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Here are some delicious recipes to try this Easter - from tasty additions for your Sunday meal, to fun options for those younger family members to enjoy!
Delicious Easter meals
Pea & asparagus soup
Serves 2 - 208 kcals per serving
Kcals |
208 |
Fat |
11.1g |
Sat fat |
6.4g |
Carbs |
17.4g |
Sugar |
10.6g |
Fibre |
8.1g |
Protein |
10.8g |
Salt |
2.06g |
Ingredients
- 20g butter
- 10 asparagus spears, roughly chopped
- 200g frozen peas
- 15g fresh mint
- 500ml vegetable stock
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
Method
- Melt the butter in a pan over a high heat and add the roughly chopped asparagus.
- Add in the peas, mint and stock, and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly – a further 5 minutes.
- Mix well using a hand blender or food processor, and serve topped with sour cream and a few sprigs of fresh mint.
Spring salmon with minty vegetables
Serves 2 - 472 kcals per serving
Kcals |
472 |
Fat |
22.8g |
Sat fat |
4.1g |
Carbs |
35.1g |
Sugar |
5.2g |
Fibre |
5g |
Protein |
33.7g |
Salt |
0.3g |
Ingredients
- 2 salmon fillets (130g each)
- 400g new potatoes, peeled
- 10 asparagus spears, sliced lengthways
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp fresh mint
- Black pepper to season
- 1 tsp capers
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas mark 6.
- Season the salmon fillets and place in a foil parcel on a baking tray leaving the top slightly open.
- In a blender or food processor, gently use the pulse setting to mix together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, mint and capers, and drizzle over the salmon. Close the top of the foil parcel and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Boil the potatoes in a pan for 10 minutes, adding in the asparagus for the final 5 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and vegetables. Serve the potatoes and salmon, topped with the asparagus spears and drizzled with lemon juice.
Garlic and rosemary roasted rack of lamb
Serves 4 - 571 kcals per serving
Kcals |
571 |
Fat |
34.5g |
Sat fat |
14.1g |
Carbs |
40.6g |
Sugar |
6g |
Fibre |
6.1g |
Protein |
25.7g |
Salt |
0.2g |
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 450g rack of lamb
- 800g potatoes, cut into wedges
- Low-cal cooking spray
- 1 large courgette, cut into chunks
- 20 cherry tomatoes
Method
- In a bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp black pepper and ½ tsp salt.
- Put the rack of lamb in an ovenproof dish, skin side up. Lightly slice the skin to help the marinade soak in. Then using your hands, thoroughly rub the garlic and rosemary marinade all over the skin of the lamb.
- Gently cover the lamb and pop it in the fridge to marinade for 2-3 hours.
- Once you're ready to start cooking, take the lamb out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas mark 6.
- Rinse the potatoes then scatter in a large roasting tin. Spray with low cal cooking spray, season with salt and pepper, and pop in the oven to roast for 30 minutes.
- After the potatoes have been cooking for 10 minutes, put the lamb in the oven on the top shelf to cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on how pink you like it.
- At the same time, add the courgette and tomatoes to the potatoes and scatter over 1 tsp dried rosemary. Return to the oven for the remaining 20 minutes.
- Take the lamb out of the oven and leave to rest for a few minutes.
- Serve the lamb on top of the roasted potatoes and vegetables for a lovely Easter dinner!
Lentil cottage pie
Serves 4 - 520 kcals per serving
Kcals |
520 |
Fat |
14.9g |
Sat fat |
2.2g |
Carbs |
82.2g |
Sugar |
13.9g |
Fibre |
14.5g |
Protein |
16g |
Salt |
0.73g |
Ingredients
- 800g Maris Piper potatoes
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 400g tinned tomatoes
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 30g tomato puree
- 80ml red wine
- 130g dried red lentils
- 120g carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce
- Handful fresh coriander, chopped
- 15g crème fraîche
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 500ml water
Method
- Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas mark 6.
- Boil the potatoes until tender, drain and mash with the crème fraîche.
- Put olive oil in a pan and cook the onion and garlic until soft. Add the tomatoes, stock cube, water, tomato puree, wine, lentils and carrot to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the Worcestershire Sauce and coriander and stir through.
- Spoon the mixture into a shallow 1-litre ovenproof dish and spread the mashed potato on top. Bake uncovered, for about 20 minutes until the top is well browned.
Family fun
Bunny banana pancakes
Serves 1 - 256 kcals per serving
Kcals |
256 |
Fat |
12.2g |
Sat fat |
4.2g |
Carbs |
23.5g |
Sugar |
21.3g |
Fibre |
2g |
Protein |
14.4g |
Salt |
0.4g |
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana
- 2 medium eggs
- Low-cal cooking spray
- 1 tbsp blueberries
- 2 raspberries
- 1 tbsp light squirty cream
Method
- Thoroughly mash the banana in a large bowl, then crack in the eggs and beat everything together with a fork.
