A great part of holidays such as Easter is allowing yourself to relax, both in mind and body. So give yourself the chance to switch off and simply enjoy the fresh air, delicious food and good company (even if it is just your own). In order to enjoy the festivities to the maximum, we have put together an assortment of recipes that are traditional Easter favourites. Plus, if you cannot afford to consume anything other than the best for your body, fear not! We have included some equally festive and delicious healthy alternatives. So there is no need for anyone with dietary requirements to be left out.
Table of contents
Sweet treats
Hot cross buns: With or without gluten
Traditional hot cross buns
Nothing beats making your own delicious hot cross buns at home, and believe it or not the method is pretty easy. Plus, when you make them yourself, you can customise the recipe according to your preferences (or that of a family member that might, for example, protest eating raisins). You could make a glaze with honey for added flavour or add a bit of nutmeg into the mix to add to the spicy aroma of your hot cross buns.
The Perfect Soft and Fluffy Hot Cross Bun
Ingredients
For the Buns
- 3 tsp Instant yeast
- 1/2 cup Castor sugar
- 1/2 cup Water lukewarm
- 1 1/2 cups Milk lukewarm
- 4 1/2 cups Brown Flour
- 2 tsp Cinnamon ground
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Raisins
- 1 Orange zest
- 4 tbsp Butter melted
- 1 Egg beaten
For the Crosses
- 1/2 cup White flour
- 6 tbsp Water
For the Glaze
- 2 tbsp Apricot jam
- 3 tsp Water
Instructions
For the Buns
- Place the yeast and 2 teaspoons of the sugar in a bowl, then pour in water and leave it for 5 minutes to froth.
- Mix your flour, salt, cinnamon and remaining sugar in another bowl.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredient mix and add your melted butter, beaten egg, milk, orange zest and raisins. Then pour in the yeast mix.
- Mix until combined to make a thick dough.
- Cover your dough with a wet cloth and place in a warm place to rise for around 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Grease or line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Flour a surface, then take your dough out and punch it to deflate. Now you can separate it into balls and make your individual buns, placing them on the baking tray.
- Cover your tray of buns and leave in a warm place to rise for about one hour.
For the Crosses
- Mix your white flour and water until a paste forms.
- Put your paste into a piping bag and pipe a cross onto each bun. If you do not have a piping bag you can use a small ziplock bag with the corner cut off.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the buns for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
For the Glaze
- Warm the water and jam and mix together.
- Once your buns are baked, but are still warm, brush the jam glaze onto them.
Gluten-free hot cross buns
What’s more, is that we have a divine recipe for a gluten-free and sugar-free hot cross bun that is almost easier to make than the regular version! The only sugar in these equally delicious treats is that which comes naturally in the raisins.
Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
For the Buns
- 1 cup Milk of choice
- 50 g Butter
- 500 g Gluten-free flour
- 1 tsp Fine sea salt
- 3 tsp Stevia powder
- 1 tsp Xanthan gum
- 1 Egg beaten
- 1/2 cup Raisins optional
- 1 Orange zest
- 1 tsp Cinnamon ground
- 1 Apple peeled and grated
For the Cross
- 30 g Gluten-free flour
- Water
Instructions
- Boil the milk then take off the heat.
- Add the butter and stir in until well mixed.
- Mix your flour, salt, xanthan gum and stevia.
- Once the milk butter mixture is cool enough to handle, add the beaten egg along with your dry ingredient mix. Don't be afraid to use your hands to mix the dough well.
- Add the orange zest, apple, cinnamon and raisins. Mix well and roll the resulting dough into your buns.
- For the crosses, mix the flour with just enough water to make a paste. Then, using a piping bag or your hands, lay the cross out on top of your risen buns.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C before putting the hot cross buns in to bake for about 20 minutes.
As a final note, if you really want to go wild, here is a fabulous recipe for chocolate-coated hot cross buns.
Chocolate-coated Easter eggs
Easter wouldn’t be Easter without a chocolate egg! Whether it is simply to indulge together with a warm drink or to have as part of the rewards of egg hunting, it is always handy to have some easter egg recipes under your belt. So, to add a bit of variety to the festivities, here are a few delicious recipes for chocolate-coated treats with unique fillings. Including a couple of healthier options for those that would like a guilt-free indulgence.
Chocolate fudge biscuits
First up, we have chocolate fudge biscuits. For this recipe, you can use any biscuit for your centre but Romany creams are great for Easter because they produce an egg-like shape. The sweet creamy coating combines beautifully with the crunchy biscuit centre making a great alternative to your standard Easter egg. Plus, all you need is 40 minutes to prepare them, no baking, no fuss.
Chocolate-coated vegan Easter eggs
While the chocolate fudge biscuits are divine, not all of us can indulge in sugary glutenous treats. So here is a very special recipe that will satisfy your every sweet treat craving while keeping your body happy and healthy. These delicious Easter eggs are gluten-free and dairy-free as well as 100% vegan. Plus, the only sugar they contain is that which comes naturally with the dates! To add to their wonder, there is also no cooking or baking needed to make these yummy vegan treats.
