5 easy family dinners for £25 – Turkey stir-fry, aubergine curry, chicken traybake...

Monday: Tray-roasted sweet potato and aubergine curry

2 aubergines, cut into 2cm chunks
400g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
1 onion, sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
150g Thai green curry paste
300g rice
15g fresh coriander, finely chopped
½ vegetable stock cube, made up to 100ml
100ml double cream
250g frozen peas
2 spring onions, sliced

1. Heat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Tip the aubergine, sweet potato and onion onto a large roasting tray and toss well with the oil; season. Roast for 20 mins until the aubergine and sweet potato is starting to soften. Stir in the Thai green paste and mix well with the veg. Roast for another 10 mins until the aubergine and sweet potato are tender.

2. Cook the rice according to pack instructions, drain well and fluff up with a fork. Stir in the coriander and leave to steam with the lid on while you finish the curry. Pour the stock into the roasted veg tray and add the cream and peas. Place back in the oven for 5-10 mins until the sauce thickens slightly to coat the veg and the peas are cooked.

3. Scatter over the spring onions and serve with the coriander rice.

Wednesday: Sweet potato spaghetti

600g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, peeled
25g Parmesan, finely grated, plus more to serve
150ml double cream
350g spaghetti
300g frozen spinach

1. Boil the sweet potatoes and peeled garlic clove in a pan over a medium-high heat with the lid on for 10-15 mins until the potato is really tender and falls off a fork easily when pierced. Drain well.

2. Finely chop the blanched garlic clove, then tip back into the pan with the drained sweet potatoes. Add the Parmesan and double cream, then blend to a smooth, thick sauce using a stick blender.

3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to pack instructions, adding the spinach to the pan for the last 3 mins. Drain well, reserving 100ml of the pasta water. Tip the spaghetti and spinach into the sweet potato sauce and add the reserved water. Toss everything together until the spaghetti is well coated. Season, then pile into bowls with more Parmesan grated over the top.

Friday: Spinach and ricotta calzone

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
350g frozen spinach
2 garlic cloves, crushed
25g Parmesan, finely grated
200g ricotta
400g ready rolled pizza dough
6 salad tomatoes, sliced
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 8 mins until softened but not golden. Add the spinach and 100ml water. Stir briefly, then cover with a lid. Cook for 5 mins, then remove the lid and turn the heat up to high. Cook for a further 5 mins until the water from the spinach has evaporated.

2. Lower the heat to medium again and stir the garlic into the spinach. Fry for 2 mins, then fold in the Parmesan and ricotta until well mixed. Season and remove from the heat. Leave to cool slightly.

3. Heat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Unravel the pizza dough on the paper that it comes with and cut into 4 even rectangles, cutting through the paper too, using scissors to help if needed. Divide the cooled filling onto one side of each of the rectangles, leaving a 1cm border; fold the empty side over the filling. Crimp both sides of the dough together by pulling the base piece up and over the lid and crimp together.

4. Transfer to a baking sheet using the baking paper it’s on to help you. Bake for 20 mins until the dough is golden and puffed. Serve alongside the tomatoes drizzled in the extra-virgin olive oil and season.