Five Easy Recipes For A Great Mother’s Day Feast

If you would really like to cook for your Mam this Mother’s Day but you are slightly worried you can pull it all off - fear not! Try these five easy recipes, one for each course, that will make Mother’s Day dinner special.

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1. Appetizers

Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Crostini Recipe (thanks to Oprah.com)

They can be small and will not take that long to prepare, but the impact will be amazing.

Ingredients

4 oz soft goat cheese

2 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained

1⁄4 cup snipped chives

1 1⁄2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing on bread

16 slices baguette (each 1⁄4-inch thick)

Directions
The crostini can be made ahead. After cooling, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. And if you don't have a mini bowl for your food processor or a mini chopper, mince the sun-dried tomatoes and chives by hand then mash in a bowl with the cheese and oil until well blended. 
Preheat broiler. 

Brush baguette slices lightly with olive oil on both sides. Place under preheated broiler and toast until golden, turning once, about 2 minutes per side.

In mini bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, process cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, chives and oil until smooth, about 30 seconds. 

Spread each crostini liberally with goat cheese mixture. Place on a baking sheet and broil until browned and melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve hot. 

2. Soup

Easy Tomato and Lentil Soup

It’s still pretty cold, so this easy soup recipe should go down a treat (Thanks to studentrecipes.com)

Ingredients

Half an onion, diced

Tinned tomatos

Tomato puree (to taste)

200g red lentils

2 stock cubes

1 pint boiling water

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Soak the lentils in cold water for an hour.

Soften onions in a pot in some oil.

When onions are soft, add tomatos and tomato puree (however much you like).

Dissolve stock cubes in boiling water and add to pot along with pre soaked lentils.

Cover and simmer for 40 minutes to an hour.

When lentils are cooked, blend soup together and add salt and pepper to taste.

If you like a thinner soup, add more stock!

3. Chicken Stir Fry

Incredibly easy, delicious and looks amazing! Add as much of the vegetables as you like!

Ingredients

½ lb. Boneless Chicken Breasts

Carrots

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Peppers

Celery

Tomatoes

Onions

Green Beans

Soy Sauce

Rice 

Directions

Cut vegetables into small portions.

Cut chicken into strips.

In fry pan, brown chicken in 2 tablespoons oil.

Remove from pan.

Add vegetables to fry pan, then add enough oil to fry.

Fry to desired tenderness.

Add chicken and soy sauce if desired.

Boil your desired rice as an accompaniment.

Garnish with parsley.

4. Easy Cheesecake Recipe

Well, because everyone loves cheesecake... Thanks to Philadelphia.co.uk

Ingredients 

125g digestive biscuit crumbs

40g butter, melted

250g Philadelphia

397g can condensed milk

120ml fresh lemon juice - approx 3 lemons.

200g mixed summer fruits e.g. strawberries, raspberries, blueberries 

Directions

Combine the biscuit crumbs and melted butter and press into the base of an 18 cm loose bottomed cake tin and chill whilst preparing the filling. 

Whisk together the Philly and condensed milk. Then stir in the lemon juice until mixed. Pour over the prepared base and chill for at least 1 hour until set. 

Remove from the fridge and decorate with the summer fruits.

5. Lemon Cupcakes for Later

We know you can barely even consider more food after that, but you will definitely a cuppa later and if you break these out, Mother’s Day complete! There’s a bit more ingredients with this recipe (thanks to Rachel Allen) but we promise, it’s really really easy...

Ingredients