Take this healthy, substantial salad to work for lunch and you’ll be full of beans all afternoon

This zingy dish is a celebration of the season, so use whichever herbs look freshest – I like parsley, mint and dill

These sticky, sweet, melt-in-the-mouth ribs make a thrifty meal. Try to keep them as an occasional treat as I use full-sugar cola to add a punch of flavour

This rabbit stew is inspired by osso bucco, but I don’t serve it with the traditional risotto Milanese – simple rice or potatoes fit the bill

This is my version of my dad’s chicken curry – which was itself a replica of a Chinese takeaway dish. It’s a great way to feed a crowd

You can use your own homemade bread in this updated version of a classic Mrs Beeton dessert – or just cheat with a bought loaf

This sweet and spicy Thai coconut soup makes a great lunch – add leftover chicken if you have some, but I often do without

Liver is cheap, lean, nutrient-rich and quick to cook. Children may not find that argument compelling, but batter the livers and deep-fry them, and you should win out

As an anchovy fiend, I only had to stumble across this in Mrs Beeton’s Everyday Cookery to be sold, but finding it on the menu of Ossie Gray’s restaurant sealed the deal

Don’t be scared of choux pastry – it’s really easy. But it’s bound to impress your Valentine, especially sandwiched with cream and slathered in chocolate

A bacon knuckle, or cured ham hock, is a thrifty cut that works brilliantly in pies and casseroles

Jack Monroe: The humble kidney bean makes a great base for this deeply satisfying soup and dumpling combo

No, that’s not a typo – adding mackerel to a cheesy pasta bake elevates it to a new level of deliciousness

Slow-cooked dishes don’t need to sit on the hob or in the oven for hours. After a short blast of heat, they can be tightly wrapped in a towel and left to carry on cooking at no cost

If the kids prefer white bread, just sneak in a bit more wholemeal each time until your loaf is 50/50 – they’ll never notice the difference

Jack Monroe: Don’t be put off by memories of school dinners – chicken liver is a cheap source of protein and, if flash-fried or casseroled, absolutely delicious

Jack Monroe: This sweet, fatty, carb-laden treat is a satisying, occasional comfort on a winter’s day. Just don’t eat it every day!

I have an anarchic view of risotto – this one uses pearl barley instead of rice for a nutty flavour and interesting texture

Enjoy this traditional Korean dish, with its kaleidoscope of colours and flavours, on a bleak winter’s day