I found two big tubs of an interesting mix of tomatoes at Aldi the other week, and thought of this meal. Usually, I would just buy cherry tomatoes, or maybe grape if they were on special, but the special was a good opportunity to mix it up a bit. And they were yummy in this.
400g mixed tomato varieties (I had yellow ones, grape tomatoes, black tomatoes, all small ones though).
olive oil
2 chorizos, sliced thin
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 cups cream
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup grated parmesan
pasta of your choice, I like orecchiette
basil leaves
Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and bake for about 10 minutes at 180 degrees
Heat ore oil in a fry pan and fry chorizo, cooking until golden, add garlic, and stir it for a few minutes over the heat. Add cream, and simmer until it has reduced slightly. Stir in the peas, then the cheese.
Serve over cooked pasta, and scatter the tomatoes and basil leaves over the top.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Monday, November 23, 2015
Spicy Chicken with caramelised onion and cous cous
This began life in a recipe book far far away, as a fish dish. But since half the family refuse to eat fish, and make gagging sounds when it's even suggested, I changed it to chicken, because who could resist caramelised onion and cous cous?
700 grams of chicken breast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon of harissa paste
2 red onions
1 more tablespoon of olive oil
60 ml red wine vinegar
2 tsps of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cous cous
mint
parsley
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock
cranberries
1 tin of chick peas
mix harissa and olive oil, let it marinate for an hour or so.
Make caramelised onion. I did it in the thermomix, because onions make me cry. These onions still made me cry, but I got mopped up while the thermo did the majority of the work, so it's a win for me. I just can't cope with onions, the fumes kill me. Every time. I cut them with my eyes squeezed shut, but it's still not enough to stop the fumes from overwhelming me. I'm pathetic. So slice your onions thin, heat oil in the thermo on varoma for a minute, 2 minutes would be even better, but I only did 1. Add onions and cook on varoma for 15 minutes reverse, speed 1.
Add red wine vinegar, cook for another 2 minutes on varoma same speed etc. At this point I also added brown sugar, just a touch to sweeten the whole thing up, because what is the point of caramelised onions if they're not sweet?
Fry chicken
Chop up herbs.
Pour boiling stock over cous cous and add 1 tsp of extra harissa. Cover for 5 minutes.
Separate with a fork, then toss through cranberries, herbs, chickpeas, and caramelised onionsand a splash of olive oil.
Serve with chicken on top.
700 grams of chicken breast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon of harissa paste
2 red onions
1 more tablespoon of olive oil
60 ml red wine vinegar
2 tsps of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cous cous
mint
parsley
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock
cranberries
1 tin of chick peas
mix harissa and olive oil, let it marinate for an hour or so.
Make caramelised onion. I did it in the thermomix, because onions make me cry. These onions still made me cry, but I got mopped up while the thermo did the majority of the work, so it's a win for me. I just can't cope with onions, the fumes kill me. Every time. I cut them with my eyes squeezed shut, but it's still not enough to stop the fumes from overwhelming me. I'm pathetic. So slice your onions thin, heat oil in the thermo on varoma for a minute, 2 minutes would be even better, but I only did 1. Add onions and cook on varoma for 15 minutes reverse, speed 1.
Add red wine vinegar, cook for another 2 minutes on varoma same speed etc. At this point I also added brown sugar, just a touch to sweeten the whole thing up, because what is the point of caramelised onions if they're not sweet?
Fry chicken
Chop up herbs.
Pour boiling stock over cous cous and add 1 tsp of extra harissa. Cover for 5 minutes.
Separate with a fork, then toss through cranberries, herbs, chickpeas, and caramelised onionsand a splash of olive oil.
Serve with chicken on top.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Yoghurt and Raspberry Cheesecake
I made this a couple different ways, the first was with dried blueberries, which are like sultanas or currants, but nicer (and heaps more expensive). Then I made it with raspberries - frozen ones. The raspberry version is my favourite.
200g malt biscuits
160g butter (I use salted, but unsalted would be fine, whatever your preference is)
300g thick Greek yoghurt
3 eggs
170g brown sugar
300g ricotta
2tbsp plain flour
raspberries, or other berry of your choice
Preheat oven to 160 degrees
Line a lamington tin with baking paper.
Blitz biscuits in the thermomix, 10 seconds at speed 8, then check. Make them nice and fine.
Melt butter in microwave, then add to biscuits. Give it a quick whizz, then press into prepared tin. Refrigerate while you do the rest.
Give thermo a tidy up, you don't want biscuit crumbs in your cheesecake mix.
Combine eggs, yoghurt, ricotta, sugar and flour in thermo bowl. Give it a quick blast, 5 seconds speed 6, then check, and do it again if it needs it. It's a surprisingly wet mixture. Pour over base, then scatter berries over the top. I just put as many as I felt like on, and I felt like quite a lot.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until set and just a little bit golden around the edges. Cool, then refrigerate.
