Low-impact, no-jumping cardio that won't annoy the neighbours, for 4 rounds. Move with purpose: the effort comes from speed and range, not impact.

1. Fast march · 45 seconds
2. Step jacks · 45 seconds
3. Standing knee drives · 45 seconds
4. Squat to calf raise · 45 seconds
5. Speed skaters, low impact · 45 seconds
6. Round rest · 30 seconds

Repeats for 4 rounds

A 45-minute steady-state ride with three tempo blocks to build aerobic endurance. Tempo should feel comfortably hard: you can speak in short sentences, but you'd rather not.

1. Warm up · 10 minutes
2. Tempo block 1 · 8 minutes
3. Easy spin · 2 minutes
4. Tempo block 2 · 8 minutes
5. Easy spin · 2 minutes
6. Tempo block 3 · 8 minutes
7. Cool down · 7 minutes

Learn to skip smoothly and build your engine, for 5 rounds. Stay on the balls of your feet with tiny hops, and turn the rope from your wrists, not your shoulders. If you trip, just restart.

1. Basic bounce · 60 seconds
2. Rest · 30 seconds
3. Alternate foot step · 60 seconds
4. Round rest · 60 seconds

Repeats for 5 rounds

Sweet, smoky soup from oven-roasted tomatoes and garlic. Serves 4, in about 1¼ hours. Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Heat the oven
3. Roast the vegetables · 40 minutes
4. Simmer · 10 minutes
5. Blend and serve

Crisp romaine, garlicky croutons and a punchy anchovy dressing made from scratch. Serves 4, in about 25 minutes.

1. Gather the dressing
2. Gather the salad
3. Bake the croutons · 10 minutes
4. Make the paste
5. Emulsify the dressing
6. Prepare the lettuce
7. Toss and serve

Fluffy, buttery popcorn with barely any unpopped kernels. Serves 2–3, in 10 minutes.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Test the heat · 3 minutes
3. Rest the kernels · 30 seconds
4. Pop · 3 minutes
5. Season

Sweet, cumin-spiced roast carrots on lemony yoghurt. Serves 4 as a side, in about 40 minutes.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Heat the oven
3. Roast · 20 minutes
4. Glaze · 10 minutes
5. Serve

Proper chicken noodle soup, with a broth made from scratch. Serves 6, in about 1½ hours.

1. Gather the broth
2. Gather the soup
3. Make the broth · 45 minutes
4. Strain and shred
5. Sweat the vegetables · 8 minutes
6. Simmer the vegetables · 10 minutes
7. Cook the noodles · 6 minutes
8. Finish

Deeply caramelised onions in beef broth under a bubbling Gruyère crouton. Serves 4, in about 2 hours. The onions take an hour. Don't rush them.

1. Gather the soup
2. Gather the topping
3. Caramelise the onions · 60 minutes
4. Add the garlic and flour · 2 minutes
5. Deglaze · 3 minutes
6. Simmer · 30 minutes
7. Toast the bread · 8 minutes
8. Grill the cheese · 4 minutes

A juicy, crisp-skinned Sunday roast chicken with a quick pan gravy. Serves 4, in about 2¾ hours, including salting.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Dry brine · 60 minutes
3. Bring to room temperature · 30 minutes
4. Butter the chicken
5. Roast hot · 20 minutes
6. Roast low · 50 minutes
7. Rest · 15 minutes
8. Make the gravy · 3 minutes
9. Carve and serve

Shatteringly crisp outside, fluffy inside. Serves 4, in about 1¼ hours. A little bicarb in the water roughs up the surface for extra crunch.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Heat the fat
3. Parboil · 10 minutes
4. Steam dry and rough up · 2 minutes
5. First roast · 20 minutes
6. Turn and roast again · 25 minutes
7. Season and serve

A crackly, open-crumbed loaf baked in a lidded pot. Time does all the work. Makes 1 loaf, in about 17 hours, almost all of it waiting. Mix it the evening before you want to bake.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Mix the dough
3. First rise · 720 minutes
4. Shape
5. Second rise · 90 minutes
6. Heat the pot · 30 minutes
7. Bake covered · 30 minutes
8. Bake uncovered · 15 minutes
9. Cool · 60 minutes

A craggy, tender loaf with no yeast and no kneading. Makes 1 loaf, in about 1¼ hours. Work quickly: the bicarb starts reacting as soon as it meets the buttermilk.

1. Gather the ingredients
2. Heat the oven
3. Mix the dough
4. Shape
5. Bake hot · 15 minutes
6. Finish baking · 25 minutes
7. Cool · 20 minutes