Simple and tasty Easter recipes
With spring finally here, why not whip up some simple and tasty treats with these Easter-inspired recipes.
Easter chocolate meringues
Kids (and grown ups) won't be able to resist these cute meringue nests topped with chocolate and mini eggs. Makes about 8.
Ingredients
3 egg whites
170g caster sugar
35g cocoa powder
3 Cadbury's Flakes
Mini eggs
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 140°C.
2. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until they start to become fluffy and hold their shape. Continue whisking, adding the caster sugar and cocoa powder a spoonful at a time. When the mixture forms stiff peaks and is no longer grainy to the touch, it's ready to cook.
3. Scrape the chocolate meringue mixture into a piping bag with a large star-shaped nozzle attached. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and pipe small circular nests, starting at the centre and piping outwards in a spiral. Pipe over the top of the nest 2-3 times, to form a dish-shape. Bake for one hour. Take out the meringues and leave to cool.
4. Crumble one third of a Flake over each meringue nest and top with 3-4 Mini Eggs.
Lamb shanks in a rich Mediterranean sauce
Lamb is traditionally eaten at Easter, and this dish makes the most of a cheaper cut that's slow-cooked, making it tender and full of flavour. Serves 2-3.
Ingredients
2 lamb shanks, weighing about 400g each
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 wine glasses of red wine
300ml water
Handful of pitted black olives, each cut in half
A few sprigs of fresh basil
Method
1. Drizzle a little olive oil in a large pan with a lid. Brown the lamb shanks for a few minutes, until evenly coloured. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add a little more oil if you need to, and fry the garlic. Leave to sizzle for 2 minutes, and then pour in the tomatoes, red wine and water. Return the lamb shanks to the pan, cover, and leave to gently simmer for about 1½ hours.
3. The meat should be tender, and almost falling off the bone. Tip in the olives and replace the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
4. When the lamb shanks are cooked, transfer to a serving dish and season the sauce with salt and black pepper. Serve with the sauce and some fresh, torn basil leaves scattered over.
Whole baked fish with fennel, cherry tomatoes and wine
Many people choose to eat fish on Good Friday and here is a simple recipe that you can use for just about any fish. Great served with couscous or new potatoes. Serves 3-4.
Ingredients
2 oven-ready whole trout, or other similar-sized fish
½ a lemon, sliced
Handful of cherry tomatoes, washed
A wine glass of dry white wine
Knob of butter (about 20g)
4 slices of fennel from a bulb
Small sprig of parsley
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. Get out a roasting tray big enough to hold the fish and line with foil, leaving an overhang to form a lid. Lay a sheet of greaseproof paper over the foil and lay the fish on top of it. Season the fish.
2. Scatter the fennel, lemon, tomatoes and parsley over the fish and pour over the white wine.
3. Dot small pieces of the butter over the fish. Cover with the extra piece of foil and fold down to make a lid. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
4. The fish should be tender. Serve, spooning over the juices that have collected in the bottom of the dish.
Eggy Hot Cross Buns with Ice Cream
This is a delicious pudding in its own right, but it's also a great way to use up any hot cross buns that have gone slightly stale. Makes 4.
Ingredients
4 hot cross buns
4 teaspoons raspberry jam
A little butter, for frying
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Method
1. Split the hot cross buns and spread with jam. Put the two halves back together. Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk with a fork, adding the vanilla extract.
2. Heat a small knob of butter in a large frying pan. Dip each jammy hot cross bun into the egg mixture on both sides, and fry for a few minutes on each side, until slightly crisp and heated through.
3. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, with a scoop of ice cream.
What are your favourite Easter recipes?
