If you’re planning a holiday gathering, it can be quite nice to abandon traditional fare for a change. You can be sure there will plenty of roasted ham and mince pies everywhere else, so why not give your guests a bit of something different?

I always want to escape the holiday season and head for warmer weather, but when that’s not possible, I import the bright flavours of the Mediterranean for a winter dinner party.

In the spirit of keeping things simple (many home cooks commit self-sabotage by planning a menu that is overcomplicated), the dishes here are relatively easy to prepare. I say, when in doubt, go for zesty, not fussy. In addition, the entire meal can be prepared well in advance, so there is no last-minute frenzy in the kitchen.

You want something for guests to nibble from the outset. With drinks, a bowl of olives, simple though it seems, is rather beautiful. But it’s better to buy good olives and season them than to rely on the pre-marinated type from the delicatessen. The preparation is simple and the taste is superior. Look for firm, good quality whole green olives, the kind with pits (pitted olives look a bit sad) and dress them with extra virgin oil, chopped preserved lemon, spring onions, thyme and parsley. To accompany the olives, add a bowl of red radishes and some sliced fennel sprinkled with sea salt if you wish.

For casual entertaining, I like to serve a stand-up starter, rather than have a first course at the table. These little filo pies filled with mustard greens and feta fit the bill nicely. Since they reheat beautifully, you can make them up and bake them earlier in the day or even a day ahead. It’s the heavenly Mediterranean spice mixture za’atar that gives them such marvelous flavour. Generally a mix of wild thyme, sesame and sumac, purchase it at any Middle Eastern shop.

Now to the fragrant main course: lamb racks rubbed with assertive Moroccan spices; large pearl couscous with dried fruits; and cumin-scented pan-roasted parsnips and carrots. Everything is do-ahead, save for the quick roasting of the lamb, which takes but 20 minutes in a hot oven. Carving is easy – just slice between the bones. If you cut single chops, each diner gets 4 tiny chops. Cut them double to give 2 thicker chops per person. Guests who are vegetarian will be pleased with the two hearty side dishes.

For sweets, a colourful orange and pomegranate salad and a syrup-soaked almond cake with honey and spice, served side by side, both offer a welcome lovely counterpoint to the previous highly seasoned dishes.

All the recipes serve 6, except the cake, which serves 12. Serve the meal family-style on platters, either at the table or as a sideboard buffet.

Green olives with preserved lemon

un-pitted green olives, such as picholine 350g
preserved lemons 2
fresh thyme a few sprigs
spring onions 4
good quality fruity olive oil 3 tbsp
flat-leaf parsley a few leaves, optional

Rinse and drain the olives. Remove the interior pulp of the preserved lemons and save for another purpose. Rinse the lemon skins with cold water, then dice them small (or leave them in thin strips if you prefer). Remove enough leaves from the thyme sprigs to make about 1 teaspoon roughly chopped, but keep several sprigs whole.

Sliver the spring onions, both white and green parts. Combine everything in a mixing bowl, add the olive oil and mix well to distribute the seasonings. Transfer to a couple of serving bowls and garnish with parsley leaves.

Green olives with garlic and red pepper

un-pitted green olives, such as Picholine 350g
garlic 6 small cloves, grated or finely minced
crushed red pepper (peperoncino) 2 tsp
sweet paprika 2 tbsp
smoked paprika (pimentón) 1 tbsp
cayenne a pinch
good quality fruity olive oil 3 tbsp
Maldon salt optional

Rinse and drain the olives, then put them in a mixing bowl. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, sweet paprika, smoked paprika and cayenne. Toss together to distribute the seasonings. Add the olive oil and mix well to coat. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a couple of serving bowls and sprinkle very lightly with Maldon salt.

Filo pastries with mustard green and za’atar

mustard greens (or chard or spinach, but the mustard greens have more flavour) 700g, leaves and tender stems, washed
garlic 2 cloves, minced
manouri or mild feta cheese 225g, crumbled
za’atar spice mixture
salt and pepper
eggs 2, beaten
filo dough 10 sheets , approximately 35×45cm
butter 110g, melted
egg yolk 1 mixed with cream 1 tbsp, for egg wash

Blanch the greens briefly in boiling water, just enough to wilt, then plunge them in a basin of cold water. Drain, then squeeze well to extract as much liquid as possible. Chop the greens finely, squeeze again and put them in a mixing bowl. Add the garlic, cheese, 1 teaspoon of za’atar and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the eggs and mix well. Heat the oven to 175C/gas mark 3½.

Assemble the pastries: lay a sheet of filo on a clean work surface, wide side before you. Brush lightly with melted butter, lay another sheet on top and butter again. (As you work, keep the remaining filo covered with a kitchen towel to prevent them drying out.) Fold the bottom edge up approximately 10cm, so you have a rectangle that is 25µ45cm. Cut into 3 strips of 15µ25cm.

Put 2 generous tablespoons of the greens mixture in the right lower corner of each strip. Fold the left lower corner up over the greens to meet the right-hand edge and press down to form the first triangle. Fold that triangle upward to form the 2nd triangle. Fold again to complete the pastry. The finished triangle will be about 15µ12µ12cm. Repeat with the other 2 strips and place on a baking sheet. Brush with butter.

Repeat the process. You should have enough filling to make 15 pastries. Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle generously with za’atar.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until nicely browned. Serve warm, halved to make smaller portions if you wish. They can be prepared in advance and reheated.

