Five dinners for one person, with an estimated shop of £17.96 (range £13.74–£23.74), about £3.59 per serving.
Estimated shop
£3.59 per serving · 5 servings
Range £13.74–£23.74
£17.96
✓ Likely under the £25 budget
Likely under means our estimate gives this week at least an 80% chance of staying under £25. The dinners use about £8.68 of the £17.96; the rest is left in opened packs.
Price ranges set using Open Prices data (Open Food Facts, ODbL).
This week's dinners
Price per dinner is the ingredients it uses, per serving.
Counting only the ingredients each dinner uses, the cheapest night is Wednesday's Lemony White Bean, Kale and Tomato Stir-Fry with Couscous, at about £1.02 per serving; the most expensive is Tuesday's Sheet-Pan Souvlaki-Style Pork with Courgette and Lemon Rice, at about £2.42. The five dinners use about £8.68 of what you buy; the rest is left in opened packs, the biggest being tahini, rice and couscous. Lemon, garlic and pork go into more than one dinner, along with 8 more items on the list, so you buy them once. The quickest is Lemony White Bean, Kale and Tomato Stir-Fry with Couscous, ready in about 15 minutes. Fresh food you should still have at the end of the week includes most of a pack of couscous, 6 garlic cloves, most of a piece of fresh ginger and about ¾ of a lemon.
The recipes
Amounts are scaled for one person.
Monday · 29 min · about £2.21 per serving in ingredients used
Sheet-Pan Pork Medallions with Peppers, Tomatoes and White Beans
Oregano pork medallions roasted on a tray of peppers, summer squash, cherry tomatoes and cannellini beans.
Prep 8 min · Cook 21 min · Serves 1 · Amounts are scaled for your household.
Gluten-freeDairy-freeKid-friendly
Ingredients
- ¼ pepper (red, yellow or green), sliced
- ¼ courgette, cut into half-moons
- ¼ red onion, cut into wedges
- 65 g cherry tomatoes
- 125 g pork fillet (tenderloin)
- ½ × 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ lemon
- ¼ bunch parsley, chopped
- 2½ tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic granules
- salt, to taste
Check the label: sulphites. Always read the labels if you cook for someone with an allergy.
Method
- Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Toss the peppers, courgette, red onion and cherry tomatoes with 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil, half the dried oregano and a pinch of salt on a large baking tray (use two trays if it looks crowded) and roast for 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pat the pork dry, cut it into thick medallions and put them in a bowl with the rest of the oregano, the paprika, garlic granules, ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of oil. Stir with a spoon to coat, then wash your hands, the board and the knife in hot, soapy water.
- Take out the tray, stir the beans into the vegetables and, using tongs, lay the pork on top. Roast for 12 minutes, until the pork reaches 63°C. For anyone pregnant, cook until no pink remains (71°C). Rest for 3 minutes.
- Squeeze over the lemon, drizzle with the rest of the oil and scatter with the parsley.
Tip: Cut the medallions the same thickness so they all reach temperature at the same time.
Leftovers: Fridge 2 days; reheat until piping hot.
Tuesday · 44 min · about £2.42 per serving in ingredients used
Sheet-Pan Souvlaki-Style Pork with Courgette and Lemon Rice
Lemon, garlic and oregano pork pieces roasted with red onion and tomatoes, with lemony rice.
Prep 16 min · Cook 28 min · Serves 1 · Amounts are scaled for your household.
Gluten-freeDairy-freeKid-friendly
Ingredients
- 150 g pork fillet (tenderloin), cut into bite-sized chunks
- ½ lemon
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- ½ courgette, cut into thick half-moons
- ¼ red onion, cut into wedges
- 65 g cherry tomatoes
- 75 g long-grain rice
- ¼ bunch parsley
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2½ tsp olive oil
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Always read the labels if you cook for someone with an allergy.
Method
- Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Mix the zest of 1 lemon and the juice of half of it with the garlic, the dried oregano, 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil and a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Toss the pork in half of this mixture. Wash your hands after handling the raw meat.
- Toss the courgette, red onion and cherry tomatoes with the rest of the mixture on a large baking tray and roast for 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, rinse the rice and put it in a saucepan with 150 ml of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender (if not, cover and cook 2–3 minutes more). Leave covered off the heat for 5 minutes.
- Using tongs, add the pork to the tray in a single layer and roast for 12–14 minutes, until browned and the thickest piece reaches 63°C. For anyone pregnant, cook until no pink remains (71°C). Rest for 3 minutes on the tray.
- Fork the juice of the other half of the zested lemon, the rest of the oil and the parsley, chopped, through the rice. Wash the tongs before using them to serve. Serve with the pork and vegetables and the second lemon cut into wedges.
Tip: Cut the pork into even chunks so every piece is done at the same time.
Leftovers: Keeps in the fridge for 2 days; reheat until piping hot. Cool leftover rice within 1 hour, keep it in the fridge for no more than 1 day and reheat it only once, until steaming hot.
