The Spice People - Quick and Easy Meals for Two on A Budget

Your one-stop guide for two-weeks’ worth of delicious, easy dinners for two all for a combined $13 a night.

Between working, exercising, taking some ‘me’ time and getting the house work done, dinner is often the last thing on our minds. Being ill-prepared often leads us to the hordes of takeaway menus in the drawer resulting in expensive meals and our nutrition falling by the wayside.

Well, put down those takeaway menus because we’ve come up with a list of 14 easy, nutritious meals for dinner or lunch showing you that with just a little forward-planning and a cleverly curated shopping list, it’s easy to produce healthy meals for two on a budget.

We’ve comprised a shopping list for you along with some standard staples we think every pantry should have including 7 of our versatile spice blends that help you add maximum flavour the quick and easy way. We’ve made our list based on Woolworths supermarket prices to give you a basic ballpark but you can adapt it to any grocer you like.

Each meal has an easy-to-follow recipe guide with never more than 6 simple steps and never more than a 15-minute prep time. At the base of each recipe are protein-alternative and dairy-alternative suggestions as well as a veg option included to suit a range of diets and tastes. These recipes have been developed to suit even the most novice of cooks and have all been husband road tested and approved, so he’ll have no excuse not to share the cooking load with you. Each meal can also be easily augmented by double or even triple so you can have leftovers for a hearty lunch the next day or ready-to-go meals in the freezer on stand-by.

Week 1:

Your Woolworths shopping list:

2 x Avocados $4.00 1 x 1kg tub Greek yoghurt $3.9

3pk Turkish rolls $3.00 500g Beef mince $5.50

1 x Iceberg lettuce $1.80 1kg Long grain white rice $1.40

12pk Tortillas $3.80 400g Skinless barramundi

1 x bag rocket $2.00 1pk 250g tasty cheese $4.00

1pk 480g tomatoes $4.00 300ml cooking cream $2.80

3 x Lemons $1.68 2 x tins chopped tomatoes $2.00

3 x Sweet potatoes $2.50 2 x tins Mexican 3 bean Mix $1.60

1 x Garlic bulb $1 1kg Skinless chicken thighs $12.00

2 x Brown onions $0.88

2 x Red onions $1.06

1 x bunch coriander $3.00

Total: $73.92

Your The Spice People shopping list:

1 x Italian Spaghetti Herbs $3.45

1 x Mexican Taco Spice Mix – Salt-free blend $3.45

1 x Curry Indian Tandoori $3.45

1 x Mexican Burrito/Fajita Spice Mix $3.45

Click on the name title to add these products to your cart.

Total: $13.80

Your pantry staples: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, butter, plain flour

Monday - Italian Cheesy Beef Burgers & Sweet Potato Chips

Italian Spaghetti Herbs

Kick the week off right with this Italian take on a classic burger. With the addition of our fragrant Italian Spaghetti Herbs mix, the flavours of oregano, rosemary, parsley, roasted garlic and crushed chillies bring this seemingly simple beef patty to life. In my recipe, I add a dash of soy sauce which I find brings the perfect salty umami flavour but if you don’t have any on-hand, you can just add a pinch of salt. A lot of burger recipes you see include an egg for binding however, I’ve found it isn’t necessary. If you work the mince enough with your hands until you create a sticky consistency, the patties will hold together just fine and it removes the need for one more ingredient!

These scrumptious burgers are just what you’ll need to take away those beginning-of-the-week Monday blues.

Tuesday - Barramundi Fish Tacos with Guacamole

Mexican Taco Spice Mix

I always try to eat fish at least once a week – for both the nutritional benefits and the taste. These fish tacos are so easy to make and pack a big punch of flavour with the addition of our Mexican Taco Spice Mix. The spicy flour coating on these fish fillets crisps up the outside whilst the inside stays moist and juicy. Nestled in a soft tortilla with crisp iceberg lettuce and creamy guacamole, these delicious morsels take your Taco Tuesday to the next level!

Wednesday - Italian Beef Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Crusty Garlic Bread and Rocket Salad

Italian Spaghetti Herbs

Comfort food at its finest. These herby, fragrant Italian meatballs served in a rich tomato sauce are up there with one of my favourite comfort dishes to help get me through the week. Served with crusty homemade garlic bread to mop up all that sauce and a peppery rocket salad to freshen things up, these meatballs are as easy to make as they are delicious.

