Light meals

Beef salad with peanut sauce

~ nzthermomixmum

imagehttp://cookieandkate.com/2014/peanut-sesame-slaw-with-soba-noodles/

We are on the long summertime school holidays and after a walk on the beach, an easy salad is called for. Used the Peanut Soba noodle sauce recipe from new Festive Flavour cookbook.   ( halve sauce quantity next time )A similar recipe is posted above.  Grilled rump steak, sliced finely , tossed into salad topped with toasted  pinenuts. Used thermomix to coleslaw up some cabbage, tossed in cucumber and carrots. The dressing made in seconds in with Thermomix  (chopped garlic and ginger first 3 sec, speed 7 , then added the other dressing ingredients and mixed at speed 7 until combined) Miss 9 doesn’t like dressing so we left in a jar to be added separately. Makes enough dressing for two or three meals,  yum.

 

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Pea and bean dip

~ nzthermomixmum
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Crushed pea and bean dip

A new recipe from the latest TM recipe book and chip, Festive Flavour. I tried this delicious dip at the last Thermomix course. The pea and bean dip is made by steaming peas and edamame beans in varoma then combining with avocado, spring onion and lemon juice. Blitzed for a few seconds and it’s done.  We didn’t have broad beans but substituted with more peas and an extra avocado and left out garlic and horseradish. Added a bit more lemon juice, also had to substitute some leftover blue vein cheese for feta as we couldn’t be bothered making a trip to the supermarket. Seasoned with salt and pepper.

The vibrant green is so appealing and everyone loved the flavour of this zingy dip. We ate it for lunch with toasted pita bread. Husband, who is not usually a fan of dips, really loved this dip and spread it on so thickly that he ate almost 2/3 of the whole bowl. Makes a large bowl, be perfect for entertaining and is a a great way to up the greens. I love the guided chip recipes, still easy enough to alter them to suit as you go when you don’t have all the ingredients.

Hash browns

~ nzthermomixmum
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Hash browns

http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/side-dishes-recipes/hash-browns/55810

We love hash browns and we  were keen to try this recipe from thermokate. Kids peel the potatoes while I  peel a little onion, whizz it up in the tmx for a few seconds, strain liquid in the basket, then add egg, flour salt and pepper and ready to pan fry. We didn’t bother using the rings, doesn’t have to look to fancy. Never have to buy hash browns again, light tasty and so easy, a great snack item after school or light meal. Prefer this recipe to the potato pancakes in the basic cookbook.

 

Vegetarian sausage rolls

~ nzthermomixmum
Vegetarian sausage rolls
Vegetarian sausage rolls

http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/baking-savoury-recipes/cyndi-omearas-vegetarian-sausage-rolls/17055

You would never believe these tmx vegetarian sausage rolls didn’t contain meat. Another fantastic guided recipe that makes a whole tray and great frozen for  lunchboxes .   The filling is made from walnuts rolled oats and feta cheese, a bit runny but cooks up fine if they’re cut by pressing rather than sawing. Then the filling is a little more enclosed in the roll and doesn’t ooze out. Super tasty and made with guided puff pastry recipe which was very easy too. Best of all the puff pastry is much less greasy than the bought pastry. Watched a YouTube video on how to roll out which  will be copied below

Rice Salad

~ nzthermomixmum
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Brown rice salad

Wonderful guided brown rice salad from the basic cookbook. Vegetables steam at same time as the rice which cooks in the basket. For extra flavour to the rice, added a tablespoon  of chicken stock paste to the steaming water.  Mixed in tuna, cherry tomatoes, olives, mint, parsley  and gherkins at the end. Perfect for lunch boxes and when you need to cook ahead. Yah easy dinner is done before midday.

Will try a friend’s suggestion next time, mix cooked rice with the chopped raw salad recipe from the basic cookbook as a change from cooked vegetables and add different combination of proteins and herbs and would take out time needed to chop vegetables too ( chickpeas/ bacon/ coriander/ roasted vegetables/ feta/nuts/cranberries)

Tip : let the rice and vegetables cool before assembling

Pizza Bianca

~ nzthermomixmum
Pizza bianca
Pizza bianca

http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/main-dishes-vegetarian-recipes/pizza-bianca-rosemary-garlic/264408

Using the chip for the third Thermomix cookbook ” everyday cooking for families “. The recipe link is above. Incorporated the garlic and rosemary into the dough and topped with extra rosemary and sea salt because we love the rosemary flavour and left out Parmesan. Rolled out to approx 2cm thickness and dimpled top so it cooks evenly.  Texture is wonderful and soft. Same recipe as pizza dough in the Basic cookbook and chip, except for the added garlic and rosemary flavouring.

Rice congee

~ nzthermomixmum
Rice congee
Rice congee

Excellent!!! very happy with this rice congee (porridge) from the Something for Everyone cookbook made today for miss 8 who has woken up with a temperature. Got to pull out all the stops to make her well again because it’s her birthday tomorrow. She’s asked for two things chicken stock soup and congee. Chicken soup was made in a couple of minutes by mixing the chicken stock paste with water and boiling with some greens from fridge. And this congee recipe is so easy too, just chucked in ginger and spring onion to Thermomix bowl, chop speed 7, add 1000g of chicken stock (2Tb of TM chicken stock paste with 1000g of water), another 250g water and 180 g rice. Then cooked for 25 mins 100C reverse speed stir with butterfly in. Stir through some finely chopped chicken at the end and it cooks in the Thermomix when left to stand for 10 minutes. Served with a dash of sesame oil, soy sauce, finely sliced  spring onion. Wow, couldn’t be simpler and so tasty with the chicken stock base. Normally I’d be boiling chicken frames with rice and standing at the stove for ages but not today, it’s all  made in time for lunch with no trips to supermarket and no standing stirring in the kitchen. Yah! Nb try 10 grams less rice next time, so it’s a bit thinner because it thickens on standing.

Oakhill Potatoes and homemade chicken stock

~ nzthermomixmum
Oakhill potatoes
Oakhill potatoes

Tonight I can’t resist repeatjng myself for this potato casserole mainly because it’s our favourite. If the Thermomix could only make stock and white (bechemal) sauce alone. I think I would have been tempted to buy it. With a sick teenager at home, there’s nothing better than homemade chicken stock made into a broth. You just know it’s “gotta be good” when the only ingredients are chicken, celery, carrots onions and herbs. Freshly made today, the broth is just the a tablespoon of  chicken stock  paste with 500 ml of water, chucked in some spinach and courgettes and poured over some precooked noodles. Chicken noodle soup ready in minutes with the freshest of ingredients.

With temperatures in the single digits, we all felt like a bit if comfort food so out rolls the Oakhill Potato recipe. Everything  is easily done in the Thermomix. Steamed potatoes and eggs in Varoma.  Then sautéed onion and bacon in TM bowl. Only a quick rinse of the bowl before making one step bechemal sauce (note the sauce may appear too watery at first but thickens on cooling) . Assembled in baking dish topped with breadcrumbs and cheese both grated in the Thermomix. There’s nothing more comforting than onion, potatoes, bacon, milk, cheese  and eggs. Served with a Beetroot salad and some tossed greens. For detailed adapted recipe, search this blog for the earlier post on Oakhill Potatoes.