- Heat a large non-stick pan over a low-medium heat and spray with low-cal cooking spray.
- Carefully spoon the pancake mixture into the pan one section at a time – make three medium circles and two very small circles for the feet.
- Cook the pancakes for 3-4 minutes on each side, then set aside to cool a little.
- From one of the pancakes, cut out your ears, a small heart and small flower shape – then give any leftover bits a taste test!
- To assemble your bunny, put the ears into position at the top of your plate, then put one pancake on top of the bottom edges of the ears for the head, then lay the last pancake just overlapping the bottom of the head.
- Pop the two small rounds at the bottom for the feet and add your flower and heart as decoration.
- Scatter over your fruit and squirt the cream at the bottom of the bunny for its fluffy tail. Enjoy with a little side portion of the remaining blueberries.
Egg and bacon bunny
Serves 1 - 319 kcals per serving
Kcals |
319 |
Fat |
22.1g |
Sat fat |
6.8g |
Carbs |
3.3g |
Sugar |
3g |
Fibre |
0.9g |
Protein |
26.2g |
Salt |
2.1g |
Ingredients
- Low-cal cooking spray
- 2 streaky bacon rashers
- 3 medium eggs
- Dash of milk
- Salt and pepper to season
- 20g cucumber
- 1 strawberry
- 2 blueberries
Method
- Heat a small non-stick pan over a medium heat and spray with low-cal cooking spray. Add the bacon rashers and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, crack two eggs into a bowl. With the third egg, separate out the egg white from the yolk, add the yolk to the other eggs and put the white in a bowl by itself.
- Add a dash of milk and some seasoning to the eggs, beat together well, then set aside.
- Place another non-stick pan over a low-medium heat, spray with low-cal cooking spray and add the egg white. Cook through for 3-4 minutes until no longer translucent. Set aside once cooked.
- Spray the pan with low-cal cooking spray again and add the beaten eggs. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly to create scrambled eggs. The eggs are done when no longer runny.
- Meanwhile, cut four thin slices of cucumber for the whiskers and two pieces of strawberry for the nose and bow tie.
- Using the egg white, cut out the bunny cheeks, teeth and bow tie.
- Once the scrambled eggs are done, pile onto a plate in a circle, put the bacon rashers on top for ears, lay the egg white shapes into position as the teeth, cheeks and bow tie, then add the blueberries, cucumber and strawberries as eyes, whiskers, and the nose.
Easter lunch plate
Serves 1 - 333 kcals per serving
Kcals |
333 |
Fat |
11.5g |
Sat fat |
3g |
Carbs |
40.8g |
Sugar |
11.3g |
Fibre |
6.6g |
Protein |
20.4g |
Salt |
1.2g |
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggs
- 25g cucumber
- 1 small carrot
- 2 slices wholemeal bread
- 1 tsp light mayonnaise
- Pinch black pepper
- 2 gem lettuce leaves
- Black writing icing
- 8 green grapes
Method
- Bring a small pan of water to the boil over a medium-high heat, then cook the eggs for 8 minutes until hard boiled.
- Meanwhile, cut out the veg shapes! Cut three slices of cucumber and cut each into flower shapes, removing the skin. Slice a thin piece of carrot lengthways and cut out two very small bunny ears, three tiny circles and three small bunny head shapes. Set aside.
- Once your eggs are done, pop into a bowl of cold water to cool.
- With your slices of bread, cut two crustless circles out and two ears using the top crust section of the bread. (Tip! Blitz the remaining bread into breadcrumbs and pop them in the freezer for when you next make a dish using breadcrumbs).
- Peel the eggs and mash one in a bowl with the mayonnaise and black pepper. Make an egg mayo sandwich using the two bread circles.
- Place your lettuce on a plate and put the sandwich on top. Pop in the bread ears, then use the writing icing to draw on the bunny face and smile. Add two of the tiny carrot circles as cheeks.
- Add the remaining egg to the plate and stick in the carrot ears. Use the remaining tiny carrot circle for the nose and draw on the eyes with the writing icing.
- Serve with the grapes, cucumber flowers and carrot bunnies.
Nutritionist Beth Furness (ANutr), holding a BSc in Nutrition and Health, is deeply dedicated to applying evidence-based knowledge to all aspects of nutrition. Her passion lies in fostering healthy relationships with food, ensuring that everyone maintains a balanced and sustainable approach to nutrition.