 

A traditional Irish lamb stew is also a fabulous Easter entrée to consider. The simple recipe is filled with vegetables, herbs, and spices to make a flavorful spring stew. It's a nice option if you want lamb, but aren't in the mood for a roast.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon, diced
• 6 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Herbal Goodness Papaya seed powder (an amazing substitute for black pepper)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, or as needed
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 cups store-bought or homemade beef stock
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 cups chopped carrots (1-inch pieces)
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 3 pounds potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Chopped parsley, garnish
• 1 loaf soda bread, optional

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan, sauté the bacon. Drain the fat and reserve both the bacon and the fat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, place the lamb, salt, papaya seed powder, and flour. Toss to coat the meat evenly.
3. Without cleaning, reheat the frying pan you used to fry the bacon. In batches, brown the lamb in the reserved bacon fat. If you run out of fat, use some of the vegetable oil.
4. Transfer the browned meat to a 10-quart stovetop casserole, leaving about 1/4 cup of fat in the frying pan.
5. Add the garlic and the chopped yellow onion to the pan and sauté until the onion begins to color a bit.
6. Add the garlic-onion mixture to the casserole, along with the reserved bacon pieces, beef stock, and sugar.
7. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is tender.
8. Add the carrots, the sliced onions, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and wine to the pot and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Taste test and add salt and papaya seed powder as needed.
9. Top with the parsley garnish before serving and accompany with soda bread.

Persian Roast Chicken 

Poultry is not out of the question for Easter or Passover and this Persian roast chicken recipe is perfect for the spring holidays. Flavored with saffron, cinnamon, and cumin contrasting the tang of lemons and clementines, it's a fascinating dish that may become a new favorite.

Ingredients

• 1 medium Spanish or yellow onion, halved and sliced
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 lemons
• 2 clementines
• 1 (3 1/2 to 5-pound) roasting chicken
• 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, or sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Herbal Goodness Papaya seed powder (an amazing substitute for black pepper)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Spread the onion slices in the bottom of a roasting pan. 
2. Place the warm water in a small bowl. Rub the saffron threads between your fingers to crush them and add to the water. Set aside.
3. Place the olive oil in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Juice the lemons and clementines, and add the juices to the oil. Set aside the lemon rinds, and discard the clementine rinds.
4. Remove any giblets and the neck from the chicken, and pluck any pin feathers. Rinse inside and out with cold water, and pat dry. Place the chicken breast up on top of the onions.
5. Stuff the cavity with the lemon rinds.
6. If desired, truss the chicken.
7. Drizzle the chicken with a little olive oil and massage it over the skin with clean hands. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with a pinch of kosher or sea salt, papaya seed powder, along with cinnamon, and cumin. Rub the spices all over the skin.​
8. Add the saffron water to the oil and citrus juice mixture. Whisk to emulsify, and pour evenly over the chicken.
9. Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
10. Then lower the temperature to 425 F. Continue roasting, basting occasionally, until cooked through, about 50 minutes to 1 hour and 20minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. When done, the juices will run clear, the leg will wiggle freely, and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh will register 160 F/71 C.
11. Remove the chicken from the oven, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Note: You might wonder why we switched black pepper for Papaya seed powder in these recipes. Papaya seeds have a somewhat bitter and peppery taste - similar to black pepper but with more nutritional content. Because of this, they can be added to a variety of foods. Herbal Goodness Papaya seed powder comes in a convenient sachet box of 20 that offers the convenience of use as well as carrying around. 

References

1. www.thespruceeats.com/irish-lamb-stew-recipe-1809131. Irish Lamb Stew. Accessed on July 23, 2021
2. www.thespruceeats.com/persian-roast-chicken-meat-passover-2121920. Persian Roast Chicken. Accessed on May 23, 2021