35 March recipes

Blood oranges

Blood oranges are celebrated for their ruby red flesh and juice. Blood oranges are only in season for a short time as they need huge temperature shifts in order to grow well – hot in the day and then down to below freezing at night. Make the most of this citrus in our blood orange recipes.

Blood orange loaf cake

Edd Kimber's show-off bake combines the ruby red brilliance of blood oranges with crunchy poppy seeds and grated marzipan.

Blood orange margarita

Blood oranges add a beautiful ruby hue to a pitcher of margaritas. Remember to add a large pinch of hot chilli powder to really make your cocktail sing!

Blood orange trifles

Our individual trifles make a quick and easy dessert using seasonal blood oranges, ready in just 15 minutes. If you've got people coming round for a weeknight dinner party, these are a great choice.

Bananas

Bananas are the UK’s most popular fruit and, on average, people eat 100 a year. When buying look for yellow, unblemished skin – green and its underripe, any brown or dark marks may mean it is close to over-ripening.

Banoffee cheesecake

This banoffee cheesecake has all the comforting flavour of the old-school pud but the style of an impressive dinner party dessert – and it takes less than 30 minutes of hands-on time to make. It's guaranteed to be a hit.

Banana fritters

Serve these battered, deep-fried bananas with a dusting of icing sugar – look for yellow-skinned bananas (not green), as you'll want them to be ripe. The combination of sweet cooked banana with the hot, crisp fritter coating is seriously good.

Classic banana split

With just five everyday ingredients, this old-school dessert couldn't be easier – or speedier – to make. It's a good job it'll never go out of style.

Hake

Hake is from the same family as cod and haddock, although its flesh is a bit meatier when cooked. It is a favourite in Spanish cooking, although it is native to British waters, and we should eat more of it! Here's how with our best hake recipes.

Spanish-style hake

Chorizo brings savoury heat to this veg-filled stew. Topped with meaty hake fillets and vibrant slices of orange, it makes for a flavour-packed supper. You could serve with a slice of sourdough bread for a more filling meal.

Spinach

Absolutely jam-packed with iron, antioxidants and other nutrients, spinach is especially good for us. We love its vibrant green colour when added to dishes, including our top spinach recipes.

Saag aloo

An Indian classic of spiced potatoes and spinach that packs in plenty of this nutritious leafy green. Serve as part of a full Indian spread with lots of other fragrant dishes.

Spinach gnudi

Whizz blanched spinach into ricotta to make these delicious, pillowy gnudi – they are similar to gnocchi, just a little lighter.

Saag paneer

We love anything involving squeaky paneer. Make this classic side dish, where spinach is mixed with crisp golden paneer cubes, for your next curry night.

Spinach, leek and pea soup

For a soothing lunch, blitz spinach, leeks and peas together to make a wholesome seasonal soup.

Lobster

You can usually source live or cooked lobsters from your local fishmonger, but if not then larger supermarkets often stock cooked, frozen lobsters which will work just as well. Try our lobster recipes.

Lobster thermidor

Serve this luxurious classic with a big green salad and plenty of crusty bread for mopping up that rich, creamy sauce. If you can’t get lobster, chop some cooked king prawns and mix through the sauce, then put into a gratin dish and grill.

Lobster toastie

Take your toastie up a notch with chunky chopped lobster in a silky, oozy four-cheese sauce. Don't forget the quick pickle on the side, it's needed to cut through the richness.

Classic lobster roll

You can find frozen lobster tails on Ocado, making these rolls easy to make yourself at home. Other supermarkets sell smaller, Canadian lobsters, which you can also use in this recipe.

Purple sprouting broccoli

This smaller, more tender variety of broccoli has vibrant purple florets and a long, thin stalk. Avoid buying any that have turned slightly yellow as these are not as fresh. See our purple sprouting broccoli recipes.

Gnocchi with crispy purple sprouting broccoli and garlic butter

This is the kind of dinner you need during the week. Purple sprouting broccoli is fried until crisp and heaped onto a bed of comforting gnocchi, slicked in a buttery, cheesy sauce.

Purple sprouting broccoli, spiced fried eggs and lime yogurt on toast

You can also enjoy purple sprouting broccoli for something different on toast. Lime yogurt and a fried egg makes this a filling, healthy lunch.

Broccoli and peanut soba noodles

Our recipe for purple sprouting broccoli and peanut soba noodles is really easy to make and ready in 20 minutes. The zingy sauce gives the broccoli an injection of flavour, while the roasted peanuts add a crunchy texture to the dish.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb has an intensely tart flavour. We like to make the most of it by adding it to as many dishes as possible while it's in season. Stewed gently with orange or ginger, it makes a delicious healthy breakfast, when served with porridge, pancakes or yogurt. The best combination of all is rhubarb and custard – whether in the form of a pavlova, panna cotta or tart. Surprisingly, rhubarb is delicious with rich meaty dishes, like pork and duck. Check out our rhubarb recipes.

