Tuesday Colour Inspiration - Green Easter

Photos by Teodora Totorean

It was Easter weekend and I decided to celebrate it in green: green eggs, green cake, green flowers and green (aka healthy) cooking. I come from a culture where we dye eggs for Easter, mainly red, but other colours too. We use either artificial or natural dyes, but I have always tried to use natural dyes: onion skin (for orange and red eggs) and turmeric (for yellow eggs). This year I decided to colour them green and although it was all trial and error, the results are pretty good. The various shades were completely by accident, using a combination of spinach leaves, green crepe paper (not so natural, I know, but the green leaves didn't really do the job) and onion skin. My kitchen was a real mess, but I love the result. I will definitely try it again.

Easter table 

Decorative wooden egg with traditional Romanian patterns 

Dyed eggs in various shades of green with a hint of orange

Eating healthily at Easter

As for cooking and eating, in my country, we cook a lot as Easter follows a six-week lent period. Easter bread, stuffed cabbage leaves, lamb steak and lamb tripe plus all the cakes in the world - these are just a few traditional foods Romanian people are cooking for Easter. As I don't like lamb and I am trying to give up traditional cakes, I decided to keep it simple. I used the boiled eggs to make eggs on toast for breakfast and an oriental salad with boiled potatoes and fresh vegetables. I cooked one of my favourite soups - tarragon soup - and I put my slow cooker to good use for beef and vegetables. How about you: how did you celebrate Easter? Any special food or decoration you wish to share? It doesn't have to be green; any colour will do.

Eggs on toast with spring onion and chilli 

Tarragon soup 

No-bake kiwi cake