IT takes a certain chutzpah to dine in a restaurant alone, especially without the crutch of a book or magazine. But eating solo at home can be pretty depressing too.

It can be hard to feel inspired about whipping up a gourmet meal for one when it’s just as easy to wait for a ready meal to go ‘ping’ in the microwave, or open a tin of beans.

At least 65 per cent of all households in Britain are occupied by one or two people, and even if you do live with a crowd, busy lifestyles mean that mealtimes are often fragmented and many end up eating in shifts.

Even if you manage to avoid the temptation of resorting to toast, or worse, eating cereal from the packet, one of the frustrating things about cooking for one is the hassle of figuring out how much to make.

While it’s wasteful to throw food away, it can be incredibly dispiriting to eat the same dish night after night.

This is where a new book Clever Cooking For One Or Two comes in – not only are the recipes designed for smaller households, but they use fresh ingredients that you can buy in just the quantity you need, plus a few storecupboard standbys.

Clever Cooking For One Or Two is published by the Dairy Cookbook, priced £9.50 (plus £2 postage and packaging). To order a copy, call 0845 0948128, visit dairydiary.co.

Shopping solo

Shopping for one or two people is in some ways more challenging than the cooking, so follow these tips and you will be able to minimise wastage.

Plan meals in advance, so that you only buy what you need.

Write a list and stick to it.

Keep a list of what you have in stock that needs eating up.

Buy meat from the butcher or supermarket meat counter so you can ask for exactly the amount you need.

If you buy larger packs, freeze individual portions in bags the same day.

Check use-by dates when you buy.

Visit local shops and farmers'

markets rather than buying everything at the supermarket – you can ask for small portions and it is often more sociable.

When choosing fruit, choose a mix of ripe and unripe pieces.

Frozen vegetables stay fresh and it’s easy to take what you

Sweet potato rosti with poached egg

Serves one

Ingredients

For the rosti:

1 sweet potato, peeled and grated

1 egg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1tsp sunflower oil

Small knob of butter

1 eggM

A dash of vinegar

To serve:

A few chopped chives

Method

For the rosti, mix the potato, egg and seasoning in a bowl. Press the mixture into a patty shape. Heat a small frying pan, and add the sunflower oil and butter. Slide the sweet potato rosti into the pan, re-shaping it if necessary. Cook for three to five minutes, and slide a palette knife or fish slice under it to make sure it hasn’t stuck to the base of the pan. Then place a small plate over it and turn the pan over so the rosti drops out onto the plate.

Slide the rosti off the plate back into the pan and cook it for a further three to five minutes, until cooked through and golden.

Meanwhile, prepare the egg. Break the egg into a cup or small bowl.

Heat some water in a small saucepan and add a dash of vinegar.

When the water comes to the boil, use a spoon to stir the water to swirl it around, and then when the water is still spinning, tip the egg into the centre of it. Cook the egg for three or four minutes or until the white has set, but the yolk is runny. Remove the egg from the pan with a slotted spoon. Slide the rosti onto a serving plate and place the egg on top.

Scatter with a few chopped chives and season the top with pepper.