Explore every episode of the podcast Taste 4 A Tenner on The KCLR Daily

It's Brian Redmond's turn to take the St Canice's Credit Union #taste4atenner challenge to feed a family of 4 for €10 or less.

Hear how he got on making Chicken Pizza and Pesto Pasta, a favourite meal in the Redmond house.

Brian Redmond's Chicken Pizza and Pesto Pasta 

Ingredients:

2 x chicken breasts 

1 x tomato 

1 x Scallion 

1 x pack of bacon bits 

Grated cheese. 

1 x Bag Fusili Pasta 

1 X Tub Pesto 

Method:

• Butterfly the chicken breast to make 4 pieces. 
• Top with the cheese some finely chopped tomatoes, scallions and Bacon bits. 
• Place on a baking tray and cook at 180 degrees for 25 minutes. 
• Boil the pasta and when cooked mix in the pesto (add some pine nuts if you like) 

Total cost 10 euro and 20cent 

Martin Quilty from the KCLR Newsroom takes on the #taste4atenner challenge with St. Canice's Credit Union. 
Adding a little zest this week with a Lemon Drizzle Cake that's sure to impress on any occasion and it comes in well below the €10 mark. 

Here’s what you’ll need, how to prepare the dish and at the end, have a listen to how Martin got on with Brian Redmond in studio. 

Martin Quilty’s Lemon Drizzle Cake

Ingredients Prices

Self-raising flour, €1.55
Bottle of lemon (in the cupboard)
Butter/Oil in the fridge or cupboard
Six eggs, €1.49
Packet of lemons, €1.99
Bag of castor sugar, $1.65
Royal icing €1.35
Total €8.03 (All from Supervalu)

Ingredients
16oz self-raising flour
8oz Caster Sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 medium eggs
Drop lemon essence
6oz melted butter
2/3 Tsbs Water
350g Instant Royal icing
Water
Juice from 1 Lemon

Method

• Put all the dry ingredients into a food mixer
• Melt your butter and allow it to cool.
  Add butter, water and 3 eggs to a mixing jug/bowl / add some lemon essence and add to dry ingredients
• Beat for 4-5 mins until the paddle is coated and if you take it off you can make swirls in the batter
• Grease a foil baking dish with margarine, and add mixture to the dish -
• Put into a preheated oven at 170°, 340F, Gas mark 4 for 20-25 mins until golden brown
  Check it’s cooked on the inside with a skewer
  Allow to cool for a couple of hours (preferably overnight)
• Put the icing into a mixing bowl, add a tiny amount of water and lemon juice from one lemon, add more water to get the consistency you want and add more lemon juice to determine the tartness you want.
• Grate some zest over the top
• Serve on its own or with some lightly whipped cream

The KCLR Daily producer Ethna Quirke was on to a winner with her Mac & Cheese recipe in this week's Taste For A Tenner challenge with St. Canice’s Credit Union.

Ethna's Macaroni & Cheese

Recipe:

Macaroni, Cheese Sauce, Bacon bits, Grated cheese – mozzarella & cheddar mix, Breadcrumbs, Parsley to sprinkle

Cheese Sauce:

25g margarine, 25g flour, ¾ pint milk, 50 g grated cheese – add to mins before end cooking time

Method:

• Preheat oven 180 degrees / Gas Mark 4.
• Cook macaroni in boiling salted water and drain.
• Make cheese sauce – melt margarine in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook over low heat for 1 minute, stirring all the time. Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Add milk, salt, and pepper beating all the time, return to heat and bring to a boil, keep stirring. Add cheese, reduce heat and cook slowly for 5 minutes.
• Fry – bacon bites, add parsley
• Add macaroni to large baking dish – sprinkle over bacon bits and parsley, and pour over the cheese sauce.
• Top with breadcrumbs and grated cheese.
• Cook for 20 mins.
• Serve with a salad or garlic bread

Cost:

• Macaroni Pasta - €0.85
• Best Balance Bread - €1.09
• Whole Milk – 2 litres - €2.05
• Diced Bacon Bits (2 pack) - €2.29
• Grated Red Cheddar and Mozzarella - €3.49
• Total Cost €9.77

All bought from LIDL

Store Items:

• Flour
• Dried Parsley
• Salt & Pepper

Shannon Redmond, presenter of The Home Run and Saturday Night Party here on KCLR is the latest to the plate for our #taste4atenner challenge with St. Canice’s Credit Union.