Thursday - Tandoori Chicken Curry with Garlic Rice and Coriander Yoghurt

Curry Indian Tandoori

I love a curry at least once a week and Chicken Tandoori is one of the easiest and tastiest ones in my repertoire. By using the Curry Indian Tandoori mix, it gives you the taste of 8 fragrant herbs and spices in one handy blend and adds all the flavour this aromatic curry needs. By marinating the chicken thighs in the spice mix, yoghurt and lemon juice first, it allows the spices to penetrate the chicken whilst the acid in the yoghurt and lemon juice tenderise the meat, resulting in super juicy chicken. Served atop fragrant garlic rice and a cooling, zingy coriander yoghurt, Thursday will be a major highlight in your week!

The added benefit of this dish is that the leftovers will be used the next night, making Friday’s dinner a breeze and eliminating waste.

Friday - Tandoori Chicken Wraps

Curry Indian Tandoori

These wraps are fast, fresh and super simple! By using the leftover chicken from the night before, assembling these wraps is a breeze and takes no time and no cooking. Plus, as we all know, those spicy curry flavours just get better with time, so your juicy, tender tandoori chicken morsels will be at their prime. Served with crisp iceberg lettuce, juicy tomatoes and cooling Greek yoghurt all wrapped up in a soft tortilla, these wraps are a winner, winner chicken dinner!

Saturday - Chicken Burrito Bowls

Mexican Burrito/Fajita Spice Mix

Burrito bowls are a favourite of mine – they mean I can pack a load of delicious, nutritious ingredients all into one handy bowl. They’re also so versatile so I can usually load in whatever veggies or meat I have on-hand. This take has tender Mexican-spiced chicken thighs served on bean rice with fresh salad ingredients, creamy guacamole and zesty Greek yoghurt – need I say more?

Sunday - Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Mexican Burrito/Fajita Spice Mix

I like to travel the globe in my kitchen every week and as you can tell, Mexico is a frequented destination. I just love the clever balance of sweet, spicy and zesty that this cuisine gives and how healthy and wholesome real Mexican cooking can be. This dish takes ‘baked potatoes’ to a whole new level. These bulging sweet potatoes are stuffed with a flavoursome Mexican bean mix, covered in cheese and baked until oozy and golden. Served with the freshness of guacamole, Greek yoghurt and coriander, there will be no missing the meat in this whopper of a vegetarian dish. Super delicious, wholesome and nutritious.

Week 2:

Your Woolworths shopping list:

1 x whole cauliflower $3.80 1kg lamb leg $14

½ red cabbage $3.30 1kg chicken marylands $6.50

1 x bag rocket $2.00 500g skinless basa fillets $5.00

12pk Tortillas $3.80 1pk 200g panko breadcrumbs $2.30

1pk 480g tomatoes $4.00 300g raw peeled prawns $10.50

1 x 420g can black beans $0.80 270ml coconut milk $2.40

500g bag lemons $3.00

500g washed potatoes $2.00

1x kale bunch $4.00

2 x garlic bulbs $2.00

1 x continental cucumber $2.00

1 x bunch coriander $3.00

1 x red onion $0.53

1 x bunch mint $3.00

1 x eggplant $1.89

1 x brown onion $0.45

1 x lime $0.96

Total: $81.23

Your The Spice People shopping list:

1 x Middle Eastern Za’atar $3.45

1 x Curry Madras Mild Blend $3.45

1 x Greek Gyros Seasoning $3.45

Click on the name title to add these products to your cart.

Total: $10.35

Your pantry staples: olive oil, eggs, salt and pepper, plain flour

Leftover ingredients form the week before: Greek yoghurt, Mexican Taco Spice Mix

Monday – Middle Eastern Za’atar-Crusted Fish and Eggplant Chips

Middle Eastern Za’atar Spice Mix

This dish takes a family favourite, turns it on its head and adds a Middle Eastern twist. The basa fillets are cooked in the oven until their crunchy Za’atar-studded, crumbed outsides turn golden and their pure white insides are juicy and succulent and served alongside one of my favourite side dishes – eggplant chips. These are shallow-fried in olive oil until their outsides closely resemble their fishy friend and the inside is soft and gooey – yum!

