Category: Recipes

Plum Compote & Granola

Plum Compote & Granola

Only 5 minutes to make if the compote is prepared or 30 minutes to include the making of the compote

A quiet breakfast, made with care the night before. A spoonful of stewed fruit – sharp, sweet, and softened by time – with crisp granola for crunch and comfort. No rush, no rules.

It’s the kind of thing you make when mornings are slow, or when you need them to be. The compote can be anything: apples from the garden, plums past their best, berries from the freezer. The granola adds ballast, a bit of bite, a reason to sit down.

Best eaten cold, with a mug of something hot, and a moment to yourself.

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This recipe is for one person and has a preparation time of 5 minutes if the compote is ready.

Ingredients

2 tbsp plum or other fruit compote
2 tbsp of granola
2 tbsp of Greek yogurt

For Serving

A small glass

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Welsh Rarebit

Welsh Rarebit

Only 17 minutes to make

This is more than just cheese on toast. Welsh Rarebit is a rich, savoury classic using store cupboard ingredients to produce something quick and easy. With its golden, bubbling cheese sauce laced with mustard and a touch of spice (if you want), it’s a dish that is deeply satisfying.

It’s quick to make, hearty without being heavy, and perfect for those days when you want something simple but hot and tasty. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or sharing this is an ideal one to try out variations, including adding ale!

Here at The Widower’s Kitchen, we believe even the simplest dishes can carry comfort and meaning. And this one does both—beautifully.

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Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 7 mins

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread to toast (your choice)
150g strong block cheddar cheese (or other) grated
1 tbsp whole grain or English mustard
1 tbsp cheese sauce (highly recommended)
2 or 3 turns of ground black pepper mill
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
Butter for the toast

Notes:

There are lots of variations to this recipe with different cheeses, spices, even beer.
Have fun with it.

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Cauliflower Cheese

Cauliflower Cheese

Only 10 minutes to make

Soft florets, blanketed in a thick, bubbling cheese sauce—the kind that catches golden at the edges and feels like home on a fork. It’s a dish that doesn’t need explaining, only eating.

Cauliflower cheese is for days when warmth matters more than elegance. When the oven hums quietly, and you’re happy to wait. The cheese can be sharp or mild, whatever’s in the fridge. A bit of mustard lifts it; breadcrumbs on top if you’ve got them.

Good on its own. Better beside a roast. Best eaten from a deep bowl, with the evening closing in.

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Cauliflower Cheese

Ingredients

• 175–200g root ginger, peeled (using a spoon) and chopped

• 900ml – 1 litre of cloudy fresh apple juice

• Juice of 1 whole lemon, squeezed and deseeded

• 1 cinnamon stick

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

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Boiled Eggs & Toast

Boiled Egg

From Only 2 minutes to make

A small thing done right. The quiet comfort of a boiled egg, still warm in its shell, tapped gently open to reveal yolk. Soft or firm—however you take it, and easy to get wrong.

But a couple of boiled eggs in a morning served up with warm toast definitely sets you up for the morning. no snacking guaranteed.

Simple and steady.

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boiled egg copy

This recipe is for one person and has a preparation time of 2 minutes and a cooking time of 5 minutes and 30 seconds.

Ingredients

2 medium eggs
1 to 2 slices of white or brown toast
A pinch of salt
A knob of butter (for the toast)

For Cooking

1 small saucepan
1 toaster

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Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken

Only 60 minutes to make

A roast chicken that doesn’t mess about. A comforting and familiar dish which is built on honest flavours and proper technique. A whole bird, seasoned with fresh herbs, lemon, and garlic, roasted to get (try and get) a crispy skin and rich, savoury juices. Always a favourite accompanied by roasted roots, some greens and for me stuffing and bread sauce with lashings of gravy.

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Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 1.5–2 kg)
1 lemon, halved
1 bulb of garlic, halved horizontally
A few sprigs of fresh thyme (or rosemary)
2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter
Salt (preferably sea salt)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, quartered (optional, for roasting underneath)
2 carrots, roughly chopped (optional, for roasting underneath)
2 sticks of celery, roughly chopped (optional, for roasting underneath)

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Smoked Mackerel Pâté with Tomatoes and Lettuce

Smoked Mackerel Pâté with Tomatoes and Lettuce

Only 10 minutes to make

Rich, creamy, and packed with flavour, this smoked mackerel pâté is a classic that’s as comforting as it is quick to make. With just a few ingredients and a minute or two with a fork for breaking up and mixing, you’ve got something that feels indulgent—but requires almost no effort.

Perfect for spreading on toast, crackers, or spooning onto a jacket potato. Whether you’re making a solo lunch or prepping a little something for unexpected company, this pâté is genuinely easy.

