5 easy family dinners for £25 – Sweetcorn fishcakes, noodle soup, mushroom burger...

Monday: Thai veggie noodle soup

1 tbsp vegetable oil
¾ red onion, finely sliced
200g courgettes, sliced
2 green or yellow peppers, deseeded and sliced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
1 low-salt vegetable stock cube, made up with 1.25ltr boiling water
1 garlic clove, crushed
100g Thai green curry paste
2 nests (125g) wholewheat noodles
125g spinach
1 lime, ½ juiced, ½ cut into wedges
15g fresh coriander, leaves picked 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the onion for 5 mins until starting to soften, then add the courgettes, peppers, and sweet potato cubes. Turn the heat up to medium high, and fry, continually stirring for 8-10 mins until the veg start to turn golden.

2. Stir the garlic and curry paste into the vegetables, frying for 1 minute, then pour over the stock, and bring to a simmer. Add the noodles and spinach, and stir briefly, then simmer for 3-4 mins until the noodles are tender and the spinach has wilted.

3. Season with the lime juice, then divide between 4 bowls and top with the coriander. Serve with the lime wedges for squeezing over.

Wednesday: Crispy roast chicken thighs with beetroot and chickpea salad

1kg chicken thighs
3 tsp olive oil
2 wholemeal pittas, cut into wedges
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, rinsed and drained
300g pack cooked beetroot, drained and cut into wedges
4 salad tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
100g reduced-fat salad cheese, cut or crumbled into small pieces (optional)
15g fresh mint, leaved picked
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1. Heat the oven to gas 8, 220°C, fan 200°C. Put the chicken thighs into a deep roasting tray and drizzle over 1 tsp olive oil. Season and rub the oil into the chicken. Roast for 30-35 mins (basting the chicken halfway through cooking) until crispy skinned and cooked through.

2. When the chicken is cooked, toss the pittas with the remaining oil, then transfer to a baking tray in a single layer. Bake for 5 mins until crisp and golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate and leave to rest while the pittas toast.

3. Spoon off any excess oil sitting on top of the liquid in the roasting tray, then toss the chickpeas into the chicken juices and mix well. Stir in the beetroot, tomatoes, pepper, cheese (if using), mint and olive oil. Tip into a bowl and serve with the chicken and pitta crisps.

Friday: Turkey meatball pittas

200g courgettes
500g turkey mince
2 garlic cloves, crushed
15g mint, leaves picked and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 carrots
½ cucumber
4 wholemeal pittas
¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded
125g spinach

1. Trim and coarsely grate the courgette on a box grater. Transfer to the middle of a clean tea towel, secure around the courgette, then squeeze firmly, pressing out the water over the sink. Tip the drained courgette into a bowl, add the turkey mince, garlic and most of the mint. Season, then mix until the courgette and mint are evenly distributed. Divide the mixture into 12 and roll firmly in your hands to make ping-pong sized balls. Place on a baking tray.

2. Heat the grill to high. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil over the meatballs and toss to coat. Grill for 10-15 mins, turning them over and draining off any liquid from the tray halfway through, until cooked throughout. 

3. Meanwhile, whisk 1 tbsp oil, half the lime juice and all the zest in a large bowl. Peel the carrots, discarding the peel, then keep peeling to get thin ribbons. Transfer to the dressing bowl. Repeat with the cucumber, making thin shavings of cucumber, and discard the seedy middle. Add the iceberg lettuce, remaining chopped mint and toss with the dressing. Taste and add more lime juice if you prefer.

4. Toast the pittas, then split down the lengths of one side to open them up like a pocket. Add some of the ribbon salad to each pitta (drain briefly in the bowl, before adding), and top with the meatballs. Toss the spinach into any leftover ribbon salad and dressing, then serve alongside.