Sticky banana, date & pecan skillet pudding

Use overripe bananas (skin and all!) in this indulgent no-waste pud, made with gorgeous sticky dates and pecans. Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Sweet & spicy carrot tacos

Invite friends over for taco night and let everyone build their own. The urfa chilli lends a mild, smoky, citrussy depth so it’s well worth seeking out

Sticky carrot & date cake with tahini maple icing

Add sticky dates and a salty-sweet icing to take the traditional carrot cake to new, delicious heights. Decorate with crumbled sesame snaps and pecans

Marry me chicken & orzo

Make this creamy chicken orzo for a midweek meal or to impress a date. It tastes so good, whoever you’re making it for might ask you to marry them after eating it! It’s easy to make, super comforting and can even be made ahead and frozen

Cherry tomato & Philly Intense macaroni

Try this creamy macaroni for an easy date night dinner that you can whip up in only 20 minutes

Homemade tonkatsu sauce

Make this Japanese-style barbecue sauce to serve with crispy tofu, katsu chicken or your favourite Japanese dishes – it’s a great blend of sweet and savoury

Sea bass with cauliflower mash & parsley sauce

“An elegant and effortlessly prepared meal, perfect for a Saturday night in or a special date night. Cauliflower offers a wonderfully creamy alternative to potatoes in the mash, and by incorporating carrots, you’ve already checked off two of your five-a-day and added diversity to the dish. No need to peel your carrots – a thorough scrub helps retain the fibre content. Feel free to substitute the broccoli with any seasonal vegetables of your choice, too.” — Dr Chintal Patel

Maqlooba

Try this Iraqi-inspired maqlooba. Meaning “upside-down”, it’s a special dish combining lamb chops, aubergine, tomatoes, basmati rice and potatoes

Date & walnut loaf

Bake this rich date and walnut loaf at the weekend to enjoy during the week. You can freeze it for another day to serve to last-minute guests, too

Aloo chaat

Enjoy a popular Indian festival snack. These lemony fried potatoes are seasoned with cumin and chaat masala, with green chilli, red onion and pomegranate

Handesh

Make a batch of sweet, golden-brown handesh, a Bengali deep-fried snack made from flour and date molasses. Delicious with a cup of tea or eaten with warm milk like cereal

Lentil dumplings in yogurt (dahi bhalla)

Make these soft lentil dumplings as a snack or side dish. They’re coated with yogurt and served with coriander relish, plus our tamarind & date sauce