I cook the fish in the oven and the chips in the pan so they can cook concurrently, however both can be done in the pan or in the oven. A lemony, peppery rocket salad is the perfect fresh accompaniment to this reinvented takeaway classic.

Tuesday – Cauliflower and Black Bean Tacos with Coriander Slaw and Zesty Yoghurt

Mexican Taco Spice Mix

This instalment of Taco Tuesdays is a vegetarian option, but don’t let that put you off; these little veg pockets are packed with flavour and a texture sensation that will have a Mexican fiesta in your mouth. The cauliflower florets are coated in our delicious Mexican Taco Spice Mix and roasted until they turn to crisp golden nuggets with tender innards and served in a soft tortilla with the almost creamy texture of black beans, fresh crunch of red cabbage, a fragrant hit of coriander and a zesty yoghurt dressing.

Wednesday – Roast Lamb with Greek Lemony Potatoes and Garlic Kale

Greek Gyros Seasoning

Us Aussies love our lamb, especially when it’s in a good old roast. This dish is a Greek spin on a classic with tender, juicy Gyros-seasoned roast lamb, garlicky sautéed kale and my Greek lemony potatoes that are roasted in a lemon/olive oil/garlic/gyros bath until all the liquid has been soaked up and the outsides turn sticky and caramelised - the perfect accompaniment to our national meat!

Thursday – Leftover Lamb Souvlakis with Easy Pickled Onion

Greek Gyros Seasoning

There isn’t much better than a roast lamb, except the yummy leftovers you get the next day! These homemade souvlakis couldn’t be easier to make and highlight the delicious Greek lamb with just a few fresh and simple accompaniments including my speedy picked red onions – this simple condiment adds a great picante crunch to lots of different dishes and by steeping the onions in lemon juice and salt it takes out the acrid burn we often associate with raw onion and you’re left with a sweet and zesty flavour bomb.

Friday – Za’atar Cauliflower Fritters with Slaw and Crispy Kale

Middle Eastern Za’atar Spice Mix

This isn’t just any ordinary loaded plate of veg – the spices and textures in this dish take it these fritters to the next level – with the zesty flavour of sumac, fragrant herbs and crunch of the sesame seeds in the Middle Eastern Za’atar, the golden, tender cauliflower fritters and the crunch of crispy oven-baked kale, this dish is a flavour sensation and sure beats a Friday takeaway. The ultimate fast, fresh, simple and super-wholesome dish.

Saturday - Crispy-Skinned Madras Chicken Marylands with Fresh Salsa

Curry Madras Mild Blend

This dish has the best of a curry and a roast in one super-tasty dish and it’s so simple to make! The Madras Curry marinade penetrates the chicken with mega flavour and creates a crispy crust on the outside when cooking whilst the yoghurt works to tenderise the meat inside, keeping it super juicy and delicious. To let the curried chicken sing, I just serve it with a fresh salsa of coriander, tomato, cucumber and lemon juice – if you’re a little hungrier you can serve this with some rice, just follow my steps in the next recipe or the Tandoori Curry recipe from last week.

Sunday – Prawn Madras Curry with Garlic Rice

Curry Madras Mild Blend

A prawn curry is definitely one of my favourites; the sweet, succulent, tender prawns lend themselves so well to a rich, creamy curry sauce and our Madras Mild blend has the perfect aromatic flavours of a madras without the mega heat hit, so is great for the whole family. This curry couldn’t be simpler and can be made quicker than you can find the local Indian takeaway menu.

I hope our guide has helped to show you just how easy it can be to produce healthy meals that don’t break the bank and don’t scrimp on flavour. By buying just a few carefully selected versatile ingredients, they can be mixed and matched and stretched a little further to save you money and save on food waste. These recipes are also super versatile so you can sub-in any ingredients that you already have on-hand. Enjoy a fortnight of globe-trotting from the comfort of your kitchen and stay tuned for more healthy, affordable meal ideas.

Ciao,

Liz