IF TAPIOCA and pork belly conjure up memories of grey school dinners, prepare to have your mind changed. By adding just a few exotic twists, these dinner-lady staples can be transformed into fare fit for grown-ups. Coconut cream and vanilla give a whole new depth of flavour to tapioca – try serving it with a pawpaw sorbet for contrast. Mango or lime will work equally well, as would anything that could cut the sweetness and add a touch of class.

The combination of richness cut with tart flavours also features in the main course, where I have teamed the pork with a slightly less traditional version of apple sauce.

You'll need pastry for both it and today's starter, and now that Delia has led the way and 'cheating' has become the new byword in home cooking, I would recommend you go straight to the freezer cabinet for it.

The starter of smoked salmon and filo pastry really raises the stakes. As all the other ingredients are somewhat cheap and cheerful, why not splash out on some really good-quality Scottish salmon – there is no better way to dispel all memories of those dull canteen lunches of long ago.

Geoff Malmedy is the head chef at Abstract restaurant and Contrast brasserie, Glenmoriston Town House Hotel, Ness Bank, Inverness (01463 223777, www.abstractrestaurant.com)

SMOKED SALMON AND VEGETABLE STRUDEL

Serves four

2 tbsp chopped chives; 100g Greek yoghurt; 1/2 onion, finely sliced; 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned (finely shredded); 50g beansprouts; 1 courgette, julienned; 8 sheets filo pastry; 4 x 20g slices smoked salmon; 50g butter, melted; 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix the chives with the yoghurt and season with a little salt and pepper. Keep to one side.

Stir fry the vegetables in hot vegetable oil, starting with the onions, then adding the carrots after a minute. After another 30 seconds add the beansprouts, then add the courgettes 30 seconds later, so that they all remain crunchy. Season with salt and pepper and allow to go cold.

Lay out four sheets of filo pastry on a worktop and brush with melted butter. Lay another filo sheet on top of each one so you have four sets of two layers. Lay one slice of smoked salmon on each of the filos, then top with the cold vegetables. Brush the edges of the pastry with more butter, then roll up like a strudel or spring roll. Brush the outsides with more butter then place in an oven, preheated to 180¼C/gas 4, until golden brown.

Cut the strudels in half to display the insides, then serve two halves on a plate with a generous dollop of Greek yoghurt and chives.

CRISPY PORK BELLY WITH APPLE

Serves four

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 onion, chopped; 3 cloves of garlic, unpeeled; 500g boneless pork belly; rosemary and sage, chopped; 3 Granny Smith apples; 4 discs puff pastry, 150mm wide; 100g apple purée; 30g melted butter; 15g brown sugar

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a roasting pan and add the chopped vegetables. Place the pork belly on top and sprinkle over the herbs. Cover with tin foil and place in an oven, preheated to 160¼C/gas 2, for two to three hours until cooked. Allow the pork to go cold and place in the fridge overnight. Discard the vegetables.

The following day, remove the skin from the pork and cut into four equal portions.

Slice the apples thinly, leaving the skin on. Prick the pastry with a fork and spread with the apple puree. Lay the apple slices on top, brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar and a small pinch of salt.

Cook in the oven for approximately 15 minutes at 175¼C/gas 3 then remove and keep warm.

In a hot, dry frying pan, add the pork belly, fat-side down, and cook until golden and crispy, then transfer to a hot oven to heat through.

Serve the pork belly portions on top of the apple tarts, drizzled with some of the cooking juices. Braised red cabbage would be the ideal accompaniment.

TAPIOCA AND COCONUT PUDDING

Serves four

750ml semi-skimmed milk; 200g tapioca; 1 vanilla pod or a few drops of vanilla essence; 40g grated coconut; 120g caster sugar; 250ml coconut cream; 4 scoops pawpaw sorbet or another exotic fruit sorbet

Pour the milk over the tapioca. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways, if using, and add it to the milk. Add the grated coconut then bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the tapioca is cooked, then stir in the sugar and coconut cream. Serve lightly chilled with a scoop of sorbet and some diced mango. One mango should be enough to garnish four plates.