Ricki Martin's Easter Dinner

Easter Traditions
I have talked with many of you about some of the things our family does to celebrate Easter. Many of you requested info so here it is.I got many of my ideas from the book “A Christ Centered Easter” by Janet and JoeHales.For our Easter dinner we have types of foods that they might have eaten in Jesus' time.there is also a list of these in the book I mentioned.
What we have is" Lentil Stew or cooked lentils
Pita bread (flat bread)
Gyro Meat (beef and lamb) (we buy this. The brand name is Athos)
Lots of veggies (lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, olives etc..)
Garbanzo beans or hummus: (we like the powdered Casbah brand- mixes up easy with water)
Tabouli- (also the powdered Casbah brand- mixes up easy with water and olive oil)
Cucumber Yogurt Dressing:
1 large cucumber, grated or finely sliced
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
½ teaspoon salt
dash of lemon juice
paprika and salt to taste
Directions: In medium bowl, combine ingredients, mix well. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour, to blend flavors. Serve over mixed salad greens. Makes 1¾ cups.
Fruits: Grapes, Dates, Figs, other
Grape juice or sparkling grape juice
For dessert we make Baklava. Here is a simple recipe:
1 lb. chopped mixed nuts (we like pecans)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 (16-oz.) package phyllo dough
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter a 9x13-in. baking dish.
2. Toss together cinnamon and nuts. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
3. Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with butter. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsp. of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredientsare used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava (all the way through to the bottom of the dish) into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.
4. Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes, until golden and crisp.
5. While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon zest, reduce heat and simmer20 minutes.
6. Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered. This is simple and easy. Serve it in cupcake papers. It freezes well, too.Enjoy!
Ricki