The new season's lamb should be around soon – I must confess I nearly always go for the sweet tasting Welsh lamb from the Mountains of Powys, but local English lamb isn't to be sniffed at and will soon be arriving at your butchers shop, supermarket and farmer's markets.

This is the month when life in the kitchen gets better and better – and easier too, as so little needs to be done with the new crop of English vegetables, including Jersey Royals arriving at the end of the month.

Easter is a special time of the year, when family and friends gather at the table to enjoy a lunch or dinner, and whether we choose to follow the story of Easter, it is the most important event in the Christian calendar.

It's also the end of winter, meals become lighter and new arrivals on the market include an increased variety of salads and imported tomatoes.

So this month, with Easter in mind, we have some easy plan-ahead meals, enabling you to spend more time with your family and friends.


BRAISED LEG OF LAMB

This dish can be prepared the day before you plan to serve it, so is ideal for Easter Sunday Lunch. Adding vegetables to cook with the braised lamb saves time in preparation and cooking, as the vegetables will need no chopping.

Serves 6.

Ingredients: 2kg (4½ lb) leg of lamb. 3-4 tbsp butter or margarine. 1 onion, finely chopped. 150ml (¼ pt) red wine. 150ml (¼ pt) lamb or beef stock (cube will do). Few sprigs of fresh rosemary. 12 small potatoes. 12 small mushrooms. 12 small carrots, 10 small leeks. Black pepper and salt. Method: In a large, heavy casserole, heat butter or margarine and brown the lamb on all sides. Remove, pour off excess fat, and cook the onion until golden and soft. De-glaze the pan with a little of the red wine, add stock and rest of wine. Replace lamb in casserole, add the rosemary and pepper and a little salt and bring to a gentle simmer. After 30 minutes add potatoes, carrots and leeks, and continue to simmer for a further 40 minutes. Add mushrooms to the lamb dish and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes. To serve, place the lamb on a large platter, surrounded by the vegetables. Thicken juices in casserole with cornflour, taste sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary, pour over the lamb and vegetables before carving. Add extra vegetables according to number of guests.


MY FISH PIE

Good Friday is traditionally the day when many of us will be eating fish. This recipe can also be made up in advance, just cover and refrigerate. When needed, return to room temperature and bake in the oven until piping hot.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients: 700g (1 ½ lb) mashed potatoes. 1 fish stock cube dissolved in 300ml (½ pt)
boiling water. 150ml (¼ pt) dry white wine. 1 bay leaf. 900g (2lb) cod or haddock. 85g
(3½ ozs) butter. 45g (1¾ ozs) flour. 2 tbsp crème fraîche. 1tbsp chopped parsley. 150g (5 ozs) shrimps or prawns. 3 hard-boiled eggs. 50g (2 ozs) mature Cheddar cheese, finely grated. Salt and pepper. Method: Preheat oven to 220C, 425F, Gas 7. Pour stock and wine into a pan, add bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Poach fish for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve liquid; leave fish to cool. Melt half the butter, add the flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the fish stock and cook gently over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in crème fraîche, parsley, salt and pepper. Flake fish into chunks. Fold into sauce with the shrimps or prawns and chopped eggs. Spoon into a 2½ pt pie dish. Melt the remaining butter and toss with the potato and half the cheese. Sprinkle potatoes mixture evenly over the fish, then scatter over remaining cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes until topping is crisp and golden brown. Serve with fresh vegetables of your choice or a green salad.


CHOCOLATE ORANGE CLAFOUTI

This pudding is quick and easy to assemble, and can be eaten hot or cold, so if you have any left over it will keep until the next day.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients: 1 tbsp grated orange zest. 4fluid ounces milk. 250g (9 ozs) plain cottage cheese. 3 medium eggs. 110g (4 ozs) plain flour. 110g (4 ozs) caster sugar. 2 heaped tbsp
cocoa. 50g (2 ozs) butter, softened. 2 medium oranges, peeled and zest removed, sliced and pips removed. Icing sugar to dust. Method: Place all ingredients, except oranges, in a processor. Mix until smooth. Pour into a well-greased 8 inch quiche dish. Insert orange slices to decorate. Bake at 180C, 350F, Gas 4 for 35-40 minutes until set. Dust with sifted icing sugar.