Rhubarb compote

In-season rhubarb is mixed with zesty orange and aromatic cardamom to make this oven-roasted compote. Try it dolloped on pancakes and porridge, or served with a dessert.

Apple and rhubarb crumble

Nothing beats a seasonal crumble. Here the star is sweet-tart rhubarb, cooked apple and the best ever crunchy crumble topping. All you need to do is decide on ice cream, cream or custard...

Rhubarb and custard eton mess

This fruity dessert is packed with juicy rhubarb and can be whipped up in record time. The secret is buying ready-made meringues and custard to speed up the process.

Cauliflower

From the same brassica family as cabbages and broccoli, cauliflower is among the most versatile vegetables. It can be eaten raw in salads, pickled, steamed, grilled, roasted, fried or barbecued. Its firm texture turns creamy when cooked, and it has a delicate flavour that’s often overlooked as an everyday vegetable but it’s made the star of the show in our cauliflower recipes.

Cauliflower soup

Creamy cauliflower soup is comfort in a bowl, plus you can throw it together in just two simple steps. It's a nice nourishing option for cold, grey days.

Roast cauliflower korma

Check out our veggie take on korma using roasted cauliflower. This curry is low in calories and ready in just 30 minutes, ideal for an easy midweek dinner.

Best ever cauliflower cheese

Arguably one of the heroes of British food – is it really a roast dinner if there’s no super cheesy, crispy-topped, piping hot cauliflower cheese on the table?

Pink grapefruit

Available all year round, this citrus fruit is even better in winter and spring when it’s juicier and sweeter. When looking for the juiciest ones, opt for fruits that feel heavy. Have a look at our zingy grapefruit recipes.

Grapefruit upside-down cake

A classy, grown-up take on an upside-down cake, with ruby red grapefruit, clementines, a light almond sponge and a gin-spiked drizzle on top. It's a beautiful one to bring to the table after a meal.

Grapefruit and mint syllabub

This easy dessert is made with floral rosé wine and sharp, refreshing grapefruit – it may take just 10 minutes to make but will end your dinner on a high note. Serve with chocolate-dipped biscotti, if you like.

Grapefruit marmalade

Mix up your marmalade game and add some zing to breakfast with this foolproof pink grapefruit marmalade. Follow the recipe and you’ll get it right every time.

Watercress

In season from April to September, this peppery little leaf has a slight mustardy kick and crunchy, refreshing stems. Use it in salads or whizz into soups, pestos or sauces to pour over baked salmon. Buy in bunches rather than bags to keep it fresher for longer, then store in a glass of water in the fridge to keep the leaves crisp. We've got lots of watercress recipes to help you make the most of it.

Watercress and pea soup

This watercress and pea soup has been pepped up with some baked lemon and sesame croutons. It's veggie and low-calorie – perfect for a healthy midweek meal.

Prawn and watercress stir-fry

You can use watercress in more than just salads. Here it provides fresh, peppery notes in this prawn stir-fry, perfect for a springtime dinner that’s ready in just 20 minutes.

Salmon and watercress tartlets

Ready in under 20 minutes and packed with the tastes of spring, these puff pastry treats make an easy dinner party starter your guests will love.

Chicory

Also known as endive, these crisp, slightly bitter leaves are great in salads and make an excellent vehicle for dips. They are also
delicious grilled, balancing the bitterness with nutty, earthy flavour. Enjoy chicory in our easy recipes.

Chicory tart with dolcelatte

Make the most of chicory in this stunning dolcelatte tart– the sweetness of the honey works well with the bitter edge of chicory. It will make for an impressive veggie centrepiece at your next dinner with friends.

Chicory with mixed pulses and grains

Chicory is in its prime from January to March, so try it in our easy salad with lentils, Borlotti beans and crunchy panko breadcrumbs. This recipe comes from Italian restaurant Bancone in Covent Garden.

Grilled radicchio, blood orange, manchego and sour cherry molasses dressing

Sour cherry molasses impart a bright piquancy to this radicchio salad, balanced out by nutty slivers of manchego, toasted walnuts and aromatic basil leaves.

Spring onions

Spring onions are the young shoots of standard onions, before the bulb has had a chance to grow and develop. This produces a sweeter, milder allium flavour that can be used raw in salads or as a garnish – both the green and white parts add flavour and crunch. Spring onions often get overlooked as a side dish as they’re usually just a base for flavour but, when braised, they’re great with a roast. Make the most of this staple ingredient with our spring onion recipes.

Cheddar and spring onion risotto with balsamic tomatoes

Try our creamy risotto, oozing with mature cheddar cheese and topped with pan-fried cherry tomatoes. This comforting recipe is bursting with beautiful flavours.

Ham hock, pea and spring onion salad

Quick, simple and delicious, this ham hock, pea and spring onion salad is perfect for a midweek meal. It's ready in just 10 minutes and is well under 500 calories but doesn't feel like you're missing out.

Cheese and onion quiche

Using spring onions alongside ready-made pastry cuts down the cooking time so you can bake this classic vegetarian tart midweek.