Shannon Redmond's Cottage pie! (AKA: A hug in a bowl!) 

Ingredients: 

500g lean beef mince

800g potatoes 

2 Carrots 

1 onion 

1 pack shepherd's pie mix

1 pack of oxtail soup

Method: 

• Peel all the potatoes and place them in water to boil. 
• Cook the beef mince on high heat until browned and cooked through. 
• Chop or dice the carrots and onion 
• Add them to the meat and stir until they become soft. 
• When vegetables are soft, add 400 ml of water to the shepherds pie mix and pour over mince. 
• Add 400 ml of water to the oxtail soup mix and pour over the mince. 
• Mix well and allow it to simmer.  
• If it is too watery or runny, add beef gravy to thicken it.
• Strain boiled potatoes and mash them using butter. 
•  Serve and Enjoy

Cooking time: 30 minutes 

Aisling McDonald, producer of The Saturday Show here on KCLR is the latest to the plate for our #taste4atenner challenge with St. Canice's Credit Union.

With all of this week's shopping coming in at €9.79, Aisling's been rustling up a hearty spaghetti dish, packed with meatballs and vegetables, ideal for a filling family dinner. Take a listen back below to hear how she got on.

Ingredients

• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes 
• Pack of meatballs or mince meat 
• 6 carrots 
• 4 celery sticks 
• 8 mushrooms 
• 2 onions

Method

• Boil your spaghetti 
• Pop your meatballs in the oven at 180 degrees for 40 minutes 
• After 20 minutes pour half a tin of chopped tomatoes on them and place back in to the oven 
• Finely chop the vegetables 
• Fry the carrots, celery sticks and onions in some oil 
• Add the mushrooms when the above vegetables have browned a little, then add the other tin and half of chopped tomatoes in with the vegetables 
• Add some salt, pepper, paprika, garlic granules (whatever spices you usually like to cook with)
• When your spaghetti and meatballs are cooked add them to your mix of vegetables and tomatoes. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
• Serve with some grated cheese and garlic bread.

#taste4atenner returned from its Christmas break on Monday 8 January's edition of The KCLR Daily and the next up to the plate was KCLR's own Nathalie Lennon, presenter of The Saturday Buffet each Saturday morning from 7am.

Ad advocate for all things health and nutrition, Nathalie's bringing a winter-warming lentil stew to the table, ideal for batch cooking for one or feeding a family of four for dinner, and all for under €10.

Here's what you'll need, how to prepare the dish and at the end, have a listen to how Nathalie got on with Brian Redmond and explains why this is the dish for her.

Ingredients

• 1 large brown onion 
• 2 medium carrots 
• 2 celery stalks 
• 1.5 Cups of Kale 
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 1.5 cups lentils (red or green)
• 5-6 diced baby potatoes 
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes 
• (Kidney beans optional) 
• 2.5 cups Vegetable stock 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 1 tsp Cumin 
• 1/2 tsp Chilli 
• 1 tsp garam masala 
• Salt and pepper as desired 

Method

• Place the lentils in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 10 minutes or so. Drain well.

• In a large heavy pot over medium-high heat,  add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add diced onions, garlic, carrot, celery, and potatoes. Cook over medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring regularly.

• Add lentils & spices. Then add the tomatoes and Veg stock.

• Bring everything to a boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes or so until the vegetables are tender and the lentils are well cooked (stir occasionally and watch to add water or liquid, if needed.) If you use speckled lentils it may need 40 minutes, the longer the better for taste, just keep an eye on the dish and add water as needed.

