5 easy family dinners for £25 - Chicken fajita, ham minestrone, tomato stew...

Monday: Chicken fajita traybake with pea 'guacamole'

1kg chicken thighs
500g sweet potatoes, scrubbed, trimmed and cut into wedges
1½ tbsp vegetable oil
2 small or 1 medium onion, sliced
3 mixed peppers, sliced
30g pack fajita seasoning
400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
320g frozen peas
100g low-fat yogurt, plus extra to serve (optional)
1 lime, ½ juiced, ½ cut into wedges
1 red chilli, finely sliced
15g fresh coriander, leaves picked

1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Tip the chicken thighs and sweet potato wedges into a large roasting tin (about 40 x 50cm) and drizzle over 1 tbsp oil. Toss to coat, then arrange the chicken thighs skin-side up. Roast for 15 mins.

2. Add the onions and peppers to the tin. Sprinkle over the fajita seasoning and remaining ½ tbsp oil, then toss to coat well. Arrange everything in an even layer if possible, or arrange the chicken thighs on top. Roast for 20 mins until the sweet potatoes and peppers are tender. Scatter the kidney beans around the chicken, give everything a stir and return to the oven for 5-10 mins until the beans are hot and the chicken is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, blanch the peas in boiling water for 3 mins; drain, then transfer to a jug. Add half the lime juice and 2 tbsp yogurt. Blitz with a stick blender to make a chunky paste, then transfer to a small bowl. Put the remaining yogurt in a separate small bowl.

4. Squeeze the remaining lime juice over the traybake and serve with the pea ‘guacamole’, yogurt, lime wedges, chilli and coriander alongside so everyone can help themselves.

Wednesday: Butter bean and tomato stew with garlic bread

3½ tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1½ tsp dried oregano, plus an extra pinch
1 lemon, zested, plus 1 tbsp juice
½ tsp caster sugar
2 x 400g tins butter beans, rinsed and drained
200g baby spinach leaves
½ crusty white bloomer, cut into 8 slices
10g fresh basil, finely chopped

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 6-8 mins until tender. Add half the garlic, fry for 30 secs, then add the tomatoes, swirl each can out with 50ml water and add to the pan with 1½ tsp oregano. Simmer for 10 mins until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the zest and juice, sugar, beans and spinach; stir until the spinach wilts, then simmer for another 10 mins until the sauce is thick enough to coat the beans. Add a splash of water if the beans look dry.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. Grill the bloomer slices for 1-2 mins each side until lightly golden. Mix the remaining 2½ tbsp oil, the garlic, half the basil, a pinch of oregano and some black pepper. Brush over one side of the toasts and grill for 1-2 mins until crunchy and the garlic is fragrant. Stir the remaining basil through the stew and serve with the garlic toasts.

Friday: Chilli and lime salmon fried rice

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 spring onions, whites and greens separated, both finely sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 x 250g pouches wholegrain rice
150g spinach, roughly chopped
418g tin pink salmon, drained, skin and bones removed, fish broken into chunky pieces
3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 lime, juiced
15g fresh coriander, leaves picked (or chopped)
40g salted peanuts, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok on a high heat until shimmering. Add the spring onion whites and the chilli, and fry for 30 secs until lightly golden in places. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 secs, stirring continually, until fragrant.

2. Add the rice, breaking up the grains with your hands as it goes into the pan. Stir-fry for 2-3 mins, breaking any clumps, until the rice is piping hot and the grains have separated. Stir in the spinach and fry for 2-3 mins until wilted.

3. Stir in the salmon, sweet chilli sauce and lime juice. Toss gently to coat everything in the sauce and cook for 1-2 mins until the salmon is piping hot. Scatter with the spring onion greens, coriander leaves and salted peanuts to serve.