START Mother’s Day with a breakfast fit for a queen. And then cook Mum a special lunch to really show you care.
Even if your kitchen skills are not up to much, you can make her a brilliant breakfast as the most important ingredient is love. A Sunday roast will please everyone at lunch – and is hardly rocket science. Here are some tasty ideas.
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BREAKFAST
TOAST WITH THE MOST: If Mum likes to keep it simple, some delicious toast made with a posh loaf will be perfect.
I love Mums Sourdough loaf from M&S, £2 – just make sure she sees it before you slice it.
MAKE A FISH DISH: Serve up smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and avocado, or in a bagel with cream cheese.
At Waitrose, get two for £7.50 on Waitrose mild Scottish smoked salmon, 100g, £4.99 each, and two for £2.50 on New York Bakery bagels, £1.60 each.
BOWL HER OVER: Stock up on some yummy granola to give her a healthy start to the day. Serve with natural yoghurt and fruit or just on its own.
Save £1 on Jordans granola at Waitrose, 500-550g, down from £4 to £3. Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference chocolate & orange infused granola, 550g, is £2.20.
EARLY EASTER: If your mum is a fan of hot cross buns, you can choose from a load of different varieties in the shops.
Warm them up and spread on some butter. The Co-op has six hot cross buns for £1.
DRINK UP: You could try making your own smoothies but, failing that, pick up one of the great offers in store.
Innocent Super Smoothies, including Energise and Recharge versions, are down from £3.50 to £2 at Morrisons.
A BERRY GOOD MOTHER’S DAY: Give Mum a lift with some delicious goodness-packed berries.
Boost your porridge, pancakes or yoghurt with Morrisons wonky berry mix, £3 for 1kg. Great for smoothies too.
BUTTY HER UP: If your mother is a fan of bacon sandwiches, take them to another level with some delicious fresh bread, perfectly cooked rashers and just the right amount of sauce.
Morrisons The Best unsmoked Wiltshire cured back bacon, is £2.50 or two for £4.
Other bacon is also included in the deal. Buy two for £1 on selected bakery items at Iceland like multigrain part-baked petits pains, 55p.
PASTRY PARTY: Make like you are in France and create a bakery at home. For the freshest taste, get frozen pastries and cook them up in the morning.
Get six bake-at-home all-butter croissants from Morrisons, currently down from £2 to £1.84.
SHOW YOU ARE ALL HEART: Asda has some loveheart crumpets, perfect to take to Mum in bed with a cup of tea, £1.
LUNCH
GET stuck into these Sunday bests. Follow our recipes, from morrisons.com, to make Mum’s day.
MEAT
- Get a Morrisons Cook in the Bag Extra Tasty whole chicken, 1.6kg, down from £5 to £4 at Morrisons – offer ends on Mothering Sunday.
- As part of its deal to save a third on the Mother’s Day meal, from meat to side dishes and dessert, Waitrose has a third off a British boneless pork crackling leg roast, was £9.48 now £6.30, until Tuesday.
- You cannot beat beef – and Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference 30 day matured British beef slow-roasting joint, 1kg-1.8kg, is down from £12.50 a kilo to £9.
- Save 50p per kilo on Tesco Finest British cornfed free range whole chicken, 1kg-2.3k, down from £4.25 a kilo to £3.75 until April 4. Save a third per kilo on an Ocado whole leg of lamb, down from £11 to £7.33 per kilo.
VEGETARIAN
- Morrisons The Best grilled root vegetable loaf (frozen) is half price, down from £3 to £1.50.
- Waitrose vegan nut roast is down from £4.95 to £3.32 as part of its special Mother’s Day offer.
DESSERTS
- Save a third on Gu puddings at Ocado including two hot chocolate molten middles down from £3 to £2.
- Morrisons’ new The Best madagascan vanilla cheesecake, 480g, is £3.
- Save 50p on Tesco morello cherry Bakewell tart, 410g, now £1.50. Save a third on Waitrose Sicilian lemon tart, 530g, was £5 now £3.33 until Tuesday.
