Caitriona Redmond: Why putting your spices in fancy jars won't make them last 

And why now is the time to stock up on hot cross buns

Stock up on hot cross buns today with these tips. 

Think of the store cupboard like the superhero of the frugal household. It is my hero cabinet.

I buy the same staples week in, week out. The reason for this is that I tend to have my shopping list honed to get the most out of my budget. This is where the spices, herbs and store cupboard tricks come in and change a standard plain meal into something memorable.

It’s also where I turn if I’ve run out of fresh ingredients or am trying to cut back on the spending in a particular week. You can be guaranteed I’ll get at least one carbohydrate, one protein option and plenty of snacks from the press.

The costs will vary but when on a budget stick to own brand jars and refill sachets. Prices range from 39c-€1.20 depending on the supermarket but I keep these items on a rotation in my weekly shop. My most common dried herbs are oregano and thyme, then for spices I depend on paprika (regular and smoked), garlic granules, ground cumin, coriander, and curry powder. These are excellent basics to keep in your press for dinner emergencies.

There’s a trend at the moment to decant all your herbs, spices, and dried goods into lovely jars and label them up. Remember the wrapping your food comes in is designed to make your food last. There is nothing wrong with leaving food in the packaging you’ve bought it in, in fact it’s more likely to stay fresher for a longer amount of time even if it doesn’t look as attractive on the shelf.

If you do open a package there is nothing wrong with using a food clip or (in my case) a clothes peg to keep it sealed until the next time. Necessity is the mother of all invention and will save you money!

As the weather is beginning to improve I’ll sow some seeds for the softer herbs on the windowsill so that I can brighten up meals from my own stash. Herbs bought in a pot in the supermarket are lovely but expensive and they unfortunately rarely last.

For the cost of a few seeds in a yoghurt pot I can sow, grow, cut, and grow again my own delicious basil, mint, chives, parsley and so much more.

Deals of the week

I will be tracking the cost of a basket of groceries in the supermarkets over the coming weeks, you’ll see this week’s findings below along with my picks for the best value deals on shelf this week.

Supermarket sweep 

This week Aldi continues to be the cheapest of the Irish supermarkets for the Irish Examiner sample shopping basket. However, this changes on Monday when their special offers expire, at which point Dunnes Stores becomes the cheapest followed closely by Lidl. It just goes to show how much of a difference special offers can make to your shopping each week.

Hot cross buns 

From today keep an eye out for discounted hot cross buns as Good Friday has passed. They should be marked with yellow stickers in all the supermarkets and they will keep well in the freezer if you don’t want to eat them right away.

Spring clean 

With the Easter holidays underway and this long weekend it’s the perfect opportunity to get spring cleaning. Supervalu is well clued into this trend with many branded cleaning sprays and laundry items reduced to half price this week.

Gin & tonic lemon cake

I love this twist on a classic. Feel free to leave out the gin — the sour cream results in a super moist cake which keeps well for days.

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 55 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Course

 Baking

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 75g unsalted butter, softened

• 250g sour cream or crème fraîche

• 250g caster sugar

• 3 medium eggs

• 500g plain flour, sieved

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 lemon (must be unwaxed)

• 2 limes (must be unwaxed)

• 100g icing sugar (for the glaze)

• 1 shot gin (optional)

Method

1. Line a 2lb loaf tin well with greaseproof paper. Preheat your (fan) oven to 170°C.

2. Beat together the butter and 175g (this means you must leave some for the glaze) of the crème fraîche until you get a loose mixture, stir in the caster sugar, then the eggs and beat again until it begins to dissolve. This mixture will be runny, don’t worry!

3. Sift in the flour and baking power and beat again until you have a thick batter. Using a fine grade grater, grate in the rind of half a lemon and one lime. Juice the grated lime and half a lemon into the batter and add the gin here if you want to add it to the cake. Stir well.

4. Pour the cake batter into the loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. After 45 minutes, insert a skewer into the middle to see if the cake is cooked. If it is clean then remove the cake and leave it to cool completely on a wire rack. If not, return the loaf tin to the oven for a further 10 minutes before testing again.

5. When the cake is completely cold, grate the second lime rind and the other half of the lemon rind onto a saucer and set it to one side. Make the glaze by beating together the remaining crème fraîche with the juice from the second lime and lemon half along with the icing sugar. While the cake is still in the loaf tin, pour the glaze on top then sprinkle with the grated lemon and lime rind.

6. Put the loaf tin into the fridge to chill for at least two hours before lifting out the cake and slicing — this will stop it from crumbling to pieces when you cut it.

7. This cake will freeze extremely well, providing you don’t glaze it, the cake will last in the freezer for up to three months. Ensure it is well wrapped. 

Shepherd’s pie

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

When cooking your Easter roast lamb this year double up on your vegetables. This way you can use the leftovers for a low-energy second meal the following day.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• Leftover roast lamb, shredded

• Cooked carrots and cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• Any other cooked vegetables you have to hand or failing that handfuls of frozen peas and sweetcorn

• 400ml gravy

• 8 potatoes worth of mash

Method

1. Take a large roasting dish and place the lamb at the bottom along with chopped vegetables. Pour the gravy on top and stir well so that everything is coated.

2. Spoon the fluffy mash over the mixture and spread out to the edges. Use a fork to ruffle the surface. For maximum crispy bits dot with knobs of butter before roasting in the oven at 180ºC for 30 minutes (until cooked through).
   
   Note: If you assemble this meal it will keep in the freezer for up to two months if well wrapped. That’s a night off the cooking in the future.