• Remove from heat and stir in some fresh parsley if desired! Serve on its own, or with your favourite crusty bread.

Serves 4-5, adding meat is optional. This is a vegan-friendly, dairy and gluten-free dish. 

Latest to take the taste4atenner challenge, and the last for 2023 before our Christmas break was the credit union's own John Galvin with his take on a Thai chicken curry, packed with vegetables, cooked in coconut milk and served with basmati rice.

Brandon O'Leary from St Canice's Credit Union takes on the #taste4atenner challenge to serve up a creamy pasta dish perfect for entertaining. 
Check out the recipe below and listen on for all the details to hear how Brandon got on with Carrol in the studio.

CREAMY CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA WITH CHORIZO AND GARLIC BREAD

Ingredients and cupboard items:

1 pack of garlic bread €0.85
2 large chicken breasts (200G) €3.49
1 chorizo sausage €2.15
1 tablespoon chicken seasoning €0.95
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning €0.85
1 500ml bottle of cream €1.60
500g of pasta (Fusilli, Penne and or Tagliatelle) €0.85
Total €10.74
Salt, Pepper, Oil & Butter (Cupboard items)

Method:

• Add your diced chicken breast to a bowl, add your seasoning and mix till all the chicken is coated. Amounts vary on personal preference. Leave to one side and cover in cling film.
• Chop your chorizo into small bite-sized pieces and leave to one side.
• Heat a large pan and add a tablespoon of oil.
• Once the pan is nice and hot add your seasoned chicken.
• Add your chorizo once your chicken is fully cooked.
• Add cream to the chicken and Chorizo and constantly stir.
• Add your pasta to a large saucepan of boiling water with a pinch of salt.
• Keep stirring your chicken and chorizo and cream mixture until the cream reduces and thickens.
• When your pasta is cooked add a dollop of butter and stir until all the pasta is coated in the butter (This step is optional)

KCLR's Edwina Grace was next in the mix for the #taste4atenner challenge with her version of a favourite BBC Good Food Recipe.  Check out the recipe below and listen on for all the details to hear how Edwina got on with Brian Redmond in studio.

Bean and Pepper Chilli (BBC Good Food recipe tweaked)

Serves 4

Ingredients                                                                                   Price                         
- 1 tablespoon olive oil                                                     - €3.29 (bottle)                               
- 2 large peppers (red & green), sliced                           - €1.89                                  
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin                                           - €0.99
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika                                        - €0.59
- 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce/powder                       - €0.62
- 1 onion, chopped                                                             - €1.19 (net 1kg onions) 
- 1 small red chilli, finely chopped                                    - €0.49 (packet)
- 400g tin kidney beans                                                     - €0.65
- 400g tin mixed beans                                                      - €0.62
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes                                            - €0.55

Total   €10.88

Method

• Heat oil in a pan
• Add onions, then peppers, and cook until soft (approximately 10 minutes)
• Add the cumin and paprika, and cook for one minute
• Add everything else
• Bring to the boil, then simmer (approximately 15 minutes)
• Serve on its own or with rice/wedges /crusty bread/in a wrap and add cheese/avocado as desired.

KCLR's station engineer Ken McGuire is very much a food lover and jumped at the chance to share a quick and easy recipe in our third #taste4atenner challenge with St. Canice's Credit Union.

This is a tasty dish where, still keeping your shopping under a tenner, you could extend the ingredients to make 8 or 12 portions. You may be familiar with seeing a risotto on a restaurant menu, jumping between starters and main courses, but it's not restaurant-difficult to prepare at home and this method will easily feed a family of four or four adults all for under a tenner.

The trick to cooking a Risotto is to add your stock bit-by-bit and keep stirring all the way to the end (when all the liquid is absorbed).

