Cooking for one doesn't necessarily mean the food has to be boring. Helen Morgan gets inspiration from THE most famous culinary family in Gwent PAVINEE Taruschio knows a thing or two about food.

The adopted daughter of chef Franco and Ann Taruschio, the former owners of the famous Walnut Tree restaurant outside Abergavnenny, she has been surrounded by good food for as long as she can remember.

She is firmly of the belief that cooking for one should neither be a chore nor a bore.

"It is important to eat healthily to stay fit and well, "she said, speaking to Prime Time in the spare minutes she has between looking after a nine-year-old son, twin boys just a few months old and running her own catering firm.

"Thai fish cakes, for example, are popular and are easy to make," she says.

The 27-year-old, who lives in Abergavenny, says a good trick for singletons to adopt is to make meals in bulk and to freeze single serving portions for later days.

We asked Pavinee to come up with a simple but delicious menu for one

Her recipe for the Thai fish cakes makes around 20 -- a few to cook and eat, the rest to freeze before cooking. The fish cakes can be cooked from frozen.

And her Italian dessert recipe, which needs to be kept in the freezer, will make enough for around four portions.

RECIPE 1 - Thai fish cakes

INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste 450g coley ground in food processor 1 tablespoon of fish sauce 60g French beans chopped finely Vegetable oil for depp frying

METHOD: Add the paste to the fish and with your fingers thoroughly blend in. Add the fish sauce and green beans and knead together. Make into 6cm small flat cakes about 1cm thick. Deep fry until golden for about two to three minutes in moderately hot oil.

RELISH: You could also make your own relish for the fishcakes: 125ml rice vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar Quarter of a cucumber, halved and sliced thinly 1 small carrot, halved and sliced thinly 3 shallots, finely sliced 1 medium chilli, finely sliced 1 tablespoon roughly ground peanuts. Heat the vinegar with the sugar, stirring until it dissolves, then boil until a thin syrup is obtained in about five to six minutes. Leave to cook. When cold, add the cucumber, carrots and chilli. Mix in well and top with ground peanuts.

CHEF'S TIP: If you fry the cakes too quickly, they will become tough.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with a salad, or for a more satisfying meal, with rice.

RECIPE 2 - Semifreddo al Torrone

INGREDIENTS 2 eggs, separated 2 tablespoons caster sugar 250ml/8fl oz double cream 2tbsp rum 200g/70z hard torrone (nougat), broken into small pieces.

METHOD: Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and fluffy. In separate bowls, whisk the cream and the egg whites until stiff. Add whipped cream to egg and sugar mix and fold in lightly but evenly, followed by rum. Delicately fold in whisked egg whites and finally nougat. Pour mixture into parfait dishes and freeze for at least three hours.

CHEF'S TIP: Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving.