Monday, January 28, 2013

Cauliflower, sweet potato and chick pea soup

It is SO hot here I cannot be bothered to cook. So I whipped up this silky smooth soup - thanks Weight Watchers and Thermomix for the inspiration!

Place one onion and two cloves of garlic in Thermomix - chop at speed 7 for 3 minutes
Add 15 ml oil (I used rice bran oil) and cook 3 minutes 100 degrees speed 1

While that is happening roughly chop 2 small sweet potatoes, half a cauliflower and drain a can of chick peas. Add to Thermomix with 1000ml water, 2 tablespoons stock paste, 2 teaspoons powdered cumin and a shake of tabasco. Cook 25 minutes 100 degrees speed 1. Then blend at speed 9 for one minute. That's it!

Total WW ProPoints per serve? Based on 6 serves that is a handy dandy 2 PP per serve!

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Creamy tomato and chicken with pasta

I wanted something creamy and filling but low in WW ProPoints so I made this up on the spot - based loosely on the Chicken Fricassee in the Travelling with Thermomix book

Take two chicken breasts and halve them lengthways and place in the veroma tray
Halve 250g button mushrooms and place in the bottom of the veroma
Pour 500ml water into the TM and cook for 25 minutes on Veroma speed 1

While this is cooking gather your other ingredients and put the pasta on to cook

Set steamed chicken and mushrooms aside. Pour cooking liquid into a bowl or jug.

Put 2 cloves garlic (peeled) and an onion (peeled and halved) into the TM for 3 secs speed 7
Add a large handful of basil leaves and whiz for another 3 seconds at speed 7



Pour in 20 ml oil (I used rice bran oil) and cook 3 minutes 100 deg reverse speed 1

Scrape down and add cooking liquid, 300 ml passata, 15 ml worcestershire sauce, a good shake of tabasco, 100 ml cream, a teaspoon of sea salt and a good grind of pepper. Cook 2 minutes 100 deg reverse speed soft
I decided to use the cream this way as we have had SO much cream in the house over Christmas and New Year

While this is cooking cut the chicken up into bite size pieces

Add 100g baby spinach, chicken and mushrooms to the TM
With the help of the spatula cook 3 minutes 100 deg reverse speed soft

Drain pasta and pile into serving dish. Pour chicken and sauce on top and enjoy!

I used 400g of small penne and this made 5 delicious serves at only 13 ProPoints each!









Thursday, January 3, 2013

Sixty second salad

Actually I think it took less than that...

I wanted something not too boring to have with cos lettuce.

So I wizzed one clove garlic for 3 seconds at speed 7
(Non thermomixers could chop it finely)
Add:   
2 ripe tomatoes (halved)
good handful of fresh basil
2 tablespoons of tomato sauce (from the EDC)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
large pinch salt

wizz for 4 seconds at speed 7


At this point it is really not very pretty. Mum was  quite rude about it.
Tear your washed cos lettuce into large pieces and pour dressing over. Mine looks drowned because we only put enough out for three but I think a big bowl of baby cos would look lovely
Sprinkle with  about 40g feta cheese. We use danish feta because it is creamy and delicious.

Tonight we are having barbecued chops and sausages, marinated mushrooms, chat potatoes with harissa cream and sixty second salad.
check out the gorgeous BBQ plate one of my kids made in kindy!
NB - harissa cream is just light sour cream with a spoonful of harissa paste stirred through (I will post the harissa recipe another time)