First of all, big congratulations to Catriona and Rory Flaherty who won a coveted Great Taste Golden Fork award in London last week. I was delighted to be with them on the night along with the Dunnes Simply Better team. The Flaherty family won with their Irish handmade sticky toffee pudding, an exclusive recipe created by the Flahertys with Dunnes Stores. The Great Taste Golden Fork awards are hosted by the Guild of Fine Food and judged by more than 400 food critics, writers and chefs.

And now, it is back-to-school time and I have two recipes that can be made well in advance. The bali sauce will keep in the fridge for up to three days and also freezes well. The trick with chilli is to add a little at a time and to taste it so that you don’t have it hotter than you like. This curry is also great with diced chicken and you should put it in before adding any of the vegetables.

This stir-fry is wonderfully fragrant and full of flavour. Again, it works well with chicken or beef. I tried the Simply Better jumbo prawns recently and they were super. Egg noodles are one of the great cupboard standbys and the ones I buy need only four minutes soaking in boiling water.

Happy cooking.

Cauliflower and chickpea balti

Serves four to six

2 tbsp Donegal Rapeseed oil

4 onions, chopped

4cm (1 1/2in) piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

6 garlic cloves, crushed

4 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 small cauliflower, cut into florets (about 400g (14oz) in total)

400g (14oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp salt

2-4 mild green chillies, finely chopped (depending on how hot you like it)

450g (1lb) baby spinach leaves

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

1 tsp garam masala

Balti sauce

4 tbsp Donegal rapeseed oil

4cm (1 1/2in) piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

6 onions, chopped

8 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground paprika

1 tsp garam masala

4 bay leaves

8 cardamom pods, slightly broken open

1 tbsp salt

Naan bread or chapattis, to serve

1 To make the balti sauce, heat the oil in a pan and then add the ginger and garlic. Cook for 20 seconds or so, stirring. Tip in the onions and stir-fry for five minutes until they are translucent but not coloured.

2 Pour 500ml (18fl oz) of water into the pan and bring to the boil. Add the tomatoes, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, paprika, garam masala, bay leaves, cardamom pods and salt, stirring well to combine. Reduce to a simmer and cover and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened.

3 Remove the balti sauce from the heat and leave to cool. Remove the bay leaves and cardamom pods and tip the remainder into a food processor or liquidiser. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a jug and use immediately or cover with cling film and chill until needed.

4 When ready to serve, heat the oil in a large wok until very hot. Add the onions and stir-fry for three to four minutes or until lightly browned. Tip in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, cauliflower, chickpeas and salt, then fold in the balti sauce until all the vegetables are well coated.

5 Reduce the heat, cover the wok with a lid and simmer for five to six minutes or until the cauliflower is just tender.

6 Fold in the green chillies and spinach and stir-fry for a final three minutes until the spinach has wilted. Stir in the coriander and sprinkle on the garam masala. Divide between warmed bowls and serve set on plates with naan bread or chapattis on the side.

Fragrant prawn stir-fry

with Chinese-style noodles

Serves four

2 tbsp Donegal rapeseed oil

2 bunches spring onions, cut into 2.5cm (1in) pieces on the diagonal

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tsp dried chilli flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

500g (1lb 2oz) raw king prawns, shelled and de-veined

4 tbsp dry sherry

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp honey

Bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Noodles

400g (14oz) medium egg noodles

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1 To prepare the noodles, drop them into a pan of boiling water and remove from the heat. Stir with a fork and leave to stand for four minutes or according to packet instructions.

2 Heat the oil in a wok until hot. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 10 to 20 seconds until golden, then add in the spring onions and cook for a further minute.

3 Add the chilli flakes to the spring onion mixture with the salt and pepper and the prawns and cook for a minute or two until the prawns have turned pink and are cooked through.

4 Sprinkle over the sherry and then burn off the alcohol. Add in the soy and honey and stir through the coriander.

5 Drain the noodles and toss with the sesame oil, soy sauce and coriander. Divide the Chinese-style noodles among warmed plates and spoon the fragrant prawn stir-fry on top to serve and enjoy. CL