5 easy family dinners for £25 – Spicy chicken, turkey burgers, potato frittata...

Monday: Sardine and tomato spaghetti

1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 x 250g packs cherry tomatoes
350g wholewheat spaghetti
100g pitted green olives
2 x 120g tins sardines in tomato sauce, skin and any large bones removed
10g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 8 mins until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the garlic and chilli and fry for 2 mins. Add the vinegar, tomatoes and 200ml water and cook for 8-10 mins until the tomatoes start to break down, pressing them with the back of a spoon to release their juices.

2. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling water for 10-12 mins until al dente. Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.

3. Stir the olives and sardines into the tomatoes, flaking the fish into big chunks with a spoon. Reduce the heat to low and tip in the cooked spaghetti with a splash of the reserved pasta water; toss everything together so the sauce coats the pasta. Add a little more water if you need to. Serve sprinkled with the parsley and some black pepper.

Wednesday: Spicy chicken and couscous salad

3 tbsp harissa paste
525g chicken breast portions
150g wholewheat couscous
200g frozen peas
1 lemon, juiced
½ cucumber, diced
15g fresh mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
10g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
60g pitted green olives, sliced (optional)
1 red onion, finely diced
50g reduced-fat salad cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Put the harissa and chicken in a bowl, and season. Toss well to coat the chicken. Transfer to a baking tray, spooning any leftover harissa over from the bowl, and roast for 15-20 mins until golden, sticky and cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, put the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Pour over 400ml boiling water, cover, and leave to absorb for 10 mins until fluffy. Cook the peas in a pan of boiling water for 3 mins until tender. Drain.

3. Fluff the couscous with a fork to separate the grains, then stir in the lemon juice. Add the drained peas, the cucumber, herbs, olives and onion, and toss everything together well. Thickly slice the chicken breasts and pile on top of the couscous. Crumble over the cheese and top with the remaining herbs.

Friday: Harissa turkey burgers

1kg sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into fries
1½ tbsp vegetable oil
2 red onions, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50g wholewheat couscous
500g pack 7% fat turkey mince
2 tbsp harissa paste
227g tin pineapple slices in natural juice
15g fresh mint, leaves chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
1 lime, juiced
50g baby spinach 

1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Divide the sweet potato fries between 2 baking trays. Toss with ½ tbsp oil and spread out the fries. Bake for 25-30 mins, turning halfway, until crisp.

2. Meanwhile, heat ½ tbsp oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and fry three-quarters of the onion for 8 mins. Add the garlic and fry for 1 min. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool a little.

3. Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl and add 100ml boiling water. Cover with a plate and set aside for 6-8 mins until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff up with a fork.

4. Put the mince, couscous, softened onion and harissa in a large bowl. Mix well with clean hands, then form into 4 patties. Heat ½ tbsp oil in the frying pan and fry the patties over a medium heat for 5 mins each side until cooked through and golden.

5. Drain the pineapple, reserving 1 tbsp juice. Chop and mix with the mint, chilli, remaining onion, reserved juice and lime juice. Serve with the burgers, fries and spinach.