Endive is a vegetable that is extremely underrated and often given the cold shoulder in our cooking repertoire. This is incredibly unfair, and I was reminded of this by a Belgian acquaintance at the weekend, who authoritatively informed me that endive is Belgium’s national vegetable.

Good quality endive should be a creamy white colour and feel crisp and firm to the touch. For best results it should be stored in the refrigerator and used reasonably soon after purchase because it can easily turn bitter to the taste after too much light exposure.

Endive hails from the same family as Chicory. It is low in calories and rich in nutrients, such as vitamins B, A and C. It also contains iron, calcium, amino acids and fibre, which makes it great for slimmers. It’s also fantastic for people with skin problems or anaemia.

I asked my Belgian acquaintance how endive is usually served in his home country. Apparently, endive au gratin is extremely popular. Simply sauté one head of endive per person and place in an ovenproof dish. Wrap each head in a slice of Belgian ham, smother the lot in a béchamel or cheese sauce and bake until the dish is brown and bubbling.

My twist on béchamel is to make a classic white sauce using cornflower for thickening, season with plenty of salt and ground black pepper, and add a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese to give it a kick. Traditionally béchamel is flavoured with a bay leaf and the use of parsley or thyme, but these are optional and you’ll need to experiment which flavours work well with endive if you want to make the traditional Belgian dish – I’d probably go for a little parsley every time.

If you enjoy cooking Asian and Oriental food, then you’ll love using a traditional bamboo steamer.

They really set the scene for adventurous, authentic cooking and they look great in a working kitchen as well. Traditionally, dishes can be brought to the table in the bamboo steamer, which makes a great impression with guests and cuts down on the use of serving dishes and trays.

Bamboo steamers are circular shaped with a tight, bamboo lid and a strong frame. They create a more authentic and tasty end product as well as offer true Oriental ambience. The steamer fits easily into a wok and is easy to use - simply fill the wok with water and place your ingredients in the steamer.

Steaming your food is always the healthiest choice. There is no need to use fat or oil and steaming retains a greater proportion of the vitamins and minerals in the food in comparison with boiling, whereby many of the nutrients are lost.

Placing a layer of greens, lettuce or greaseproof paper at the bottom of the steamer should avoid the problem of sticking. You can also easily keep control with steaming, and you can choose to cook your ingredients well or to serve them with a slight crunch.

Bamboo steamers can be stacked – the lowest tier should contain the foods that take longest to cook. What’s more you can re-use the water you’ve placed in your wok as a flavoursome base for a sauce or stock, especially if you’ve added some spices to it prior to cooking.

It is advisable to maintain separate steamer tiers for meat, fish and vegetables if you’re going to regularly use a bamboo steamer. This means that future dishes won’t be tainted by strong flavours as the bamboo has the tendency to absorb them. You should also ensure that you wash your bamboo steamer well with warm, soapy water soon after use to keep it hygienic and fresh.

Eggs make a healthy and enjoyable choice for breakfast or lunch, but rather than fry them in oil, which often makes them sickly and greasy tasting, poaching is the perfect solution.

Poached eggs on toast

Nothing beats a good poached egg, with a thin layer of fully cooked, non-rubbery white and a warm, runny yolk.

The fresher the egg, the better the result when it comes to poaching. Stale eggs will simply separate and you’ll be disappointed with the outcome. I always maintain that organic and free range eggs are tastier and have better yolks – that may be a matter for debate, but I also prefer to think of the welfare of the chicken before the impact on my pocket.

Some people swear by their egg poachers and others suggest that you need to add a little vinegar to your boiling water for perfect results. I’ve never been particularly impressed with egg poachers and have often ended up with over rubbery or jelly-like whites when I’ve tried to use them. I’ve also heard of people poaching their eggs in a small cup that is placed into the pan or using a ladle as a makeshift egg poacher.

For perfect poached eggs, select a good quality, fresh egg and crack it into a cup. Prepare a pan of boiling water, and simply tip your egg in when it’s boiling really vigorously. It will usually take 3 to 4 minutes for the egg to be ready – simply scoop it out with a large enough spoon and drain off any excess water. Serve on granary toast with lashings of butter, a couple of warmed plum tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Simple but delicious.

There’s nothing better after a hard day’s work than coming home to a comforting stew, casserole or soup bubbling away with that delicious home cooked aroma.

Ready meals never live up to expectations, with meagre portions, an imbalance of ingredients and an artificial taste. But if you find that you struggle for time to create home prepared food or you’re just too tired at the end of the day investing in a slow cooker could be the best thing you’ve ever done.

I recently purchased a stainless steel appliance with a ceramic bowl from my local superstore for less than $30 (£20) and I’m amazed at just how easy it is to use and the variety of tasty dinner time treats that can be rustled up.

The slow cooking process works magic on cheap or tough cuts of meat, and flavours from herbs and spices will infuse into potatoes and vegetables beautifully by the time your dish is served, as long as you use enough of them.

You can also experiment with pulses such as pui lentils and pearl barley to create delicious rustic style broths that will warm the heart and remain kind to the waistline. It’s even easy to prepare a tasty tomato based pasta sauce in your slow cooker and all you’ll have to do at dinner time is boil up some spaghetti and grate some Parmesan cheese.

You’ll find that home cooked food is not only tastier and better for you but you’ll also save money by buying fresh ingredients as opposed to ready meals – a great bonus in this financial climate.