A good dressing is one of the cheapest ways to make dinner taste far more interesting. A squeeze of citrus, a spoonful of mustard, a handful of herbs or a few salty anchovies can transform simple ingredients, adding brightness, richness and punch without requiring a trolley full of extras.
That is the thinking behind this week’s Budget Bites, our series created in collaboration with Sorted Food in response to the cost of living crisis. The idea is simple: easy, accessible recipes that make the most of affordable ingredients, with plenty of crossover between dishes to keep food waste, washing up and the weekly shop to a minimum.
This time, the focus is on dressings and sauces – small additions that do a disproportionate amount of work. Lamb leg steaks are paired with an orange salsa verde sharpened with anchovies and olives, then served with courgettes and new potatoes. Salmon gets a crunchy peanut and seed crust with a vivid coriander and yoghurt dressing, while a quick pasta salad combines charred courgette and broccoli with tomatoes and a punchy lemon, caper and anchovy dressing.
As ever, the recipes are designed to share ingredients wherever possible, so spinach, coriander, anchovies, courgettes, new potatoes and Tenderstem broccoli all earn their keep across more than one meal rather than ending up forgotten in the fridge.
We have also put together one handy shopping list for the whole set, making it easier to buy once, cook through the recipes and get maximum value from every ingredient.
Shopping list
- 750g new potatoes
- 3 courgettes
- 200g Tenderstem broccoli
- 200g cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic
- 30g fresh parsley
- 200g fresh spinach
- 30g fresh coriander
- 2 lemons
- 1 orange
- 2 lamb leg steaks
- 2 salmon fillets, skin on
- 150g Greek yoghurt
- 40g hard Italian cheese
- Olive oil
- Vegetable oil
- Sesame oil
- Cider vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- 60g tinned anchovies
- 60g green olives
- Capers
- Chilli flakes
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Cumin seeds
- 20g roasted peanuts
- 200g dried pasta penne
Lamb with orange salsa verde
open image in gallerySeared lamb steaks piled with a punchy orange salsa verde spiked with anchovies and olives, a zesty spin on the classic herb sauce.
Ingredients:
400g new potatoes
1 orange
20g fresh parsley
100g fresh spinach
10g fresh coriander
60g green olives
30g tinned anchovies
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lamb leg steaks
2 courgettes
Method:
1. Halve 400g of new potatoes and add them to a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water, season generously with salt and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until soft throughout. Drain the potatoes and leave to steam in a colander.
2. Zest and juice 1 orange. Finely chop 20g of parsley, 100g of spinach and 10g of coriander. Halve 60g of green olives. Finely chop 30g of anchovies. Peel and finely grate 2 cloves of garlic.
3. Add the orange zest and juice, chopped herbs, spinach, olives, anchovies, garlic, 2 tbsp of cider vinegar and 3 tbsp of olive oil to a medium mixing bowl. Mix well and season with black pepper.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Season 2 lamb legs steaks with salt and pepper and fry for 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare, or longer for your preferred doneness. Wash your hands after handling raw meat.
5. Transfer the lamb steaks to a chopping board, to rest. Keep the empty frying pan over a low heat, for the next step.
6. Trim and cut 2 courgette into 2cm chunks. Add the courgettes to the same large frying pan and turn up the heat to medium-high. Fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown.
7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked courgettes and new potatoes. Add half of the orange salsa verde and toss well to combine.
8. Divide the dressed potatoes and courgette between the plates. Slice the lamb steaks and serve alongside on the plate. Spoon over the remaining orange salsa verde. Tuck in!
Nut-crusted salmon with coriander dressing
open image in gallerySalmon in a crunchy peanut, seed and spice crust, served over zesty coriander-yoghurt dressing with roast potatoes and charred greens.
Ingredients:
350g new potatoes
2 tbsp sesame oil
½ tsp chilli flakes
100g fresh spinach
20g fresh coriander
1 lemon
150g Greek yoghurt
20g roasted peanuts
15g pumpkin seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 salmon fillets, skin on
150g Tenderstem broccoli
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper, and boil a kettle of water.
2. Halve 350g of new potatoes and add them to the lined tray. Toss with 1 tbsp of sesame oil and ½ tsp of chilli flakes, season with salt and roast for 20-21 minutes, until beginning to soften and brown.
3. Add 100g of spinach and 20g of coriander to a large measuring jug. Pour over enough boiling water to cover and leave for 1-2 minutes, until wilted. Drain well from the jug.
4. Add the juice from ½ lemon and 1 tbsp of sesame oil to the same large measuring jug and blend until smooth using a stick blender, adding a little cold water if necessary. Stir in 150g of Greek yoghurt and season with salt and pepper.
5. Add 20g of roasted peanuts, 15g of pumpkin seeds, 2 tsp of sesame seeds, 1 tsp of coriander seeds and 1 tsp of cumin seeds to a second large measuring jug. Pulse to a rough, chunky crumb using the hand blender.
6. Place 2 salmon fillets onto a small plate and season with salt and pepper. Press the seed mixture firmly onto the top of each fillet. Wash your hands after handling raw fish.
7. Once the potatoes have roasted for 20 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and add 150g of tenderstem broccolis. Place the salmon fillets onto the tray and return to the oven for 14-16 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through and the crust is golden.
8. Spoon the coriander dressing onto plates and top with the potatoes, tenderstem broccoli and salmon. Finish with wedges from the remaining ½ lemon. Dig in!
Anchovy pasta salad
open image in galleryTender pasta with charred courgette and broccoli, cherry tomatoes and a punchy lemon-caper dressing.
Ingredients:
1 courgette
50g Tenderstem broccoli
2 cloves garlic
200g dried pasta penne
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp capers
½ tsp chilli flakes
200g cherry tomatoes
10g fresh parsley
30g tinned anchovies
1 lemon
2 tsp Dijon mustard
40g hard Italian cheese
Method:
1. Trim and cut 1 courgette into half-moons. Trim and thinly slice 50g of tenderstem broccolis on a diagonal. Peel and finely grate 2 cloves of garlic.
2. Fill the kettle with water and put it on to boil. Place 200g of dried pasta into a large saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until al dente, and then drain with a sieve.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the courgette and tenderstem broccoli and fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and brown.
4. Add the garlic, 2 tbsp of capers and ½ tsp of chilli flakes to the pan. Fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring regularly, until fragrant.
5. Meanwhile, halve 200g of cherry tomatoes and finely chop 10g of parsley. Finely chop 30g of anchovies and zest 1 lemon.
6. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the parsley, anchovies, the zest and juice of the same lemon, 1 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tsp of Dijon mustard. Season with black pepper.
7. Add the pasta to the same large frying pan with the vegetables and 20g of grated hard Italian cheese. Pour over the dressing and add the cherry tomatoes. Stir well until everything is coated.
8. Divide the pasta salad between bowls. Use a peeler to shave over the remaining 20g of hard Italian cheese. Dig 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.