Kitchen Hero: Great Food for Less. Donal Skehan
good garden centres.
Cabbages
I love this bulky vegetable and it is one of the few garden monsters that I grow. It does need a little more space and you have to keep an eye on demon slugs, who like to hide amongst the leaves, munching away. There are lots of different varieties, and most are quite reliable to grow. I’ve had great success with red cabbage, Dutch cabbage and Chinese cabbage. They are great finely sliced in salads, steamed as a side dish for meat or tossed through a stir-fry for a nice bite.
Potatoes
Where would we be without the potato? In recent years, we Irish have been eating less and less of the vegetable that is long ingrained in our history, probably because of its association with rich comfort food. But I see nothing wrong with that, so potatoes are one of my favourite things to grow and incredibly satisfying to dig up.
Edible flowers
I think sometimes there is too much fuss when it comes to food presentation, and so for years I turned my nose up at the idea of edible flowers. However, I finally gave in and grew some in my garden last year; not only did they completely take over the plot, but they also made a really nice addition to summer salads with their great peppery taste. My favourites are nasturtiums.
Asian greens
My best discovery while growing my own has been Asian greens, which grow quite quickly and very easily. They don’t need too much care and make wonderful additions to salads and stir-fries. Try sowing pak choi and Chinese cabbage.
Strawberries
A total summer treat, strawberries are easy to grow, and if you plant enough you should get a nice crop of berries in June. The only thing to worry about is birds getting to those berries before you do!
frugal
Your daily bread
One of the most satisfying kitchen practices is making bread – although shop-bought bread can be a cheap ingredient, making it yourself is delicious, easy and extremely inexpensive. The quick soda bread recipe I’ve included in the baking chapter doesn’t need to rise and is a wonderful alternative to a commercial sliced loaf.
Freezing
The freezer can save you time and money and gives you a ready supply of ingredients to hand. Many foods take well to being frozen and you can also freeze whole dishes, ready to defrost and reheat on demand. If you use your freezer regularly, get a permanent marker so that you can label containers with the date of freezing. Do a clearout every 6 months and use up anything that has been sitting there too long. The best way to defrost food is to put it on a plate in the fridge overnight, but if you are using it straight away once defrosted, simply take it out of the freezer and leave it at room temperature. Foods that don’t freeze well are vegetables with a high water content, like lettuce and cabbage, or foods with a creamy base, which can split as they defrost.
> Fruit
Lots of fruit can be frozen: berries in particular freeze well and I keep a steady supply for desserts, baking and smoothies. Some of the best free fruit can be picked from hedgerows, such as blackberries – brush away bugs or dirt or give them a quick rinse before drying them and packing into resealable bags. To keep their shape, freeze berries on trays, cover with cling film and bag them up when frozen. If I find myself with a glut of lemons or oranges I zest them and pop it into bags. Grated zest is excellent in baking recipes, such as muffins and cakes, as well as savoury dishes.
> Vegetables
Not all vegetables freeze well, but some do. Frozen peas are the ultimate freezer standby because, unless you grow them yourself, the process commercial peas go through once picked actually keeps them fresher than the fresh peas you can buy. Frozen spinach is another handy one; it’s inexpensive and can be added to recipes, or served as a quick side dish. Mashed potatoes freeze well in bags – just don’t add cream to them. I also freeze soft herbs like basil, finely chopped, mixed with a little oil and placed in ice-cube trays. These are great for drizzling over bread dough, or added to soups and sauces for a special hit of flavour.
> Meat
One of the biggest time-savers in my freezer is marinated meat, which happily sits until you are ready to use it. Freezing meat in a marinade can actually heighten the flavours. Another great economical tip is that if you find a good price on a certain cut, make sure to buy extra, which can be frozen. Cooked meat also freezes well; chicken and ham can be chopped up and frozen, then defrosted when needed and mixed through pasta, risotto, or even used in pies and curries.
> Eggs
Recipes often call for egg yolks only. Don’t throw out those egg whites: they freeze perfectly and can be stockpiled in resealable freezer bags until you have enough to make meringues! Make sure to keep a note of how many egg whites you have frozen so that you can easily pull out the amount you need. If you do have leftover yolks, these are better suited to storing in the fridge for up to 4 days in a resealable container.
> Fish
Fish freezes well, but bear in mind that oily fish such as mackerel will keep for less time (about 3 months) in the freezer than white fish fillets.
> Wine
Both white and red wine can be frozen, so rather than throwing dregs of bottles down the drain, pour into freezer bags or ice-cube trays. The cubes can then be added to sauces to give a rich flavour.
> Butter wrappers
Call me crazy, but I save these in the freezer, then take them out and warm them between my hands to use for greasing baking tins. Genius or OCD, you decide!
> Soups
Soups freeze extremely well. Make sure your soup is chilled before you place it in the freezer, though, as this will help preserve the texture and flavour. Soups that have been blitzed smooth may split after being defrosted. Don’t panic; just mix them back together using a whisk.
> Parmesan rinds
Leftover Parmesan rinds can be saved in the freezer to be added to soups, stews and sauces for an extra-rich taste.
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT: SAVING LEFTOVERS
Leftovers are an essential ingredient in the armoury of any good home cook. Knowing how to use them will not only save you money but it also means less waste. If you cook on a daily basis, leftover food is an inevitability. From time to time, you may also find yourself left with a bulk amount of one particular ingredient. Knowing what to do with it is important. Here are some of my best tips for using up leftover food and ingredients.
Bread
We’ve all seen what happens to a piece of bread after a week. When I was in school, I had a science project all about mouldy sandwiches; needless to say I didn’t sample the results! However, that mould can be avoided, as bread freezes extremely well, so if you have a loaf that you know you won’t get through, cut it into slices, wrap them in cling film and foil and pop in the freezer. You can then pull out slices and put them straight in the toaster. Bread dough also freezes well – simply follow all the usual stages and after punching down the dough once it’s risen, you can put it in a resealable bag and place in the freezer. To use, simply allow to defrost, then shape the dough and bake in a hot oven. Many recipes call for breadcrumbs and it