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This month’s Budget Bites is all about celebrating spring with fresh, colourful and veggie-packed meals that don’t cost the earth.
Whether you’re cooking for yourself or hosting friends, these vibrant dishes are full of flavour and perfect for the season.
There’s crunchy tofu tacos with a zingy corn salad and crisp lettuce, spicy tomato and chickpea pasta that’s as comforting as it is punchy and a speedy Spanish tortilla made with crisps for a playful take on the classic. All three are quick to rustle up, big on taste and perfect for weeknights or last-minute dinners with guests.
As always, we’ve teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you these easy, affordable recipes – designed to make springtime cooking stress-free and satisfying. We’ve also included a handy shopping list to make picking up everything you need for all three dishes an absolute breeze.
Shopping list
6 spring onions
1 red chilli
5 cloves garlic
30g fresh parsley
2 heads little gem lettuce
60g rocket
1 lemon
6 large eggs
30g hard Italian cheese
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 x 200g tins sweetcorn (400g total)
1 x 400g tin chickpeas
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp light soy sauce
100g plain flour
70g dried panko breadcrumbs
200g dried pasta
8 small flour tortilla
50g salted crisps
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp smoked paprika
280g extra firm tofu
4 tbsp vegetable oil
7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Crunchy tofu tacos with corn salad
Serves: 2
Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 tbsp smoked paprika
100g plain flour
70g dried panko breadcrumbs
280g extra firm tofu
4 tbsp vegetable oil
400g tinned sweetcorn
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
5 spring onion
1 red chilli
10g fresh parsley
2 heads little gem lettuce
6 small flour tortillas
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 220C and line a small baking tray with tin foil.
- Grab three medium mixing bowls. Beat one egg with 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika in one bowl, then tip 100g of flour into another and 70g of breadcrumbs into the last bowl.
- Cut one 280g block of tofu into bite-sized chunks.
- Dip the tofu, one chunk at a time, first in the flour, shaking off any excess, then into the egg. Shake off any excess egg, then dunk them into the breadcrumbs to coat them fully. Once coated, pop the tofu onto the lined tray making sure they are all spread apart to ensure an even cooking.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over the tofu, then place the tray into the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes, until deep golden brown. Get on with the rest of the dish while you wait.
- Drain two 200g tins of sweetcorn and chuck them into a large mixing bowl. Dollop in 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise and finely grate in one clove of garlic. Finely slice five spring onions into thin rounds and chuck into the bowl.
- Slice one red chilli into thin rounds and finely chop 10g of parsley. Chuck three-quarters of them into the bowl. Give everything a good mix and season to taste with salt.
- Finely shred two heads of baby gem lettuce and you are ready to rock! If you’re still waiting for your tofu, now would be a great time to crack on with some washing up.
- Take the corn salad, crispy tofu and all the toppings to the table. Grab six small flour tortillas and let everyone construct their own speedy midweek tacos.
Spicy tomato and chickpea pasta
Serves: 2
Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
2 small flour tortillas
4 tbsp olive oil
400 g tinned chickpeas
4 cloves garlic
10g fresh parsley
200g dried pasta
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp caster sugar
30g hard Italian cheese
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200C and line a small baking tray with tin foil. Fill a kettle and put it on to boil – this will be for the pasta later
- Chuck two tortillas onto your lined tray and drizzle over 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes, until golden and crisp. Get on with the rest of the dish while you wait.
- Tip 2 tablespoons of oil into a large frying pan and place it over a high heat. Drain one 400g tin of chickpeas and thinly slice four cloves of garlic while you wait for the oil to heat up.
- Chuck the chickpeas and garlic in once the oil begins to shimmer and loosen. Fry everything for 4-5 minutes, until fragrant and golden in places. Finely chop 10g of parsley while you wait.
- Tip 200g of pasta into a medium saucepan and cover with water from the kettle. Place over a high heat, season generously with salt and bring to a simmer. Boil for 8-10 minutes, until soft but with a slight bite. Get on with the rest of the dish while you wait.
- Dollop 3 tablespoons of tomato purée into the pan with the chickpeas, along with 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Fry everything for a further 4-5 minutes, until the paste deepens in colour and starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the pasta has cooked, use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer it straight into the frying pan – it doesn’t matter if a bit of the water gets carried over. Toss everything together over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce coats the pasta and chickpeas in a glossy glaze. Add a splash of more pasta water if it looks a little dry or claggy.
- Fold through the parsley from earlier, season with salt and divide between plates. Crumble over the crisp tortillas from earlier, grate over 30g of cheese and serve.
Speedy Spanish tortilla
Serves: 2
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
5 large eggs
5 spring onions
10g fresh parsley
50g salted crisps
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
60g rocket
1 lemon
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- Beat five eggs in a large mixing bowl and season them with a generous grind of pepper. Finely slice five spring onions into thin rounds, then finely chop 10g of parsley – chuck them into the bowl.
- Tip in two 25g bags of crisps/potato chips and fold everything together. Season with a small pinch of salt – the crisps are already salty so watch out!
- Tip 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a small frying pan and place it over a medium heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, tip in the egg mix. Fry undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, until the egg starts to set around the edges, then whack the pan into the oven.
- Bake for 4-5 minutes, until the tortilla is set but still has a slight wobble. Get on with the rest of the dish while you wait.
- Chuck 60g of rocket into a large mixing bowl. Finely grate over the zest from one lemon and squeeze in the juice. Drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and give everything a good mix to coat the leaves in the oil. Season with salt. If you’re still waiting for the tortilla, now would be a great time to wash up your board, knife and grater from earlier.
- Once the tortilla is ready, turn it out onto the chopping board and cut it into wedges. Divide the wedges between plates and serve with a large handful of the salad. Tuck in!
In response to the rising cost of living, we have teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you easy, affordable, quick and (most importantly) tasty recipes once a month. Find out more about Sorted and their nifty meal-planning app Sidekick at sortedfood.com/sidekick.
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