400ml chicken or vegetable stock made with a cube
300g long grain rice
75g butter
salt and pepper
150g chopped fresh vegetables or frozen peas, sweet corn and carrots (or use canned vegetables)

1. Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan and tip in the rice.
2. Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the butter, salt, pepper and vegetables, then cover and leave to cook over a low heat another 4-5 minutes until the rice is tender.

You can add any number of extras to the sauce if you have them: chopped celery, carrot, courgette, chillies, red or yellow peppers, black olives. The secret is to chop the vegetables as finely as you can so the flavours blend into the sauce.

This also works well as a sauce for simply fried or grilled chicken breast or pork chops and rice. You can freeze the sauce before adding the yoghurt.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped (plus any vegetables you may have, see above)
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
½ tspn sugar
salt and pepper
1 tub of plain natural yoghurt

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium-size saucepan and fry the onion very gently over a low heat for 10 minutes until soft but not coloured.
2. Add the garlic and fry another 2-3 minutes, then add the tomatoes, puree, sugar and salt and pepper. Simmer with the lid off for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in the yoghurt and heat through but do not boil. Serve on any type of pasta with a grating of Parmesan or Cheddar cheese.

1 large or 2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
1 large onion, sliced
30g butter
6 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
2 fresh tomatoes, sliced (optional)
100g grated cheese (optional)

1. Bring the potato chunks to the boil in a saucepan of water and cook until just done, about 8-10 minutes. Drain allow to steam dry.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a large frying pan and fry the onion until soft and beginning to colour. Stir the potatoes into the onion.
3. Beat the eggs with a splash of water and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the onion and potato and cook over a low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until set (take care not to cook too quickly or the bottom will burn.)
4. If finishing with the tomato and cheese, pre-heat the grill.
5. Lay the tomato slices on top of the frittata and sprinkle over the cheese. Place under the grill until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

1 head of broccoli
1 small head of cauliflower
2 tbsp dried bread crumbs

For the sauce
570ml cold milk
40g butter
40g flour
100g grated cheese
salt and pepper

1. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into not-too-small pieces, about 4-5cm.
3. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the vegetables until just done but still firm. Drain and place in an oven proof dish, cover with foil and keep warm.
4. To make the sauce, put the milk, butter and flour into a medium saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring continuously (a balloon whisk is best, otherwise a wooden spoon will do but stir it vigorously).
5. When the sauce is boiling, reduce the heat, whisking out any lumps and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Pre-heat the grill. Pour the sauce over the vegetables, sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and grill until the top is golden brown and the sauce bubbly.

2 x 185g cans of tuna in brine or oil, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
a little oil
1 x 295g to 400g (depending on brand) can of 99 per cent fat-free condensed cream of tomato soup
50ml milk
2 tspn dried mixed herbs
salt and black pepper
300g fusilli or other pasta shapes

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or so until soft.
2. Add the tomato soup, swish out the can with the milk and add to the pan along with the tuna, dried herbs and salt and pepper. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Cook the pasta in boiling water until done, drain and serve with the tuna sauce spooned on top.

2 tbsp olive oil
450g good quality sausages, cut into 2cm chunks
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 celery stalk, thickly sliced
1 carrot, thickly sliced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 x 400g tin tomatoes
1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 200ml of boiling water
1 x 400g can of cannellini beans, drained
salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan or casserole dish and fry the sausages, onion, celery and carrot for 10 minutes until well browned.
2. Add the garlic, tomatoes, chicken stock, beans and season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, partially covered with a lid, topping up with a little water if the mixture becomes dry.

3-4 chicken breasts, cut into 2-3 cm chunks
1 onion, chopped
a little oil
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
vegetables, if you have them, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 x 295g to 400g (depending on brand) can of condensed cream of chicken soup
salt and pepper
handful of ready salted crisps, crushed

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan or oven-proof casserole dish and fry the chicken with the onion and garlic until golden. Add any vegetables and the can of soup, swished out with about 50ml of water.
3. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. If using a frying pan transfer to an oven-proof dish and scatter the crushed crisps over the top to make a crust.
4. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbling through and golden.