Asra Himsi

Avocado & strawberry smoothie
Method
STEP 1
Put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a little water.

Brown butter linguine
Method
STEP 1
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.

STEP 2
Meanwhile, cook a little of the butter in a frying pan until it foams then fry the bread until it is golden brown all over. Tip into a bowl and wipe out the pan. Add the rest of the butter and heat it until it foams and starts to brown. Add the chilli flakes and plenty of black pepper and cook for 1 min.

STEP 3
Tip the pasta back into the pan along with a splash of the cooking water and the cheese and toss together thoroughly. Sprinkle on the fried bread and toss everything together again.

Chocolate orange brownies
Method
STEP 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 24 x 20cm brownie tin with baking parchment. Put the butter, dark chocolate and orange zest in a non-stick saucepan and very gently melt over a low heat, stirring every now and then, until smooth – take care not to overheat it. Cool.

STEP 2
Whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk until the mixture is pale, has doubled in volume and leaves a trail when the beaters are lifted. Gently stir into the cooled chocolate mixture. Sift over the flour and cocoa, stir in, then add the orange chocolate.

STEP 3
Pour into the lined tin and bake for 35-40 mins. Cool in the tin, then cut into squares.

Mixed seed bread
Method
STEP 1
Mix the flours, salt, yeast, sunflower, caraway, and poppy seeds in a large bowl. Add the black treacle and water, then mix well. If the dough seems a little stiff, add 1 tbsp or more extra water. Mix well, then put on a lightly floured work surface and gently knead the dough for 7 mins. Put it back into a lightly oiled bowl for approx 2 hours until doubled in size.

STEP 2
Line a tray with baking parchment. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knock back, then gently mould the dough into a ball. Roll the dough in the sesame seeds and place on the baking tray to prove for a further hour until doubled in size.

STEP 3
Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cut the top into criss-cross slashes with a sharp knife and bake for 30 mins until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.

Brie, apple & onion tart
Method
STEP 1
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll the pastry sheet onto a large baking tray (leave it on the paper from the pack). If the edges are not straight, trim them with a sharp knife. Score a border, about 1cm in from the edge. Score a criss-cross pattern over the central piece of pastry (this will prevent it from rising too much) and around the border, if you like. Bake for 15 mins.

STEP 2
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions and cook for 10-15 mins until softened and starting to caramelise. Stir in the vinegar, bubble for 1 min more, then add the Dijon mustard and thyme, season well and set aside. Slice the apple thinly through the core so a few slices have a nice star in the middle, and remove any seeds. Toss the slices in a splash of vinegar to prevent them from browning.

STEP 3
The pastry should be puffed and starting to colour. Push down the centre, then spread over the onions. Add blobs of cranberry sauce, then top with the apple slices and brie, overlapping them to cover the tart. Add a few more thyme sprigs, drizzle with a little oil, then put back in the oven for a further 25 mins until the cheese is bubbling and the apple slices are soft. Serve warm or cold.

Easy carrot cake
Method
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base and sides of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. Whisk the oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla and zest in a jug. Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg with a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times to bring the lumps to the surface.

STEP 2
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the carrots, raisins and half the nuts, if using. Mix well to combine, then divide between the tins.

STEP 3
Bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. If any wet mixture clings to the skewer, return to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tins.

STEP 4
To make the icing, beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add half the soft cheese and beat again, then add the rest (adding it bit by bit prevents the icing from splitting). Remove the cakes from the tins and sandwich together with half the icing. Top with the remaining icing and scatter with the remaining walnuts. Will keep in the fridge for up to five days. Best eaten at room temperature.

Great

Samosa chaat
Method
STEP 1
Put the sliced red onion in a heatproof bowl filled with just- boiled water. Leave for 10 mins, drain, then toss with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside. The onions will turn a wonderful magenta colour.

STEP 2
To make the spiced chickpeas, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. To test it’s ready, drop in a few cumin seeds – if they start to sizzle, add the rest, followed by the drained chickpeas. Scatter in 1 tsp salt and the turmeric, chilli powder, ground cumin and 60ml water. Break in the contents of the teabag and give everything a stir. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about 15 mins, or until all the flavours have infused. Gently mash some of the chickpeas in the pan to make a sauce – you might need to add a little more water.

STEP 3
Spoon the spiced chickpeas onto a serving platter. Cut the samosas into chunks and layer these over the top. Drizzle over the yogurt, then top with the sliced pickled onions. Sprinkle over the chopped spring onions and sev or Bombay mix.

Rarebit pork chops
Method
STEP 1
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Place the chops in a large, shallow roasting tray and bake for 15 mins. Mix together the mustard, cheddar and creme fraiche or cream. Spread over the top of the chops. Return to the oven for 5 mins until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve with some potato wedges and greens.