This is before it was baked, but it gives you an idea of how I feel about raspberries :).
200g malt biscuits
160g butter (I use salted, but unsalted would be fine, whatever your preference is)
300g thick Greek yoghurt
3 eggs
170g brown sugar
300g ricotta
2tbsp plain flour
raspberries, or other berry of your choice
Preheat oven to 160 degrees
Line a lamington tin with baking paper.
Blitz biscuits in the thermomix, 10 seconds at speed 8, then check. Make them nice and fine.
Melt butter in microwave, then add to biscuits. Give it a quick whizz, then press into prepared tin. Refrigerate while you do the rest.
Give thermo a tidy up, you don't want biscuit crumbs in your cheesecake mix.
Combine eggs, yoghurt, ricotta, sugar and flour in thermo bowl. Give it a quick blast, 5 seconds speed 6, then check, and do it again if it needs it. It's a surprisingly wet mixture. Pour over base, then scatter berries over the top. I just put as many as I felt like on, and I felt like quite a lot.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until set and just a little bit golden around the edges. Cool, then refrigerate.
This is before it was baked, but it gives you an idea of how I feel about raspberries :).
Herb and Lime Marinated Chicken
We had this on the BBQ and ate it with salad and potatoes.
2 limes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 green chilli, finely chopped
handful of mint an coriander
700g chicken thighs
Grate lime zest into a bowl and add juice. Add oil, chilli and herbs, then pop the chicken in and let it marinate for 4 hours. More if you can.
Chargrill over medium high heat.
Serve with salad and baked potatoes.
I'll have to make this again so I can take a photo of it. I keep forgetting to do that.
2 limes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 green chilli, finely chopped
handful of mint an coriander
700g chicken thighs
Grate lime zest into a bowl and add juice. Add oil, chilli and herbs, then pop the chicken in and let it marinate for 4 hours. More if you can.
Chargrill over medium high heat.
Serve with salad and baked potatoes.
I'll have to make this again so I can take a photo of it. I keep forgetting to do that.
Satay Beef Wraps
These were easy, and everyone wanted to know why we hadn't ever had them before.
600g beef strips
2 tbs ketjap manis
2 garlic cloves
1 red onion finely chopped
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 long red chilli
1 lemongrass stalk
2/3 cup salted roast peanuts
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 lebanese cucumbers finely chopped
1 cup coriander
1/4 cup shredded coconut (toasted)
8 flat breads
Combine beef, 1 tbsp ketjap manis and half the garlic. Cover and set aside
To make the satay sauce:
Chop onion in thermomix, 5 seconds, speed 8. Scrape down, add 1 tbsp oil and cook on varoma for 5 minutes, speed 2. Add chopped chilli, lemongrass and garlic. Give it a whiz for 8 seconds on speed 8. Cook at varoma for 3 minutes, speed 2.
Add peanuts to thermo, whiz them for 10 seconds, speed 8. Add coconut milk and sugar, and cook for 10 minutes 100 degrees, speed 3. It should reduce and thicken. I actually finished this off on the stove, because the onion still tasted quite raw. So I put a longer cooking time in for the onion on this recipe. If it still looks a bit watery, and tastes raw, the stove will fix this don't leave it too long though, or it will catch.
Cook beef in remaining oil in batches in a frypan.
Add 1 tbsp of satay sauce to the beef and cook a couple minutes.
Serve beef in wraps with cucumber, coriander, satay sauce and coconut.
We had it with corn, because that was what I had.
Yum.
600g beef strips
2 tbs ketjap manis
2 garlic cloves
1 red onion finely chopped
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 long red chilli
1 lemongrass stalk
2/3 cup salted roast peanuts
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 lebanese cucumbers finely chopped
1 cup coriander
1/4 cup shredded coconut (toasted)
8 flat breads
Combine beef, 1 tbsp ketjap manis and half the garlic. Cover and set aside
To make the satay sauce:
Chop onion in thermomix, 5 seconds, speed 8. Scrape down, add 1 tbsp oil and cook on varoma for 5 minutes, speed 2. Add chopped chilli, lemongrass and garlic. Give it a whiz for 8 seconds on speed 8. Cook at varoma for 3 minutes, speed 2.
Add peanuts to thermo, whiz them for 10 seconds, speed 8. Add coconut milk and sugar, and cook for 10 minutes 100 degrees, speed 3. It should reduce and thicken. I actually finished this off on the stove, because the onion still tasted quite raw. So I put a longer cooking time in for the onion on this recipe. If it still looks a bit watery, and tastes raw, the stove will fix this don't leave it too long though, or it will catch.
Cook beef in remaining oil in batches in a frypan.
Add 1 tbsp of satay sauce to the beef and cook a couple minutes.
Serve beef in wraps with cucumber, coriander, satay sauce and coconut.
We had it with corn, because that was what I had.