- Save 25p on Sainsbury’s tiramisu, 500g, now £2.
RECIPES
Eggs benedict
Serves four
THE classic breakfast recipe gets a twist with fresh asparagus.
YOU NEED:
- 2 toasting muffins
- 350g asparagus
- 4 rashers back bacon
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 free range eggs
- 1 jar hollandaise sauce
- freshly ground black pepper
METHOD: Split the muffins, toast them and warm some plates. Trim the ends of the asparagus stalks. Pre-heat your grill and cook the bacon, then keep warm.
Bring two deep saucepans of water to the boil. Add the vinegar to one of the pans.
Break the eggs into four separate coffee cups or ramekins. Add the eggs to the pan of boiling water with vinegar.
The eggs will drop to the bottom and then slowly rise back up. Cook for three to four minutes and then remove with a slotted spoon.
Meanwhile, drop the loose spears of asparagus into the second pan of boiling water and cook for three-to-five minutes until just tender.
Drain and keep warm.
Heat the hollandaise sauce gently in a pan. Spread a small amount of sauce on each muffin, divide the asparagus between the four muffins, then a rasher of bacon, then top with an egg. Spoon over the remaining hollandaise sauce and finish with black pepper, to taste.
Banana and cherry muffins
Makes six
YOU NEED:
- 150g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 50g light muscovado sugar
- 1 whole banana
- 150g natural yoghurt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 egg, white only
- 70g cherries
METHOD: Heat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/gas mark 4 and line a six-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
Tip the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Hold back 1 tbsp of the sugar, then mix the remainder with the flour. Make a well in the centre.
In a separate bowl, mash the banana until nearly smooth. Stir in the yoghurt, oil and egg white until the mixture is evenly combined.
Pour the liquid mixture into the well and stir quickly with a wooden spoon. The mix will look lumpy and may have the odd fleck of flour still visible, but do not be tempted to over-mix.
Tip in the cherries and give it one more stir.
Divide the mix between the muffin cases – they will be quite full – then sprinkle with the rest of the sugar. Bake for 18-to-20 minutes until risen and a dark gold colour. Cool for five minutes in the tray then place on a rack to finish. Serve warm or cold.
Lamb with apricot and mint crust
Serves eight
YOU NEED:
- 1.5kg leg of lamb
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5 shallots, chopped
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 50g anchovies, optional
- 200g dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped, plus a few more to serve
METHOD: Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.
Place the lamb on a roasting tray, season, then cook in the oven for 80 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and fry the shallots until just soft. Add the cumin seeds, coriander, garlic, anchovies and apricots, stir and cook for a further five minutes.
Add the honey and mint, mix well and transfer to a food processor. Blitz to a coarse paste.
Carefully remove the lamb from the oven after 80 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Spread the apricot mixture all over the lamb and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve.
Apple tarte tatin
Serves six
THIS French classic turns the apple pie upside-down and covers it with sweet, buttery caramel. Serve with cream or creme fraiche.
YOU NEED:
- 375g puff pastry
- 165g caster sugar
- 50g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 8 dessert apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
- 1 tsp cinnamon, ground
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas mark 5. On a floured surface, roll 375g puff pastry into a fairly thick, 25cm circle, then refrigerate until needed.
In an ovenproof frying pan or heavy cake tin about 23cm wide, heat 165g caster sugar.
Keep the heat medium-low and do not stir; let the sugar melt until it is liquid, swirling by tipping the pan. Bring to boil and cook for a few minutes until it is caramel in colour.
Remove from the heat and whisk in 50g unsalted butter, cut into pieces, until well combined.
Arrange the apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters, in concentric circles until you have filled the pan. They should fit very snugly. Sprinkle with 1 tsp ground cinnamon then top with the pastry and cut three slits in the centre.
Place the pan on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes, then remove and rest for five minutes. To serve, place a large plate over the pan and quickly but carefully invert the tart to turn it out.
