Putting It Together

Fried egg, grilled bacon, mushrooms, tomato, beans and toast, all hot together. A classic exercise in timing. This is the kind of breakfast to cook on a day off, not every day.

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 2 rashers of back bacon (or 1 sausage, or leave out for vegetarian)
• 2 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tomato, halved
• 100 g baked beans
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 medium egg
• 1 slice wholemeal bread
• Pinch of salt and pepper

The plan (work backwards from the table)

1. At 0 minutes: heat the grill to medium-high. Put the bacon and the tomato (cut side up) on the grill pan, and grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the bacon once.
2. At 5 minutes: heat half the oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms for 5 minutes until golden. Tip them onto a warm plate and keep warm in a low oven (100°C).
3. At 10 minutes: warm the beans in a small pan, stirring now and then.
4. At 13 minutes: wipe the frying pan, add the rest of the oil over medium-low heat and fry the egg for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. At 14 minutes: put the bread in the toaster.
6. Plate everything while it's hot and eat at once.

Poached eggs, avocado toast and a tomato salad, all ready together. You use the poaching skill from chapter 5 and the toasting rhythm from chapter 3.

Ingredients (2 portions)

• 4 very fresh medium eggs
• 2 slices sourdough or wholemeal bread
• 1 ripe avocado
• 4 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Squeeze of lemon, chilli flakes, salt and pepper
• 1 handful rocket or watercress

1. Bring a deep pan of water to a gentle simmer. Crack the eggs into cups (strain them if you like).
2. Slice the tomatoes onto two plates, drizzle with oil and season. Add the rocket.
3. Mash the avocado with the lemon, salt and chilli.
4. Put the bread in the toaster, and slide the eggs into the water. Cook for 3 minutes.
5. Spread the avocado on the toast, lift out the eggs, drain, and put two on each plate. Serve at once.

A cold lunch built from the hard-boiled eggs and egg mayo of chapter 2. Healthy, filling and no heating needed.

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 wholemeal pitta, or 2 oatcakes
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• ½ cucumber, in sticks
• 1 handful salad leaves

1. Mash one egg with the yoghurt and mustard, season, and spoon into a small pot.
2. Halve the other egg and pack it with the tomatoes, cucumber and leaves.
3. Pack the pitta or oatcakes separately so they don't go soggy.
4. Keep it in the fridge until you leave, and eat within 4 hours, or keep it with an ice pack.