Chocolate Coated Vegan Easter Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dates soaked
- 1/2 cup Nut butter
- 1/4 cup Milk of choice
- 1 cup Coconut or almond flour
- 3/4 cup Vegan chocolate melted
- 1 dash Fine sea salt
Instructions
- Bend your dates, nut butter, milk and salt together.
- Add your cup of flour to make a dough. Then separate and roll the dough into little balls. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
- Roll the chilled balls in your melted chocolate and pop them in the freezer for another 10 minutes before serving.
Strawberry surprise Easter eggs
Last, but certainly not least, we have a strawberry centred chocolate egg. Again, only natural sugars from the fruit are found within these treats. Plus, you also have the option of making a vegan version by substituting the cream cheese for something like coconut butter.
Strawberry Surprise Easter Eggs
Ingredients
- 250 g Strawberries
- 500 g Plain cream cheese a great alternative is greek yoghurt
- 1 cup Dark chocolate melted
Instructions
- Remove the stem and leaves from your strawberries and coat them in cream cheese.
- Dip the cheese coated strawberries in your melted dark chocolate.
- Freeze for 10 minutes before serving.
- *Should you wish to sweeten the deal, simply mix a bit of stevia, honey or sweetener of your choice into the cream cheese before coating.
Warm Easter meals
Lamb recipes
Lamb is one of the traditional meat choices for Easter weekend. This is believed to be owed to its representation of Jesus, the lamb of God, sacrificing himself and dying on the cross. Here are some great ideas of how to get the most flavour out of a juice piece of lamb.
Lamb Shanks Roasted in Tomatoes, Red Wine and Herbs
Lamb Shanks Cooked To Perfection
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks of about 600 to 800 g each
- 100 g flour
- 100 ml olive oil
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 2 carrots
- 2 sticks of celery
- 1 onion, cut into quarters
- 250 ml red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 600 ml vegetable stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220° C / 428° F.
- Place tomatoes, peppers, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in your food processor and chop very finely. (If you do not have a food processor, you will have to chop all the vegetables yourself.)
- Roll the lamb shanks in the flour and shake off the excess flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the shanks until nicely browned.
- Place the shanks in an oven tray of your choice.
- Add the finely chopped vegetables, red wine, bay leaves, oregano, and stock to the shanks. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and cover with foil or lid.
- Place in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes then lower heat to 160° C/ 320° F.
- Cook for at least 3 hours or until the meat virtually falls off the bone. Uncover the meat and let it cook further to reduce some of the juice if necessary.
Notes
Lekker Lamb Chops With Mint Sauce
Lamb Chops With Mint Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 ml ground ginger
- 80 ml chopped fresh mint
- 60 ml chopped fresh coriander
- 1 green chili
- 2 ml five-spice powder or any spice of your choice
- 15 ml honey
- 60 ml rice wine vinegar
- 125 ml oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 kg lamb chops
Instructions
- Place the chops in a sealable bag, pour in 45 ml of the mint sauce, and leave to marinate in the fridge for an hour or more.
- Preheat the grill to moderately high. Roast the chops for five minutes on each side.
- Transfer the chops to plates and spoon over the remaining mint sauce.
- Serve with rice or boiled small potatoes.
Puff Pastry Pie with Pulled Lamb
For a gluten-free alternative to this divine recipe, try our Gluten-Free Puff Pastry recipe.
Pulled Lamb With Vegetable Pie
Ingredients
- 1 kg leftover lamb
- oil
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) fine coriander
- 3 ml (generous ½ teaspoon) mustard powder
- 15 ml (1st) vinegar
- 1 tsp crushed black pepper
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 small onion – chopped
- 250 ml water
- 500 g frozen vegetables of your choice – defrosted
- 1 tbsp mushroom soup powder
- 2 – 3 tbsp cornflour
- A good shot of lemon juice
- 400 g 1 roll frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg yolk and water mixture
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 ° C / 392 ° F Prepare a pie dish or bowls with Non-Stick Cooking Spray.
- Stir-fry the mixed vegetables with the onion in a little olive oil.
- Mix the cornflour and soup powder with a little water, when smooth, add the rest of the water, seasonings, simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are hot and cooked through, but still slightly crisp. The sauce must be of thick consistency. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Finally add lemon juice, ground black pepper, and salt to taste. Mix the vegetables and stock with the cooked lamb.
- Spoon the filling into a large, ovenproof dish or bowls and allow to cool completely.
- Roll out the dough thinner and place it over the pie(s).
- Squeeze the sides, make a hole or two in the crust and paint with an egg yolk-and-water mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry has completely puffed and is cooked.
Fish recipes: South African style
Eating fish on Good Friday has been a Christian tradition across the globe for centuries. According to Roman Catholic customs, Christians refrain from eating the flesh of warm-blooded animals on this day as an acknowledgement of Jesus sacrificing his flesh for our sins.