In preparation, I've used an old Le Creuset dish but if you've got a wide pan or pot you can cook everything on the hob, in one dish, keeping the cleaning down afterwards. It's a vegetarian dish, but you won't have to look far for meat options. Don't fancy leek? Substitute in mushrooms. Some people like to add frozen peas right at the end. Don't fancy using cheese? That's no problem either, you should still get a creamy result regardless thanks to the cooking process.

Ken's Leek & Lemon Risotto

• Serves 4
• Prep 10 minutes
• Cooking time 25-30 minutes
• Total time 40 minutes

Utensils & cupboard ingredients

• Wide-base pot or pan
• Chopping board, chopping knife
• Fine grater
• Weighing scales
• Measuring jug (glass ideally)
• Olive oil or butter

Shopping List (€6.38)

• 1kg bag Arborio Risotto Rice - 3.05 Aldi
• Parmigiano Reggiano shaved cheese 80g - 1.25 Aldi
• Large Leek (loose) - 0.51 SuperValu
• Large Lemon (loose) - 0.59 SuperValu
• Bulb garlic - 0.49 SuperValu
• Box vegetable stock cubes - 0.49 Aldi

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil or same of butter
• 1 large leek, pale end, approx 100g weighed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 300g arborio risotto rice (roughly 1/3 of the bag)
• 900ml vegetable stock (900ml boiled water plus 2 vegetable stock cubes)
• 60g grated Parmigiano Regianno cheese
• 1 lemon, zest and juice

Method

1. Finely chop leek and garlic separately
2. Grate outside of your lemon (all of it) for lemon zest
3. Chop lemon in half, remove the pips
4. Weigh out 300g of rice or look at side of packet, may be split into 50g markings (count six).
5. Boil kettle for water to make up 900ml vegetable stock (900ml water in your glass measuring just, stirring in two stock cubes)
6. On a medium-high heat on a hob (4 out of 6 in my house), heat your pan and add in 1 tbsp olive oil or the equivalent of butter.
7. Add your chopped leek and sautée for 1-2 minutes, keep stirring so that they're coated in oil or butter
8. Add garlic and continue stirring for 1 minute
9. Add 300g risotto rice and stir thoroughly for 2-3 minutes so the rice gets coated in leek, garlic, oil/butter mix. This has the effect of lightly toasted the rice.
10. Add 1/4 of your stock mix, slowly stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed.
11. Repeat until all the stock has been mixed in and soaked up. This process can take up to 20 minutes
12. When all liquid has been absorbed, stir in 60g grate Parmigiano Reggiano cheese until melted through
13. Stir in lemon zest, squeeze two lemon halves in, ensuring all mixed through.
14. Plate and enjoy

Holding back 20g cheese, you can sprinkle a little on each dish. If you've still got lemon zest or didn't get all the juice out, add a fresh squeeze to each dish on the plate before serving.

Freshly cooked, you'll get 2-3 days out of this in a sealed container in the fridge. While microwaving is handy, it's better to reheat the risotto on the stove again, adding a little water to start, get back to stirring, until your risotto is nice and creamy once more.

Throwing an eye over the aisles, there's just enough change left from the tenner to pick up a single-serving bottle of white wine that could be added to the dish in place of some of your stock (about 187ml). The alcohol can evaporate off quickly enough through the cooking method, the white wine adding to the flavour and gets you closer to a signature Italian style of risotto.

For more from Ken, check out kenonfood.com.

KCLR Breakfast's John Walsh was next to serve in the Taste For A Tenner challenge, showcasing his recipe for grilled mackerel, with fresh beetroot, topped with a poached egg, all served on a soft sourdough bun and accompanied by some tasty roast baby potatoes.

 For ingredients and photos, visit kclr96fm.com/taste4atenner

The KCLR Daily producer Ethna Quirke is first to the plate for our Taste For A Tenner challenge with St. Canice's Credit Union as she presents Ethna's "sticky chicky" tray bake with a hint of Chinese five-spice, all to feed a family of four a hearty meal for under €10.

For ingredients and photos, visit kclr96fm.com/taste4atenner