Our usual Easter day involves stuffing our faces with chocolate bunnies and Peeps before sitting down to a feast that is similar in fashion to that of Thanksgiving. Unlike Thanksgiving, however, Easter doesn’t seem to have a designated “traditional” meat item that is served, though lamb and baked ham appear to be the most popular. Therefore we decided that this edition of Eating In will be dedicated to two versatile sides in lieu of a full-blown meal.

The first item, asparagus with lemon-shallot vinaigrette and prosciutto, was inspired by the season. Yes, spring is here and we are all-to-eager to put away our winter squash recipes and roll out the greens! This dish can be served warm or chilled and if you feel really ambitious, you can grill the asparagus instead of steaming them. Also, before any of our non-meat eating friends persecute us for covering their beloved vegetables with cured meat (or if you are just watching your sodium intake), we have a tip: omit the prosciutto. For the second dish, we couldn’t resist doing a classic roasted potato with rosemary. We glazed them with a locally produced Virginia honey to add an extra layer of flavor.

What we love about both of these items is the minimal effort and supervision required, which left us more time to spend with our dinner guests. Oh yeah, they are also really delicious; that’s a good reason to love them, too. These recipes serve 4 to 6 depending on how many other items you have.