Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - VieveMS

Pages: [1] 2
1
Main Dishes / Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs with Creamy Pesto
« on: January 06, 2013, 08:23:14 am »
Name of Recipe:: Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs with Creamy Pesto
Number of People: 4-5 Serves
Ingredients:

Meatballs:
900 grams ground beef
2 tablespoons chives
2 tablespoons fresh basil
½ cup sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
2 -3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Creamy Pesto:
1 cup walnut halves
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups fresh basil leaves
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
½ cup coconut cream

Preparation:
Meatballs:
Pre-heat oven to 180ºC.
Place garlic, chives, sun-dried tomatoes and basil into the TMX bowl and chop for approx 5 seconds on speed 7.
Add mince, salt & pepper.  I also added some olive oil (10g) as my sun-dried tomatoes had not been packed in olive oil.  Mix for approx 20 seconds, speed 3, reverse until mixture is well combined.
Form the meat mixture into golf ball sized balls.
Heat an oven-proof frypan on the stove over a medium heat and add the coconut oil.  Once the oil is melted and the frypan is hot, add the meatballs and brown on all sides.
Once meatballs are browned on all sides, cover the frypan and transfer to the oven.  Cook for an additional 7-10 minutes.

Creamy Pesto:
Place walnuts, garlic, olive oil and salt into a clean TMX bowl and mix on speed 7 until smooth.  You will need to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you do this to ensure all ingredients are well combined.
Add the basil, sun-dried tomatoes and coconut cream to the TMX bowl.  Process on speed 4-5 until smooth (or your desired consistency).

To serve, spoon some of the pesto over the meatballs.

Source:
Converted for the TMX from this recipe:  Everyday Paleo Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs with Creamy Pesto.

Tips/Hints:
The meatballs can be cooked in the Varoma instead of the stove/oven.  

Sorry, I was too quick adding the ingredients to the TMX so forgot to convert to grams.  I'll do this next time.

members' comments

Frozzie - For me there is way too much meat in this recipe.. I would perhaps do a standard meatball with half the mince and add the same ingredients ie basil, garlic and sundried tomatoes etc and double the sauce.. I did add finely chopped apple in the meatball mix to moisten them a bit and baked them with the sauce in the oven.. I did add a bit more coconut cream... I was a bit disappointed as the mix smelt amazing pre cooking... I also did the garlic rice with it and it was just enough for 6 serves. I like saucy meatballs which is why I added double the coconut cream.. For me it would have been too heavy with the very meaty meatballs plus a salsa like sauce..but thats me...

2
Special Diets / Paleo Friendly Recipes - No Grains, Legumes, Dairy, etc.
« on: January 05, 2013, 08:05:57 am »
In an attempt to lose some weight and improve my overall health, I've decided that this month I am going to eat Paleo to see if it is right for me.  The principles of Paleo are to eat what our ancestors ate: i.e. no processed foods, grains, legumes, refined sugars and dairy.  I started on 1 Jan and am finding it pretty easy so far.  My plan is to follow the guidelines as closely as possible for a month or two and then perhaps introduce some dairy back into my diet (I cannot live forever without icecream and cheese!).  

Incidentally, for those of you familiar with the Eat Right For Your Bloodtype Diet - the principles are very similar to the diet recommended for "O" bloodtypes.

Anyway, I've created this thread to reference Paleo friendly recipes so I (and others) have a quick reference.  I've included some recipes that suggest serving the dish on a bed of rice or pasta - you can either ignore this or try some Mock Rice using cauliflower instead.

Chicken
Spiced Chicken and Sweet Potato
Chicken Breasts in Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms
Butter Chicken & Tikka Paste  NB: replace cream with coconut cream.
Lime & Mint Chicken Skewers
Lemon Coriander Chicken
Easiest Ever Coconut Chicken Curry
Chicken Breast with Capers, Anchovies and Sundried Tomato
LC Sesame Chicken Patties.  NB: replace shoyu with tamari.

Beef
Thermomix Roast Beef NB: Replace wine with stock.
Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs with Creamy Pesto

Lamb
Indian Lamb Curry
Italian Lamb Casserole
FFS Lamb Pesto Crusto with Gusto (Review)
LC Lamb Ragu (Review)  NB: Replace wine with stock.

