FROZEN food doesn’t have to mean fish fingers and waffles.

Former MasterChef champ Shelina Permalloo has been busy with two cookbooks, restaurant work and foodie roadshows since her triumph in 2012.

Her latest project is the Love Your Freezer campaign with Sainsbury’s, which aims to inspire families to get the most from their freezers.

“Frozen food doesn’t have to be the breadcrumbed, heavy things that people typically think of. It can be light, fresh, and perfect for winter as well,” says Permalloo.

“I think freezers have had a bad rep for a long time, and the most important thing about using your freezer is making the most of it – making things colourful, fresh and full of flavour.”

The 31-year-old does admit to having found a few random ingredients in the “abyss of the freezer” from time to time – including an exploded bag of frozen thyme.

“It happens to the best of us!” she says. “Organising your freezer’s really important, labelling it properly and cycling it the way you would with your fridge.”

Permalloo admits it’s been “an incredible couple of years” since she picked up her MasterChef trophy.

However, even though some “really great experiences” have come her way, “don’t ever forget where you came from”, she adds.

“Being close to the family for me is what food was always about. I can’t live without them at all.”

Here are two of Permalloo’s recipes to take you from freezer to fork.

(All of the frozen ingredients below can be used straight from the freezer without the need to defrost, apart from the prawns in the Bejewelled Rice.)

MEXICAN STYLE CORN CHOWDER (Serves 6 as a starter or 4 as a main)

2tbsp olive oil
4 spring onions, finely chopped
15g frozen garlic
100g mixed frozen peppers
1tsp cumin seeds
1tbsp crushed coriander seeds
1 chipotle chilli (pre-soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained and finely chopped)
A dash of Worcester sauce (1-2tbsp)
2 medium potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
800g frozen sweetcorn
A couple of bay leaves
400ml chicken stock (or vegetarian stock)
Salt and black pepper to taste
200ml semi-skimmed milk
Soured cream, fresh coriander and jalapenos for serving (optional)

Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the olive oil, spring onions, garlic, peppers, spices, chilli, and bay leaves and cook for five minutes, until they have softened.

Stir in the potatoes, half of the sweetcorn, the stock, salt and pepper and Worcester sauce.

Bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to allow it to simmer for around 15 minutes.

While this is simmering, puree the remaining sweetcorn with the milk in a blender until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water to help loosen it.

Stir the sweetcorn puree into the soup along with some black pepper and simmer for five to 10 minutes, or until the soup thickens.

Serve with soured cream, fresh coriander, jalapenos or a garnish of your choice.

BEJEWELLED RICE WITH PRAWNS (Serves 4)

6tbsp olive oil
6 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
200g basmati rice, rinsed and drained
400ml chicken stock or vegetable stock
4tbsp pomegranate seeds
225g frozen prawns (thoroughly defrosted)
Small pinch of saffron
2tsp cumin seeds
100g toasted flaked almonds
150g frozen chopped onions
Pinch of salt
Green salad, to serve

On a medium heat, fry off all of the spices (cardamom pods, bay leaves, cinnamon stick) in one tablespoon of oil for approximately two minutes, and then add the rice and toast (cook in the frying pan) for a further two minutes.

Add the stock and bring the mixture to a boil before covering it with a tight fitting lid, and then turn the heat down to a low simmer to cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in the pomegranate seeds and the defrosted prawns and cook for a further five minutes.

Add the saffron to a small splash of boiling water and scatter it on top of the cooking mixture. Cover the pot again, turn off the heat and let it sit for five minutes.

Meanwhile, over a medium heat, fry the cumin seeds with the frozen onions and a pinch of salt in the remaining oil until they turn golden. Add the almonds to this mixture then turn off the heat.

To serve, carefully toss the onion mixture into the rice and serve alongside a green salad.

 Want to love your freezer? For more inspiration and ideas, visit sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/get-ideas/features/love-your-freezer