Budget-friendly meal plan Sweet potato chilli

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Put a large deep casserole pan on a medium-high heat. Peel the sweet potatoes, placing them in the pan as you go. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fry for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until starting to get golden. Push to one side, add the cumin, let it sizzle, then spoon in the jar of chipotle chilli paste and add 2 jars’ worth of water. Tip in the chopped mixed veg, finely chop and add the coriander stalks, reserving the leaves, then bake for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and add the beans, juice and all, then the tomatoes, scrunching them in through clean hands, along with 1 tin’s worth of water. Stir well, then roast for another hour, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Season to perfection, then – if enjoying straight away – crumble over the feta and tear over the coriander leaves, to serve. Enjoy as is, batching up extra portions to stash in the fridge or freezer for future meals.

Tips

LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS:

Leftover coriander? Keep it wrapped in damp paper towel in the fridge drawer. Roughly chop and add to spicy soups, throw into stir-fries or sprinkle onto poached eggs.

Leftover feta? Feta is super versatile, but it doesn’t keep for a long time once opened, so store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Crumble into frittatas or over pasta. It’s also a delicious topping for pea soup.

FOR SWEET POTATO CHILLI SALAD BOWLS:

Reheat some chilli until piping hot, then layer in 4 bowls with rice (about 300g dry weight), some crunchy salad like shredded carrot (about 4) and juicy tomatoes (about 4); dressed with lemon and a handful of fresh coriander. Finish each with a dollop of yoghurt or soured cream, a drizzle of hot chilli sauce and a tiny bit of feta cheese (about 20g in total).

HOW TO FREEZE & DEFROST YOUR BATCH-COOK RECIPES:

Just remember – if you’re batch cooking, let food cool thoroughly before freezing – break it down into portions so it cools quicker, and get it into the freezer within 2 hours. And make sure everything is well wrapped, and labelled for future reference so you’re not playing freezer roulette! Simply thaw in the fridge before use, and use within 48 hours. If you’ve frozen cooked food, don’t freeze it again after reheating it.