Seafood and Fish
Mussels with Mint
Tahitian Fish Ceviche   NB: replace soy sauce with tamari.
Vegetable Omelette with Tuna
QFITT Sesame Crusted Salmon with Wasabi Mayonnaise
LC Spicy Seafood Soup
LC Thai Prawn & Lemongrass Soup

Vegetarian
Raw Cucumber Mint Soup
Spicy Coconut Zucchini

Salads and Sides
High Protein Salad
Fennel & Cucumber Salad

Sauces and Condiments
Megan's Tomato Passata

Desserts (best to have in moderation!)
Banana & Raspberry Icecream
QFITT Tropical Sorbet (Review)

Juices, Smoothies and Drinks
QFITT Beetroot Smoothie (Review)

I'll add more links to recipes as I come across them.

Acronym Definitions:
FFS = For Food Sake by Tenina Holder
QFITT = Quick Fix in the Thermomix by Alyce Alexandria
LC = Low Carb Mini Series by Alyce Alexandria

3
Recipe Book Recipe Reviews / Low Carb - Chicken Drummettes
« on: December 20, 2012, 10:16:14 pm »
Had these for dinner last night although instead of drummettes I jointed and marinated a whole chicken.

The marinade is quick and easy to make up and was really tasty on the chicken.  As my chicken pieces were larger, I needed to cook the chicken for longer.  I might even try cooking the chicken on the BBQ next time.

Sorry, no photo  :(

4
Recipe Book Recipe Reviews / Low Carb - Coconut and Lemon Macaroons
« on: December 19, 2012, 12:55:39 am »
I am not sure about these ones....

They were very quick and easy to make but mine have turned out a little too tangy.  Could be that my lemon was particularly juicy but next time i'd probably only put half the lemon zest in as well.

I do love the fact that there is no sugar in these (only a pinch of stevia) as everything else I cook these days seems to be laden with the stuff  :o

5
Recipe Book Recipe Reviews / Low Carb - Coconut Berry Smoothie
« on: December 18, 2012, 11:15:05 pm »
Had this smoothie for breakfast today - it is a very rich and decadent drink, perfect for this time of year!

I didn't have any flaxseeds so I added some chia seeds instead.  My smoothie was thick and delicious and it is the kind of drink that should keep you feeling satisfied for many hours.

6
Recipe Book Recipe Reviews / Low Carb - Baked Egg Pots
« on: December 18, 2012, 04:30:29 am »
Yum, yum, yum!

Since the oven was already hot I thought I'd try the Baked Egg Pots from the Low Carb cookbook.  The original recipe serves 6 but I only wanted one pot so I reduced all the ingredients (not necessarily by 1/6th either) to suit.  I only used red capsicum (recipe says red and yellow), substituted fresh tomatoes and a bit of puree for the can of diced tomatoes and omitted the saffron threads as I didn't have any.

My parmesan didn't brown as much as I would have liked but I didn't want to risk overcooking the egg (I only used one).  The egg was cooked perfectly with a beautiful runny yoke.

I will definitely be making this one again.  Great recipe.

7
Recipe Book Recipe Reviews / Low Carb - Almond Pancakes
« on: December 18, 2012, 12:19:22 am »
Made a 1/2 batch of the almond pancakes as a post-gym treat for breakfast this morning.  Instead of soy milk I used Organic Full Cream Milk.

These were really easy to make and tasted pretty good too.  Alyce suggests serving them with fresh berries and cream - I could not bring myself to have cream at breakfast so I served them with blueberries and maple syrup.  I think they would be nice with a berry coulis or even a berry jam.  You do probably need something as they would be quite dry served on their own.

8
I made Tenina's Raspberry, Lime & White Chocolate Mousse yesterday to take to a BBQ today.

I am a bit of a novice when it comes to making mousse and was a little concerned that the mixture was not going to thicken up but the end result looks pretty good.

I used 5 1/2 sheets of gelatine instead of the 3 tsp of powder that the recipe states as my local supermarket only had the sheets.  I also substituted lemon for the lime as that is all I had on hand.

I'll report back on the taste later...

9
Questions? Technical Issues? The Survival Guide / Thickening up a Mousse
« on: December 01, 2012, 07:01:28 am »
I attempted to make Tenina's Raspberry, Lime & White Chocolate Mousse today and I suspect it is nowhere near thick enough.  I haven't really made mousse before so I don't know if it will thicken up overnight or not.

