Eating out in Multan...

I went to Multan last week to visit a friend and I did some authentic Multani tourism, visiting the mausoleum of the Sufi saint Shah Rukn-e-Alam...

...and shopping for khussas in the Ghanta Ghar bazaar...

I had some really great food as well. A lot of meat, I must say, but all of it delicious.

Chicken Mushroom Steak at Zanzibar...

Murgh Makhni and the Barbeque Platter with parathas at Billay da Dera...

... followed by two cups of tea.

Brunch at my friend Shahreen's house...

... which included omelettes, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, kebabs, pancakes and strawberries with cream.

Pistachio ice-cream from Baba Ice Cream...

Citrus and Beet Salad

I like vegetables. I like fruit. I like wholewheat bread.

Problem: I also love chocolate. And cake. And ice cream. And mac and cheese.

My problem is cutting back on the bad-for-you stuff, rather than grudgingly trying to include the good-for-you stuff in my diet.

Well this colourful salad has lots of good-for-you vitamins and minerals.

You could make it even healthier by adding other vegetables and maybe a handful of nuts.

You can use orange segments instead of grapefruit, but I feel the grapefruit balances the sweetness of the beets.

It's best if you make this salad right before serving, but if you do make it ahead of time then don't season it until just before you serve it.

What you'll need:

Salad leaves (I used iceberg lettuce)

Beets

Grapefruit or orange segments/chunks

Olive Oil

Pepper

Salt

1. Tear the salad leaves into bite-size pieces and arrange on a large flat dish.
2. Top with beet chunks and grapefruit/orange chunks.
3. Drizzle some olive oil over the salad.
4. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper just before serving.

Victoria Sponge Cake

Strawberries are here!

And I have quite the list of all the things I want to make with them before they're gone.

Victoria Sponge Cake is quick and simple to whip up and the ingredients and proportions are easy to remember.

You can sandwich it together with whatever you like, cream and fresh fruit or cream and strawberry jam.

Alright. Technically, strawberries aren't essential to this recipe. But if you have fresh strawberries only a few months a year, then you must use them in anything and everything you can.

I baked the cake in an 8-inch cake tin and then split it in half. You can also bake it in two 8-inch sandwich pans.

Victoria Sponge

Ingredients

4 oz (115g) butter

4 oz (115g) caster sugar

4 oz (115g) plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

½ (125 ml) to ¾ (180 ml) cup whipping cream

15 to 20 strawberries (approx.)

Icing sugar, to dust

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Grease and line an 8-inch cake tin or two 8-inch sandwich pans.
2. Add the butter, sugar, eggs and milk to a large mixing bowl.
3. Sift in the flour and baking powder.
4. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared cake tin (or divide between the two sandwich pans).
6. If you're making a single cake it will take about 50 minutes to bake. If you're baking in two sandwich pans, bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
7. Check with a toothpick or skewer to make sure the cake is done before removing from the oven.
8. Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes. Then remove from the cake tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
9. Split the cake in half horizontally. If you've baked two cakes, you may have to trim the rounded tops.
10. Whip the cream until soft peaks form and spread on one half of the cake. Top with halved or sliced strawberries. Place the second cake on top.
11. Dust with icing sugar and serve.