Yum.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Moroccan Tomato and Lentil soup
It's been raining for days on end, and even the offer of going out to lunch didn't appeal today. I just wanted to stay inside and eat soup. There was no tomato soup in the cupboard, so I had to make something, which wasn't my preferred option after a morning of baking.
This recipe is based on one in the Every Day Cookbook.
Ingredients
2 tins chopped tomatoes
100g red lentils
1 onion
small knob of ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons of Moroccan spice
cup of water
1 tin of coconut milk
1 tsp of chicken stock powder
Chop onion and ginger for 3 seconds on speed 7. Cook for 3 minutes on varoma at speed 2. Add Moroccan spice and cook for 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, lentils, water, chicken stock, coconut milk and cook for 15 minutes at 90 degrees, speed 3.
I gave it a brief blitz at the end, not enough to make it smooth, I just wanted to break down the tomato chunks. I served it with a spoon of sour cream, and the recipe says to add fresh coriander, which would be nice, but I didn't have any.
This was perfect for a rainy day lunch, serves 4. I forgot to take a picture until I was half way through eating it, so forgive the smeary bowl.
This recipe is based on one in the Every Day Cookbook.
Ingredients
2 tins chopped tomatoes
100g red lentils
1 onion
small knob of ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons of Moroccan spice
cup of water
1 tin of coconut milk
1 tsp of chicken stock powder
Chop onion and ginger for 3 seconds on speed 7. Cook for 3 minutes on varoma at speed 2. Add Moroccan spice and cook for 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, lentils, water, chicken stock, coconut milk and cook for 15 minutes at 90 degrees, speed 3.
I gave it a brief blitz at the end, not enough to make it smooth, I just wanted to break down the tomato chunks. I served it with a spoon of sour cream, and the recipe says to add fresh coriander, which would be nice, but I didn't have any.
This was perfect for a rainy day lunch, serves 4. I forgot to take a picture until I was half way through eating it, so forgive the smeary bowl.
Portuguese Tarts
I make these a lot, I make them in mini tart size, and man size. We all love them, and it's a great way of using left over bits of eggs that I have from other things. This morning I made raspberry friands, which used 4 egg whites. So this time, I used the 4 left over yolks to make the custard. They are pretty forgiving when it comes to messing around with quantities. I wouldn't be using all egg whites and no yolks, but sometimes I will use 2 whole eggs, instead of 3 egg yolks. I did put a wee bit more milk in this morning (about 20 grams).
Ingredients
For the custard -
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons of corn flour
1 tsp vanilla
400 mls of milk (you can also use a combination of milk and cream, but my cream was whiffy this morning, so it went in the bin instead of in the custard.
80 g of sugar (regular or caster, either is fine).
For the pastry - I used three sheets of puff pastry, and then did some cheese tarts with the left over bits.
Put all the custard ingredients into the thermomix, cook at 90 degrees for 8 minutes on speed 3. It is absolutely fine to cook this on the stove, it's just that it's so super easy in the thermomix, I never bother anymore. I like cooking, but I'm not really all about being hands on with processes like this. I'm perfectly content for the thermo to be working on the custard while I move on to the next task. And sometimes that task is to sit down and play Crossy Road for 8 minutes.
In the meantime, cut circles out of your pastry and push them into a medium sized muffin tin. I use the pie top cutter from my pie maker.
When the pastry is done, apparently you should let it cool completely before spooning it into the pastry shells you've made. I don't do this, it cools for maybe 5 minutes while I wash up, then into the pastry and into the oven. This disregard for proper process usually works out fine for me.
Cook tarts for 20 - 25 minutes at 180 degrees.
Cool on a wire rack. They come out of the oven all puffed up, then the pastry gently sinks back into the shell.
Ingredients
For the custard -
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons of corn flour
1 tsp vanilla
400 mls of milk (you can also use a combination of milk and cream, but my cream was whiffy this morning, so it went in the bin instead of in the custard.
80 g of sugar (regular or caster, either is fine).
For the pastry - I used three sheets of puff pastry, and then did some cheese tarts with the left over bits.
Put all the custard ingredients into the thermomix, cook at 90 degrees for 8 minutes on speed 3. It is absolutely fine to cook this on the stove, it's just that it's so super easy in the thermomix, I never bother anymore. I like cooking, but I'm not really all about being hands on with processes like this. I'm perfectly content for the thermo to be working on the custard while I move on to the next task. And sometimes that task is to sit down and play Crossy Road for 8 minutes.
In the meantime, cut circles out of your pastry and push them into a medium sized muffin tin. I use the pie top cutter from my pie maker.
When the pastry is done, apparently you should let it cool completely before spooning it into the pastry shells you've made. I don't do this, it cools for maybe 5 minutes while I wash up, then into the pastry and into the oven. This disregard for proper process usually works out fine for me.
Cook tarts for 20 - 25 minutes at 180 degrees.
