Beef

A rich brown sugar, soy and ginger sauce coats tender beef in this flash-in-the-pan dinner. Make sure to coat the steak well in the cornflour for the crispiest results

A retro favourite, with extra veg added. Serve with spring greens or Savoy cabbage, or with baked beans if you’re extra hungry

This protein-packed noodle salad is as delicious as it is vibrant. Cashew butter adds a creamy richness to the soy dressing, while toasted nuts add crunch

Succotash is a North American side dish made with corn – we’ve added sweet potato to make it more filling. It’s also good alongside grilled chicken or fish

This speedy noodle dish uses a homemade stir-fry sauce that can be shaken up in a jar in seconds. You can also use it for all kinds of other Chinese-style dishes

A good-quality steak needs little in the way of embellishment, and this simple aioli, with the tangy char of griddled spring onions, is perfect

Sweet and slightly spicy piquanté peppers are a great storecupboard item for adding a flavour-punch to midweek meals; used here in a quick sauce for steak

'This is a classic Mauritian gajak (snack) eaten with a fresh crusty baguette. It’s essentially a stir-fry and is a Sino (Chinese) Mauritian-inspired dish – you’ll always see a version of this for special occasions, and it is perfect for Eid al-Fitr,' says chef Shelina Permalloo

On the table in half an hour, this is the perfect way to warm up a chilly evening. You can pack in any veggies you fancy, or swap the beef for chicken or prawns. Gochujang is a Korean hot red pepper paste that keeps in the fridge for months. It can be stirred into soups, stews and sauces to pep them up, and used in marinades