Thai Beef Salad

This has become one of our favourite meals, especially since we got the Thai basil and mint well established in the garden.

so for us step one is go outside,  enjoy the sky, and pick mint, coriander, thai basil, limes and chilli.

Then come in, fill a glass and do this:

Make the salad base:
2/3 cup Thai basil
2/3 cup mint
1/3 cup chopped Thai coriander
1 bag salad leaves
1 punnet cherry tomatoes (halved) I am looking forward to picking our own again soon

mix these together using your hands in a large bowl or on a platter

Top with
1 lebanese cucumber cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
3 spring onions chopped on the diagonal
1 large red chilli de seeded and sliced

Then slice your beef into thin strips. I buy skirt steak especially for this kind of recipe as it is beautifully tender when cut right. I used 400g skirt steak

put all the meat in a bowl and top with the marinade ingredients:
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
juice of one lime
1 tablespoon oil (I used rice bran oil)
Mix through.  I use chopsticks to mix, as it helps build strength and dexterity when using them. All the marinade stays on the meat too, I find if you use a spoon the marinade sticks to the spoon rather than the meat.

For the dressing shake these ingredients together in a jar.
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
juice of one lime
2 tablespoons palm sugar (chopped finely)
A shake of sesame oil

Cook the meat in batches in a fry pan or on the barbecue

this is Taff's hand, not mine

Assemble at the last minute

pile on the meat then pour on dressing then sprinkle 1/2 cup fried shallots (from an Asian supermarket) over the salad

Enjoy. This is another 6 propoint meal, if you use a Chef's toolbox pan and only brush a teaspoon of oil over it for cooking. And it's OK to go back for seconds...

The BEST Thermomix bouillabaisse

This is just what I used to make on the stove top adapted for the TM31
We have it instead of take away as it is quicker and nicer

So on a chilly Friday you buy some good quality marinara mix and either make or buy some nice bread to go with it. Tonight I have 450g fish, scallops, mussels and prawns.
Grab your veroma and spread the fish evenly through the dish

You also need

a large onion, peeled and halved

2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 red chilli, deseeded and halved

a handful of fresh basil

Place these in the TM31 and chop for 5 seconds speed 5

Then add

6 tomatoes quartered

1000 ml water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2-3 tablespoons stock paste

1/2 cup of white wine

pinch saffron

salt and pepper

Place veroma on top. Cook 20 minutes Veroma speed 2

While it cooks you can set a fancy table or have a relaxing drink or three with anyone else eating with you

When it is done you won't believe how little the seafood has shrunk - it's all plump, juicy and tasty

Spoon into bowls and top with the soup which is absolutely delicious

That's it. Serves 4 or 2 as a complete meal. Preparation time less than 5 minutes, Cooking time 25 including prep. Weight Watchers points 5.

Capsicum and Chorizo pasta

A lazy meal for a busy day

take 

2 red capsicums

1 chorizo sausage

1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes (I used kumatos)

slice capsicum and chorizo and halve tomatoes 

Place on a Chefs Toolbox silicon sheet and drizzle with olive oil - I used the Cobram Estate Lemon infused oil 

Cook in preheated oven at 200 deg for 20 - 30 minutes - take out when it begins to char

Meanwhile cook 500 g pasta in a large pot of water 

We chose orecchiette 

Toss roasted vegetables and chorizo together

Drain pasta, toss vegetables and chorizo through with 1 tablespoon capers and 2 big handfuls of fresh basil

Serve with grated parmesan and fresh ground pepper

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!

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)