Moroccan-spiced rare-roasted rack of lamb

racks of lamb 3 small 8-bone, prepared for roasting (each rack weighs about 450g)
salt
black peppercorns 1 tsp
fennel seeds 1 tsp
coriander seeds 1 tsp
cumin seeds 1 tsp
sweet paprika 2 tbsp
cayenne ¼ tsp
olive oil 3 tbsp
garlic 4 cloves, grated
watercress for garnish

Season the lamb racks generously with salt. Put the peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Lightly toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Let them cool, then grind with an electric spice mill or mortar. Transfer the spices to a small bowl and stir in the paprika, cayenne, olive oil and garlic to make a paste. Smear the paste on all sides of the lamb racks. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight.

Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Place the seasoned lamb racks in a roasting pan and bring to room temperature. Roast, uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes, until nicely browned and a meat thermometer registers 120-125F/49-51C. Create a tent with tin foil, place it over the lamb and let it rest for 10-15 minutes, then slice each rack between the bones into 8 chops or 4 double chops and arrange them on a warm platter. Spoon over any pan juices and serve (there are negligible pan juices – add a splash of white wine or stock to deglaze if desired), garnished with crisp green watercress.

Pearl couscous with saffron, apricots, raisins and currants

large pearl couscous 450g
salt
saffron a good-sized pinch, crumbled
lemon juice 1 tbsp
Turkish dried apricots 150g, diced
golden raisins 150g
currants 75g
lemon grated zest of 1
unsalted butter 125g, melted
cinnamon ½ tsp

Boil the pearl couscous in a large pot of well-salted water for 10 minutes, until cooked but a little bit al dente. (This is important, some brands may cook more quickly.) Drain and rinse with cold water, then drain again.

Put the saffron and lemon juice in a glass and add 150ml hot water. Set aside and let steep 10 minutes. Put the dried apricots, raisins and currants in a bowl, cover with boiling water, then drain immediately.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the couscous, saffron water, apricots, raisins and currants. Stir in the lemon zest and butter and mix well. Taste for salt and adjust. Transfer to a baking dish, cover with tin foil and leave at room temperature.

When ready to serve, heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6 and bake for 30 minutes, until heated through and steaming. Just before serving, fluff with a wooden spoon and sprinkle with the cinnamon.

Pan-roasted parsnips and carrots with cumin butter

parsnips 900g, not too large
carrots 900g, medium-sized
salt
onion 1 large, finely chopped
cumin seeds 1 tsp , lightly toasted and coarsely ground
cayenne a pinch
fresh coriander 1 small bunch , washed

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Peel the parsnips and carrots and cut them into 3-inch batons. Keep them separately. Simmer the parsnips for 10 minutes, or until cooked through but still firm. Scoop them from the water with a wire skimmer and spread on a baking sheet to cool. Simmer the carrots in the same water for 8 minutes, or until cooked through but still firm. Drain and spread on a baking sheet to cool.

Set a heavy wide-bottomed pot over a medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to colour, 5-8 minutes. Season with salt and add the cumin and cayenne. Add the parsnips and carrots and cook, uncovered, stirring every few minutes with a wooden spoon, allowing them to brown here and there, until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish. Roughly chop the fresh coriander, both leaves and tender stems, to scatter over the top. (May be cooked several hours in advance and reheated.)

Orange and pomegranate salad

navel oranges, or other type of large seedless oranges 6
sugar 2 tbsp, or as necessary
pomegranate seeds 150g
orange-flower water a few drops, to taste
mint leaves to garnish

With a serrated knife, slice a bit of skin from both the top and bottom of each orange, so they sit firmly on the cutting board. Then trim off the skin with a curved motion, moving around the orange until all skin is removed.

Now, holding each peeled orange over a mixing bowl, cut between the membranes, releasing the segments. Squeeze the juice from the fibrous remains. Taste the juice and fruit and sprinkle with sugar as necessary.

Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and scatter the pomegranate seeds over the top. Sprinkle with orange-flower water. (Be cautious – too much is overwhelming.) Cover and keep cool, but not ice cold. Spoon into small bowls to serve and garnish with mint leaves.

Almond honey cake

For the syrup
sugar 50g
raw honey 150ml
lemon juice of 1
orange juice of 1

Stir the sugar, honey, lemon juice and orange juice together in a small saucepan. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, then leave to cool. Keep at room temperature.

For the cake
unsalted butter 115g
sugar 100g
eggs 2 large
lemon grated zest of 1
orange grated zest of ½
vanilla extract ½ tsp
raw honey 30ml
plain yoghurt 125ml
black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamon ⅛ tsp each, ground
nutmeg ⅛ tsp, grated
almonds 50g, raw, whole
fine semolina flour 100g
baking powder 1 tsp
baking soda ¼ tsp
salt a pinch
plain flour 75g
almonds a handful, toasted and slivered, for garnish, optional

Heat the oven to 175C/gas mark 3½. Butter and flour a 23cm diameter tart tin with a removable bottom or a 22cm diameter cake tin.

In the bowl of a stand-mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla extract, honey and yoghurt. Add the pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg.

With a food processor, grind the raw almonds to a coarse powder with 25g of the semolina flour and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, remaining 75g semolina flour and the plain flour. Whisk the dry ingredients together, then slowly beat into the wet ingredients until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared tart tin and bake for about 30 minutes. Test by inserting a small knife or skewer at the centre to be sure it is completely baked. Cool, then invert onto a serving plate. Poke holes in the surface with a skewer and spoon the warm syrup over the cake. Garnish the top with the toasted slivered almonds. (This can be prepared a day in advance of serving.)

Note: To make madeleines instead, put 1 generous tablespoon batter in each shell-shaped well of a buttered and floured (French type, shell-shaped) madeleine tin. Bake for 10 minutes. Makes 24 madeleines. (Drizzle syrup over madeleines just before serving.)

One Good Dish by David Tanis (Artisan £17.99). To buy a copy from the Guardian Bookshop for £14.39, click here; davidtanis.com