Lara Lee’s latest cookbook is simple. The “everyday food from Asia” that she cooks at home. Why not whip out either of these under-30-minute recipes to add some oomph to your midweek meals. 

Cheesy Kimchi linguine with Gochujang butter

Serves 2 | Prep & Cook 15 mins

• 200g dried linguine or spaghetti
• 120g kimchi, roughly chopped
• 30g unsalted butter, cubed
• 40g gochujang paste
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed, or 2 tsp garlic paste
• 2 spring onions, sliced into thin matchsticks
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp flavourless oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed
• Fine sea salt, to taste
• 2 Tbsp crumbled crispy seaweed (such as nori sheets or seaweed flakes)
• Lime wedges, to serve
• 20g Parmesan, grated

Bring a pan of water to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions (usually 8–12 minutes).

While the pasta is cooking, prepare your ingredients. Place the kimchi, butter, gochujang, soy, garlic and half the spring onions in a large, cold non-stick frying pan (don’t worry about mixing it for now).

Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the pasta water. Put the pasta straight into the frying pan with 2 tablespoons pasta water on a high heat. Cook, tossing everything together, for about 3 minutes, or until warmed through and well coated. Remove from the heat and transfer to serving bowls.

To fry the eggs, wipe out the pan. Add the oil on a medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, crack the eggs into it. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the whites are partially cooked and the edges are becoming crispy. Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue cooking until the whites are cooked through but the yolk is still runny (or cooked to your liking). Season with a pinch of salt.

Top each pasta bowl with the crispy seaweed, the remaining spring onions and the fried eggs. Squeeze a wedge of lime over each bowl. Dust with the grated Parmesan and serve with extra lime wedges.

Sambal prawns with coconut and cashews

Serves 4 | Prep & Cook 25 mins

• 25g desiccated coconut
• Flavourless cooking oil (such as sunflower or grapeseed) or coconut oil
• 20 medium raw prawns, peeled, tails on, defrosted if frozen
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed, or 2 tsp garlic paste
• 4 long red chillies, deseeded and finely diced
• 200g green beans, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths diagonally
• 1 Tbsp Kecap Manis
  1/2 tsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
• Large pinch of fine sea salt
• 60g roasted salted cashews

Toast the coconut in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until golden. Transfer the coconut to a plate.

Wipe out the pan and heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the prawns in a single layer and cook for 1–2 minutes each side, or until they are just cooked through. Remove and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Heat another tablespoon oil in the wok or pan, still over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chillies and cook, stirring continuously, for 3–4 minutes, until the chillies have softened and are starting to wrinkle.

Add the green beans along with 1 tablespoon water, the kecap manis, sugar and salt. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, stirring regularly, until the green beans are just cooked through with a crunchy bite.

Stir in most of the toasted coconut and cashews, reserving a little of each for garnish, and return the prawns to the pan. Toss everything together. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining coconut and cashews.

Make it vegan: Omit the prawns and cook the rest of the recipe just as is for a tasty side dish or swap the prawns for slices of tempeh or marinated firm tofu, patted dry and pan-fried until golden.

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