Cool on a wire rack. They come out of the oven all puffed up, then the pastry gently sinks back into the shell.
Raspberry and Coconut Friands
I do like a friand, sweet, delicious cakies they are, so moist and nutty (by the way, knowing that people don't appreciate moist as a word, I ran it through the thesaurus, and my alternatives include dampish, muggy, steamy and sweaty, none of which works for a friand, so moist it is). But I don't make them very often, because I forget how much I really do like them, but today, in my chocolate free house, I wanted to bake, so I had to stretch myself a bit, and I wanted to use the ground almonds I bought last week. I found the following, but then changed it up a bit, because I can't help myself.
Ingredients
40 g almond meal
120g butter
80g sugar
75g SR flour
40g coconut, dessicated
4 egg whites
frozen raspberries, I didn't measure these, I just shoved a heap into the top of each friand before I baked it, probably 6 or 7 in each.
Melt butter (I did this in the thermo, 2 minutes at 90 degrees speed 2).
Add almonds, sugar, flour, coconut and egg whites, Combine for 30 seconds on the interval setting. Or fold in gently if you're doing it by hand
Spoon mixture into 6 hole friand tin. Mine almost filled the holes, and then rose just a little bit, no dramatic spills.
Press raspberries into the top of each one. I love raspberries, so I did load them up pretty well.
Bake at 200 degrees for 25 minutes. This might be just my oven though, I started checking them after 15 minutes, but they were a bit runny still.
Enjoy with a cup of coffee. I am teaching kindergarten tomorrow, so I will save one for tomorrows recess, I may need it then.
Ingredients
40 g almond meal
120g butter
80g sugar
75g SR flour
40g coconut, dessicated
4 egg whites
frozen raspberries, I didn't measure these, I just shoved a heap into the top of each friand before I baked it, probably 6 or 7 in each.
Melt butter (I did this in the thermo, 2 minutes at 90 degrees speed 2).
Add almonds, sugar, flour, coconut and egg whites, Combine for 30 seconds on the interval setting. Or fold in gently if you're doing it by hand
Spoon mixture into 6 hole friand tin. Mine almost filled the holes, and then rose just a little bit, no dramatic spills.
Press raspberries into the top of each one. I love raspberries, so I did load them up pretty well.
Bake at 200 degrees for 25 minutes. This might be just my oven though, I started checking them after 15 minutes, but they were a bit runny still.
Enjoy with a cup of coffee. I am teaching kindergarten tomorrow, so I will save one for tomorrows recess, I may need it then.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Tagliatelle with pork, mushrooms and truffle oil
I went looking for this recipe yesterday, frantically searching through back copies of my cooking magazines, scanning the indexes, then reading them carefully with my finger trailing down the page, then finally reading each entry out loud, because I couldn't find it. I'd cooked it fairly recently, I made it for our friends who had twins, because it freezes quite well, and because it isn't full of exotic and spicy ingredients, a good choice for people who have new twins and need the comfort of home cooking without the effort of making it themselves. I thought I must be going slightly mad, because it had just vanished. I finally located it by looking through the pages of the magazines, for some reason, it isn't in the recipe index, which is complete madness. I figure if I put it in the blog, then at least I should be able to locate it again when I decide I need to make it again.
This is a recipe that is quick and delicious, two of my favourite things
Ingredients
20 g dried mushrooms - I used shitake, but porcini would be even better probably.
1/3 cup olive oil
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stick celery
40 g serrano ham
1 garlic clove
500g pork mince
1/2 cup red wine
400g tin chopped tomatos
70g tin tomato paste
1/2 cup basil leaves
truffle oil
parmesan
Soak the mushrooms in 1/2 cup of hot water, then chop finely.
Put carrot, celery, onion and garlic in thermo, chop at speed 5 for 5 seconds. Scrape down, add 20 mls of olive oil, and cook on 100 degrees for 5 minutes, speed 1, reverse.
Add mince and cook for 8 minutes, speed 1 reverse at 100 degrees
Add red wine, tin tomatoes, tomato paste and basil leaves, cook for 8 minutes, speed 1 reverse, 100 degrees.
Serve over pasta of your choice. Last night I used tagliatelle, but I have used bows or spirals.
Drizzle with truffle oil and top with parmesan
This is a recipe that is quick and delicious, two of my favourite things
Ingredients
20 g dried mushrooms - I used shitake, but porcini would be even better probably.
1/3 cup olive oil
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stick celery
40 g serrano ham
1 garlic clove
500g pork mince
1/2 cup red wine
400g tin chopped tomatos
70g tin tomato paste
1/2 cup basil leaves
truffle oil
parmesan
Soak the mushrooms in 1/2 cup of hot water, then chop finely.
Put carrot, celery, onion and garlic in thermo, chop at speed 5 for 5 seconds. Scrape down, add 20 mls of olive oil, and cook on 100 degrees for 5 minutes, speed 1, reverse.
