1) Sunday Night Chicken Noodles cost €4

(From Nigella's 'How to Eat')

Serves one

4 tbsp sake
3 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 fat clove garlic, crushed
1 dried red chilli pepper
1 free-range chicken breast
100g fresh noodles
Handful choi sum or other Asian greens
1 tbsp oil plus few drops sesame oil
500ml chicken stock
Fresh coriander

Mix the sake, mirin, soy, garlic and chilli. Cut the chicken into strips and marinate for an hour. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water and throw in the choi sum for the last two minutes' cooking. Drain. Heat up the stock. Into a hot wok or frying pan pour the oils and, when they are hot, throw in the pieces of chicken and toss till cooked. Add the marinade and cook until almost bubbled away. Put the noodles in a bowl, add the stock and chicken. Sprinkle over some freshly chopped coriander.

2) Lentil Stew with Butternut or Sweet Potatoes cost €4

(A Martha Shulman recipe)

Serves six

225g lentils
1.4 litres water, vegetable or chicken stock
1 medium onion, cut in half
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 bay leaf
Pinch of saffron
½ teaspoon turmeric
20 sprigs coriander, tied into a bunch
Salt
1 tsp ground ginger
2 medium or 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
225g butternut squash/sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
3 tbsp tomato paste
Freshly ground pepper
2-3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Combine the lentils, water or stock, onion, garlic cloves and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Rub the saffron between your fingers and add to the pot, along with the turmeric and the coriander. Reduce the heat, add salt to taste, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the onion and garlic cloves from the pot, and add the remaining ingredients except the parsley. Bring back to a simmer, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils and vegetables are tender. Discard the coriander bundle, taste and adjust the seasonings. Just before serving, stir in the parsley.

3) Wholewheat Pasta with Tomatoes and Beans cost €3

Serves four

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chopped tomatoes
Pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 sage or basil leaves, cut in slivers
400g pasta, any shape

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, for about five minutes. Add the garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of sugar, raise the heat and cook until the tomatoes are bubbling. Lower the heat and cook gently for 15-20 minutes. Stir in the beans and the herbs, season to taste. Keep warm. Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce and serve with grated parmesan.