Caitríona Redmond: Making a lot with a little - and my recipe for Marmite chicken wings

Plus: bargain buys, and a recipe for crowd-pleasing yogurt muffins

Quick and easy favorites

Value food does not equate to bad or poor-quality food. There is a common misconception that food that is cheap is not the best for you.

Actually, fresh ingredients are excellent value. Providing you have the skills and equipment to cook from scratch at home, you can and will eat extremely well on a small budget.

Did you know that eating poorly can be just as easy to do when you are not scrimping on the grocery shopping? The truth is that people with more money can still make bad food choices, just spend a little bit more on the food that they buy and feel more virtuous for it.

I love the concept of organic, free-range, and higher-welfare foods. They are a choice I can make if I have the money. These types of food are the more eco-friendly option without a doubt.

Nutritionally, there are relatively few differences between organic and conventionally-produced food. If you are tight on funds it’s better to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats regardless of the method of production.

When I get a deal and pay less than I had intended, or even save money on my grocery shop, I feel good. I might even feel a little bit smug as I count over the savings into the bank account to cover an increased energy bill or a school tour.

I would even argue that it makes me feel better than a more expensive shop of premium brands and ingredients.

Knowing how to make the most of the ingredients I buy is key to extracting optimum value. You often see professional recipes online where people lash everything into the tray/slow cooker/air fryer and leave the ingredients to cook.

The very appetising results are shown but remember, most of the food you see has been specifically cooked and styled for the final shot. Different foods take varying times to cook.

By understanding which meats are tougher and need longer to be cooked and which vegetables are tender and require only a little heat, you will be able to make the most of the produce you have in your kitchen. This week, my chicken wings are cheap and delicious and my yoghurt muffins are perfect for Easter holiday snacks.

An induction hob uses less energy than a conventional hob

Home Economics 

Amidst all the talk about slow cookers and air fryers recently it’s easy to overlook other new kitchen technology such as the induction hob.

An induction hob uses less energy than a conventional hob because it’s swift to come to heat and cools quickly. The induction method uses magnets to convey the energy from the hob to the saucepan or frying pan. It’s for this very reason that adding induction to your kitchen may be more expensive than you think.

If your pans are not compatible with induction then not only would you be buying a new hob for the kitchen but you’d also have to replace all your pans. So what could be a fairly budget-friendly purchase could rapidly become out of budget.

You can check if your frying pan and saucepans are induction friendly by tapping the base of each with a magnet. If the magnet sticks, then it’ll work.

If you think you might like to buy an induction hob in the future then start slowly replacing your pots and pans one at a time so as to cushion yourself from a large bill.

Each of the main supermarkets has great deals on Easter eggs of all sizes this week.

Special Offers 

It’s all about the Easter eggs this week with only 1 more weekend worth of shopping until Easter Sunday. Each of the main supermarkets has plenty of offers for you to keep the Easter Bunny happy.

Selected medium-size Easter eggs are 3-for-€3 for Tesco Clubcard holders until the 9th of April.

There seems to be a wider variety of medium Easter eggs in Lidl on a 3-for-€4 offer, but you won’t need to be a loyalty club member to avail of this offer.

Aldi is the top of the pick for these branded Easter eggs, costing just 99c per egg but you’d want to get there early in the morning to make the most of this price.

If you’re not in the mood for more Easter eggs and would rather a more eco-friendly option for a seasonal gift why not buy a GIY GrowBox from SuperValu. Thanks to the pairing up of SuperValu and GIY you can pick up all you need to get started this spring and grow your own food at home, something I am a huge advocate of.

Marmite Chicken Wings

For air fryers or oven baking, chicken wings are a great value option for celebrations and special events. I make double and treble-sized batches of these moreish chicken wings and they fly off the table.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 29 mins

Total Time

 39 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Marmite

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 10 chicken wings, jointed (you can ask your butcher to do this for you)

• 1 lemon for squeezing and garnish before serving

Method

1. Take a large bowl and pour in the Marmite, soy sauce, black pepper and vinegar. Stir well. Add the chicken wings and coat well in the marinade. Cover the large bowl and leave to one side for at least 2 hours. I normally prepare BBQ wings in the morning and BBQ in the evening, allowing about 8 hours. Give the covered bowl a shake every hour or so to make sure that the wings stay coated well.

2. In the oven:

3. Preheat your (fan) oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes before serving.

4. Just before eating, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top.

5. In the air-fryer:

6. Fry at 170 degrees for 25 minutes, turning halfway through. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top and serve with garlic dipping sauce.

Fruity Yoghurt Muffins

The yoghurt in the cake batter keeps the cupcake moist for a number of days in a dry, sealed container in a cool place.

Servings

20

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 18 mins

Total Time

 48 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 130g butter at room temperature

• 90ml full-fat natural yoghurt

• 350g caster sugar

• 400g plain flour

• 200ml milk

• 3 large eggs

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 200g frozen berries or 50g freeze-dried berries

Method

1. Preheat your (fan) oven to 170°C.

2. Line your cupcake trays with the cases.

3. Place the bowl from your stand mixer or large bowl onto the weighing scales and directly weigh the following ingredients into the bowl: Butter, caster sugar, flour, baking powder.

4. Using your beating paddle, mix these ingredients until they resemble breadcrumbs.

5. Place your jug onto the weighing scales and weigh the following directly into the jug: yoghurt, milk, eggs.

6. Stir with the fork until all the ingredients are mixed together.

7. Make a well in your dry ingredients and pour in the wet from the jug.

8. Beat until you get a loose batter.

9. Mix in the berries – if using frozen berries, sprinkle the berries with a little extra flour before stirring into the batter.

10. With the large spoon portion out the cupcake batter into the cases, taking care not to fill more than 3/4 (three quarters) of the way up the case.

11. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

12. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.