Add mince and cook for 8 minutes, speed 1 reverse at 100 degrees
Add red wine, tin tomatoes, tomato paste and basil leaves, cook for 8 minutes, speed 1 reverse, 100 degrees.
Serve over pasta of your choice. Last night I used tagliatelle, but I have used bows or spirals.
Drizzle with truffle oil and top with parmesan
Chicken Pad Kee Mao
I'm rediscovering some old favourites at the moment, after quite a long time of not being particularly creative. This was pretty yummy.
700g chicken breast fillets
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of peanut oil
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
2 long red chillies, finely chopped
4 shallots finely chopped
a small head of broccoli, cut into pieces
125 grams baby corns, sliced lengthways
500g thick rice noodles
2 tbsp each soy sauce, oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
Combine chicken and sesame oil, season with salt and pepper
Cook chicken in a wok in a tablespoon of peanut oil, until golden and then set aside
Add garlic, ginger, chilli and shallots to pan and cook for 30 seconds, add broccoli and corn, and stir fry for a few minutes.
Cook rice noodles, then add to pan with chicken and vegetables.
Add the soy, oyster and fish sauces and sugar, 60 ml water and stir for a minute or so.
Serve topped with extra onion and chilli.
700g chicken breast fillets
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of peanut oil
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
2 long red chillies, finely chopped
4 shallots finely chopped
a small head of broccoli, cut into pieces
125 grams baby corns, sliced lengthways
500g thick rice noodles
2 tbsp each soy sauce, oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
Combine chicken and sesame oil, season with salt and pepper
Cook chicken in a wok in a tablespoon of peanut oil, until golden and then set aside
Add garlic, ginger, chilli and shallots to pan and cook for 30 seconds, add broccoli and corn, and stir fry for a few minutes.
Cook rice noodles, then add to pan with chicken and vegetables.
Add the soy, oyster and fish sauces and sugar, 60 ml water and stir for a minute or so.
Serve topped with extra onion and chilli.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Chicken, Red Capsicum, Tomato and Chickpea Chilli
I'm thinking I will make this, this week. I had it on the list to make last week, but last week was crazy busy, I worked 4 days, on top of my two afternoons, and on my day off I went to the Eisteddfod. And it wasn't even a day off, because I had to leave and go to my afternoon job. So I didn't get around to making this one. Maybe today, if I go and get the chicken out of the freezer when I'm done here.
Ingredients:
1 kg chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3 cm pieces
1/3 cup seasoned flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large red onion - I will be using brown, because I don't have a red one.
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 red capsicums seed removed, sliced into 1 cm pieces
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 can chick peas (400g)
1 can tomatoes (chopped, 400g)
3 long red chillis (or dried chilli, about a tsp)
1 tsp tabasco sauce. If I have it, it goes in, otherwise perhaps a pinch more chilli
1 cup coriander leaves
Cous cous to serve
Dust chicken in flour
Heat 2 tbps oil in fry pan, fry chicken until golden, about 4 minutes, then set aside
Cook onion, garlic and capsicum in remaining oil until onion starts to colour (about 2 minutes). Add chickpeas, tomato, chili and tabasco and season to taste.
Add chicken, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and sauce slightly thickened.
Serve with warm buttery cous cous. Or I might do rice or even polenta if I haven't got cous cous. Garnish with coriander.
Ingredients:
1 kg chicken thigh fillets, cut into 3 cm pieces
1/3 cup seasoned flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large red onion - I will be using brown, because I don't have a red one.
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 red capsicums seed removed, sliced into 1 cm pieces
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 can chick peas (400g)
1 can tomatoes (chopped, 400g)
3 long red chillis (or dried chilli, about a tsp)
1 tsp tabasco sauce. If I have it, it goes in, otherwise perhaps a pinch more chilli
1 cup coriander leaves
Cous cous to serve
Dust chicken in flour
Heat 2 tbps oil in fry pan, fry chicken until golden, about 4 minutes, then set aside
Cook onion, garlic and capsicum in remaining oil until onion starts to colour (about 2 minutes). Add chickpeas, tomato, chili and tabasco and season to taste.
Add chicken, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and sauce slightly thickened.
Serve with warm buttery cous cous. Or I might do rice or even polenta if I haven't got cous cous. Garnish with coriander.
Bun Cha - or Vietnamese noodles with pork and herbs
I love pork mince. It tastes better than beef, not as strong, yet not as insipid as chicken mince, or as fatty as lamb. Thanks pigs, so many good things from one animal.
I made this one a while ago, and we all loved it. The shop spring rolls on the side might seem like a weird addition, but they were great. I just used Aldi ones, the vegetarian ones, because I don't like the paste-y texture of meat in springrolls.
No thermomix for this one, but it's reasonably quick anyway. And then your thermo is free to make a nice custard or a sorbet for dessert.
