Stress-free Easter feast

Try this delicious make-ahead menu for Easter Sunday. And if you want to avoid meat, there’s a vegetarian alternative.

Make your Easter celebration stress-free by preparing as much as possible in advance. Then you can enjoy time with family and friends, whether it’s spent hiding Easter eggs, finding them and eating them, or walking along tarmac roads and gazing longingly at lush green – empty – fields.

Easter Menu

• Field mushrooms stuffed with baby spinach, pinenuts and feta cheese
• Braised lamb shanks with Spring vegetables OR Spring vegetable pie with polenta cobbler (vegetarian)
• Rhubarb and almond tart with rhubarb cream

Field mushrooms stuffed with baby spinach, pinenuts and feta cheese

These can be assembled and placed in the fridge ready for baking just before serving.

Serves 4

4 large field mushrooms
3 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
300g baby spinach leaves, washed
6 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
125g feta cheese, crumbled
50g pinenuts, lightly toasted
pinch of nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil and fry the shallots until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the spinach leaves, cover and cook for a minute or two until the leaves have wilted.
4. Drain off any excess liquid and chop roughly.
5. Place in a bowl along with 4 tbsp of the breadcrumbs, feta cheese, pinenuts, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
6. Divide the spinach mixture evenly between the mushrooms, lightly pressing the stuffing into the cup. Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs on top of the stuffing. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 20–25 minutes.