Spring might be in the air – but the cost of living crisis isn’t going anywhere. So once again, we’ve teamed up with Sorted Food to bring you Budget Bites – a monthly dose of quick, affordable and, crucially, actually delicious recipes. This time, we’re all about spring’s best, making the most of new potatoes, asparagus and leeks, because eating well doesn’t have to mean rinsing your bank account.
This month’s line-up? A silky miso-dressed cod with spring veg, a proper comfort bowl of braised lentils with crispy fried eggs and a frittata so good you won’t believe it’s mostly potatoes and eggs. Simple, seasonal and easy on the wallet – just how we like it.
To make things even easier, we’ve put together a handy shopping list, so you can grab everything you need in one go. Now, onto the good stuff.
Shopping list
- 1 brown onion
- 750g new potatoes
- 1 large leek (approx 180g each)
- 250g asparagus
- 2 lemon
- 4 clove garlic
- 20g fresh chives
- 60g rocket
- 80g watercress
- 140g diced pancetta
- 2 cod fillets, skinless
- 6 large eggs
- 20g unsalted butter
- 12 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 chicken stock cube
- ½ tbsp miso paste
- 400g tinned green lentils
- 100g frozen edamame beans
- 187ml white wine
Baked cod with miso dressing spring veg
Tip: If you can’t get your hands on cod, why not use haddock instead?
Ingredients:
500g new potatoes
2 cod fillets, skinless
1 lemon
3 tbsp sesame oil
½ tbsp miso paste
1 clove garlic
100g frozen edamame beans
20g rocket
20g unsalted butter
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a small baking tray with baking paper – this will be for the cod later. Fill a kettle with water and put it on to boil – this will be for the potatoes.
2. Cut 500g of potatoes in half and tip them into a medium saucepan along with a generous pinch of salt.
3. Cover with boiling water from the kettle, place the pan over a high heat and cook for 9-11 minutes, until nearly soft. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
4. Place 2 fillets of cod onto the lined tray. Finely grate over the zest from 1 lemon and drizzle over 1 tbsp of the sesame oil. Season with salt and turn the fish over in the oil mix to make sure everything is coated.
5. Bake the cod in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the flesh flakes easily and there is little resistance when a knife is pushed into it. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
6. Squeeze the zested lemon from earlier into a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of sesame oil and 0.5 tbsp of miso. Peel, then finely grate in 1 clove of garlic.
7. Beat the dressing together.
8. Once the potatoes are ready, add 100g of edamame beans and 20g of rocket. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, until the beans are soft and the rocket has wilted.
9. Drain the veg through a colander over the sink, then tip them into the bowl with the
10. Add 20g of butter and toss everything together. Season to taste with salt.
11. Divide the dressed veg between bowls and top with a baked cod fillet. Tuck in!
Spring braised lentils with fried eggs
Tip: This recipe also works really well with pre-cooked puy lentils if you can afford them.
Ingredients:
70g diced pancetta
4 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion
2 cloves garlic
187ml white wine
400g tinned green lentils
250g asparagus
80g watercress
1 chicken stock cube
2 large eggs
10g fresh chives
Method:
1. Tip 70g of pancetta and 2 tbsp of the oil into a large frying pan and place it over a medium-high heat. Fry for 6-7 minutes, until golden. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
2. Halve, peel and finely dice 1 onion, then peel and mince 2 cloves of garlic.
3. Once the pancetta is ready, add the garlic and onion. Fry for a further 6-7 minutes, until soft and translucent. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
4. Cut and discard the woody bottom 2cm from 250g of asparagus. Cut what remains into 3 crossways.
5. Once the onion and garlic are ready, add 187ml of white wine to the pan. Reduce by 3⁄4, this should take 3-4 minutes.
6. Once the wine has reduced, add 1 undrained 400g tin of lentils and crumble in a stock cube. Add 100ml of water.
7. Add the prepared asparagus and 80g of watercress then fold everything together.
8. Simmer for a further 5-6 minutes, until the asparagus is soft and the watercress has wilted fully. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
9. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil to a medium frying pan and place it over a high heat.
10. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, crack in 2 eggs. Fry for 3-4 minutes, until the whites are set and crispy on the bottom, but the yolks still have a wobble. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
11. Finely chop 10g of chives. Once the lentils are ready, fold 3⁄4 of them through, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Divide the lentils between bowls and top each mound with a crispy egg. Scatter over the reserved chives and serve.
Pancetta, leek and new potato frittata with rocket salad
Tip: This recipe really benefits from using a non-stick pan, but use a little more oil if you haven’t got one.
Ingredients:
250g new potatoes
8 tbsp olive oil
70g diced pancetta
1 large leek (approx 180g each)
4 large eggs
1 lemon
1 clove garlic
10g fresh chives
40g rocket
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Cut 250g of potatoes into 0.5cm thick slices. Chuck them into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add 2 tbsp of the oil, a generous pinch of salt and toss everything together. Cover with cling film.
4. Cook in the microwave on full power for 8-10 minutes, until soft. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
5. Tip 70g of pancetta and 2 tbsp of oil into a medium, oven proof frying pan and place it over a medium heat. Fry for 5-6 minutes, until nearly golden. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
6. Cut 1 leek in half lengthways and wash out any dirt from between its layers. Cut crosswise at 1cm intervals.
7. Once the pancetta is ready, add the leek. Fry for a further 5-6 minutes, until soft. Crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait.
8. Beat 4 eggs in a large mixing bowl with a pinch of salt.
9. Once the potatoes are ready, fold them through the eggs. Then, fold through the leeks and pancetta once they are ready too.
10. Add 2 tbsp of oil to the frying pan you used earlier and place it back over a medium heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, tip in the egg mix. Fry undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, to give it a head start before the oven.
11. Whack the whole pan into the oven for 6-8 minutes, until the frittata is set and golden in a few places. Get on with the rest of the dish in the next steps while you wait.
12. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil to the bowl you used to cook the potatoes in. Finely grate in the zest from 1 lemon, squeeze in its juice, then peel and finely grate in 1 clove of garlic. Beat with a fork and season to taste with salt.
13. Finely chop 10g of chives, then crack on with a bit of washing up while you wait for the frittata.
14. When the frittata is nearly ready, toss 40g of rocket and 3⁄4 of the chives with the dressing.
15. Once the frittata is ready, turn it out onto a board and cut it into 6 wedges.
16. Serve the frittata wedges with mounds of the rocket salad on plates. Scatter over the remaining chives and serve!
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.
