Did you know that today is Eat Your Veggies Day, and tomorrow is International Picnic Day? What could be better than putting both those ideas together and enjoying this delicious Courgette/Zucchini Quiche to share? This recipe has also been specifically created for our Wheat, Gluten and Dairy Free cookbook.

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A huge thank you to Heather Bauer (renowned nutrition expert, author, entrepreneur and founder of Bestowed) for kindly writing our ‘blog of the month’ post all about the green goodness of avocado!

To read Heather’s blog post, and learn why you should be eating avocados, go to our Love Food website and check out our blog of the month!

We’re loving avocados this week, and with our spicy avocado dip, there is no reason why you can’t too! 

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Celebrate national gingerbread day with our Gingerbread and Vanilla Whoopie Pies, from Love Food cookbook Mini Cakes (part of our Mini Delights boxset.)

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Succulent chicken drumsticks in a beautiful thick BBQ glaze

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We’ve noticed that much of the world is having some pretty terrible weather. Let’s curl up with some comforting barley, lentil, & onion soup for Meat Free Monday.

Get the recipe: US | UK / Metric.

Let us guess: You’ve got some leftover turkey to deal with. We hear you.

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There is nothing more comforting and homely than Macaroni Cheese, so why not make it your Meat Free Monday dish this week? For a little texture, sprinkle some wholemeal breadcrumbs over the cheese before placing under the grill.

Macaroni Cheese, serves 4.

Ingredients:

250g/9oz dried macaroni pasta

55g/2oz butter, plus extra for cooking the pasta

600ml/1 pint milk

½ tsp grated nutmeg

55g/2oz plain flour

200g/7oz mature Cheddar cheese, grated

55g/2oz Parmesan cheese, grated

200g/7oz baby spinach

salt and pepper

1. Cook the macaroni according to the instructions on the packet. Remove from the heat, drain, add a small knob of butter to keep it soft, return to the saucepan and cover to keep warm. 

2. Put the milk and nutmeg into a saucepan over a low heat and heat until warm, but don’t boil. Put the butter into a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter, add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook gently for 2 minutes. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking it into the roux, then cook for about 10-15 minutes to make loose, custard-style sauce. 

3. Add three quarters of the Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and stir through until they have melted in, then add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. 

4. Preheat the grill to high. Put the macaroni into a shallow heatproof dish, then pour the sauce over. Scatter the remaining cheese over the top and place the dish under the preheated grill. Grill until the cheese begins to brown, then serve. 

We couldn’t pass up this opportunity to share with you one of our favourite Easter recipes, Leg of Lamb Pot Roast. Combining all the elements of a Sunday roast, the great thing about this dish is just that - the lamb and vegetables are cooked in one pot, meaning you spend less time in the kitchen and more time hunting for those eggs! Happy Easter everyone!

Serves 4, from ‘Grandma’s Best Recipes’.

Ingredients:

1 leg of lamb, weighing 1.6kg/3lb 8oz

3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs

115g/4 oz streaky bacon rashers

4 tbsp olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 onions, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery sticks, sliced

300ml/10 fl oz dry white wine

1 tbsp tomato pureé

300ml/10 fl oz lamb, or chicken, stock

3 tomatoes peeled, quartered and deseeded

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or majoram

salt and pepper

fresh rosemary sprigs

1. Wipe the lamb all over with kitchen paper, trim off any excess fat and season to taste with salt and pepper, rubbing in well. Lay the sprigs of rosemary over the lamb, cover evenly with the bacon and tie in place securely with some kitchen string.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the lamb and fry for 10 minutes, turning several times. Remove from the pan. 

3. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Transfer the oil from the pan to a large, flameproof casserole, add the garlic and onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onions are beginning to soften. Add the carrots and celery and cook for a further few minutes.

4. Lay the lamb on top of the vegetables and press down to partly submerge. Pour the wine over the lamb, add the tomato pureé and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes and herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

5. Lightly cover the casserole and cook in the preheated oven for 2-2½ hours until very tender.

6. Remove the lamb from the casserole and, if you like, remove the bacon and herbs together with the string. Keep the lamb warm. Strain the juices, skimming off any excess fat, and serve in a jug. The vegetables may be served around the joint or put in a warmed dish. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary.

Happy Monday everyone! This week’s dish is one of our favourites - Nutty Stilton Roast - make it one of yours too!

Nutty Stilton Roast, serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling

2 onions

3-5 garlic cloves, crushed

2 celery stalks, finely sliced

175g/6oz cooked and peeled chestnuts

175g/6oz mixed chopped nuts

55g/2oz ground almonds

55g/2oz fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

225g/8oz Stilton cheese, crumbled

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus extra sprigs to garnish

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper

1 red pepper, skinned, deseeded and cut into thin wedges

1 courgette, about 115g/4oz, cut into wedges

cherry tomatoes, to garnish

Tomato Sauce and lightly cooked green vegetables to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Lightly oil a 900-g/2/lb loaf tin.

2. Finely chop one of the onions. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the chopped onion, 1-2 of the garlic cloves and the celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from the pan, drain through a sieve or colander and transfer to a food processor with the nuts, breadcrumbs, half the cheese and the basil. Using the pulse button, blend the ingredients together, then slowly blend in the egg to form a stiff mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Cut the remaining onion into thin wedges. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion, remaining garlic, red pepper and courgette and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the pan, add salt and pepper to taste and drain through a sieve or colander.

5. Place half the nut mixture in the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Arrange the onion and pepper mixture on top and crumble over the remaining cheese. top with the remaining nut mixture and press down firmly. Cover with foil.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 25-35 minutes, or until cooked and firm to the touch. 

7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes before inverting on to a warmed serving platter. Serve with a little of the Tomato Sauce drizzled over the top, garnished with basil sprigs and cherry tomatoes, accompanied by vegetables.