Solo Food: 72 recipes for you alone. Janneke Vreugdenhil

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      2 eggs

      a few fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley leaves (or a pinch of dried oregano)

      salt and freshly ground pepper, to season

      bread, to serve

      Heat a small splash of olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and a pinch of salt, and fry for 2 minutes over a high heat until the onion begins to brown. Add the pepper and fry for 2 minutes more. Add the ham or chorizo and fry for another minute. Add the courgette and fry for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and fry for another 2 minutes.

      Make two depressions in the vegetable mixture and break in the eggs, then cook for 2–3 minutes until the eggs are set, covering the pan for the last 30 seconds. Sprinkle over a little more salt, if necessary, and in any case with a generous amount of freshly ground pepper and finish with basil or flat-leaf parsley.

      Serve immediately with some kind of rustic bread, or just use whatever bread you’ve got on hand.

Spicy lamb pittas with hummus & garlicky yoghurt

      You can make these lamb pittas in the time it would take you to go out and get a takeaway doner kebab – and these are much nicer!

       Preparation Time

      10 minutes

      1 tsp harissa paste

      olive oil, for frying

      125 g lamb fillet

      2 pitta breads

      ¹/₄–¹/₂ garlic clove, crushed or pressed

      2 tbsp Greek or Turkish yoghurt

      a pinch of salt

      100 g hummus

      a small handful of lettuce leaves

      Place a griddle pan over a high heat. Mix the harissa with half a tablespoon of oil and brush this on to the lamb fillet. Set the fillet on the hot griddle and cook for a total of 2–3 minutes, turning regularly – the inside of the meat should still be pink. Place on a cutting board and let it rest.

      Meanwhile, cook the pittas in the same pan and stir the garlic and a small pinch of salt into the yoghurt.

      Cut the rested meat into thin slices. Slice open the pittas and fill them with hummus, meat, lettuce and a dollop of the garlicky yoghurt.

Miso soup with noodles, shiitake mushrooms, spinach & an egg

      Preparation Time

      15 minutes

      100 g Japanese ramen (or other noodles)

      1 egg

      300 ml vegetable stock (from a cube)

      100 g shiitake mushrooms, sliced

      1 scant tbsp red miso paste

      soy sauce, to taste

      a small handful of spinach leaves

      ¹/₂ sheet of nori, cut into ribbons with scissors or a knife

      Prepare the ramen according to the packet instructions.

      Soft-boil the egg in a pan of boiling water for 4–5 minutes. Plunge the egg straight into a bowl of cold water to stop it cooking and leave until cool enough to handle. Once cool, peel and cut in half.

      Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in a small saucepan, add the shiitakes and boil for 1 minute. Put the miso in a bowl, stir in a small splash of the hot stock, then add this to the saucepan. Turn off the heat and stir in soy sauce to taste.

      Place the noodles, spinach and the egg halves into a bowl, and pour over the stock and mushrooms. Garnish with nori ribbons to serve.

Ridiculously easy spaghetti caprese

      Resist the temptation to add extras like garlic, balsamic vinegar, olives, capers and the like, this dish is all about simplicity and the contrast between hot and cold.

       Preparation Time

      15 minutes

      125 g spaghetti

      3 ripe medium-sized vine tomatoes

      1 small ball of buffalo mozzarella

      a small handful of basil leaves

      a generous splash of olive oil

      salt and freshly ground pepper, to season

      Cook the spaghetti until just tender in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.

      Coarsely chop the tomatoes and mozzarella. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, a generous splash of olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper.

      Drain the spaghetti and mix it into the tomatoes and mozzarella while it’s piping hot. And that’s it! Eat immediately.

Frittata with red onion, baby kale & goat’s cheese

      Preparation Time

      15 minutes

      2 eggs

      olive oil, for frying

      1 small red onion, sliced into half rings

      40 g baby leaf kale

      few drops of balsamic vinegar

      75 g soft goat’s cheese

      salt and freshly ground pepper, to season

      Preheat the grill. to high Beat the eggs together with a little freshly ground pepper and a small pinch of salt. Heat a small splash of oil in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and a small pinch of salt, and sauté for about 10 minutes. Turn up the heat to high halfway through so that the onion caramelises a little. Then add the baby kale and a few drops of balsamic vinegar, and let the leaves wilt for 30 seconds.

      Add the beaten eggs to the pan and make sure the onion and kale are distributed evenly. Dot the goat’s cheese over the egg mixture and put the pan under the grill. Leave for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and the omelette is nice and puffy, and cooked through. Serve hot or cold.

Griddled white tuna with cucumber, avocado & ginger salad

      Oh, what a wonderful solo supper this is. And what a salad! The spiciness of the chilli pepper, the heat of the ginger and the sour of the lime juice are nothing less than thrilling. The avocado acts as a cool and creamy foil for all of these intense flavours, and if your avocado is very ripe, give the salad a stir and it almost forms a sauce. It might not look all that great, but it tastes divine.

       Preparation Time

      15 minutes

      juice of 1 lime

      1 tbsp olive oil

      coarse salt, to taste

      a small pinch of chilli flakes

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