Feeling peckish but watching the purse-strings? Check out these recipes for tasty dinners from best-selling author and TV chef, Rachel Khoo. They’re budget-friendly and also easy to make. And, most importantly, taste better than a pricey takeaway.
Merguez Meatballs
“These French-inspired meatballs are both quick and economical. They’re gently spiced, wonderfully fragrant, and also come together in minutes — perfect for busy evenings. Serve them with couscous, rice, a simple green salad, or even tossed through spaghetti for a bistro-style supper”.
Serves 4. Prep time: 15 minutes; chilling time 60 minutes; cooking time 12 minutes.
Ingredients
- 500g lamb mince
- One onion
- Two large cloves of garlic
- One heaped tablespoon tomato paste
- Three teaspoons smoked paprika
- One teaspoon salt
- One teaspoon ground cumin
- Half teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Half teaspoon ground coriander
- Half teaspoon ground cayenne
- Zest of one lemon
- One to two tablespoons olive oil
Method
1 Peel and finely grate the onion and garlic into a large bowl. Next, add the lemon zest and all remaining ingredients.
2 Using your hands, massage the spices into the mince. If you have the time, let the mince rest for one hour, which will give the spices time to infuse the meat.
3 If refrigerated, remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking. Divide mince into 12 equal portions and then roll into balls.
4 Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs for several minutes on each side until browned and cooked through. Serve immediately.
Get ahead! The seasoned mince can be prepared a day in advance. Alternatively, after the one-hour rest, roll the mixture into balls and then freeze. Place them on a tray to freeze individually first, then transfer to a freezer bag once solid (this prevents them from sticking together).
Red velouté with herb butter baguettes
“This velouté is proof that the humblest cupboard staples — red lentils and tinned tomatoes — can be transformed into something silky, soothing and deeply satisfying. It’s nourishing, naturally economical, and comes together with very little fuss. Paired with herb butter baguettes, warm and fragrant from the oven, it feels far more luxurious than its ingredients suggest”.
Serves 4. Prep time: 15 minutes; cooking time 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- Four onions, peeled and finely sliced
- Four tablespoons olive oil
- One heaped table spoon tomato puree
- 200g red lentils
- 1000ml good quality vegetable stock
For the herb butter baguettes:
- 250g butter (plant based if desired), very soft
- Large handful of fresh parsley or 40g frozen parsley, defrosted
- One shallot
- Generous pinch of sea salt
- Four small baguettes or one large baguette
Method
1 Fry the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden. Stir in the vegetable stock, lentils, and tomato puree.
2 Simmer for 10 minutes or until the lentils are very soft, then blend until smooth. Pass through a sieve to make the soup extra smooth.
3 While the soup is cooking, make the herb butter baguettes. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Peel and finely chop the shallot. Finely chop the parsley (if using fresh) and then beat with the shallot, salt and the butter until it’s well combined. Use immediately or form into a block or sausage shape.
4 Next, every 2cm cut halfway through the baguette (not all the way through) to be able to put slices of the garlic herb butter in. Bake until the butter is melted and the baguette is golden.
Get ahead!
The soup can be made a couple of days in advance or be frozen for a month. Add some extra vegetable stock to get the desired consistency (the soup tends to thicken when chilled). The butter Can also be kept well sealed in the fridge for a week or frozen for a month.
Spring garden gratin with Kettle Chips crust
“This spring garden gratin is homage to those Parisian bistro classics that I adored during my time in the City of Light. The combination of tender spring vegetables in a pull-apart cheese sauce is casual French cooking at its best. It’s not too fussy and bursting with flavour. What makes this a truly special dish is the clever crust made from Kettle chips, arranged on top with vegetables peeping out like little garden plants. Bon appétit!
Serves 4 as a side or starter. Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 200g asparagus
- 75g fresh peas or sugarsnaps
- One large leek, washed thoroughly and finely sliced
- One clove of garlic
- 20g unsalted butter
For the cheese sauce:
- 25g unsalted butter
- 20g plain flour
- 250ml whole milk, warmed
- 100g Comté cheese, grated
- 750g Reblochon cheese, grated
- A sprig of fresh thyme
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
For the crust:
- 150g Kettle Chips Brie and Caramelised Onion flavour
- A bunch of chives
Method
1 Peel the garlic, cut it in half and then rub the cut half all over the insides of four ramekins.
2 Bring a pot of water to the boil with a generous pinch of salt. Remove the woody part of the asparagus and chop the stalk into 0.5cm rounds, leaving a 3cm long tip. Once the water comes to a boil, add the fresh peas or sugarsnaps and asparagus tips, boiling for two minutes then drain.
3 Add the butter to a pan and place on a medium heat. Once melted and bubbling add the sliced leeks and asparagus rounds. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
4 For the cheese sauce, place a pot on medium heat. Add the butter and once melted, stir in the flour. Take off the heat and whisk in the milk gradually. Place back on the heat and continue to whisk, also making sure to scrape the edges and base of the pan so the sauce doesn’t burn. Once the sauce starts to bubble, reduce the heat to low and whisk in the pepper, nutmeg and cheese. Stir in the leek mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning if required.
5 Divide the cheesy vegetable mixture between ramekins and arrange the Kettle chips on top followed by the blanched asparagus tips, sugarsnaps and chives. Serve immediately.
Chicken paillard sandwich with brown butter crispy capers
“Using the French paillard technique, you gently pound the chicken breasts until thin, helping them cook in minutes while making the meat go further. The brown butter and crispy capers add a nutty, salty richness, balanced by a crunchy slaw and vibrant mango dressing. Serve with crusty while rolls and mayonnaise.”
Serves 4; preparation time 30 minutes; cooking time: 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- Two chicken breasts with skin (approx. 300g total)
- Two tablespoons olive oil
- 50g unsalted butter
- Four tablespoons capers
- Generous pinch of salt
- Pepper
For the slaw:
- 200g green cabbage, thinly sliced
- One small onion, peeled (approx. 40g)
- One tablespoon olive oil
- Pinch of salt
For the mango dressing:
- 250g mango flesh, roughly chopped
- One lime
- One tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- One tablespoon olive oil
- Salt to taste
Method
1 Prepare the slaw by thinly slicing the cabbage and the onion and then tossing in a tablespoon of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt.
2 Next, make the mango dressing by combining the chopped mango, lime juice, vinegar and olive oil in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
3 Place each chicken breast between two sheets of cling film and using a meat mallet or rolling pin, gently pound the chicken until it is about 1cm thick. Season both sides.
4 In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts and cook for three to four minutes, skin side down, or until golden brown. Turn over and cook again for three to four minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Cut each chicken breast into two.
5 Finally, make the brown butter using the same frying pan. Add the butter and let it melt over medium heat. Add the capers. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns a deep golden brown and has a nutty aroma (about three to four minutes) and the capers have also crisped up.
6 Serve by spreading a spoon of mayonnaise onto the bun followed by the cabbage, chicken, mango dressing and bun top.
Recipes from Rachel Khoo’s weekly Substack newsletter Thank Me Later brings you weekly, feel-good recipes. www.rachelkhoo.substack.com
