Tandoori king prawns with oriental carrot and courgette salad

This was literally a case of needing to do something with king prawns, but having very little else in the kitchen. This 'oriental salad' was just interesting enough to add freshness and complexity to the final platter.

Ingredients:

King prawns (reduced from £2.78 to £1.02)

1 carrot (leftover in fridge)

1 courgette (leftover in fridge)

Few cherry tomatoes (leftover in fridge)

Small ciabatta loaf (reduced to 39p)

Quarter of a lemon (leftover in fridge)

Tandoori massala powder (storecupboard)

Soy sauce

Balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

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Marinate king prawns in a little oil, the tandoori powder and lemon juice.

For the salad:

Cut the carrot and courgette into ribbons using a potato peeler.

Mix in a bowl with a little olive oil, a generous drizzle of lemon juice, a little soy sauce and a little balsamic vinegar. 

Season with salt and pepper (but remember the soy sauce is very salty).

Serve with sliced ciabatta and quartered tomatoes.

Total cost: £1.41
Served 2
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Squid antipasto with lemon and chilli

This reduced squid was lurking in the freezer and something needed doing with it!  It was such a small amount that making an antipasto starter seemed ideal.

Ingredients:

Squid (reduced from £1.54 to 79p)

Fresh red chilli (leftover in fridge)

Quarter of fresh lemon (leftover in fridge)

Parsley (fresh from garden)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

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• Slice squid and fry on cast iron skillet.  Season and drizzle with fresh lemon juice.
• Let squid cool completely.  Cut into smaller pieces. 
• Mix with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, chopped chilli, chopped parsley and sliced lemon rind. 
• Season and refridgerate, ideally overnight.

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Total cost: 79p

Tandoori chicken masala sandwiches with coarse chilli salsa

These sandwiches were made using the leftover ingredients from the previous recipe as well as items found in the kitchen.  A hearty and tasty sandwich was the result.  Some chopped fresh coriander would be perfect in the salsa.

Ingredients

Marinated chunked chicken thigh (leftover)

Natural yoghurt (leftover)

2 bread buns - 40p

For the coarse chilli salsa

2 finely chopped fresh chillis

2 large tomatoes (coarsely chopped)

Half a small red onion (coarsely chopped)

Quarter of a lemon (for juice)

(all items left over in fridge)

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• 
  
  
  Grill kebabs
• 
  
  Slice ingredients for chilli salsa, mix in bowl, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with lemon juice
• 
  
  Spread rolls with yoghurt
• 
  
  Fill with chicken and generous amount of the chilli salsa

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Tandoori chicken kebabs

I have made these delicious kebabs before using chicken breast, but I think that using meat from the thigh is more succulent and there is more surface to coat in the marinade.  Brushing the vegetables with a little oil helps prevent them burning, and running the wooden skewers under water before use stops them burning too.

Ingredients:

12 skinned boneless chicken thighs - reduced from £3.00 to £2.10 for six

Fresh pepper - 68p

Red onions - about 25p (50p a bag)

Pot low fat natural yoghurt - 47p

Tandoori masala powder

Olive oil

2 naan bread - 88p

Sliced tomato - left over in fridge

• 
  
  Remove fat and cut chicken into bite sized pieces.  Put in bowl, sprinkle with tandoori masala powder and mix with some oil, until chicken is coated.  Add several tablespoons of plain yoghurt and stir through.  Leave to marinade in fridge for at least several hours, but as long as possible.
• 
  
  Cut fresh pepper and red onion into large chunks and place on wooden skewers intermittently with chicken.
• 
  
  Grill kebabs until cooked. 
• 
  
  Serve with naan bread, yoghurt and sliced tomato.

Served 2