Caitríona Redmond: Beat your budget with eggs and spuds, plus a quick recipe for leftover lamb

If you bought lamb for your Easter Sunday roast, you really don’t want to throw away any of that precious meat.

I couldn’t pick a better weekend to write about eggs!

Most people will know that eggs are a powerhouse of nutrition. Ask any registered dietician and they would be the first to tell you how great an egg is for amino acids and a healthy source of protein.

Per portion, eggs are the most economical animal-based protein you can buy to feed your family. Half a dozen medium free range eggs cost €1.95 at the time of writing this column; that’s a cost of 32.5c per egg. That is fantastic value; most people consider a single egg a portion. However, back in March 2022 that same half a dozen medium free range eggs cost €1.59. Even with the cost of food inflation taken into account, eggs remain my budget friendly protein, although I do recall the prices two years ago with envy.

There is always at least one tray of eggs in my fridge. That’s because the new guidelines say that eggs should be stored in the fridge. I know that it used to be that eggs could be stored on the countertop but this advice changed in the past couple of years. Nowadays I take the eggs out of the fridge about 20 minutes before baking or cooking to bring them to room temperature.

When times were particularly difficult, it was a tray of eggs and a bag of potatoes that got me through leaner weeks. I can cobble together any amount of meals with these two key ingredients in my stores. From a classic crispy fried egg with a runny yolk served with homemade chips to dip, to a Thai yellow curry using freezer vegetables and an egg on top, I know that the entire family will be happy and satiated.

In fact, there is a running family joke that any meal can be bettered with an egg on top. I’ve not tested it out yet but I suspect my husband is probably right. I still revert to my tried and tested tactic of bolstering my food budget if I need money for something else, and buying a large tray of eggs and a bag of spuds.

Living on a budget gives me choices. I choose to live on a tight budget because I can then allocate my money elsewhere to other things I need. For example, I paid for a big school tour this week from the excess I’d saved because I picked up a tray of eggs for protein in the weekly shops.

Ultimately, having more choices gives more freedom when it comes to days out, or even the odd holiday away. Maybe even in the future we can get rid of the mortgage and that would be a very good thing indeed.

Easter is a time of hope and mine is that we will be debt free in the future, one tray of eggs and bag of potatoes at a time!

Home Truths

We are now into the tender Irish produce season and you can expect to see some beautiful fruits and vegetables gracing the supermarket shelves in the weeks ahead. At the moment, my rhubarb is thriving and I am harvesting a stalk or two every few days to make crumbles, tarts, chutneys, and jams. It’s one of those seasonal ingredients that I really look forward to being ready.

While my homegrown cucumbers, peppers, strawberries, and tomatoes won’t be ready for at least another two months, Irish growers have been making the most of modern technology to get them to your table sooner. We are so lucky to have some of the best fresh produce in the world to choose from when we go shopping. Why not choose to support our farmers and choose Irish? You find what’s in season from the Bord Bia website.

Leftover Lamb Pasta

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond

This leftover lamb pasta recipe is especially designed for the itty bitty pieces that don’t come away easily when carving.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 200g pasta of your choice

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• Leftover lamb meat, finely shredded

• 5 cream crackers, crumbled

• 1 cup of peas (frozen or leftover from the day before)

• 1 tsp mint sauce (optional)

• 1 fresh chilli, chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and simmer your pasta according to the recommended time on the packet. Mine takes eight minutes to cook which is just about the amount of time it takes to prepare the sauce.

2. In a wide, deep saucepan or frying pan, heat the olive oil on a medium heat.

3. Add the garlic, crumbled crackers and meat. Stir well until they begin to brown. Lower the heat, add the peas and coat in the sauce. If using mint sauce to accentuate the lamb add a teaspoon now.

4. Strain the (now cooked pasta) and add the pasta to your sauce. Stir until completely coated. with the crumbly cracker/garlic/lamb mixture.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve with chopped fresh chilli on top.

6. Lovely with a fresh green salad, roasted cherry tomatoes or garlic bread.