HOT CROSS BUNS

If you have never made bread, don't be deterred from making these buns and, unlike most, they only need one rise, and will taste far better than any ones you'll buy.

Makes 12.

Ingredients: 450g (lb) strong white plain flour. 75g (3ozs) butter, diced. 1 sachet easy-blend yeast. 1 tsp salt. 1 tsp cinnamon. ½ tsp mixed spice. 50g (2 ozs) caster sugar. 50g (2 ozs) currants. 25g (1 oz) sultanas. 25g (1 oz) mixed chopped peel. 1 egg, beaten. 300ml (½ pt) warm milk. 50g (2 ozs) plain flour. For the glaze: 4 tbsp each milk and water mixed. 3 tbsp caster sugar. Method: Sift strong plain flour into a warm mixing bowl. Rub in butter, then stir in the yeast, salt, spices, sugar, fruit and peel, mixing well. Add the egg and enough milk to mix to a smooth dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 12 and roll into rounds. Place well spaced on an oiled baking sheet. Leave, covered with a tea towel, in a warm place for about 1 hour to double in size. Make a dough with plain flour and a little water. Roll out thinly and cut into strips. Using a little water affix pastry crosses onto the risen buns. Bake in preheated oven 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown, cool on wire rack. Heat milk and water with sugar until sugar dissolves, then brush over the warm buns. Leave to dry for a few minutes, then glaze again. Serve warm.


EASTER BISCUITS

These fruity, spicy biscuits are delicious, so I usually make double the quantity, as they soon disappear – will freeze well too.

Makes 28

Ingredients: 110g (4 ozs) butter. 75g (3 ozs) caster sugar. 1 egg, separated. 200g (7 ozs) plain flour. ½ tsp mixed spice. ½ tsp ground cinnamon. 50g (2 ozs) currants. 1 tbsp chopped mixed peel. 1-2 tbsp milk. Pinch of salt. Extra caster sugar, to sprinkle. Method: Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolk Sift together the flour, salt and spices and mix well. Stir in currants and mixed peel. Add enough milk to make a soft, smooth dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for a few minutes. Roll out thinly to ¼ inch thickness. Cut out biscuits with a 2½ inch fluted cutter. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Lightly beat the egg white and brush over biscuit tops. Sprinkle with caster sugar and return to the oven for about 5-6 minutes for a crunchy, sweet finish.


PINEAPPLE CAKE

Simnel cakes were traditionally baked and given on Mothering Sunday so that they could be kept for the remainder of Lent and eaten at Easter, but I prefer a less rich cake. This recipe uses pineapple and marzipan, and the top is iced, but you can always cover the top with marzipan instead of icing, if you prefer, making it more traditional.

Ingredients: 175g (6 ozs) butter. 175g (6 ozs) caster sugar. 110g (4 ozs) marzipan. 3 eggs. 3 rings canned pineapple. 75g (3 ozs) plain flour. 75g (3 ozs) cornflour. ½ tsp baking powder. Apricot jam. White fondant icing (or thick glace). Glace cherries.
Method: Cream butter and sugar until soft, add marzipan and continue beating until mixture is well blended. Add eggs, beating well. Drain pineapple and chop 2 rings into small pieces. Add this to creamed mixture. Sift flour, cornflour and baking powder together and fold into mixture. Turn into a 450g (1lb) loaf tin and bake in preheated oven 190C, 375F, Gas Mark 5 for 1½ hours. Turn out and cool on wire rack. When cold spread with sieved apricot jam, cover with icing and decorate with remaining pineapple ring cut into two and glace cherries.

Next month sees us into May with Bank Holiday Monday and, with picnics and fine weather in mind, we'll have recipes for quiches and flans, crunchy salads and easy fruity desserts.