Wednesday · 15 min · about £1.02 per serving in ingredients used
Lemony White Bean, Kale and Tomato Stir-Fry with Couscous
Garlicky white beans, kale and cherry tomatoes stir-fried with oregano and lemon, served over fluffy couscous.
Prep 5 min · Cook 10 min · Serves 1 · Amounts are scaled for your household.
VegetarianDairy-free (check labels)Kid-friendly
Ingredients
- 65 g couscous
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 65 g cherry tomatoes
- ½ × 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 40 g chopped kale (bag)
- ¼ lemon
- ¼ vegetable stock cube
- 2½ tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Contains: gluten, celery. Check the label: milk, soya, sulphites. Always read the labels if you cook for someone with an allergy.
Method
- Put the kettle on. Put the couscous in a heatproof bowl, crumble in the stock cube and pour over 100 ml of just-boiled water. Stir, cover with a plate and leave for 5 minutes.
- Heat 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok on medium-high heat and stir-fry the garlic and dried oregano for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until they start to burst.
- Add the beans and kale with 2½ teaspoons of water and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until the kale has wilted and the beans are hot. Finely grate the zest of the lemon and set it aside, then squeeze in the juice of half of it and season with salt and black pepper.
- Fluff the couscous with a fork, stir in the rest of the oil and the lemon zest, and serve the stir-fry on top with the rest of the lemon cut into wedges.
Tip: Let a few of the tomatoes burst and catch in the pan; their juices become the sauce for the beans.
Leftovers: Keeps in the fridge for 2 days; eat cold or reheat until piping hot.
Thursday · 20 min · about £1.10 per serving in ingredients used
Lemony Chickpea and Kale Soup with Cumin and Tahini
Chickpeas simmered with garlic, cumin and tomatoes, partly crushed to thicken, with kale and a tahini drizzle.
Prep 7 min · Cook 13 min · Serves 1 · Amounts are scaled for your household.
VegetarianGluten-free (check labels)Dairy-free (check labels)Kid-friendly
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- ¼ × 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- ¾ × 400 g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 40 g chopped kale (bag)
- ¼ lemon
- 15 g tahini
- 2½ tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ vegetable stock cube
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Contains: sesame, celery. Check the label: gluten, milk, soya, sulphites. Always read the labels if you cook for someone with an allergy.
Method
- Put the kettle on. Warm 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and fry the garlic for 1 minute until pale golden. Stir in the ground cumin and paprika for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes, the chickpeas, the crumbled stock cube and 175 ml of just-boiled water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, then crush about a third of the chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the soup.
- Stir in the kale and simmer for 2–3 minutes until tender. Squeeze in the juice of half the lemon and season with salt and black pepper.
- Meanwhile, whisk the tahini with the juice of the other lemon half and 2½ teaspoons to 1 tablespoons of water until smooth and pourable. Serve the soup drizzled with the tahini sauce and the rest of the oil.
Tip: Take the garlic off the heat as soon as it turns pale gold; browned garlic turns the soup bitter.
Leftovers: Fridge for 3 days or freeze for 3 months (without the tahini sauce); reheat until piping hot.
Friday · 43 min · about £1.92 per serving in ingredients used
Goan-Style Pork Vindaloo with Rice
Pork in a tangy, garlicky vinegar and spice sauce with real heat, a quick take on the Goan classic, with rice.
Prep 20 min · Cook 23 min · Serves 1 · Amounts are scaled for your household.
Gluten-freeDairy-free
Ingredients
- 75 g long-grain rice
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 5 g fresh ginger, finely grated
- 150 g pork fillet (tenderloin), cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- ¼ × 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- ¼ bunch coriander, chopped, to serve (optional)
- salt, to taste
- 2½ tsp cider or white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- ¼ tsp mild chilli powder
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp soft brown sugar
- 2½ tsp vegetable oil
Check the label: sulphites. Always read the labels if you cook for someone with an allergy.
Method
- Rinse the rice and put it in a saucepan with 150 ml of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender (if not, cover and cook 2–3 minutes more). Leave covered off the heat for 5 minutes.
- Mix the cider or white wine vinegar, garlic, fresh ginger, paprika, chilli flakes, chilli powder, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, soft brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt into a paste. Toss the pork in half of it. Wash your hands after handling the raw meat.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep frying pan on medium-high heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes until golden. Add the rest of the paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Using tongs, add the pork and stir-fry for 3 minutes until no longer pink on the outside. Add the tomatoes and 25 ml of water, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 8–10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the pork is cooked through (71°C).
- Take off the heat and let the curry rest for 2 minutes while you fluff up the rice. Scatter with coriander, if using, and serve with the rice.
Tip: Tenderloin cooks in minutes and turns dry if simmered long; for a slow, falling-apart version use pork shoulder and simmer it for 1½ hours.
Leftovers: The curry keeps in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for 3 months; reheat until piping hot. Cool leftover rice within 1 hour, keep it in the fridge for no more than 1 day and reheat it only once, until steaming hot.
