Savoury Oats with Egg

Mild and quick. The white part is stronger; the green tops are softer and often scattered over at the end.

1. Trim off the hairy root and any tired tips of the green.
2. Line them up together and slice across into thin rings, or slice long thin strips at an angle.

A boil is big bubbles rolling hard across the whole surface. A simmer is much gentler: small bubbles rising lazily, a few breaking the surface. Stews, sauces and soups simmer; boiling makes meat tough and sauces catch on the bottom.

1. Bring it up to the boil on a higher heat, then turn the heat down until the bubbling calms to a gentle simmer.
2. Check every few minutes and adjust — a lid on makes it hotter, a lid off lets it thicken.
3. Stir now and then, scraping the bottom, so nothing sticks and burns.

Ready when: Small, steady bubbles — not a still surface, not a rolling boil.

A huge pile of raw spinach shrinks to a few spoonfuls in under a minute of heat.

1. Add the leaves on top of the hot food right at the end — it will look like far too much.
2. Stir and turn them for 30–60 seconds until they go dark green and floppy.
3. Take it off the heat straight away. Overcooked spinach turns slimy and grey.

Cracking on a flat surface gives a clean break and far fewer bits of shell than the edge of a bowl.

1. Tap the egg firmly once on the flat worktop.
2. Push your thumbs into the crack over a small bowl and pull the two halves apart.
3. If shell falls in, scoop it out with a half eggshell — it works much better than a spoon or finger.
4. To beat: whisk with a fork until the white and yolk are one even yellow, with no streaks of white.
5. Wash your hands after handling shells.

Frying is cooking in a thin layer of hot fat. A stir fry is the fast, hot version where you keep everything moving.

1. Have everything chopped and ready BEFORE the pan goes on — there is no time once it starts.
2. Heat the oil first (see above), then add the food in a single layer. If it doesn't fit in one layer, cook it in two batches.
3. Let pieces sit for a minute to colour before you turn them; stir-fries get stirred or tossed every 20–30 seconds.
4. Hardest things go in first (carrot, pepper), soft things last (spinach, spring onion).