Caitríona Redmond: My budget-friendly chicken burrito recipe is a crowd pleaser 

At the moment, we are thriving on a budget. Every week I am popping the surplus into a little fund so that we can have some time away this year. As we have a set goal to work towards it’s easier to rationalise being careful.

My kids love a burrito in a wrap; I prefer to skip the wrap and pile all my vegetables into a large bowl

It's hard to stay motivated when you don’t have a sense of your own value. Particularly when you’re stuck depending on assistance from Social Welfare or others to put food on the table and keep the house heated. This time of the year is incredibly difficult for those on a budget. The financial and emotional pressures are huge.

While money is an indicator of value, it’s not the only way of measuring our worth. Feeling valued in what we do is a huge motivator.

I measure my success in empty plates after mealtimes. It might be a small win to you but when the plate is virtually licked clean, it’s a massive win for me. 

If the plate is empty, then the family have enjoyed their meal. I’ve made the most of the ingredients I had to hand, there’s little food waste, and I’ve stuck to the budget. Less deliberate leftovers (when I have made enough for another day) is fewer plates to scrap and intensive cleaning sessions.

There’s a rule in this house that the person who cooks doesn’t have to clean up. It’s a fair and equitable system that motivates the kids to get involved in the cooking process. They also know that when their plates are clear that they’ve less clearing up to do themselves.

As the proverb goes; “teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. 

How to budget for a household, save money for the future if there is some leftover at the end of the week, and ultimately how to have life skills no matter what happens, is what I want my children to know and learn.

By involving them at every stage of this process they are being gently educated in my wily ways. As they get older, I know that they will have many challenges and hardships, and living on a budget shouldn’t be one of these.

At the moment, we are thriving on a budget. Every week I am popping the surplus into a little fund so that we can have some time away this year. Everybody feels part of the efforts to stay on track. As we have a set goal to work towards it’s easier to rationalise being careful.

The fact that the kids are on board with the target and playing their part makes it even more gratifying. The empty plates are a sign of success too. It’s all about finding the joy in the small wins.

This week’s recipes are crowd pleasers which guarantee clear plates in my household. Another win for the team.

Homemade Chicken Burrito

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

The secret to this burrito recipe is the spice rub for the chicken

Servings

5

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 50 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 1 medium chicken

• 1 tsp each of salt, dried cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, white pepper 

• 400g cooked rice 

• Cherry vine tomatoes, chopped 

• 1 tin blackbeans, drained 

• 1 red pepper, sliced 

• 4 scallions, chopped 

• Sour cream 

• Baby leaf salad 

• Tortilla wraps 

• Fresh lime or lemon juice 

• Fresh coriander

Method

1. Preheat a fan oven to 170°C. Combine the dried herbs and spices in a small bowl. Place the chicken into a large oven proof dish. Press the spice mixture onto the chicken and rub well so that it coats all the skin. Cover the dish with tin foil (or a lid if you have one).

2. Bake the chicken in the oven for 90 minutes. Take off the tin foil lid for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

3. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and serve with rice, tortilla and all the fresh ingredients. Squeeze a little lime or lemon juice on top before eating.

Food News 

The cheapest supermarket by far this week in my survey is Aldi. This is due to a special offer on potatoes which expires on February 1, so please don’t get your hopes up that shopping baskets will return to under €20 consistently.

Lidl has reduced vacuum-packed beetroot significantly to 69c for 500g. You could use this to make homemade pickles or you could put it to good use in my chocolate and beetroot cake from early April last year. The iefood section of the Irish Examiner website has a store of recipes and articles from all the food writers and it’s an excellent resource to refer to if you’re looking for culinary inspiration.

Money Saving Tip 

As I mainly focus on the ‘big 5’ supermarkets in this column you might think these are the best places to get value. In fact this isn’t always true. Many smaller shops have food items that are just as keenly priced and may be produced locally.

Spread your shopping wings to corner shops and beyond. Spar, Centra, and Costcutter all have value ranges that compete at the same price range as the bigger supermarkets. In fact, even Marks & Spencer can come in on budget if you’re careful about what you put into the shopping basket.

Besides, it’s boring shopping at the same supermarket every week, isn’t it?