Bored with your usual chicken dinners? Award-winning food writer Ed Smith has all the inspo you need in his new cookbook, Peckish

Ingredients (Serves 4) 1 unwaxed lemon1 x 1.8 kg chicken (rinsed withcold water)Sea salt and freshly groundblack pepper75 g butter (at roomtemperature)For the gravy:200 ml dry white wine450 ml chicken

Ingredients (Serves 2) ◆ 1tbsp vegetable oil◆ 1 red or brown onion, sliced◆ 500g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks◆ 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped◆ 2tbsp Tikka Masala curry paste◆ 400

Try something new this month with these comforting dishes from around the world

LEISURE

FAR FROM BEING DEPRESSING OR LONELY, COOKING AND EATING SOLO DINNERS IS ONE OF LIFE’S GREAT JOYS, SAYS Eli Davies