Ingredients
200g rice noodles
500g pork mince
2 tbsp of kecap manis
1/2 bunch of spring onions - I always use shallots because I can never find spring onions, and for ages, I thought they were the same thing. Apparently they aren't, who knew?
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 cups each coriander and basil leaves
100 g bean sprouts
store bought springrolls - we had 5 each, they weren't very big, and this seemed like the right number.
Chilli Peanut Dressing
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 long red chillies finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup peanuts, chopped
2 tbsps fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
What to do
Cook the noodles, I mostly don't read the packet instructions, just boil up some water, cook for a couple minutes then drain. I taste a noodle to make sure it's cooked properly, that's about it. Reserve 2 tbsp cooking liquid.
Combine mince, kecap manis, onion and garlic and form into meatballs. Flatten slightly and place on a a baking tray. Chill for ten minutes to firm up.
Heat oil in fry pan and cook meatballs.
Transfer to a plate, reserve pan.
For the dressing, heat oil in reserved pan, add chilli and cook 2 - 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add peanuts and cook for 2 minutes, stir in fish sauce, lime juice and reserved noodle water. Remove from heat
Divide noodles among bowls, top with meatballs, herbs, sprouts and springrolls. Serve drizzled with dressing.
Amazing!
I made this one a while ago, and we all loved it. The shop spring rolls on the side might seem like a weird addition, but they were great. I just used Aldi ones, the vegetarian ones, because I don't like the paste-y texture of meat in springrolls.
No thermomix for this one, but it's reasonably quick anyway. And then your thermo is free to make a nice custard or a sorbet for dessert.
Ingredients
200g rice noodles
500g pork mince
2 tbsp of kecap manis
1/2 bunch of spring onions - I always use shallots because I can never find spring onions, and for ages, I thought they were the same thing. Apparently they aren't, who knew?
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 cups each coriander and basil leaves
100 g bean sprouts
store bought springrolls - we had 5 each, they weren't very big, and this seemed like the right number.
Chilli Peanut Dressing
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 long red chillies finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup peanuts, chopped
2 tbsps fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
What to do
Cook the noodles, I mostly don't read the packet instructions, just boil up some water, cook for a couple minutes then drain. I taste a noodle to make sure it's cooked properly, that's about it. Reserve 2 tbsp cooking liquid.
Combine mince, kecap manis, onion and garlic and form into meatballs. Flatten slightly and place on a a baking tray. Chill for ten minutes to firm up.
Heat oil in fry pan and cook meatballs.
Transfer to a plate, reserve pan.
For the dressing, heat oil in reserved pan, add chilli and cook 2 - 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add peanuts and cook for 2 minutes, stir in fish sauce, lime juice and reserved noodle water. Remove from heat
Divide noodles among bowls, top with meatballs, herbs, sprouts and springrolls. Serve drizzled with dressing.
Amazing!
Barbecue Beef Salad with beer vinaigrette
I am writing this a few weeks after cooking it, and I have a sneaking suspicion that somewhere in the fridge there is a small tub of left over beer vinaigrette. Probably won't be pretty after so long. I will investigate later. Along with refreshing the kitty litter and cleaning the fish bowl. Knowing all those things are waiting, I could get some serious posting done on this blog.
Ingredients
Olive oil. The recipe said extra virgin. I never use extra virgin because I think it tastes weird, so it was probably light, and yes I do know what that means.
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves
4 corn cobs
800g beef sirloin steak
2 baby cos lettuces quartered length ways
50g tasty cheese
2 limes, halved
Beer Vinaigrette
375 ml beer (golden ale)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
For the vinaigrette, heat the beer, simmer for 5 minutes, until reduced to 1/3 cup. Set aside to cool
Mix up the oil and paprika and garlic, and pour over the steak and corn.
BBQ steak and corn, rest steak and slice kernels off the corn.
Combine vinaigrette ingredients and season.
Slice steak, and serve with lettuce and corn and cheese, drizzle with vinaigrette and oil and sprinkle over more paprika, serve with lime.
This was very good. And fast.
Ingredients
Olive oil. The recipe said extra virgin. I never use extra virgin because I think it tastes weird, so it was probably light, and yes I do know what that means.
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves
4 corn cobs
800g beef sirloin steak
2 baby cos lettuces quartered length ways
50g tasty cheese
2 limes, halved
Beer Vinaigrette
375 ml beer (golden ale)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
For the vinaigrette, heat the beer, simmer for 5 minutes, until reduced to 1/3 cup. Set aside to cool
Mix up the oil and paprika and garlic, and pour over the steak and corn.
BBQ steak and corn, rest steak and slice kernels off the corn.
Combine vinaigrette ingredients and season.
Slice steak, and serve with lettuce and corn and cheese, drizzle with vinaigrette and oil and sprinkle over more paprika, serve with lime.
This was very good. And fast.
