Try these 3 twists on a cheap kitchen ingredient – including a taco feast!

The Irish Sun

08-05-2025

MOST of us will have a tin of fish - be it tuna, salmon or mackerel - in the cupboard at any given point.
Great for adding to pasta, whacking on toast or in a sandwich, these budget buys are just one of the kitchen staples food writer and mum of two
.
In it, she takes 10 supermarket ingredients - from tinned fish to potatoes to lentils - and comes up with cheap eats to feed the family.
So, if you're always buying the same staples and making the same meals with them, this is a guaranteed way to shake things up.
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This new cookbook is full of budget-friendly takes on common ingredients
Credit: Dan Jones
We've chosen three ways with tinned fish to inspire you to dust off your tins and turn them into tasty tacos, a delicious fish pie with a twist or spicy fishcakes.
They're all quick and easy ideas perfect for midweek - enjoy!
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Home-made fishcakes are well worth the effort
Credit: Dan Jones
Thai Salmon Fishcakes
Makes:
8
Prep time:
10 mins
Cooking time:
6 mins
Ingredients:
*350g white bread
*2 x 213g tins boneless salmon, drained
*Bunch spring onions, finely chopped
*2tsp chilli flakes
*1tsp garlic paste
*1tsp ginger paste
*Zest and juice 1 lime
*3tbsp sweet chilli sauce
*2 eggs, beaten
*Handful plain flour, for dusting
*Sunflower oil, for frying
Method:
1.
Place the bread, salmon and chopped spring onions in a food processor. Pulse until you have a salmony crumb.
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2.
Tip the mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in the chilli flakes, garlic paste, ginger paste, lime zest and juice and sweet chilli sauce. Season with salt and pepper, before using your hands to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Add the beaten egg and use your hands to combine the mixture into a wet dough. Shape into 8 equal balls. Scatter the flour over a plate and roll each ball in it until lightly dusted. Brush off any excess, before pressing the balls into patties, roughly 21⁄2cm thick.
3.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and fry the fishcakes over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through.
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Speedy tacos are the ideal midweek meal
Credit: Dan Jones
Chinese Mackerel Tacos
Serves:
4
Prep time:
10 mins
Cooking time:
5 mins
Ingredients:
*8 mini tortilla wraps, to serve
*Coriander, to garnish (optional)
For the hoisin slaw:
*1 carrot, finely sliced into thin strips
*4 large sweetheart cabbage leaves, tough stems removed, finely sliced
*1 small red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
*1⁄2 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
*40g mayonnaise
*50ml hoisin sauce
For the mackerel:
*Oil, for frying
*1⁄2 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
*1tsp freshly ground black pepper
*1tsp Chinese 5 spice
*3 x 125g tins mackerel, drained
Method:
1.
First make the hoisin slaw. Put the carrot, cabbage, red pepper and spring onions in a bowl and mix together.
2.
Use a separate bowl to whisk together the mayonnaise, hoisin sauce and 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the slaw, mix thoroughly until evenly coated and set aside.
3.
Heat a good drizzle of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the spring onions and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the black pepper and Chinese 5 spice and fry for 1 minute. Add the mackerel, breaking it up a little in the pan as you stir, so the pieces are smaller, but not mashed. Fry for 2 minutes until the mackerel is heated through. Stir a tablespoon of water into the hot pan to lift the spices. Season with salt.
4.
Microwave the tortilla wraps for a few seconds until warm or gently heat in the oven. Divide the slaw between the wraps, then top each one with spiced mackerel and fold in half.
5.
Serve the tacos as they are or with basmati rice, garnished with coriander, if you like.
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This is a great twist on a classic family meal
Credit: Dan Jones
15-Minute Gnocchi Fish Pie
Serves:
5
Prep time:
5 mins
Cooking time:
20 mins
Ingredients:
*Oil, for frying
*500g gnocchi
*1 onion, finely chopped
*200g garlic and herb soft cheese
*2 x 145g tins tuna, drained
*100g cheddar, grated
*250ml milk
*80g frozen sweetcorn
*80g frozen peas
*1tsp dried oregano
*50g fresh spinach leaves
*Garlic bread and salad, to serve
Method:
1.
Heat a good drizzle of oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. When it's spitting hot, add the gnocchi (work in two batches if need be) and fry for 3-5 minutes over a medium-high heat until golden brown and crisp. Set the gnocchi aside.
2.
Heat a little more oil in the pan. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until soft. Take the pan off the heat and add the soft cheese, tuna, grated cheddar, milk, frozen sweetcorn, frozen peas and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and return to a medium heat.
3.
Stir until all the ingredients are combined and the mixture is starting to gently bubble.
4.
Once the cheese has melted, stir in the spinach and the fried gnocchi. Simmer for a minute or two until the frozen veg is soft and the gnocchi is heated through.
5.
Serve immediately with a side of garlic bread and salad.
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes
- plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury's also sells £2 "Taste Me, Don't Waste Me" fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps
- food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go's app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains
- yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains
- sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they've found on the cheap, including food finds.
"Downshift"
- you will almost always save money going for a supermarket's own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as "downshifting" and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.