There are times when the simplest recipes produce dishes that are deeply satisfying. Recently, over Christmas and New Year, we thought we would keep some dips ready to nibble on before dinner. One of these was tapenade, one of the easiest things to make with just a few easily available ingredients.

You will need a half pound of pitted black olives (you can use a mixture of green and black olives too, but I prefer the darker

version); two anchovy fillets, washed; one garlic clove; two tablespoons of capers (available at any upmarket supermarket); two to three basil leaves; one tablespoon lemon juice; and two tablespoons of the best extra virgin olive oil you can get.

Wash all the ingredients and place them in a blender. Whiz for a minute or two until you have a coarse paste. Serve in a bowl, together with either thinly cut good quality toasted brown bread, or crackers. Simple and exotic, you will find that your guests can’t keep from dipping in until it’s gone.

One of my favourite pasta sauces is pesto, and it is also the simplest to make. As it is not cooked, but served at room temperature with properly cooked pasta, it makes a perfect light summer dish. The basis for pesto is basil, and this can be a problem as our version of it, called tulsi, is slightly bitter. What is needed is sweet basil that you can get in good supermarkets in Karachi.

No need to slog over the stove for hours; try these

simple easy to make recipes for starters

I once got a packet of seeds from England and planted them in my mother’s garden. Soon the plants were everywhere, and I made huge quantities of pesto. So it isn’t hard to grow in our climate. And as basil is also wonderful in salads, it might be worth your while to plant some in a few pots.

Get a couple of handful of the leaves and remove their stems. You will also need a couple of tablespoonfuls of pine nuts (chilghozas), or walnuts will do just as well; a clove of chopped garlic; salt to taste; and some good quality virgin olive oil. All these go into a blender. Purists insist that for the best results, you should use a mortar and pestle to pound these ingredients into a paste. But frankly, life is too short, and I try and simplify things in the kitchen, as well as in life generally.

Whiz the ingredients to obtain a paste that isn’t too smooth: the crunch of the nuts should come through. And hey, presto, you have pesto! You can refrigerate it for a couple of days without any loss in flavour. In fact, an Italian restaurant near Galle, an hour and a half from us along the coast, sells large jars of a delicious pesto. For some reason, I haven’t had much luck with the basil I have planted in our back garden. I suspect too much water collects there after heavy rains, drowning the shoots before they have had a chance to put down roots.

Liver pate is another old standby that takes very little time and few ingredients. Get a pound or so of liver, and fry in olive oil until it is just cooked. It ought to be slightly pink in the middle when you take it off the heat. Once the liver has cooled, chop it into large pieces, and place in a blender, together with a cup full of cream, salt and pepper. A tablespoon of cognac is optional, but it does help to add depth to the flavour. Whiz until you have a smooth paste. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving with freshly toasted bread.

All three make great starters, or as nibbles with drinks. So if you, like me, want to impress your guests without spending hours in the kitchen, try these easy recipes at your next party.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 11th, 2015

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