Truffle, Parsnip, Pork and Sage Risotto
This is one of my absolute favourite meals. In fact, it's everyone in the houses favourite meal. Everytime I cook risotto now, my 11 year old wants to know if it will be served with burnt sage butter. It is divine. And a great one for the thermomix. Try it now, you will love it.
Ingredients
500g pork mince
2 tbsp olive oil
8 small parsnips (or 4 medium sized ones)
1 L chicken stock
70 g butter
1 onion
400g arborio rice
80g white wine
60 g sour cream
80g parmesan grated
a bunch of sage leaves
truffle oil
In thermo, process mince for about 8 seconds on speed 7, I often add a bit if fennel in with it. Roll the mince into balls and set aside on an oven tray.
Peel parsnips, and cut off the skinny bits at the top, toss these in olive oil and bake in the oven with the pork balls for 10 - 15 minutes.
Grate remaining parnsips and set aside
In thermo, chop onion, 5 seconds, speed 5.
Add 40g butter to thermo and cook with onion on 100 degrees, speed 1 (reverse) for 3 minutes. Add grated parsnip, and cook for another 3 minutes at 90 degrees.
Add rice, cook for another 2 minutes 90 degrees, same speed and still reverse.
Add stock, put in the butterfly and cook for 17 minutes, speed 1 reverse at 90 degrees.
Add parmesan and sour cream, mix gently and let stand for 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a frypan, melt remaining butter, and fry sage leaves gently until they are crispy and the butter has turned a lovely light brown.
Serve risotto into bowls, top with parsnip, meatballs and a drizzle of truffle oil.
I try not to cook this too often, so we don't get sick of it, but it is truly wonderful, and I don't know how long it would take of having it every week for me to be bored with it.
I've been able to buy truffles in a jar from Aldi occasionally and have sliced these and cooked them through the risotto, also delicious.
Ingredients
500g pork mince
2 tbsp olive oil
8 small parsnips (or 4 medium sized ones)
1 L chicken stock
70 g butter
1 onion
400g arborio rice
80g white wine
60 g sour cream
80g parmesan grated
a bunch of sage leaves
truffle oil
In thermo, process mince for about 8 seconds on speed 7, I often add a bit if fennel in with it. Roll the mince into balls and set aside on an oven tray.
Peel parsnips, and cut off the skinny bits at the top, toss these in olive oil and bake in the oven with the pork balls for 10 - 15 minutes.
Grate remaining parnsips and set aside
In thermo, chop onion, 5 seconds, speed 5.
Add 40g butter to thermo and cook with onion on 100 degrees, speed 1 (reverse) for 3 minutes. Add grated parsnip, and cook for another 3 minutes at 90 degrees.
Add rice, cook for another 2 minutes 90 degrees, same speed and still reverse.
Add stock, put in the butterfly and cook for 17 minutes, speed 1 reverse at 90 degrees.
Add parmesan and sour cream, mix gently and let stand for 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a frypan, melt remaining butter, and fry sage leaves gently until they are crispy and the butter has turned a lovely light brown.
Serve risotto into bowls, top with parsnip, meatballs and a drizzle of truffle oil.
I try not to cook this too often, so we don't get sick of it, but it is truly wonderful, and I don't know how long it would take of having it every week for me to be bored with it.
I've been able to buy truffles in a jar from Aldi occasionally and have sliced these and cooked them through the risotto, also delicious.
Eggs Benedict
Last weekend we had Hospitality Weekend at church. Usually we eat dinner together once a month, but this month, to mix it up, we went visiting one anothers houses. You got to nominate if you would be a host or guest, and then organised a meal together. We hosted, and our guests had very small children, and our schedule was a bit full over the weekend, so working out which meal to do was slightly problematic. Until we hit on the brilliant idea of Brunch. What an under appreciated meal time this is. Brunch. I don't think I've ever been anywhere for brunch. Never hosted one before, but it truly is a winner. Late enough that you sleep in, early enough that it doesn't eat up your whole day. And so easy to cater. Bacon, eggs, croissants, mushrooms, sour dough toast, good coffee and juice. So simple.
To make it look like I'd made more effort, I made eggs benedict. I've never made hollandaise before, but the thermo just makes it for me, so no drama there. Here is the recipe I used for the hollandaise, so yummy. And I love poached eggs.
Hollandaise
4 egg yolks
130g cubed butter
20g freshly squeezed lemon
sea salt and black pepper
Insert butterfly, put all the ingredients into the bowl, cook for 8 minutes at 90 degree on speed three. Serve poured over poached eggs.
I had leftovers and decided to microwave it the next day with my eggs, but it separated and looked horrid. Tasted great, but looked dreadful. The recipe is in the Everyday Cookbook. Some of the EDC recipes are a bit Womans Weekly circa 1980, however, there are a few gems in there, and this is one of them.
