YOUR EASTER SUNDAY SORTED
Serve these delicious recipes on Easter Sunday, or try cooking them for another special occasion
Spiced lamb pie
SERVES 4-6 PREP 30 mins COOK 4 hrs 20 mins EASY ❄
3 tbsp vegetable oil
800g lamb shoulder, fat removed,
diced
3 tbsp plain flour
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp ras el hanout
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin good pinch of ground cloves good pinch of saffron (optional) 1 cinnamon stick
400g can chopped tomatoes 1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp pomegranate molasses 270g pack filo pastry (4-6 sheets) 50g butter, melted
50g flaked almonds
50g pomegranate seeds
1 Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Toss the lamb in the flour with some seasoning, then brown, in batches. Take your time to build up a deep colour, which will add lots of flavour to the stew. Set the meat aside on a plate as you go.
2 Add the remaining oil to the dish along with the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 mins until softened, then stir in the spices, tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, honey and molasses. Half-fill the tomato can with water, swill it around and add this too. Season, bring to a simmer and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat and cook for 2 hrs 30 mins-3 hrs or until the meat is tender. Leave to cool.
3 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Transfer the meat to a pie dish that’s about 25cm wide, or leave it in the casserole if it’s wide enough. Unwrap the filo and brush a sheet with butter, scrunch up and place on top of the pie. Continue with the remaining sheets until the tagine is covered. Drizzle any remaining butter over the top, scatter over the almonds, then bake for 45 mins. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds to serve.
GOOD TO KNOW 1 of 5-a-day
PER SERVING (6) 595 kcals • fat 30g • saturates 10g •
carbs 45g • sugars 11g • fibre 4g • protein 34g •
salt 0.8g
Roast aubergines with yogurt & harissa
This makes a great vegetarian main or a side dish for the lamb pie.
SERVES 4 as a side or starter PREP 5 mins COOK 40 mins EASY V 4 aubergines
2 tbsp olive oil
75g butter
1 tbsp shop-bought harissa 6 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 small garlic clove, crushed 1 tbsp chopped coriander 1 tsp sesame seeds
1 Heat the oven to 200C/190C fan/ gas 6. Pierce the aubergines a few times with the tip of a knife, then brush with the olive oil and put on a baking sheet. Roast for about 40-45 mins, or until the aubergines are completely tender.
2 Melt the butter in a pan, then stir through the harissa. Cut the aubergines in half, opening them up a bit like a baked potato. Put them on a warm platter and season the inside of each one, then mix the yogurt with the garlic. Spoon some of this into each aubergine, then drizzle over the spiced butter. Scatter over the coriander and sesame seeds to serve.
GOOD TO KNOW fibre • 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free
PER SERVING 361 kcals • fat 30g • saturates 16g •
carbs 11g • sugars 10g • fibre 10g • protein 7g •
salt 0.5g
Double chocolate Easter egg cheesecake
SERVES 16 PREP 20 mins plus 2 hrs cooling COOK 35-40 mins MORE EFFORT V
For the base
250g bourbon biscuits
100g butter, melted, plus extra for the tin
For the filling
3 x 280g packs full-fat cream cheese at room
temperature
200g golden caster sugar
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
3 tbsp strong black coffee
3 large eggs
300ml soured cream
25g milk chocolate, melted
For the decoration
200ml double cream
100g passion fruit curd
8 Creme Eggs (4 halved, 4 left whole)
1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the base of a 23cm springform tin with baking parchment. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to fine crumbs. Mix the butter and biscuit crumbs together, then press firmly into the base of the tin with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10 mins, then leave to cool while you make the filling. 2 Turn the oven up to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Tip the cream cheese and sugar into a large bowl and whisk using an electric whisk until creamy, then add the cocoa powder, vanilla, coffee, eggs, soured cream and melted chocolate, and whisk again until smooth.
3 Brush the sides of the cooled cake tin with melted butter, then pour the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base and smooth with a spatula. Bake for
10 mins, then turn the heat down to 110C/90C fan/ gas 1/4 for 25-30 mins. The filling should be set, but with a little wobble in the middle. Turn off the oven, but leave the oven door open and leave the cheesecake inside to cool for 2 hrs. Chill until ready to serve.
4 Carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin, then remove the parchment. For the topping, lightly whip the double cream and spoon or pipe four large mounds of it on top of the cheesecake in a ring formation with four smaller mounds in-between. Top each mound with a little passion fruit curd, then top the larger mounds with two Creme Egg halves, cut-side up, and the smaller mounds with the whole Creme Eggs. Serve immediately.
PER SERVING 546 kcals • fat 38g • saturates 24g • carbs 43g • sugars 36g •
fibre 1g • protein 7g • salt 0.6g
The flavours of chocolate and passion fruit curd are a match made in heaven