Welcome to my first menu of the month. In this column-cum-bl

Doubling up on preparation for different dishes also saves time, space and money. We don't want menus that make us run to the doctor for a cholesterol test.

Balance is the key​ First on the board is chicken liver pâté. Not some additive­rich, bought-in affair with the texture of wet mud. Oh no! This is home-made heaven without the grief. Just put the livers with some chopped onion, garlic and thyme into a pre-heated oven tray with a little olive oil and bake until the livers are just a little pink in the middle. Then mix it in a food processor with some cream, a splash of brandy, and bingo!

If you embrace the idea of multi-purpose dishes, you can construct a menu of just five or six core items. Take the humble salmon, for example: just season, sear and flake and you've got a base for a starter, a main course salad, or, served on little leaves of baby gem with a lemon mayo dressing ­ a great platter to share. Likewise the sweet-corn fritters, which can be a starter, snack item or served as part of the platter. Just shallow fry in advance and then heat through in the oven for service. Make a separate dip with crème fraîche, a squeeze of lemon and some chopped chives or parsley.

The sausage and mash burger comes from the Heston Blumenthal "full English breakfast ice cream" school of thought ­ why serve separate items when you can combine them into one handy little bundle? First, make a creamy mash and let it set in the fridge. Then knock up a seasoned minced pork mixture with finely chopped onions, herbs and a little egg for binding. To assemble the burgers, just shape half a patty, press in some of the mash mixture, put the other half patty on top and seal round the edges. When it's cut in two, the mash oozes out in a delicious molten flow.

The concept of utilising cheap, everydaypre-made items in a different format is an obvious, but strangely under-used one: I've been making fish-finger sandwiches for years at home ­ just chuck in some peas and tartare sauce, for an extra-value filling and you won't look back. You can follow the pre-prepared idea through for the veggie sausage bake ­ and you've already got the mash topping sorted out from the burgers. Just add a couple of tins of baked beans, some brown sauce and anything else you fancy for an original, yet familiar vegetarian dish.

Bon appetite.