5 easy family dinners for £25: January week 2

Monday: Quick sausage and mushroom stroganoff

1tbsp vegetable oil
8-pack pork sausages
485g pack chestnut mushrooms, sliced
300g long-grain rice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g pot reduced-salt chicken stock cube, made up to 100ml
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
P320g frozen peas
10g fresh parsley, finely chopped

1. Heat the oil in a deep, nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Pinch the sausages from their skins and break the meat into pieces in the pan, discarding the skins. Fry for 5 mins, breaking into little pieces with a spatula, until lightly golden, adding a splash of water if it starts to stick. Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 mins until golden and any water that comes off the mushrooms has evaporated.

2. Meanwhile, rinse the rice well in a sieve until the water runs clear. Tip the rice into a saucepan with 600ml water. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to low, cover and cook for 10-12 mins undisturbed.

3. Stir the garlic into the mushrooms, cook for 1 min, then add the soured cream dip, chicken stock and mustard. Bubble gently over a low heat for 4-5 mins until thickened slightly.

4. Meanwhile, cook the peas in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 mins, then drain. Fluff up the rice with a fork and serve with the peas and stroganoff, scattered with parsley.

Wednesday: Fish puttanesca

520g pack frozen white fish fillets
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
50g black olives, drained
2 tbsp capers, drained
400g tin chopped tomatoes
300g spaghetti
10g fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon, zested

1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Put the frozen fish on a lined baking tray, season well and drizzle over 1 tbsp oil. Bake for 15-20 mins until cooked through and flaky.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a deep frying pan over a low heat and fry the garlic for 1-2 mins until lightly golden. Add the olives, capers and chopped tomatoes with half a tin of water. Bring to a bubble over a medium heat, then simmer gently for 10 mins. Season well.

3. At the same time, cook the spaghetti to pack instructions. Drain well, reserving 50ml of the pasta water.

4. When the fish is cooked, drain of any water from the tray and break the fish into chunky pieces with a spatula. Tip the drained spaghetti into the tomato sauce and toss together, adding a splash of the pasta water if needed for the sauce to coat the spaghetti. Add the fish and toss again gently to keep some large chunks of fish. Scatter over the parsley and lemon zest to serve.

Friday: Chilli beans on toast

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 peppers, deseeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded (optional) and finely chopped
30g sachet fajita seasoning
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 reduced-salt vegetable stock cube, made up to 250ml
2 x 400g tins black beans, drained and rinsed
8 slices wholemeal farmhouse bread
50g soft cheese
10g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
4 spring onions, finely sliced

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion and peppers for 8-10 mins until soft, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for 1 min more, or until fragrant.

2. Stir in the fajita seasoning, then add the chopped tomatoes, stock and black beans. Simmer for a further 10-15 mins until thickened. Season well.

3. Meanwhile, toast the bread and divide between 4 plates. Spoon over the chilli beans and add a dollop of soft cheese. Sprinkle with the coriander and spring onions, then grind over some black pepper.