Caitriona Redmond: My recipe for chicken soup in minutes using a freezer ingredient

And you'll love my 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here' rice and beans

Homemade dumpling and noodles, cooked with broth

I love being exposed to other cultures and, significantly, their food. In my estate alone, we have over 40 different ethnic backgrounds, which are reflected across the town, and I’m sure this is a mirror for many other towns in Ireland. There can sometimes be apprehension in communities about introducing new cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Still, I’ve found that embracing the new (to me) has reaped the rewards in my kitchen.

While I have plenty of conventional supermarkets within walking distance, the international markets attract me the most, and this is where I get many of my store cupboard and freezer ingredients. I’ve discovered frozen gyoza and other items that I can keep on hand in the freezer for meal emergencies. My trusty ginger and garlic paste in a jar has saved me so much time and adds fragrance to many a meal and stew. I source the lot from the international market and not the supermarket for bulk bags of rice, flour, and spices. I also pick up my Irish soft and leafy herbs there, like flat-leaf parsley, sage and mint, because the markets don’t just stock international brands; they also support Irish producers.

When you’re working at a desk, you can get quite cold during the day stuck at the desk. A hot lunch makes a huge difference in feeling warm, whether a mug of soup or a toasted sandwich, something that heats you from the inside out will lift your spirits and body temperature.

I employ the microwave and the kettle for brief lunches on the go. Those freezer emergency items include frozen Bao buns stuffed with minced pork that reheats in a jiffy in the microwave. After just 3 minutes, I have a steaming pillow-soft bun that’s fragrant once I pull it apart. Hot water poured over couscous will make it puff up like magic, and you can add whatever vegetables or protein to the warm couscous to eat straight away. Of course, I can reheat any dinner leftovers in the microwave too, and let’s not forget the 60-second poached microwave egg that Ciara McDonnell championed this week.

For this week, my recipes focus on keeping you warm and flavour.

I have an insta-famous dumpling soup that has been doing the rounds on both Instagram and TikTok; it hits all the buttons for a quick lunchtime hot meal but is perfect for speedy suppers. I’ve portioned it out on a single-person basis but you can scale up depending on how many people you’re cooking for.

Then there’s a flavoursome rice and beans recipe that won’t make you feel like you’re part of a jungle-themed celebrity competition. This recipe is designed for four people and comes in at 93c per portion, less than €1 per person from Dunnes Stores, which is the cheapest supermarket in my shopping basket survey this week.

Insta-Famous Chicken Dumpling Soup

This chicken gyoza/dumpling soup is made from ingredients in the store cupboard and freezer. It’s straightforward to assemble and ready in less than 10 minutes. You can also pop the entire soup into an insulated flask to enjoy at the desk or in school.

Servings

1

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Asian

Ingredients

• 1 tsp minced garlic

• 1 tsp minced ginger

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp fish sauce

• 200ml hot water (boil a kettle)

• 50g rice noodles

• 3-4 frozen dumplings or gyoza

• 1 tbsp frozen peas

• Chopped scallions to garnish

Method

1. Set the peas and scallion to one side. Put all the other ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

2. Turn off the heat and stir in the frozen peas.

3. Pour into a large bowl and sprinkle the chopped scallions on top. Serve with chilli oil and pickles to taste.

Brazilian Style Rice & Black Beans

You can serve it with a protein of your choice, and this week, I’ve paired this with pork chops to make this filling and comforting meal less than €1 per portion.

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 South American

Ingredients

• 2 large onions

• 1 tbsp cooking oil

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 tin cooked black beans

• 300g white rice

• Salt & Pepper to taste

• The meat of your choice

Method

1. Take two large onions, peel and chop them finely. In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoon of oil. Put the frying pan on low heat and fry off the onions until they turn translucent. Season well with salt. Take half the cooked onion out of the frying pan and use it for the rice (see below). Add three finely chopped garlic cloves to the remaining onion and cook for 5 minutes. Finally, stir in the cooked black beans and mix so that everything is coated in the garlic and onions and heated through.

2. Put half the cooked onion into a saucepan with a lid. Put the saucepan on medium heat and pour in the dry rice you’re going to cook. Stir the rice so it mixes with the onion and becomes chalky. Pour hot water over the rice so it is about 2 inches over the height of the rice in the saucepan. Put the lid on the saucepan, bring the contents to a slow simmer for 12 minutes, then turn off the heat and fork through the rice so it doesn’t stick together.

3. Season the pork well; we like jerk seasoning but whatever you have to hand is acceptable. Grill or pan-fry the pork chops until cooked through. Serve with rice and black beans. If you have fresh crunchy vegetables or pickles, you can add these to the plate, but it’s all about what you have to hand.

If you save 500 SuperValu tokens, you qualify for a half-price turkey.

Special Offers 

SuperValu turkey tokens are back; if you save 500 tokens, you qualify for a half-price turkey. One token is the equivalent of €1, so this means that (if you haven’t already started) you need to spend €500 in SuperValu before the 20th of December to qualify. This is excellent value if you are a regular SuperValu shopper.

Slice citrus fruits into pieces and freeze them in blocks of ice to supercharge drinks like gin and tonic

A net of lemons and limes is €1.29 in Aldi this week. Use these to get ahead of yourself for Christmas drinks and cocktails. Slice the citrus fruits into pieces and freeze them in blocks of ice to supercharge drinks like gin and tonic or even lift the flavour of a glass of water.

Money Saving Tip 

Now that the Toy Show has passed and the Christmas pressure increased, please remember that we don’t need ‘stuff’ to make it a happy holiday season. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the magic and excitement and make lousy shopping choices. Write down your must-haves and stick to them because you will thank yourself come January, trust me.