5 easy family dinners for £25 – October week 1

Monday: Cheesy roasted broccoli with lemony mash

2 broccoli heads
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2½ tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
50g grated Grana Padano
30g dried breadcrumbs
4 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 lemon, zested and juiced
200g cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
1 onion, finely sliced  
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1. Heat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Trim the broccoli stems down so they’re about 5cm long, then slice down the stem to cut each broccoli in half through the middle. Using the stem as a guide, cut the broccoli into 4-6 wedges, so the florets keep attached. Blanch the broccoli wedges in a large pan of boiling water for 5 mins. Drain well, then put on a baking tray spaced apart.

2. Mix half the garlic, 2 tbsp oil and some seasoning. Toss with the broccoli so it’s coated all over, and roast for 20-25 mins until the stalks are tender and the florets are lightly charred. Mix the Grana Padano and breadcrumbs, and scatter over the roasted broccoli. Drizzle with 2 tsp oil and roast for another 5-10 mins until the cheese has melted and the breadcrumbs are golden.

3. Meanwhile bring the potatoes to a boil in a large pan of salted water and cook for 15 mins until really tender when pressed with a knife. Heat ½ tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 10-15 mins until golden and softened, add a splash of water if they start to catch. Stir in the remaining garlic and fry for another minute. Remove from the heat. Drain the potatoes well, leave to steam dry for a few mins in the colander, then tip back into the pan; mash well with half the lemon juice and some seasoning. Spoon over the onion and garlic with any oil in the pan, and all the lemon zest.

4. Mix the cherry tomatoes with the extra-virgin olive oil and remaining lemon juice; season. Serve the roasted broccoli with the lemony mash and spoon over the vinaigrette to serve.

Wednesday: Cheesy vegetable strudels

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (about 500g)
3 peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves
10g fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 tsp dried oregano
4 tbsp olive oil
100g salad cheese, crumbled
200g filo pastry (8 sheets)
90g rocket salad

1. Heat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Put the sweet potatoes, peppers, garlic, thyme and oregano on a baking sheet. Drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil and toss everything together; season. Roast for 25-30 mins until the sweet potato is soft when pressed with a knife. Press the garlic from the papery shells, finely chop, and stir through the roasted veg.

2. Once the veg is cooked, lay out 2 of the filo sheets on your work surface, keeping the remaining 6 sheets under a tea towel to stop them drying out. Brush one with some of the remaining oil, then add the second sheet over the top. Add ¼ of the filling to one end of the shortest sides of pastry. Top with ¼ of the crumbled salad cheese. Fold over the sides to cover the filling, then brush any exposed pastry with more oil. Working from the shortest side where the filling is closest to, roll the pastry over the filling, then keep going until the filing is rolled up in the pastry, creating a fat cigar shape. Brush the top with a little more oil and transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Repeat with the remaining filo and fillings until you have 4 strudels.

3. Bake for 15 mins until the pastry is golden and crisp. Serve with the rocket salad.

 

Friday: Marmalade pork with thyme-roasted baby potatoes

600g baby potatoes, halved if large
2 tbsp olive oil
10g thyme, leaves stripped from tough stalks
720g pork loin steaks
½ chicken stock cube
1 garlic clove, crushed
200g marmalade
450g frozen green beans

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 12-15 mins until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Heat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Drain the potatoes and tip onto a baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and add the thyme. Roast for 20 mins until golden brown.

2. Season the pork steaks and brush with the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat for 3 mins, then sear the steaks for 6-8 mins on each side until cooked through.

3. While the pork is cooking, mix the chicken stock cube, 100ml water, garlic and marmalade in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir to dissolve the stock cube and cook for 10 mins until thickened and reduced to a glaze, stirring occasionally.

4. Cook the green beans for 4-5 mins in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain well.

5. To serve, pour the marmalade sauce over the pork steaks in the pan, stirring to pick up any pork juices. Serve with the thyme-roasted new potatoes and green beans.

Shopping list

Head to Tesco.com for a shopping list where you can buy everything you need for this week here.

1 Tesco lemon
20g pack Tesco fresh thyme
2 x Tesco sweet potatoes
4-pack Tesco baking potatoes
1kg bag Redmere Farms baby potatoes
2 x Tesco brown onions
500g pack Tesco parsnips
1 Tesco garlic bulb
100g piece Tesco root ginger
60g pack Tesco red chillies
2 x Tesco broccoli
375g pack Nightingale Farms peppers
250g pack Nightingale Farms cherry tomatoes
60g bag Tesco wild rocket
720g pack Woodside Farms pork loin steaks 
900g pack Willow Farm chicken drumsticks
200g pack Creamfields Greek-style salad cheese
100g pack Creamfields grated Grana Padano
250g pack Theos filo pastry
175g tub Tesco white breadcrumbs
350g pack Nishaan traditional roti
43g jar Tesco ground cumin
45g jar Tesco ground turmeric
14g jar Tesco dried oregano
454g jar Stockwell & Co. orange marmalade
400g tin Grower’s Harvest chopped tomatoes
500g bag Tesco red split lentils
900g bag Tesco frozen green beans

From the storecupboard:
Chicken stock cubes, olive oil, vegetable oil, vegetable stock cubes