To add to this, in South Africa, fish is also a great part of our dietary culture. With classic favourites such as Malay style fish cakes, fish curries and fish braai. South Africans will generally grab any excuse to enjoy a healthy and delicious fish. Here are some particularly delicious fish recipes that you won’t regret trying.
Cape Malay Pickled Fish Curry
Cape Malay Pickled Fish Curry
Ingredients
- 1 kg Fresh Hake or Yellowtail (any firm fish will do)
- 2 large Onions sliced in to rings
- 5 cloves Garlic chopped
- 375 ml White Vinegar
- 250 ml Water
- 375 g Sugar (sweetener to taste, optional)
- 10 whole Coriander seeds
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tbsp Masala (use Fish Masala if you can)
- 5 ml Turnmeric
- 4 whole Bay Leaves
- 8 whole Peppercorns
- 5 ml Salt
- 1-4 tbsp Flour for sprinkling on the fish before you fry it lightly
- 2 ml Fine Ginger (fresh Ginger finely chopped if possible)
- 1 whole Chili chopped (optional)
- 30 ml Cornflour
- 15 ml Curry Powder (add more if you like it hot and you can experiment with different curry mixes)
- 30 ml Water to make a paste with the flour
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Start by filleting the fish and sprinkling lightly with salt and pepper and fish spice, (fish rub, optional)
- Preheat the oven to 180 to 190 C (350–375 F)
- Sprinkle the fish with flour, shake off excess flour, then fry slightly in oil until light brown, place in oven glass dish.
- Add the cornflour and bring to a boil.
- Now add the sauce to the fish in glass bowl.
- Bake for 30 minutes in pre-heated oven.
- Note: Pickled fish is best served a day or two after its made.
- Serve with fresh bread and butter.
Notes
Snoek with Sweet Potatoes and Touch of Citrus
Oven-Baked Snoek with Sweet Potatoes infused with orange juice sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Lightly Smoked Snoek
- Lemon and Rosemary Herbs to taste
- Parmesan Cheese finely grated
- Toasted Crumbs
- Butter
- 1-2 Lemons juiced
- Black Pepper
- Dried Dill
For the Sweet Potato Sauce
- 4-6 Sweet Potatoes peeled and sliced
- 1 cup Orange Juice
- 2 tbsp Butter
- Sugar to taste
- 15 g Corn Flour
Instructions
For the Snoek
- Prepare an oven pan. Using tin foil to line the pan works very well. Grease the tin foil with butter before placing the fish in the pan.
- Sprinkle the snoek with lemon and rosemary spice and lemon juice.
- Cover the fish completely with the grated parmesan cheese and then the crumbs.
- Add dollops of butter.
- Sprinkle sparingly with dried dill.
- Place in oven on middle rack and grill for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.
For the Sweet Potato Sauce
- While the fish is in the oven, clean the sweet potatoes and cut in slices.
- Add them to a saucepan and cook on medium heat in a little water until tender.
- Using a smaller saucepan, bring the orange juice to boil, reduce the heat and add the butter, corn flour and whisk until smooth. When thick and ready, taste and add the sweetener or sugar to taste.
- Add the sauce to the cooked sweet potatoes and set aside until ready to serve.
Haddock Biryani: A spicy but fragrant dish
Haddock Biryani
Ingredients
- 400 g smoked or fresh haddock (Boneless)
- 2 cups basmati rice uncooked
- 3 large red or white onions thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tbsp curry (Mild)
- 2 tbsp turmeric
- 1 medium 1 Green or yellow Pepper chopped
- 1 medium chilli (Optional) seeded and chopped
- 3 bay leaves (Optional)
- coriander or parsley to sprinkle on the top of dish
- olive oil
Instructions
- Place the Haddock in a bowl with a little milk that covers the bottom of the dish, cover with cling wrap and give it a few pricks with a fork for the steam to escape.
- Place in microwave on high for 6 minutes.
- Remove the cling wrap and place the cooked Haddock on a board and break it up in small pieces (be careful not to break it up too small).
- Cook rice until it is nice and loose. The best way to cook basmati is to add boiling water on the uncooked rice, enough water to cover the rice, put it on high heat, when water is almost evaporated, rinse under cold water and add boiling water that is just above the rice, add your salt to taste and bring back to boil and turn down the heat to very slow. When loose and soft your rice will be perfect.
- Heat the Olive oil in a nice large frying pan or deep pot. Add your sliced onions to the heated oil and fry them until almost soft, add the curry, turmeric and green pepper, chillies and stir fry, if it is too thick paste add more oil, it is essential to keep the sauce moist, add the garlic and bay leaves. Adjust your spices to suit your taste.
- Add the cooked rice, make sure the rice absorbs all the sauce, and if it is still too dry add more olive oil.
- Add the Haddock and mix the ingredients with two forks.
- Serve with a fresh salad.