Lorraine Pascale’s Fast, Fresh and Easy Food

3 × 125g (approx) really fresh, skinless, sustainably caught salmon fillets

3 spring onions

2cm piece of fresh ginger

1–2 red chillies (depending on how hot you like them)

1 avocado

1 squidge of honey (optional: a bit of sweetness for those with a sweet tooth!)

1 lime

½ orange

A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Small handful of fresh mint leaves

Tortillas

4 corn or wheat tortillas, if making homemade tortilla chips

or

200g bag of tortilla crisps, if not Vegetable oil or oil spray (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ If home baking your own tortilla chips, then preheat the oven to 200°C, (fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6.

+ Pull any bones from the salmon fillets and, using a sharp knife, remove any brown flesh from underneath. Cut them up as thinly as possible (no thicker than about 5mm) as if you were cutting a loaf of bread into slices. Arrange them in a single layer on a large serving platter.

+ Trim and finely slice the spring onion (both the green and the white bits), peel the ginger and chop it into thin sticks and then halve and finely slice the chillies, discarding the seeds. Scatter all three ingredients over the salmon.

+ Halve the avocado, discard the stone and carefully peel the skin off. Then turn each half cut side down and slice them really thinly lengthways. Arrange them over the salmon and drizzle the honey over, if using.

+ Squeeze the lime and orange juice over, making sure you cover all of the fish. Drizzle with some oil, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and then leave in the fridge to ‘cook’ for about 10 minutes.

+ If you are making tortilla chips, put the tortillas in a pile and cut them into 12 wedges as if you were cutting a cake. Lay them in a single layer on one or two large baking sheets. Drizzle or spray with some oil, if using (not essential but makes them a little tastier), and season with salt and pepper.

+ Put the tortillas in the oven for 5 minutes. I have a habit of not remembering they are in, though, and so I really have to keep an eye on them!

+ When the tortillas are crisp and golden, remove from the oven and leave to cool for a minute before piling into a serving bowl. Or, if using shop-bought tortilla chips, simply empty them into the serving bowl.

+ When the ceviche is just turning a bit white at the edges, it is ready, so remove it from the fridge. Rip up the mint leaves, scatter them over and serve with the tortilla chips.

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Gingerbread pancakes with Parma ham & maple syrup (#ulink_3cb13586-148c-5e6e-a6df-58dd45390706)

Major brownie points are awarded to anyone who goes the extra mile on Sunday and rustles up this breakfast dish. If you prefer to have the pancakes plain, then just omit the cinnamon, ground ginger, lemon zest, vanilla and sugar; this plain mix can also be used for your Yorkshire puddings.

Time from start to finish: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Equipment: Large bowl, zester, large frying pan, 2 baking trays

225g self-raising flour

3 tbsp soft light brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

Pinch of salt

½ lemon

½ vanilla pod (or a couple of drops of vanilla extract) (optional)

300ml semi-skimmed milk

1 medium egg

Sunflower oil

12 slices of Parma ham (or bacon)

To serve

100ml maple syrup

100g sour cream or half- or full-fat crème fraîche

+ Preheat the oven to 110°C, (fan 90°C), 225°F, Gas Mark ½. This is to keep the pancakes warm, as they are cooked in batches.

+ Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt into a large bowl, give them a quick mix and make a well in the centre. Finely grate the lemon zest in. Split the vanilla pod open, scrape the seeds out and add them too (or vanilla extract, if using). Then gradually pour the milk in bit by bit, stirring all the time to give a smooth mixture. Beat the egg in well and set aside.

+ Put a drizzle of oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat and cook the Parma ham (or bacon) for 2–3 minutes on each side until nice and crisp. Then remove with tongs and drain on kitchen paper. Tip onto a baking tray and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

+ Leave the pan on the heat, but reduce it to low and add a little bit more oil if need be. Then spoon in four dollops of the pancake mix (to spread to about 10cm wide). Leave to cook for 1–2 minutes until golden, then flip them over and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Slide them onto a baking tray and put in the oven to keep warm. Then repeat with the remaining mix to give 12 in total.

+ Once you have made all of the pancakes, divide them between four plates. I like to pile the Parma ham high on them, drizzle with the maple syrup and serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.