5 easy family dinners for £25 - May week 1

Monday: Bang bang chicken noodle stir-fry

1 tbsp sunflower oil
750g Willow Farms chicken thighs, boned, any excess skin trimmed
250g peppers, sliced
1 courgette, peeled into ribbons, seeded middle chopped
1 reduced-salt chicken stock cube
250g medium egg noodles
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp crushed chillies, plus extra to serve (optional)
4 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
2 tsp caster sugar
1 lime, zested, ½ juiced, ½ cut into wedges to serve

1. Heat the oil in a wok over a medium-low heat. Fry the chicken skin-side down for 10 mins or until the skin is crispy. Flip and fry for 10 mins, or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate; cover loosely with foil.

2. Reheat the wok over a high heat, add the peppers and chopped courgette; stir-fry for 5 mins. Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil, crumble in the stock cube, then add the noodles. Simmer for 4-5 mins until just cooked, then drain well.

3. Add the garlic and crushed chillies to the wok; stir-fry for 2 mins. In a bowl, mix the soy, sugar and the lime zest and juice. Add to the wok, bubble for 2 mins, then add the courgette ribbons and noodles. Toss with tongs to coat in the sauce.

4. Slice the chicken into strips. Divide the noodles between 4 bowls and top with the chicken. Serve with the lime wedges and extra crushed chillies, if you like.

Wednesday: Tomato and pesto spaghetti

1 tbsp olive oil
330g Nightingale Farms cherry tomatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp crushed chillies, plus extra to serve (optional)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
350g Hearty Food Co. spaghetti
¾ x 190g jar green pesto

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the tomatoes, season well and fry for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and caramelise. Stir in the garlic, chillies and lemon zest, reduce the heat to low and cook for 2-3 mins until fragrant.

2. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti to pack instructions. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp of the cooking water.

3. Stir the pesto, lemon juice and reserved cooking water into the pasta, using tongs to toss everything together to coat. Toss through half the tomatoes, then divide between 4 bowls and spoon over the remaining tomatoes. Sprinkle with extra chillies to serve, if you like.

Friday: Loaded fish burritos

10 frozen fish fingers
4 plain tortilla wraps
150g Grower's Harvest long-grain rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
125g peppers, sliced
395g tin taco mixed beans
¼ tsp crushed chillies
100g baby spinach

1. Cook the fish fingers to pack instructions, adding the wraps for the last 5 mins.

2. Meanwhile, cook the rice to pack instructions; drain, cover, set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion for 10 mins until soft, then increase the heat to high, add the peppers and stir-fry for 5 mins. Stir in the beans and chillies, and cook for 2 mins to heat through. Stir in 50g spinach and let it wilt.

4. Pile the rice into the centre of each wrap and spoon over the bean mixture. Slice the fish fingers into pieces and pile on top. Scatter over the remaining spinach, then roll up and slice in half to serve.