🥚 Scrambled Eggs — 5 minutes
You'll need: 2–3 eggs, splash of milk, butter, salt & pepper
• Crack eggs into a bowl. Add a splash of milk and a pinch of salt. Whisk with a fork until fully combined.
• Put a small pan on low heat. Add a knob of butter (thumbnail-sized). Let it melt — don't let it brown.
• Pour in eggs. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, pushing from the edges. Low heat is key — slow is creamy, fast is rubbery.
• Take off the heat just before they look done — they'll carry on cooking. Season and serve immediately on toast.
💡 Upgrade: Add a handful of cheese or smoked salmon at the end.
🍝 Spaghetti Bolognese — 40 minutes
You'll need: 500g mince, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato puree, olive oil, spaghetti, salt, pepper, mixed herbs
• Dice the onion. Crush or finely chop the garlic. Have everything ready before you start cooking.
• Heat olive oil in a large pan. Cook the onion on medium heat for 5 mins until soft. Add garlic, cook 1 more minute.
• Add the mince, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until browned all over — no pink remaining.
• Add tomatoes, puree, a pinch of herbs, salt and pepper. Stir well. Simmer on low heat for 20–25 minutes.
• Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook spaghetti per packet instructions (usually 10–12 mins). Save a cup of pasta water before draining.
• Mix pasta into the sauce. Add a splash of pasta water if needed. Serve with grated cheese.
💡 Make double — it freezes perfectly and tastes better the next day.
🥔 Baked Potato — 60 minutes
You'll need: 1 large Maris Piper potato, olive oil, salt
• Preheat oven to 200C. Wash the potato thoroughly. Prick all over with a fork (this stops it exploding).
• Rub with a little olive oil and a pinch of coarse salt. Place directly on the oven rack or a baking tray.
• Bake for 60–75 minutes until the skin is crisp and a knife slides through the middle easily.
• Cut an X in the top, squeeze from the sides to open. Add butter, cheese, beans, tuna — whatever you like.
💡 In a hurry? Microwave for 8 mins, then 10 mins in a hot oven for crispy skin.
🥪 Toastie — 10 minutes
You'll need: 2 slices of bread, butter, cheese and fillings of your choice
• Butter one side of each slice of bread — this goes on the outside (the side that touches the pan).
• Put your filling on the unbuttered side of one slice. Cheese is essential.
• Sandwich together (butter on the outside). Cook in a dry frying pan on medium-low heat, 3–4 mins each side, pressing down gently, until golden and cheese is melted.
💡 No toastie machine needed. A frying pan does it perfectly.
🧀 Macaroni Cheese — 25 minutes
You'll need: 250g macaroni, 30g butter, 30g plain flour, 500ml milk, 150g cheddar, salt, pepper, optional mustard
• Cook macaroni in salted boiling water for 1–2 mins less than packet instructions — it'll finish in the sauce.
• Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and stir constantly for 1–2 mins until it forms a paste (this is a roux — the base of all creamy sauces).
• Add milk a little at a time, whisking constantly. Patience prevents lumps. Cook until thickened.
• Take off the heat. Stir in most of the cheese (save some for the top). Season with salt, pepper, and a small spoon of mustard if you have it.
• Mix in the pasta. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, top with remaining cheese, and grill for 5–10 mins until golden and bubbling.
🍳 Egg Fried Rice — 15 minutes
You'll need: Leftover cooked rice (day-old works best), 2 eggs, soy sauce, sesame oil (optional), spring onions or frozen peas, vegetable oil
• Get a wok or large frying pan very hot. Add oil and let it smoke slightly.
• Add cold rice. Let it sit for 1–2 mins to get crispy on the bottom, then toss and stir.
• Push rice to the sides. Crack eggs into the centre. Scramble them, then fold in with the rice before fully set.
• Add soy sauce (1–2 tablespoons), a dash of sesame oil, and any extras. Toss together and serve immediately.
💡 The secret is COLD, day-old rice. Fresh rice goes mushy. Make extra rice the night before.