Easy Easter Entertaining with Created with Jamie

A sponsored post for Woolworths

I don’t want to alarm anyone, but Easter is NEXT WEEK. I know, I’m the same, there are lots of us all feeling the same. But somehow instead of it being early February like my brain tells me, it’s April next week and Easter is upon us.

This is doubly scary for me because I know that after Easter and the holidays, then we get down to serious baby time. A baby will be here! Needless to say, this Easter I will be trying to make things as easy as I possibly can. Our village is always busy at Easter time with our annual markets on, and that means visitors staying, so while I will have a house full of visitors (with added baby Archie!) and animals I want to cut as many corners as I can (without compromising on tasty, good quality food) so that’s where Jamie comes to the rescue with his Created with Jamie Range.

While I would normally go to lots of trouble for Easter: think decorations and table scaping up the wahzoo, a long roasted piece of lamb, pork or salmon (whole baked or salmon en croute) that takes hours to prepare along with lots of sides, this year things are well and truly in the not bovvered category.

I’ve whipped up an Easter Sunday lunch that will take you all of about 15 minutes to prepare. The cooking a little longer (3 hours for the lamb, 1 hour for the veggies and 30 mins for the quinoa) but this is set and forget cooking. A little whiz together at the end (including the table) and you can have an impressive lunch for Easter Sunday that looks impressive, is tasty and delicious and even pretty good for you too!

Let’s begin. Set the scene: kids running high on sugar from too many eggs, dogs trying to steal eggs from the table, an overtired pregnant woman realises that lunch will be in 3 hours time. Start the clock!

The main event: lamb shoulder
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours (2.5 covered in foil then 30 mins with foil open)

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Jamie has created a perfect solution for under prepared Easter hosts with this Ultimate Lamb Shoulder made from delicious Aussie lamb. It’s marinated in rosemary, garlic and lemon and is as simple as opening, placing onto foil and sealing tight then into a 170 degree oven for 2.5 hours. The last half hour you open that foil up to caramelise and then slice and serve. I mean really, Daisy could pull that together! I also love the flavour suggestions on the back of the boxes…Jamie offers a couple of different ways to serve it and flavour profiles that would work with it too.

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There are a few more great new products that are added to the range perfect for easter cooking: Vietnamese-style Salmon Roast, Lemon & Herb Whole Chicken and Slow Roast Pork Belly with a Spiced-honey Glaze that would all be perfect for the main event on Easter Sunday lunch.

Sides: Roasted butternut pumpkin, eggplant, rocket & quinoa salad
Prep time: 5 minutes to prep the veggies, 1 min for quinoa
Cooking time: 1 hour for the veggies & 30 mins for quinoa

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This veggie salad is the perfect side for that delicious lamb. It’s easy to prepare, tasty and looks like you have gone to a lot of effort when you really haven’t! You could even cook the quinoa & veggies in advance and keep in the fridge so on the day you just had to put together and serve. The veggies have a middle eastern lean with the flavouring and the rocket & zingy dressing cuts through perfectly.

Butternut pumpkin, eggplant & rocket Quinoa salad

1 cup organic quinoa (washed)
2 cups water
1 eggplant
1 half butternut pumpkin
Spices for veggies: cumin, ground coriander seeds, nutmeg, salt & pepper
1 packet rocket
Handful pistacchios (roughly crushed)
Handful mint leaves
Dressing: 2 cloves garlic crushed, ½ cup olive oil, juice of half a lemon, salt & pepper

1. Prepare the veggies by cutting into thick 1cm pieces and placing onto a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on the coriander seeds, cumin, nutmeg, salt & pepper. Place into a hot oven 200 degree for about an hour (or until there is good colour on them)

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2. After an hour the veggies will be cooked and can be set aside until you are ready to pull all the salad components together

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3. Rinse the cup of quinoa under cold water then add into a pot of water with 2 cups of water. You can follow the cooking instructions on your packet (for me it was bring to the boil, then simmer and cover for 30 mins, then take off the heat and let sit for a further 10 mins with the lid on) take lid off and separate with a fork.

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4. Make a quick dressing for the salad with ½ cup olive oil, 2 cloves garlic crushed or grated, juice of ½ lemon, salt and pepper

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5. Now it’s time to bring the salad all together. Into a large bowl add in the quinoa, packet of rocket, and the roast veggies (if they are too big you can cut the pumpkin & eggplant in half) throw in the pistacchios and pour on dressing. Tear up some mint leaves to add on top too.

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3. Table decorations
Prep time: 15 minutes

Easter is start of Autumn for me…a shift in seasons that you can noticeable change after the long weekend. Why not showcase the autumn delight with your table decorations? I’m talking about raiding your backyard tree (or any trees in your local park that may be on the turn) and your fruit bowl. SUPER EASY.

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I literally took a branch and whacked it onto the centre of the table. On each table setting I used an apple (it’s apple season!) and a leaf with simple white plates and not even a table cloth. Let the leaves do all the talking with their beautiful colours. Any platters before hand (say a cheese platter, whack on some of those autumn leaves onto your board) too.

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Pulling it all together…

Now it’s as simple as carving that lamb, putting the salad onto a platter, pouring the glasses with an ice cold white or glass of pinot noir and settling in for a lovely Easter lunch that took you no time at all to cook or prepare!

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A delicious dessert (which you hopefully outsourced to a visitor or a local patisserie) or Jamie’s Tutti Frutti Lemon Meringue Pie and this pregnant woman’s Easter lunch is DONE. Too easy! Happy Easter!

Woolworths are also giving away a $100 voucher for anyone who uses the hashtag #createdwithJamie and #whatsfordinner sharing your picture of your created with Jamie meal. Just use the tags for a chance to win. You can see more of the Created with Jamie range online here.

Are you feeling the need for easy this Easter?
Hosting a lunch for friends or family?
Or completely outsourcing to someone else?

[gmc_recipe 12733]

Comments

  1. Debs Sutton says

    Looks lush Beth, wish we had Jamie’s range here in the Uk? Enjoy your Easter, nothing better than spending time with friends & family.xx

  2. your food always looks so inviting thanks for tips beth! …
    and I love that rusticness about it! … it’s real!
    just lovely! <3 … have a great day! love m:)X

  3. That salad looks fantastic – going to make it this weekend! Only just started following your blog and have been really loving your posts – so real!

  4. Oh hello! That all looks amazing. I’m coming over.

  5. Lisa Mckenzie says

    It all looks divine Beth ,I do hope you get some time to rest over Easter,I love anything Jamie Oliver Xx

  6. Gosh you do a beautiful table, Bev x

  7. A Year In My Garden says

    Look absolutely delicious

  8. Delicious post Beth, perfect for easy Easter entertaining, my kind of food.
    I love how you make everything look so wonderful and heartfelt in all your posts.
    I read your cross country post the other day but never had time to comment so your getting it here on this one today…….I had tears running down my cheeks as well as a huge big grin and giggles, you are an amazing Mum and those 2 little girls and baby no 3 are so lucky to have you.
    Thanks for making me smile and drool 😉

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