When a quarter pint of milk is all you have, scrambled eggs stirred into a butter roux become silken and sustaining. This is nursery food for grown-ups, the kind of thing you make when you need comfort and have nowhere else to turn.

Serves 2. 15 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 510 calories a serving, 24 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 29 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour to make a paste that bubbles for one minute without browning.
2. Pour in the quarter pint of milk slowly while whisking to dissolve any lumps, then adjust the heat so the sauce simmers gently and thickens, about three minutes.3 min
3. While the sauce thickens, crack 6 eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly with a fork, seasoning with salt and pepper. Toast the bread until golden.
4. Remove the sauce from heat and stir in the beaten eggs, then set the pan back over low heat, stirring constantly until the eggs just set into soft curds, about two minutes; do not let them scramble hard.2 min
5. Divide the toast between two plates and spoon the creamed eggs over the top, seasoning again with salt and pepper if needed.

Note If you have cheese or mustard, fold a teaspoon into the sauce after it thickens. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a day and can be reheated gently with a splash of water. Serve with a bitter green salad and cider if you have it.

Half a cup of milk becomes a light sauce for pasta when cooked down with butter and garlic. The milk is the star here, stretched just far enough to coat the noodles and leave the pan clean. Serve this quiet weeknight dinner with salt and black pepper.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 450 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 67 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and drop in 6 oz of pasta. Cook until just tender, about 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, mince 3 cloves of garlic. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat and cook the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.1 min
3. Pour 1/2 cup of milk into the pan with the garlic and butter. Simmer gently until the milk thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.3 min
4. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat every piece. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper until the dish tastes right to you.

Note Swap the pasta for rice if you have it. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days and reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with black pepper and a fresh green salad on the side to balance the richness.

A stovetop risotto that turns a half-cup of milk into a silky sauce for rice and mushrooms. Tonight's dinner centres on what's at hand, built in one pan from pantry staples and the fridge.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 840 calories a serving, 29 g protein, 136 g carbohydrate, 19 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy pan over medium heat, add 1 small onion chopped fine and 1 clove minced garlic, and cook until soft, about three minutes.3 min
2. Add 3/4 cup rice and stir until translucent at the edges, about two minutes.2 min
3. Pour in 1 1/2 cups broth and bring to a simmer, then cook uncovered, stirring often, until the rice is tender and the liquid is nearly absorbed, about fifteen minutes.15 min
4. While the rice cooks, slice 6 ounces of mushrooms and cook them in 1 tablespoon butter in another pan over medium-high heat until golden, about five minutes; season with salt and pepper.5 min
5. When the rice is tender, stir in 1 cup milk and the cooked mushrooms, then add 1/2 cup more broth if the rice seems dry, and cook on low heat until creamy, about two minutes longer.2 min
6. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then serve at once.

Note Swap dried mushrooms reconstituted in warm water for fresh if that's what you have, using their soaking liquid as part of the broth. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for two days and reheat gently with a splash more broth. Serve with a green salad or side of cooked greens.