Scrambled eggs on toast

To get luscious, buttery, creamy eggs every time, use really fresh free-range or organic eggs and good quality butter, and always keep the eggs moving slowly over the heat.

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Fruity flapjacks

Flapjacks make a great breakfast if you’re in a hurry, and the best thing about them is that you can put whatever fruit you like in them.

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Porridge

Porridge is an absolute classic British breakfast. There are loads of things besides milk and sugar you can add to porridge before serving to make it extra tasty, but here’s the basic method for making porridge to get you started.

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Tomato soup

Home-made tomato soup is a classic and you'll be surprised at the difference between your version and the tinned stuff.

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Classic basil pesto

When it comes to making pesto, you can’t go wrong with a pestle and mortar. You could make it in a food processor, but you just won’t get the same flavours as when you’re pounding and crushing all that lovely basil by hand.

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Classic tomato spaghetti

What’s great about this recipe for beginner cooks is that once you’ve done it a few times you can add other simple ingredients to your basic tomato sauce to completely transform it.

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Stewed fruit

The really important thing to remember when you are stewing fruit is that it’s best to decide for yourself how much sugar to add.

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Stewed fruit crumble

Stewed fruit is the perfect base for a lovely home-made crumble. The crumble topping takes just minutes to prepare, then you let the whole thing bubble away in the oven until the top is all crunchy and delicious.

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Vegetarian chilli

This is a lovely alternative to traditional chilli con carne. It's packed with good stuff so is a great choice for veggies and meat eaters alike.

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Meatballs and pasta

Meatballs are fantastic! They're perfect like this, with a one-minute homemade tomato sauce and spaghetti, but you could also try them with rice, mashed potatoes, polenta or simple chunks of fresh crusty bread.

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Good old chilli con carne

I think chickpeas are perfect in this dish, but butter beans or even cubed potatoes will work well in their place. Feel free to pep up this dish with more chilli depending on your taste.

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Bolognese sauce with pasta

The classic pastas to serve this with are spaghetti, tagliatelle and penne, but this sauce can also be used for many other things, like filling cannelloni or layering up a lasagne.

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Vegetable jalfrezi

The great thing about this curry is the slightly sweet and sour flavour from the peppers.

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Lamb stew

This is a good recipe for a basic stew. You’re going to love it because it's so simple and gives consistently good results.

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Baked white fish with olives and a simple tomato sauce

I’m a great believer in a simple tomato sauce. The recipe I’ve given you here can be used with all sorts of dishes.

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Chocolate brownies

The real trick with these brownies is to make sure you don’t overcook them as you want them to be all soft and squidgy inside.

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Summer veg and goat's cheese frittata

Think of a frittata as a posh omelette. They're delicious hot, but just as good cold so you can even try popping a wedge in your lunchbox.

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Banana and blueberry French toast

I like to think of this as a posh eggy bread sandwich. It’s a bit of a treat so don’t have one every day, but now and then won’t do you any harm.

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Porridge and toppings

Once you’ve made a batch of your basic porridge, you can take it whichever way you like by adding different ingredients.

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Superb squash soup with parmesan croutons

This fantastic soup is best made with varieties of squash that have dense, orange flesh, such as butternut or onion squash.

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Lasagne

The secret to a meaty lasagne lies in the Bolognese sauce – get that right and you'll be laughing. This dish is a bit of a treat, so don't eat it too often and make sure you serve it with a lovely big green salad.

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Butternut squash and sweet leek lasagne

Butternut squash and leeks make a lovely veggie filling for lasagne, and to be honest, this one is so delicious meat eaters will love it too.

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Shepherd's pie

Shepherd’s pie is a classic British dish which pretty much everyone I’ve ever met has their own way of making. This is my way which I’ve kept really simple and I reckon you can’t go wrong with it.

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Italian pan-seared tuna

The great thing about this meal is that it all happens quickly, in one pan. Remember, tuna should be cooked quickly on a high heat so it's still a little blushing in the middle.

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Italian spaghetti with prawns

There’s something about the combination of tomatoes, prawns and spaghetti that just works.

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Buttered spinach

Buttered spinach is a tasty side that can be made in minutes. It goes so well with the perfect roast chicken dinner.

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A consistently good gravy

A killer gravy is an essential part of any roast dinner. To ensure a heavenly gravy every time you need two things: a vegetable trivet, the layer of vegetables in the bottom of your roasting tray; and the juices from a roasted piece of good-quality meat.

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Bread sauce

Bread sauce is a quirky, old-fashioned accompaniment to a roast dinner. The comforting, thick creaminess compliments a roast chicken beautifully.

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Classic Victoria sponge with all the trimmings

This is a classic cake recipe that is perfect for birthdays, special occasions or simply for afternoon tea.

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Tea-party fairy cakes

These fairy cakes are made using a simple sponge recipe, but then you can take the basic cakes in so many different ways by making a variety of icings and toppings.

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Butternut cupcakes with a frosty top

You might think I’m mad using butternut squash to make cakes, but it’s really just like using carrots as the two vegetables are very similar – I've simply swapped carrots for squash. The skin of a butternut squash goes deliciously chewy and soft when cooked, so there's no need to peel it off. Give these cakes a go – they're a perfect naughty-but-nice treat.

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Rice stir-fry

This works best with rice that has completely cooled down, or better yet, been made earlier and kept in the fridge.

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Vegetable stir-fry

Stir-frying veg like this is a great way to keep in maximum nutrients, as well as keeping a lovely bit of crunch.

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