Three budget-friendly summer dinners that are anything but boring

A British summer has never been known for its reliability, but dinner can at least make a convincing effort. This month’s Budget Bites collection, created with the team at Sorted Food, is built for those brief, precious stretches when the sun is out, the windows are open and nobody wants to spend the evening hovering over the hob.

These three recipes lean into the flavours we tend to crave when the temperature rises: smoky chorizo, cooling yoghurt, sharp citrus and fistfuls of fresh herbs. They are bright and generous without requiring a lengthy shopping list or the sort of commitment normally reserved for a Sunday roast.

First, prawns and crisp-edged chorizo are spooned, along with all their paprika-stained cooking oil, over a creamy whip of butter beans and feta. A heap of fennel, dill and parsley keeps things fresh. The second recipe turns courgettes into something worth getting excited about, roasting them until charred before tossing them with juicy tomato, chorizo, feta, herbs and crunchy ciabatta croutons.

Finally, tandoori-spiced chicken thighs are grilled until smoky at the edges and piled onto warm naan with lemony cucumber yoghurt, quick-pickled red onion and plenty of coriander and mint. It is messy, colourful and exactly the sort of food best eaten outside, weather permitting.

Created in response to the rising cost of living, our monthly Budget Bites column with Sorted Food proves that affordable cooking need not mean bland dinners or endless bowls of pasta. These are quick, punchy recipes designed to make a little money – and a little sunshine – go further.

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Chorizo prawns on whipped feta beans

This punchy dish is packed with texture and flavour – perfect for sharing (or not).

Ingredients:

400g tinned butter beans

100g feta

5 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

100g chorizo

150g raw king prawns

30g fresh dill

1 fennel bulb

15g fresh parsley

1 tbsp cider vinegar

Method:

1. Make the whip: drain one 400g tin of butter beans into a sieve over a bowl, reserving some of the bean water. Add the beans to a large mixing bowl with 100g of feta cheese. Pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add 2 tablespoons of the bean water, tear in 20g of dill and add a pinch of salt and pepper.

2. Blend: using a hand blender, blitz the beans and feta until smooth.

3. Prep the garlic and chorizo: peel and thinly slice 2 cloves of garlic. Cut 100g of chorizo in half lengthways, then into thin half moons.

4. Get frying: add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chorizo to the pan and let the fat render out from the chorizo, then add the garlic. Continue to fry the chorizo and garlic for 3-4 minutes until aromatic and golden in places.

5. Prawn time: add in 150g of prawns and stir everything together. Cook for 2 minutes until the prawns turn pink all over, then remove the pan from the heat.

6. Make the herb salad: thinly slice 1 head of fennel crossways and chuck it into a large mixing bowl. Tear over the remaining 10g of dill and 15g of parsley.

7. Dress: add 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to the bowl and give it all a toss to combine.

8. Plate it up: spread the feta bean whip on a large plate. Spoon over the prawns and chorizo along with all the oils in the pan. Top with a mountain of fennel herb salad and take the plate to the table. Enjoy!

Grilled courgette, chorizo and feta herb salad with croutons

A sunshine-packed salad that’s big on flavour. Smoky, crispy, zippy and creamy all at once – it’s fresh, bold, and anything but boring.

Ingredients:

2 courgettes

1 red onion

5 tbsp olive oil

125g chorizo

1 ciabatta (1x 250g)

1 beef tomato

1 lemon

2 tsp honey

15g fresh coriander

15g fresh mint

15g fresh parsley

75g feta

Method:

1. Preheat: preheat the oven to 230C. Slice 2 courgettes lengthways into quarters, remove the green tops, then chop them into bite-sized chunks. Halve, peel and cut 1 red onion into quarters, then separate the onion into large petals.

2. Char the veg: tip the courgette and onion petals onto a large roasting tray along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Give it all a good toss and spread the veg out into an even layer. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until charred in places and tender.

3. Cook the chorizo: heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Slice 125g of chorizo into ½cm rounds. Add the chorizo to the pan and allow the fat to render from the meat, then fry for a further 3-4 minutes until golden in places.

4. Prep the ciabatta: reduce the oven temperature to 180C. Tear or chop 1 ciabatta into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan with the chorizo. Give the bread a good toss to coat well in the oil, then season with saltand pepper.

5. Bake: place the pan into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the bread is golden and crunchy.

6. Get the tomato ready: dice 1 beef tomato into quarters, then into bite-sized pieces.

7. Get the salad ready: in a large mixing bowl, squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon, drizzle in 2 teaspoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and give it a whisk. Add the courgette, onions, tomato, chorizo and croutons to the mixing bowl. Tear 15g of coriander, 15g of parsley and 15g of mint leaves in. Crumble in 75g of feta cheese and season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.

8. Serve: toss everything together well then divide the salad between shallow bowls. Tuck in!

Zesty tandoori chicken flatbreads

Zesty, punchy, and full of colour – this is a total flavour bomb. It’s feel-good food that brings the sunshine.

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic

20g fresh ginger

1 green chilli

3 tbsp vegetable oil

150g Greek yoghurt

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp mild chilli powder

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander seed

4 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless

1 cucumber

15g fresh mint

15g fresh coriander

1 lemon

1 red onion

2 plain naans

Method:

1. Start prepping: peel 4 cloves of garlic and 20g of ginger.

2. Marinate: in a measuring jug add the garlic, ginger, 1 green chilli, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 50g of Greek yoghurt, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of mild chilli powder, 2 teaspoon of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric and 2 teaspoon of ground coriander seed, then blitz with a hand blender until smooth.

3. Get the chicken in: slice 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and toss them into a large mixing bowl, then pour the marinade over. Massage the chicken in the mix. Leave to sit while you prep the rest. Remember to wash your hands after handling raw meat! Preheat the grill broiler to its highest temperature and line a large baking tray with foil.

4. Grate the cucumber: coarsely grate 1 cucumber into a tea towel. Wrap it up and squeeze all the juice from the cucumber, then add the grated cucumber to another large mixing bowl.

5. Make the yoghurt: finely grate in the zest from 1 lemon and squeeze half the juice over the cucumber. Finely chop 15g of mint and 15g of coriander, then add half of each herb to the bowl, reserving the rest for garnish. Add the remaining 100g of Greek yoghurt, a big pinch of salt and pepper and give it a good mix to combine.

6. Cook the chicken: lay the chicken pieces on the lined tray, with space in between. Wash your hands, then pop the tray under the grill. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, until charred in places and cooked throughout. Get on with the rest of the dish while you wait.

7. Pickle the onion: reel and halve 1 red onion. Slice it thinly and add it to a medium mixing bowl. Squeeze over the remaining half a lemon and sprinkle over a pinch of salt, then massage the onion to coat.

8. Heat the naan: in the final minute of the chicken cooking, pop 2 naans into the oven to heat through.

9. Build and serve: arrange the naan on plates, and spread the yoghurt all over. Top with the tandoori chicken. Scatter over the onions and sprinkle over the remaining mint and coriander. 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.