5 easy family dinners for £25 – November week 2

Monday: Fruity sweet potato tagine

2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
4 tsp harissa seasoning
600g sweet potatoes, peeled and
cut into 3-4cm chunks
400g tin chickpeas, drained
1 vegetable stock cube, made up to 1.1ltrs
75g cranberry sauce
½ orange, zested and juiced
250g couscous
30g pack fresh coriander
100g crème fraîche, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onions for 10 mins. Stir in the garlic and harissa seasoning; fry for 2 mins.

2. Add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas and 750ml stock, then stir in the cranberry sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 12 mins or until the sweet potato is just tender.

3. Meanwhile, put the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Pour over the 350ml hot stock and sit a plate on top to cover. Leave to soak for 10 mins. Reserve 4 coriander sprigs; chop the rest of the leaves.

4. Stir the orange zest and juice into the tagine; season to taste. Use a fork to fl uff up the couscous, then stir through the chopped coriander with a little seasoning. Serve the tagine spooned over the couscous, topped with crème fraîche and the reserved coriander sprigs.

Tuesday: Carbonara pasta bake

325g penne
½ Savoy cabbage, thick core discarded, the rest shredded into 1cm slices
1 tbsp olive oil
125g bacon, diced
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
225g crème fraîche
2 eggs
1 vegetable stock cube, made up to 350ml
85g grated mature Cheddar

1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Boil the pasta for 9 mins, then add the cabbage to the pan and cook for 2 mins more until the pasta is tender but still with a bit of bite. Drain well.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the bacon for 6-8 mins until lightly golden. Stir in the garlic, cook for 30 secs, then remove from the heat.

3. Whisk together the crème fraîche and eggs until smooth, then slowly whisk in the stock. Tip the pasta, cabbage and garlicky bacon with any oil into a baking dish. Pour over the sauce and mix through. Season with plenty of black pepper.

4. Scatter over the cheese and bake for 15-20 mins until crisp and bubbling.

Wednesday: Harissa chicken burgers with wedges

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
500g potatoes, cut into wedges
400g sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
500g meat & veg 5% fat chicken mince
3½ tsp harissa seasoning
6 tbsp crème fraîche
4 soft white rolls, split
¼ cucumber, sliced
8 butterhead lettuce leaves

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and fry the onion for 6-8 mins until soft. Stir in the garlic, cook for 30 secs, then tip into a mixing bowl to cool. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C.

2. Parboil the (white) potatoes for 5 mins in a large saucepan; drain well. Tip onto 2 baking sheets along with the sweet potatoes, drizzle over 1 tbsp oil, season and toss to coat. Bake for 20 mins.

3. Meanwhile, add the mince and 3 tsp harissa seasoning to the cold onions; season. Mix well, then divide into 4 and shape into patties.

4. Brush the patties with 2 tsp oil. Heat a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and fry for 2 mins each side until golden.

5. Turn the wedges and make space on the trays for the burgers. Return everything to the oven for 10 mins more or until the burgers are cooked through.

6. Mix the remaining ½ tsp harissa with the crème fraîche, then spread onto the cut sides of the burger buns. Top with lettuce, the burgers and some cucumber slices, then sandwich with the bun lids. Serve with the wedges.

Friday: Colcannon kippers fishcakes

1kg potatoes, peeled and halved
1 pack smoked kippers with butter
4 tsp vegetable oil
200g Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
3 spring onions, finely sliced
50g plain flour
1 egg, beaten
2 soft white rolls, whizzed into breadcrumbs
½ a large broccoli, cut into florets
300g frozen peas
1 lemon, ½ zested and juiced, ½ cut into wedges
85g crème fraîche

1. Boil the potatoes for 18-20 mins. Add the cabbage and two-thirds of the spring onions and cook for 1 min or until the potatoes are soft. Drain, then tip back into the pan over the heat for 1 min to steam-dry.

2. Cook the kippers to pack instructions. Tip any buttery juices into the potatoes and mash well. Flake the fi sh from the skin and stir through the potatoes, then shape the mixture into 8 cakes.

3. Put the fl our on a plate, the egg in a shallow bowl and breadcrumbs on another plate. Coat the fishcakes in the fl our, followed by the egg and then breadcrumbs. If you have time, chill for 30 mins.

4. Heat 2 tsp oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the fishcakes in batches for 4-5 mins each side until golden. Meanwhile, boil the broccoli and peas for 3 mins.

5. Drain the veg, then toss with spring onions and juice from ¼ lemon; season. Mix the lemon zest and remaining juice through the crème fraîche with 1 tbsp of water. Serve the fishcakes with the veg and lemony sauce, plus lemon wedges.