From the perfect baked salmon to our mouth-watering tomato-ricotta galette, start the long weekend off on a scrumptious note with our favourite Easter lunch recipes.
Whether you’re hosting an elaborate feast or dreaming of a laid-back long weekend spread, delight the whole brood with these easy-to-make Easter recipes. We suggest pairing this savoury menu with Our Favourite Easter Recipe: Chocolate-Cheesecake Twists, or, the crowd favourite, Hot Cross Buns. It all makes for a delicious offering for a long weekend feast like no other.
Did you know that we stock the freshest of fresh ingredients, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and plenty of culinary delights at our Queen Elizabeth and Bondi Junction Food Hall? Use our Store Locator to discover your closest David Jones store.
Healthy Baked Salmon with Brown Rice and Kale Pilaf
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Serves: 4
No longer are healthy lunch recipes devoid of flavour. For a healthy dish that will tantalise the senses and delight even the fussiest of eaters, we love this exceptionally tasty Healthy Baked Salmon with Brown Rice and Kale Pilaf recipe. With a few greens, a little salmon, and a lemon to flavour, this recipe is served with a healthy appetite. Just make sure you make extra servings, as everyone will be coming back for more.
Ingredients
- 20g butter, diced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Finely grated rind of 1 lemon and juice of ½ lemon
- 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1½ cups brown rice
- 500ml (2 cups) Chicken Stock
- 4 pieces (about 150g each) of salmon fillet
- 100g chopped kale
- ¼ cup each coarsely chopped dill, flat-leaf parsley and mint
- Coarsely chopped roasted almonds, to serve
- Natural yoghurt and lemon wedges, to serve
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat butter and 1 tbsp oil in a shallow flameproof casserole or large oven-safe frypan over medium-high heat. Add leek, garlic, lemon rind and half the fennel. Sauté until tender (4-5 minutes).
- Stir in rice to coat well in oil, then add stock and 2 cups water. Season to taste, bring to the boil, cover with a lid or foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frypan over medium-high heat, add salmon and brown well (2-3 minutes), then turn and brown the other side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Remove pilaf from oven, add chopped kale, lemon juice and half the herbs; stir to combine. Place salmon pieces on top of pilaf and return, uncovered, to the oven. Bake until salmon is cooked to your liking (4-5 minutes for medium). Serve scattered with roasted almonds, remaining herbs, yoghurt (with remaining fennel added to it) and lemon wedges.
Tomato-Ricotta Galette For Fussy Eaters
Prep time 20 minutes.
Cook time: 30 mins
Serves 4-6
A favourite for even the fussiest of eaters. Boost their diet with this surprisingly healthy and tasty tart. The beauty of this tart is twofold – using a melt-in-the-mouth store-bought pastry makes short work of your prep without compromising flavour, plus this recipe is a versatile jumping-off point when it comes to toppings. We’ve used a mix of large and small tomatoes, but you could try sliced mushrooms and a handful of torn pancetta, or paper-thin slices of pumpkin and a sprinkling of fresh thyme. Shaved asparagus works well too, or for ultimate convenience, a handful of zucchini noodles.
Ingredients
- 1 packet (375g) Sour Cream Shortcrust Pastry (defrosted)
- 250g firm ricotta
- ¾ cup coarsely grated vintage cheddar
- 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan
- ¼ cup finely chopped mixed herbs, such as chives, parsley and mint
- 1 egg, plus 1 extra egg, lightly beaten, for egg-wash
- Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon, plus extra lemon wedges, to serve
- 1 punnet mixed cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Method
- Preheat oven to 220C. Gently unroll the pastry, peel off the plastic backing and place it on a lightly floured surface with the longest side facing you. Working quickly, so the pastry doesn’t get too soft, cut one-quarter of the pastry from the right-hand side. Place the longest edge of the piece you’ve just trimmed against the longest side of the remaining pastry piece, overlapping slightly, then press with your fingers to seal. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and return to the fridge to firm up while you make the filling.
- To make the filling, combine the cheeses, herbs, egg, garlic, lemon rind and lemon juice in a bowl, season generously to taste and mix well to combine.
- Trim the pastry to a rough 30cm round. Spread the cheese mixture over the pastry, leaving a 3cm border, then scatter with tomatoes. Fold in the pastry border, roughly pleating as you go and brush pastry edges with egg wash. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and bake for 20-30 minutes until dark golden brown and crisp on the base. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges.
Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank Curry
Prep time: 5 hours & 10 minutes
Serves 4
If the weather for the long weekend is looking a little dreary, then a hearty feast of slow-cooked lamb is in order. This meltingly tender lamb shank curry is perfect for cold-weather eating. We love pairing this dish with saffron rice, and the little ones will be overjoyed with the sweetness of pumpkin throughout. What’s not to love?
Note: you’ll need a slow cooker for this recipe. We used Breville’s Searing Slow Cooker.
Ingredients
- 4 Frenched lamb shanks
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large brown onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 long green chillies, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
- 3 tsp David Jones Ground Turmeric
- 2 tsp each David Jones Ground Cumin and David Jones Ground Coriander
- 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
- 400ml coconut cream
- 800g kent pumpkin, seeds discarded, cut into 2cm thick wedges
- 400g canned chickpeas, drained
- 300g David Jones Shredded Kale
- Juice of 1 lime, or to taste, plus extra wedges to serve
- Saffron rice (see note) or steamed basmati rice, to serve
- Coriander sprigs and mint leaves, to serve
- Natural yoghurt, to serve
Method
- Use the MENU button to select MEDIUM BROWNING function and adjust the timer to 15 minutes, then select POWER/START to preheat. Season the lamb shanks generously with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Once the preheat is complete, add coconut oil. Once melted, add lamb shanks, working in batches if necessary, and brown well all over. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add onion, garlic, chilli and ginger and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add spices, saute until fragrant, then add stock and coconut cream. Season to taste, then return lamb shanks to the slow cooker. Place the lid on and lock it into place.
3. Select CANCEL to stop the MEDIUM BROWNING function, then use MENU button to select HIGH SLOW COOK function. Adjust the timer for 4½ hours and select POWER/START to commence slow cooking.
4. After 3½ hours of cooking, add pumpkin to slow cooker, tucking in between shanks so it is submerged in the cooking liquid. Replace lid and cook for another hour until the pumpkin is tender.
5. Add chickpeas and kale to slow cooker, season to taste. Stir to combine and replace lid. Cook for another 5 minutes to wilt the kale and warm the chickpeas. Cancel the cooking function and season to taste. Serve with rice, scattered with mint.
Looking for another easy roast lamb recipe that everyone will love? Whip up our Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb recipe with a side dish of greens.