A delicious, authentic Pakistani recipe puts paid to any ‘more mature’ tubs of yogurt lurking at the back of the fridge. The ingredients of this brightly-hued, warming vegetable soup can be varied according to taste, time and the contents of the vegeatable drawer, making it a useful end-of-week dish to add to your repertoire.

From standard to savoury and healthy to quirky. Check out these Pancake Day recipes, ready in no time flat.

Don’t be put off by the long titles, or the even longer lists of ingredients. These recipes are super-easy – and hugely impressive. Served together, they make a show-stopping four course dinner party; pick-and-mix your way through them for lesser occasions (the ham with lentils would be fantastic for picnics). All brought to you by herb and spice specialist Schwartz.

Tell your Valentine they’re hot stuff with this indulgent spiced-up chocolate cake. With a judicious slug of Tabasco®, it’s a little out of the ordinary and more than a little more-ish. Both dairy- and egg-free, it’s a simple, surefire hit.

Executive Chef Maurice Fitzgerald of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel & Al Khayal in Dubai tells us how to make fried Kibbeh. British soldiers in the Middle East during the Second World War used to call kibbeh “Syrian torpedoes” but you’ll find these will sink any appetite!

A thoroughly patriotic pastry for St. David’s Day, Andrew Nutter’s scrumptiously sticky tart puts a new spin on the classic Welsh rarebit.

Simple and quick enough to join your repertoire for easy midweek after work suppers, the fennel adds an element of chic for the image-conscious, though it is just as suitably wholesome for families. Perfectly judged in every respect, each flavour is detectable – the anchovies adds a salty note to the sweetness of the fennel and onion, a hint of dark earthiness comes from the parsley – but none overwhelms the other. A slightly crunchy brownish topping above the glistening white fish, all moist and flakingly just-cooked, gives it a variety of texture.

Cook up a comforting supper with Riso Gallo’s tasty risotto recipe