Dinner on the table before the news starts
Recipes for ordinary weeknights. Most take under forty minutes and start with what you already have in the cupboard.
Three rules for a Tuesday
Not chef rules. Rules for when you are tired and hungry at six o'clock.
Start with the cupboard
Every recipe here begins with tins, rice, onions and spice. Fresh things are a bonus.
One pot if possible
Fewer pots means less washing up, which means you will cook again tomorrow.
Make enough for lunch
Most of these taste better the next day. Cook once, eat twice.
Questions from readers
The ones that come up every week.
Can I swap the chicken for something else?
Usually, yes. Chickpeas or butter beans work in most of the stews. Add them later, as they only need warming through.
How hot is the food?
Medium. I say how much chilli I used, and you can always add more at the table.
Do the recipes freeze?
The stews and curries freeze well for a month. Rice and pap are better made fresh.
How many people does a recipe feed?
Four, or two with lunch the next day.
Keep these in the cupboard and dinner is half done
Twenty things I buy every month, and what I cook with them.