5 easy family dinners for £25 – Miso aubergine tacos, spinach and cheese risotto, sausage meatballs with pea pesto and spaghetti

Monday: Sardine, spring onion and butter bean fishcakes

100g frozen peas
2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
2 lemons, 1 zested and juiced, 1 cut into wedges
2 x 120g tins sardines in brine, drained
30g plain flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp clear honey
100g baby spinach
½ iceberg lettuce, shredded
120g radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Boil the peas for 3 mins in a pan; drain, then run under cold water to cool.

2. Put the peas in a food processor with the butter beans, spring onions and lemon zest. Pulse until a similar consistency to mashed potatoes, with some of the peas still holding their shape – it shouldn’t be smooth. Put in a mixing bowl and fake in the sardines; season and mix well. Divide into 8, then shape into 8cm fish cakes.

3. Add the four to a plate and season with pepper. Lightly coat each fishcake in the four, then set aside.

4. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium-high heat, then fry the fishcakes in batches for 3-4 mins each side until deep golden and crispy. Put on a baking tray, then bake for 8 mins to cook through.

5. Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and honey in a jug; season. Put the spinach, lettuce and radishes in a bowl; toss with the dressing. Serve with the fishcakes and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Wednesday: Sticky honey and miso chicken

45g miso paste
2½ tbsp clear honey
2½ tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
40g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 chicken drumsticks
300g long-grain rice
1 broccoli head, cut into florets, larger florets halved
2 red onions, cut into thick wedges
3 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Whisk the miso, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and oil in a jug. Add the chicken to a large, high-sided roasting tin, then pour over the miso mixture and toss to coat. Spread into an even layer, then roast for 20 mins or until the chicken is lightly golden and the sauce is starting to thicken.

2. Meanwhile, rinse the rice well in a sieve under cold running water for 1-2 mins, then add to a large, lidded pan with 700ml water; cover and set aside.

3. Add the broccoli and red onion to the chicken tray and use a spatula to turn everything in the sticky miso sauce to coat. Roast for another 20-25 mins, until everything is golden and the chicken is cooked through.

4. Meanwhile, bring the covered rice pan to the boil: once bubbling, turn the heat to low. Simmer for 12-15 mins until the water is absorbed, then leave, still covered, until ready to serve. Divide between bowls, then top with the chicken and veg, spooning over any sauce from the tray. Scatter with the spring onions to serve.

Friday: Sausage meatballs with pea pesto and spaghetti

454g pack 50% reduced-fat pork sausages
350g frozen peas
15g fresh basil, torn
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
100g Greek-style salad cheese
350g spaghetti

1. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C and line a large baking sheet with nonstick baking paper. Squeeze the sausages from their skins and divide the meat into 20 small balls, each about the size of a walnut; spread out on the tray. Bake for 22-25 mins, turning halfway, until golden and cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, boil the peas in a pan for 3 mins. Scoop out with a slotted spoon, reserving the water, then run under cold water to cool. Tip into a food processor with most of the basil, the lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic, olive oil and 50g salad cheese; season, then blitz to a fairly chunky mixture (don’t worry if it’s a bit thick, as it will loosen later).

3. Cook the spaghetti to pack instructions in the pea pan. Drain, reserving 200ml cooking water, then return to the pan with the pesto and cooking water. Toss together over a low heat for 1-2 mins until warmed through and everything is coated in the pesto.

4. Divide between 4 plates, then top with the sausage meatballs and crumble over the remaining cheese and basil to serve.