Lorraine Pascale’s Fast, Fresh and Easy Food

1 lemongrass stalk

2 garlic cloves

5cm piece of fresh ginger

Large handful of fresh coriander

3 kaffir lime leaves (fresh, frozen or dried)

2 × 400ml tins of coconut milk

300ml good-quality chicken stock (fresh is best to use here)

1 red chilli

3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 bunch of spring onions

2 limes

2–3 tbsp fish sauce

1–2 tsp caster sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

+ Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan or wok on a medium heat.

+ Trim the lemongrass stalk and discard any tough outer leaves before finely chopping the white bit (discard the green bit as it can be quite bitter). Peel and finely chop the garlic and then peel the ginger and cut it into thin slivers. Chop the stalks off the coriander (in one go) and then finely slice them (keeping the coriander leaves aside for later).

+ Carefully toss them all in the hot oil with the kaffir lime leaves and stir-fry for a couple of minutes, being careful that nothing catches and burns.

+ Next add the coconut milk and stock and leave to come to the boil.

+ Meanwhile, halve the chilli lengthways and then finely slice it, leaving the seeds in if you like it quite fiery. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add both ingredients to the now-boiled soup. Reduce the heat a little and leave it to bubble away for about 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

+ Finely slice the spring onions (both the green and the white bits), juice the limes and roughly chop half of the reserved coriander leaves. Add these once the chicken is cooked and then leave to simmer for a final minute. Finally, add enough fish sauce and sugar to taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

+ Ladle into four serving bowls, scatter the remaining coriander leaves over and serve.

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Hot-and-sour king prawn soup (#ulink_c21d0988-7776-5b79-80bf-99e5ceea40ab)

A light, lucid soup with fragrant Asian flavours and succulent blushing prawns. Definitely one for a packed lunch.

Time from start to finish: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Equipment: Medium pan with lid

500ml good-quality fish or chicken stock (fresh is best to use here)

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

1 lemongrass stalk

Small handful of fresh coriander

2 kaffir lime leaves (fresh, frozen or dried)

3 tbsp fish sauce

12 sustainably caught raw king prawns, shell off

2 limes

1–2 tsp caster sugar

+ Pour the stock into a medium pan on a high heat and cover with the lid (so it heats up more quickly).

+ Meanwhile, slice, deseed and finely chop the chillies, finely slice the lemongrass (the white bit only) and coriander stalks (reserving the leaves).

+ Once the stock has come to the boil, add them to the pan along with the kaffir lime leaves and fish sauce and cover again with the lid. Turn the heat down a little and leave to simmer for 4–5 minutes.

+ Add the prawns and continue to simmer for another minute or so until the prawns turn pink.

+ Then finish with the coriander leaves, juice of the limes and sugar to taste.

+ Ladle into two serving bowls and serve.

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Red pepper, tomato & basil gazpacho with salt & pepper croutons (#ulink_1df91639-44d0-524f-9d21-abfd68ce0dff)

Every summer I book myself and the family on Britain’s favourite orange airline and head south to Spain. Circling high above Barcelona’s La Rambla, which leads down to the sparkling sapphire blue surf, I know that very soon I will be among the bustling throng of beautiful bronzed bodies, sipping on a bubbling cava, dipping hunks of just-cooked bread in hot sizzling oil full of garlicky prawns and diving my spoon into a perfect bowl of that intensely flavoured, cooling Spanish soup.

Time from start to finish: 15 minutes

Chilling time: 30 minutes in the freezer (or 1 hour in the fridge)

Serves: 4–6

Equipment: Blender or food processor, large jug, baking tray

Gazpacho