5 easy family dinners for £25 – August week 1

Monday: Chilli chickpea fritters

2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained
1 egg, lightly beaten
50g plain flour
1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
2 carrots, coarsely grated
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
225g pack halloumi, cut into 5mm slices
2 Little Gem lettuce, finely shredded
3 tbsp sweet chilli dipping sauce

1. Tip the chickpeas into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they form a rough paste.  Alternatively, mash them with a potato masher until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the egg, flour, lemon zest, grated carrot, chilli and spring onion (reserving some to garnish). Mix until well combined and season with pepper. Shape the mix into 8 fritters.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, nonstick frying pan over a medium-high heat and, working in batches, fry the fritters for 3-4 mins on each side until golden. Set aside.

3. Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper, then heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the pan over a high heat. Fry the halloumi for 3-4 mins on each side until golden and crisp.

4. To serve, divide the lettuce between plates. Top with 2 fritters per portion, the grilled halloumi, the remaining spring onion, a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce and a wedge of lemon.

Wednesday: Carrot and sausage risotto

2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 Lincolnshire sausages
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300g risotto rice
1 vegetable stock cube, made up to 1ltr
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
½ lemon, juiced
20g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
100g Cheddar, coarsely grated

1. Heat half the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the sausages and fry for 10 mins until crispy and cooked through. Remove from the pan and cut into thick slices.

2. Add the remaining oil, onion and garlic to the pan. Fry for 8-10 mins until the onion is softened. Add the grated carrot and the rice and cook for 1 min before adding a ladleful of hot stock. Cook, stirring continuously, until the stock has been absorbed, then add another ladleful. Continue to cook like this for 15-18 mins until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is al dente.

3. Stir through the sliced sausage, lemon juice, half the parsley and the Cheddar and season to taste. Scatter with the remaining parsley to serve.

Friday: Cheese and ham pancakes

800g straight cut chips
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, finely sliced
50g plain flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
150ml semi-skimmed milk
125g cooked ham, torn
150g Cheddar, coarsely grated
10g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C.  Tip the chips onto a large baking tray and bake for 18-20 mins, turning halfway through, until golden.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat.  Add the onions and fry for 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally until completely soft and golden.

3. Tip the flour into a large jug. Make a well in the middle and gradually whisk in the egg and milk until you have a smooth batter.

4. When the chips and onions are almost cooked, heat a medium nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and wipe with oiled kitchen paper. Pour approximately 3 tbsp batter into the pan, tilting it to coat the pan evenly. Cook for 1 min, flip and cook for a further 30 secs until golden. Sprinkle the softened onion, ham, Cheddar and parsley (saving a little parsley to garnish) over one side of the crepe and fold over the pancake. Cook for 1 min to melt the cheese. Repeat until you’ve used all the ingredients and have 4 crepes in total.  Serve with the chips and sprinkle with the extra parsley.