5 easy family dinners for £25 - Samosa pie, chilli chicken stir fry, honey mustard sausage traybake...

Monday: Sticky chilli chicken stir-fry

300g rice
3 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 lime, zested and cut into wedges
1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
500g 5% fat chicken mince
500g carrots, peeled and cut into thin batons
4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, very finely chopped
10g fresh coriander, chopped

1. Cook the rice to pack instructions. Mix the soy sauce, honey, lime zest and 3 tbsp water in a jug and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over a high heat and fry the mince for 5-6 mins, breaking up with a spoon, until golden, crispy and cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

3. Add the remaining oil to the wok and reduce the heat to medium-high. Stir-fry the carrots for 6-7 mins until golden, then add the spring onion whites, garlic and chilli and stir-fry for 1-2 mins until aromatic.

4. Return the chicken to the pan, add the soy mixture and bring everything to a simmer. Bubble for 2-3 mins until thickened and the carrots are tender but retaining some bite. Divide the rice and sticky chicken between bowls and scatter with the spring onion greens and coriander. Serve with the lime wedges for squeezing over.

Wednesday: Chicken biryani traybake

600g pack chicken drumstick fillets
500g carrots, cut into thin batons
1 onion, thickly sliced
3 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
450g frozen spinach
300g rice
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green chilli, finely chopped, deseeded if you like
1 chicken stock pot, made up to 800ml
10g fresh coriander, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Preheat the oven to gas 8, 240°C, fan 220°C. Add the chicken, carrots, onion, curry powder and oil to a high-sided roasting tin. Season, toss, then spread out across the tray, nestling the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables. Roast for 25 mins or until golden.

2. Meanwhile, put the frozen spinach in a microwave-safe dish, cover and microwave on high*, for 3-4 mins, stirring halfway, until defrosted and wilted. Drain and set aside. Thoroughly rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water for 1-2 mins; set aside.

3. Stir the garlic and chilli into the roasting tin and return to the oven for 3 mins. Reduce the temperature to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Set the chicken aside on a plate, then add the rice, spinach and stock to the roasting tin, stirring well. Nestle the chicken pieces on top, cover tightly with foil, then bake for 15 mins.

4. Use a fork to fluff up and stir the rice mixture around the chicken pieces, re-cover with foil, then bake for another 15 mins or until the rice is fluffy and tender. Leave to stand for 5 mins, then serve with the coriander and lemon wedges.

*Timings correct for an 800W microwave

Friday: Filo samosa pie

500g potatoes, cut into 2cm chunks
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
250g carrots, scrubbed and very finely diced
3 tbsp curry powder
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green chilli, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed if you prefer less heat
450g frozen spinach
300g tin peas, drained and rinsed
10g coriander, chopped
250g pack filo pastry

1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Boil the potatoes in a pan of water for 8-10 mins until just tender but still holding their shape. Drain well and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat ½ tbsp oil in a lidded frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the onion and carrot for 5-6 mins until softened. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the curry powder, garlic and chilli and cook for 1-2 mins until aromatic. Add the spinach and 150ml water, cover, then cook for 4-5 mins until the spinach has defrosted and wilted. Stir through the potatoes and peas, season, then simmer for 2-3 mins until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir through the coriander.

3. Brush the base and sides of a 23cm spring-form cake tin with half the remaining oil, then use 5 sheets of filo pastry to line the base and sides of the tin, overlapping as needed to make sure there are no gaps and leaving any extra filo hanging over the sides. Spoon the spiced potato mixture into the tin, then fold over any overhanging filo over the top.

4. Scrunch the remaining filo sheets one at a time into loose balls and lay on top of the potato mixture, ensuring the filling is covered. Brush with the remaining oil, then transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 mins until deep golden and crispy. Carefully remove the sides of the tin and leave to cool for a few mins before slicing to serve.