Caitríona Redmond: My slow cooker beef curry takes 20 minutes to prep and feeds six

Plus these coffee ground biscuits are a tasty way to reduce food waste

Slow cooker beef curry is perfect for dinner on a chilly evening

Have I told you about my obsession with kitchen organisation? There are several reasons for why I try to be so organised. Staying on budget is top of the list because if I allow for contingencies and the unexpected, then I’m more likely to hit my financial targets.

For us, visual tricks and reminders help everyone. Sinéad Burke is a disability activist and member of the Council of State, and I always remember her pointing out that making any environment accessible is also making it inclusive. Whether your household has additional challenges or not, the tools that we use can make life easier for your home.

Take a whiteboard for example. I love how a calendar whiteboard can be wiped and amended depending on how our weekly schedule changes. Mine is size A1 and takes up a big area in the kitchen. With a glance I can see what activities are coming up in the week ahead; events, and training, then plan our meal. The rest of the family use this as their point of reference for reminders.

I then have a second whiteboard in the kitchen below the calendar. That is the workhorse of the kitchen. On one side we list the items we want in the weekly shop. Everybody can add their preferences and it can evolve into a wishlist rather than a shopping list, but we try. On the other side of the board is the meal plan so everyone knows what is available to pick from for breakfasts and lunches, and what will be for dinner.

Sequencing can be a challenge for some in my household. That means that they can struggle to follow instructions from a-to-b-to-c-to-d. Written lists with tickboxes or to-do lists can be a valuable visual reminder instead. We have lists for the morning and evening routines which I have laminated and hung in the hall. We tick off the items that have been completed with the trusty whiteboard marker. Recently, I installed a new app called ‘Goblin Tools’ on my phone. I simply type in the task that I want to do, such as ‘clean the kitchen’, and the app then uses AI to break the task down into a list of smaller jobs. It’s the first time where artificial intelligence has made an immediate difference to our lives. I don’t mind paying a few euro for the benefit it brings.

Coffee Economics

We all know by now that having a refillable coffee cup is a wise investment. In many coffee shops presenting a refillable cup will get you a small discount on your morning (or afternoon) ‘cuppa joe’.

It makes just as much sense to fill your coffee cup before you leave the house to save on expensive coffees bought at the counter. If your daily Americano costs €4, or €20 a working week, you can save an awful lot of money by making your coffee at home.

However, making your coffee at home can become quite the expensive endeavour if you are investing in coffee machines and disposable pods. Coffee machines are often the cheapest part of this equation as the manufacturers draw you in with deals, along with free coffee pods. This makes you a captive audience because there on out you will only buy the pods and that is where the profit margin is made, and where the most amount of single-use packaging is to be found.

Over time it is cheaper to buy a bag of beans, a coffee grinder, and a French press, then make your coffee from scratch at home. Thus saving money on your morning coffee and reducing your carbon footprint at the same time, it’s a win-win.

Coffee Ground Biscuits

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond

A tasty treat with a cuppa

Servings

18

Preparation Time

 18 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 43 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 125g butter, softened

• 150g caster sugar

• 1 medium egg

• 200g plain white flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp spent ground coffee

• 100g dark chocolate

• 20g butter (for the topping)

Method

1. Preheat a fan oven to 180°C. Grease and dust a small baking tray liberally (approximately 18cm diameter).

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light, beat in the egg. Add the flour, baking powder, vanilla extract and coffee. Beat together until you get a firm dough. Press into the greased baking tray with the back of a spoon.

3. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove carefully from the oven and while still piping hot, use a sharp knife to trace out the shape of the biscuits. Leave in the tray to cool completely before turning it upside down and tapping sharply. The biscuits should fall out and break apart easily.

4. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a “bain marie” (glass bowl over a pot of hot water). Mix until glossy and then dollop on top of the biscuits.

Slow Cooker Beef Curry

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond

This dish is suitable for all ages and diets

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 4 hours 30 mins

Total Time

 4 hours 50 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped

• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed/minced

• 1 large piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

• 2 tbsp mild curry powder

• 350g stewing beef, cut into chunks

• 1 tin coconut milk

• 100g frozen peas

Method

1. Put the tomato purée, butternut squash, onion, carrots, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and beef into the slow cooker. Stir well so that the curry powder and aromatic ingredients (onion, garlic, and ginger) are mixed throughout the dish. Add about 2 tablespoons of water at this stage, but not too much. It may seem very dry but it will cook fine.

2. I don't add any extra salt here because there is normally a small amount of salt in curry powder. This makes this dish suitable for all ages and diets. However, if you find it’s a bit bland you could also add a stock cube to the mixture, or a level teaspoon of salt before stirring and covering.

3. Put the lid on the slow cooker and turn to high for 4 hours.

4. After 4 hours, open the slow cooker and pour in the coconut milk and frozen peas. Stir well, then cover again for a further 30 minutes.

5. Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.