To make it look like I'd made more effort, I made eggs benedict. I've never made hollandaise before, but the thermo just makes it for me, so no drama there. Here is the recipe I used for the hollandaise, so yummy. And I love poached eggs.
Hollandaise
4 egg yolks
130g cubed butter
20g freshly squeezed lemon
sea salt and black pepper
Insert butterfly, put all the ingredients into the bowl, cook for 8 minutes at 90 degree on speed three. Serve poured over poached eggs.
I had leftovers and decided to microwave it the next day with my eggs, but it separated and looked horrid. Tasted great, but looked dreadful. The recipe is in the Everyday Cookbook. Some of the EDC recipes are a bit Womans Weekly circa 1980, however, there are a few gems in there, and this is one of them.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Pork Sausage, Green lentil and Red Wine Braise
This is another one from a Delicious magazine, that I changed up a bit. I used the thermo as an extra pair of hands to chop the onions and garlic. I think my onions were extra strong - when I took the lid off the thermo, it felt like someone had poked something into both eyes, hard. The fumes were dreadful.
So, ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
40 g butter - salted, unsalted, I don't think it makes a massive difference
3 garlic cloves - these seem to have become massive just lately, so I think I used one, but it was a monster
100g serrrano ham, or pancetta or bacon
1 carrot
2 celery sticks
2 cups red wine
2 lemon thyme sprigs - I prefer lemon, and thats what I have growing
1 400g tin of lentils, you could use 2, the recipe says 2, but I didn't want to freak the family out by overdoing it. Subtlety is the key as far as legumes are concerned at our house. Rinse and drain them
600g of pork sausages, whatever kind you prefer, we got pork and fennel.
Mashed potato to serve
Use thermo to chop onion and garlic cloves. 8 seconds of speed 5 and check. I'm less proscriptive now I'm comfortable with the machine. Or hand chop them, if you prefer, either is fine, I just hate chopping onions.
Fry up the onion and garlic and ham/pancetta/bacon with oil in a heavy pan. You could do this in the thermo, I didn't because I wanted to use it for something else, and because I like onions fried on the stove. About 6 minutes
Chop carrot in the thermo, try not to turn it into carrot juice, a lower speed (5) is better than blitzing it into oblivion. You want bits, not mush.
I chopped the celery with a knife, it's neater and I'm less likely to make celery juice by accident.
Add carrot and celery to the onion mix and cook gently for 8 or so minutes. Mixture should be lightly brown
Add red wine and bring to simmer, cook for 6 - 8 minutes until liquid is reduced by half.
Add thyme and lentils. Cover with a lid and cook gently for 20 minutes, until lentil have absorbed most of the liquid.
Remove from heat and stir through a tablespoon of butter.
While the lentil mix is cooking, fry up the sausages separately and organise mashed potato and any other veges. Slice sausages and stir through the lentils and serve.
I always forget how good this is. Will the kids eat the lentils? Will I like the sausages? But we always like it, and we're always hugely surprised by that. Maybe now it's here on the blog, I will remember.
So, ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
40 g butter - salted, unsalted, I don't think it makes a massive difference
3 garlic cloves - these seem to have become massive just lately, so I think I used one, but it was a monster
100g serrrano ham, or pancetta or bacon
1 carrot
2 celery sticks
2 cups red wine
2 lemon thyme sprigs - I prefer lemon, and thats what I have growing
1 400g tin of lentils, you could use 2, the recipe says 2, but I didn't want to freak the family out by overdoing it. Subtlety is the key as far as legumes are concerned at our house. Rinse and drain them
600g of pork sausages, whatever kind you prefer, we got pork and fennel.
Mashed potato to serve
Use thermo to chop onion and garlic cloves. 8 seconds of speed 5 and check. I'm less proscriptive now I'm comfortable with the machine. Or hand chop them, if you prefer, either is fine, I just hate chopping onions.
Fry up the onion and garlic and ham/pancetta/bacon with oil in a heavy pan. You could do this in the thermo, I didn't because I wanted to use it for something else, and because I like onions fried on the stove. About 6 minutes
Chop carrot in the thermo, try not to turn it into carrot juice, a lower speed (5) is better than blitzing it into oblivion. You want bits, not mush.
I chopped the celery with a knife, it's neater and I'm less likely to make celery juice by accident.
Add carrot and celery to the onion mix and cook gently for 8 or so minutes. Mixture should be lightly brown
Add red wine and bring to simmer, cook for 6 - 8 minutes until liquid is reduced by half.
Add thyme and lentils. Cover with a lid and cook gently for 20 minutes, until lentil have absorbed most of the liquid.
Remove from heat and stir through a tablespoon of butter.
While the lentil mix is cooking, fry up the sausages separately and organise mashed potato and any other veges. Slice sausages and stir through the lentils and serve.
I always forget how good this is. Will the kids eat the lentils? Will I like the sausages? But we always like it, and we're always hugely surprised by that. Maybe now it's here on the blog, I will remember.
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