Use your noodle

Coconut curry noodles

I adore the fresh, bright, zingy, spicy flavours of Thai food, and this is my nod to them. Having a tub of Thai curry paste in the fridge is always a saving grace when I’m after a quick and easy midweek meal. If you don’t have leftover chicken, you could use frozen prawns or squid. You can also make this vegan – just make sure the curry paste is vegan friendly and use thin, yellow, eggless noodles.

■ Serves 2

1 tbsp neutral oil
2 tbsp Thai red or green curry paste
200ml chicken bone broth or vegetable stock
2 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce
2 tsp light brown soft sugar
400ml can coconut milk
2 dried egg noodle nests or yellow noodles
1 small courgette, peeled into ribbons using a vegetable peeler handful of ready-to-eat beansprouts handful of leftover roast chicken
or 6 tofu puffs, halved small handful of coriander, roughly chopped
½ red onion, finely sliced
1 large red chilli, finely sliced
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

1 Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the curry paste and fry for 30 seconds–1 min or until fragrant. Add the broth, fish sauce and sugar and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary. Add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer.

2 Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a separate pan of boiling water following pack instructions.

3 Drop the courgette ribbons, beansprouts and chicken (or tofu) into the hot broth and cook for 1-2 mins. Serve the broth over the noodles and finish with coriander, red onion, chilli and a good squeeze of lime juice.

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Author and cancer research scientist Pippa Middlehurst won BBC One's Britain's Best Home Cook in 2018, hosted by Mary Berry and Claudia Winkleman.

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Weeknight pad Thai

There is a lot to say and a lot to know about pad Thai. It’s a dish that appears simple, but is complex and difficult to perfect. This simplified version is an easy, lazy adaptation for weeknights and tired heads.

■ Serves 2

240g flat, wide rice noodles
5 tbsp tamarind concentrate
3 tbsp light soft brown sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
1-2 tbsp neutral oil
2 eggs
80g firm pressed tofu, chopped into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
12 frozen king prawns, defrosted
2 handfuls of ready-to-eat beansprouts
2 spring onions, chopped into
2.5cm pieces
2 tbsp salted peanuts, roughly chopped
2 limes, cut into wedges
1 tbsp Sichuan chilli (red pepper) flakes, or gochugaru

1 Cook the noodles following pack instructions or until al dente. Don't overcook the noodles or they will break apart and clump together. Drain and rinse under cool water, separating with your fingers to prevent them from sticking.

2 To make the sa