Seeded wholemeal loaf
Method
STEP 1
Combine both flours in a large bowl with the yeast and 1 tsp fine salt. Mix the treacle with 250ml warm water until well combined. Stir into the flour to make a slightly sticky dough. If you need to add more water, splash it in 1 tbsp at a time.

STEP 2
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 mins (or in a tabletop mixer for 5-7 mins). Your dough should be smooth and elastic when it’s ready. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, flip the dough over to coat it in oil, then cover with a sheet of oiled cling film. Leave in a warm place until doubled in size – this will take about 1 hr (see note, below). Lightly oil a 900g loaf tin.

STEP 3
Once doubled in size, knead the dough again for 3-5 mins to knock out the air bubbles – add most of the seeds and work these into the dough as you knead. Shape the dough into an oval roughly the same length as your tin. Place in the tin and leave to prove, covered with oiled cling film, for 30-45 mins until it has nearly doubled in size again. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

STEP 4
Gently press a finger into the loaf to check if it has had enough proving time (see tip). When it’s ready, glaze the top of the loaf with the egg yolk and sprinkle over the remaining seeds. Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins until golden brown – if you tip the loaf out of the tin and tap the bottom, it should sound hollow. Leave to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 mins before slicing.

Baklava with spiced nuts, ricotta & chocolate
Method
STEP 1
First, make the syrup. Tip the sugar into a large saucepan with 650ml water. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 mins, then squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice and simmer for a further 5 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, for assembling the baklava later, melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat for 5 mins, skimming and discarding any froth that rises to the surface.

STEP 2
For the filling, crush all of the nuts in a pestle and mortar, or blitz in a food processor – you want a mixture of finely ground nuts with a few chunky pieces. Tip into a bowl, stir through the spices and set aside.

STEP 3
In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta with the lemon and orange zests and vanilla. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush the bottom of a large baking tray (about 35 x 47cm) with some of the melted butter. Working with one sheet of filo at a time (covering the rest with a damp tea towel to prevent it drying out), lay the sheet out on a board so one of the short ends is facing you. Sprinkle 30g of the nut mixture evenly over the whole sheet, then spoon 1 tbsp of the ricotta mixture across the end closest to you. Fold this end over to enclose the filling, then lay a long, thin skewer next to the folded edge and roll the pastry around it to create a long roll. When it’s fully rolled up, it should be roughly the thickness of a chipolata sausage. While holding one end of the rolling pin or skewer, gently scrunch the filo roll like an accordion and carefully push it off the skewer and onto the prepared tray. Repeat with the rest of the filo and fillings – you should get about 12 rolls. Cut each roll into four to make 48 large baklava, or eight to make 96 mini.

STEP 4
Brush with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 20-25 mins until evenly golden, turning the tray around halfway through. While still hot, immediately pour over 5-6 ladlefuls of the syrup. You should hear the syrup sizzle as it hits the hot baklava. Set aside to cool and absorb.

STEP 5
Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water, or in the microwave in short bursts. Drizzle this over the cooled baklava and sprinkle with the ground pistachios.

American-style pineapple & banana pancakes
Method
STEP 1
Roughly chop the pineapple and slice the banana. Tip the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar into a bowl and mix well.

STEP 2
Make a well into the centre and crack in the egg, then gradually mix the egg into the flour, adding the milk gradually to make a soft batter.

STEP 3
Stir in the pineapple and banana. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the batter in heaped tablespoonsful, well apart to allow them to spread. When bubbles appear on the surface, flip the pancakes over and cook until light golden.

STEP 4
Cook all the pancakes and keep them warm. Serve 2-3 pancakes with a spoonful of yogurt and a little maple syrup poured over.

Flowerpot chocolate chip muffins
Method
STEP 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly oil the inside of the terracotta pots with a little vegetable oil and place on a baking tray. Place a paper mini muffin case in the bottom of each pot.

STEP 2
Put the flour, baking powder and cocoa in a bowl and stir in the sugar.

STEP 3
Crack the egg into a jug and whisk with the milk and remaining oil. Pour this over the flour and cocoa mixture, and stir in with 50g of the chocolate chips. Be careful not to overmix – you want a loose but still quite lumpy mixture. Spoon into the pots up to three-quarters full. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 12-15 mins until risen and firm. Transfer to a wire rack (still in the pots) and leave to cool.

STEP 4
Put the rest of the chocolate chips in a small bowl and melt over a small pan of gently simmering water (don’t let the water touch the bowl), or put in a microwave-proof bowl and heat on High for 1 min until melted.

STEP 5
Spread the tops of the muffins with the melted chocolate. Sprinkle over the chocolate decorations and add 2 rice paper wafer daisies to each pot to serve. Will keep for 2 days in an airtight container.