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Ingredients

2 slices of Sourdough bread for toasting
1 pack (160g) of Sweet-cured smoked mackerel (remove the skin)
2 tbsp Full-fat yoghurt or cream cheese
1 lemon (halved and squeezed)
1 Bunch of Piccobella tomatoes on the vine
2 or 3 Round lettuce leaves (or one if preferred)
Butter for the toast

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Ginger shot

Ginger Shot

Only 10 minutes to make

Don’t pay ridiculous sums for small bottles of fancy packed ginger shot from the supermarket. Make it yourself. It’s easy and will kick start your day.

Made with fresh root ginger, zesty lemon, cloudy apple juice, and a subtle heat from cayenne, it’s a simple recipe with powerful results. No frills, no fuss — and great for the immune system, especially if lifted further by fresh tumeric.

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Preparation Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

900ml Cloudy Apple Juice
150g Ginger Root (peeled for a reason)
Juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
1 stick of cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of cayenne (optional)

You will need:

A Blender
Large jug
Fine sieve

The ginger is peeled because you may wish to use the resulting pulp in another dish. If not peeled, the pulp will be woody.

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Kale & Bacon

Kale & Bacon

Only 20 minutes to make

A pan of greens and salt—this is comfort in its plainest clothes. Earthy kale, wilted just enough to soften, stripped of its bitter stems but still with bite, fried with butter and olive oil tossed with chilli flakes eaten on its own or with added crisp bacon pieces that bring a bit more depth.

Live dangerously, slice up a clove of garlic, fry that off first until fragrant then add the greens.

It’s the sort of food that doesn’t need explaining. Just a hot pan, a wooden spoon, and ten quiet minutes. Serve it on toast, beside a fried egg, or simply on its own with a fork and some peace.

Nothing fancy. Just good.

Elevate this to a proper dish by simply adding Bacon or smoked Bacon.

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This recipe is for one person and has a preparation time of 10 minutes and a cooking time of 10 minutes.

Ingredients

10 or more leaves of kale, stripped of their stems
A blob of butter
A glug of olive oil
1/2 tsp of chili flakes
1 clove of garlic (optional), chopped
2 rashers of plain or smoked bacon, chopped
Seasoning (very little, if any)

For Cooking

1 large frying pan

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Nasi Goreng

Nasi Goreng

Only 40 minutes to make

Nasi Goreng. It sounds fancy but is an Indonesian dish meaning Fried Rice. Its origins are in Indonesia but with heavy Dutch influence. You can look it up for yourselves. It is one my all time favourite dishes and can be made quite quickly with pre-boiled (and cooled) rice, onion, the right combination of spices and then, frankly, anything in the fridge. I particularly like chicken or ham, or bacon, prawns, mushrooms, some greens. It is easy to do and difficult to get wrong unless you are short of time!

You will want to do it again and again. Its even good the following day cold but it rarely gets a chance.

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Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice) For 2 people (plus leftovers)

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

120 g basmati rice (+ 240 ml of water)
4 chicken thigh fillets (or any other protein)
1 Large or 2 medium red or white onions (finely chopped)
6 large peeled king prawns (optional)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 red and 1 green finger chilli (de-seeded & chopped)
3 or 4 mushrooms (preferably field mushrooms chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp chilli flakes or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper seasoning
1 medium egg
6 or 7 leaves of fresh basil (optional)
3 or 4 leaves of fresh coriander for garnish

For Cooking:

1 large sauce pan for the rice
1 large frying pan

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Salmon & Asparagus with Parsley Sauce

Salmon & Asparagus with Parsley Sauce

Less than 30 minutes to make

A gentle dish for quiet days, this simple yet elegant plate pairs flaky roast salmon with tender asparagus spears, all brought together by a light, creamy parsley sauce. It’s a meal that asks for little but gives plenty—fresh, clean flavours, and a sense of calm.

Perfect for evenings when you want nourishment without fuss, and a reminder that good things can still be found in simplicity.

Serve with boiled new potatoes, sauteed if you like or warm crusty bread.and butter.

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salmon asparagus

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

If you use boiled new potatoes and pre-made parsley sauce, the cooking time is reduced to 20 minutes or less.

Ingredients

130 g portion of salmon fillet
2 medium-sized potatoes or 1 baking potato, cut into bit-sized pieces
60 g asparagus tips
100 ml parsley sauce

The recipe specifies that the salmon is a portion from a pack of two and the asparagus tips are from a half-pack.

Cooking Equipment

Medium or small saucepan to par-boil the potatoes
Small frying pan to sauté the potatoes
Small frying pan or griddle pan for the asparagus
Small saucepan for the parsley sauce

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