Caitriona Redmond: How to make the perfect pre-trick-or-treating meal 

Plus money saving tips as we see rising prices in our weekly basket

Make these spooky Halloween treats from your leftover barmbrack.

Along with the big ticket announcements from the ECB , in the world of Irish Food, we’ve had marked changes in the price of weekly staples in our sample trolley.

There has been a shift in the cost of over €3 in some cases. The very first week we tracked prices back in March, an Aldi shopping basket cost €17.36. That same basket this week costs €20.21, an increase of €2.85 per week for just 11 items; over a year, an increase of €148.20.

I’ve learned a lot by tracking this sample basket. For example, when a simultaneous price increase is implemented by Tesco and SuperValu, it’s a signal that it’ll be reflected across all the supermarkets within a month. This week, that seems the case for a litre of full-fat milk, up by 10c in both supermarkets to €1.15.

A 10c rise may not seem much but in March that same litre cost 85c. In less than a year it has risen by 30c and it’s possible it may rise again.

There is no doubt Irish producers are struggling and need to request more for top-quality items they produce, like milk, eggs, and butter. They are a valuable part of our economy and our communities.

The knock-on effect of the necessary price increases highlights how the most vulnerable are at risk. To some, a price rise of €2.85 per week might be subsumed into their weekly budget, maybe with adjustments, but for others it’s the difference between buying every item on the shopping list or not.

Over the week ahead take a look at your grocery budget and see where you can economise by buying more own-brand items because price increases are here to stay and I believe there are more to come.

For the week that’s in it, I always plan for the kids to have a decent meal before trick or treating. That way there’s less chance of gorging themselves on junk food. While I said less chance, I realise it is still a possibility because it’s a proven fact that children have separate stomachs for desserts and treat foods.

A slow cooker meal means I will have a hot dinner ready for when the kids eat and, left on low heat, the adults can eat in peace after the final of many knocks on the door.

I’m making up these ghostly cake pops for a birthday party. Halloween celebrations are always great fun.

Slow Cooker Bean Chilli

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

By cooking up a slow cooker meal I will have a pot of hot dinner on the go for when the kids eat.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 3 hours 31 mins

Total Time

 3 hours 41 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• salt and pepper

• 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

• 500ml passata

• 1 tin kidney beans

• 1 tin chickpeas

• 300g broccoli, finely chopped

• 1 yellow pepper, sliced

Method

1. Place the onion, garlic, spices, seasoning, carrots, and passata into a slow cooker. Stir well.

2. Add in the beans and chickpeas and stir so that they are coated in the sauce.

3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook at high for 3 hours.

4. After 3 hours, add the finely chopped broccoli and sliced pepper then stir well. Cook for a further 30 minutes on high. This stops the softer vegetables from getting too soggy.

5. Serve with cooked rice or crusty bread. If you have any leftovers they will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for over a month.

Ghost Cake Pops

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

Use up leftover barm brack in this simple recipe and once prepared, use lollipop sticks for extra spooky hovering ghosts.

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 50g dark chocolate

• 25g butter

• 10ml golden syrup

• 100g fruit loaf or barmbrack

• 200g white fondant icing

• 30g icing sugar

• 1 drop black food colouring

• 1 tsp water

Method

1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and put into the ovenproof dish. Use the microwave to melt the chocolate. I normally zap for 20 seconds at a time and stir after every turn.

2. Once melted, stir in the butter and golden syrup. Crumble in the fruit loaf and stir well until every piece is coated in chocolate.

3. Cover your baking tray in cling film. Using the small spoon and clean hands, shape the mixture while it is still warm into little balls then place onto the covered baking tray. Once you have used up all the mixture, cover the baking tray with more cling film and chill for at least an hour.

4. To cover the balls, get a piece of fondant (shop bought is perfect) about an equal size to the truffle ball you want to cover. Place between 2 large pieces of cling film and roll until you get a large shape enough to cover the ball.

5. Remove and cover the ball of cake mixture with the rolls fondant. For the eyes, mix together the icing sugar, black food colouring and water. Using the tip of a cocktail stick, dip into the black sugar mixture and dab twice on each ghost.

6. Kept in a cool, dry place, these cake bites will keep for up to a week. If you prefer you can freeze the cake bites for up to a month before covering in icing and serving them. Handy for preparing in advance of parties!

Money Saving Tip 

Many supermarkets are now taking Christmas preorders for large items like turkeys and hams. It’s not just supermarkets though, you’ll find your local butcher and often gift shops are taking orders as well.

It might sound excessive getting an order in this early but fixing the price now and having a goal to work towards every week is easier to manage than a large bill in December. Paying off the cost of Christmas in increments can help manage your grocery prices over the weeks ahead. You also have the peace of mind that your important bits are on order and won’t be out of stock by the time you go to collect in Christmas week.

Special Offers

Dunnes Stores has a special offer on artisan cheese with 3 different kinds of cheese for just €10. If you have the self-restraint not to eat them all in the space of a week, firstly I’m impressed but secondly, most cheeses will keep well in the freezer for a month or more providing they are well insulated.

The battle of the Christmas box of sweets has commenced with discounts in all the main supermarkets, but you may need a loyalty card to redeem these. Tesco has the best price for Heroes, Celebrations, Roses, and Quality Street, at €3.99 for a 600g box providing you have your Clubcard to hand but all the supermarkets are close in price for these items. These boxes are all made of plastic and you may prefer a tin (the perfect receptacle for a sewing kit) but to buy a 900g tin of Heroes would set you back €12 with your Clubcard in Tesco.