The recipe calls for 3 tsp powdered gelatine but my local supermarket only had the gelatine leaves.  After doing some googling, I ended up using 5 1/2 sheets of gelatine but I'm still not sure if that was enough.  The other change I made was I substituted lemon for lime as that is all I had on hand.

Assuming that it will not thicken up overnight, can anyone suggest a way of thickening it up?  Should i add a bit more gelatine?  I want to take it to a BBQ tomorrow (lunchtime).

Thanks in advance.

10
Made these today to take to a BBQ tomorrow.

The recipe was easy to follow and didn't take very long.  You do need to make these in advance as they need a minimum of 4 hours refrigeration before serving (mine will have overnight).

I didn't have the 6cm x 6cm dariole moulds so I used some oval moulds instead.  Due to their shape, I couldn't get all 8 to fit in the bottom of the Varoma so I had 2 sitting on the top shelf of the Varoma as well.  I covered both lots with a double layer of paper towel so water wouldn't drip back onto the cheesecakes (as per the recipe).

Compared to the photo in the book, I was a little light-handed with the poppy seeds.  I will add some lemon curd to the top of each tomorrow prior to serving.

Happy with the results so far but I guess it will all come down to how they taste. 


11
Questions? Technical Issues? The Survival Guide / Muntries?
« on: November 27, 2012, 09:33:04 am »
Hi all, I guess this question is probably aimed at our SA forum members as I think Muntries are native to that area. 

I would like to make Andrew Fielke's Wattle Seed Walnut Fruit Mince Tarts for christmas but the recipe calls for Muntries.  Are they readily available at this time of year?  If so, where would I source some from?  The  recipe does say that they can be substituted with some diced apple but will this alter the taste considerably?  I really like the idea of using native Australian ingredients.  Really interested in your thoughts....

Thanks  :)

12
Chit Chat / Anyone got Pete Evans cookbook "Pizza"?
« on: November 26, 2012, 02:14:29 am »
Hi all, I am starting to think about christmas presents for my nieces and nephews and one idea I've had for my eldest nephew (15) is to put together a Pizza themed present (pizza stone, pizza cookbook, pizza sauce, jar with the ingredients for pizza dough, etc.).  He likes to cook and helps out by cooking dinner sometimes so I thought he might like something like this. 

Anyway, if I go down this path I was thinking about buying Pete Evans book "Pizza".  Has anyone got it?  If so, what do you think of it? 

Also, if anyone has any other favourite pizza themed cookbooks I'd love to hear about them.  Thanks  :)

13
Vegetarian / Roasted Butternut Squash with Cardamon & Nigella Seeds
« on: November 25, 2012, 10:12:57 am »
Name of Recipe:  Roasted Butternut Squash with Cardamon & Nigella Seeds

This recipe has been adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe as posted in the Guardian. 

Number of People: Serves 4

Ingredients:
20g unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
Salt
30g pumpkin seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds, plus extra to garnish
½ tsp Cumin Seeds
½ tsp Coriander Seeds
¼ tsp ground turmeric
4 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 green chilli
1 tbsp raw sugar
200ml vegetable stock (or 1 tbsp vege stock concentrate & 200 g water)
100g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander


Preparation:
- Put cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamon pods, ground turmeric, cinnamon stick, nigella seeds into TMX bowl.  Cook for 6 minutes/Veroma/Speed 2.
- Grind spices for 1 minute/Speed 8-10 until fine.  Remove from TMX bowl and set aside.
- Add chilli and onion to TMX bowl.  Chop for 5 seconds/Speed 4.
- Add butter and olive oil to TMX bowl.  Cook for 5 minutes/100ºC/Speed 2
- Add butternut squash to TMX bowl.  Cook for 10 minutes/100ºC/Reverse/Speed 2
- Add stock, pumpkin seeds, sugar and set aside spices.  Mix for 1 minute/Reverse/Speed 1.
- Transfer to an ovenproof dish large enough to hold everything snugly.
- Roast in a pre-heated oven (200ºC) for 30 minutes.  By this time the butternut should be tender and all the liquid absorbed and evaporated.
- Serve warm with yoghurt spooned on top, a sprinkling of chopped coriander and a few nigella seeds.

Photos:


Tips/Hints:

14
Another great recipe from this book.

I actually made up the Spiced Pear mixture quite a few weeks ago (had some pears that needed to be used) and have had it in zip lock bags in the freezer ever since.  Today I was looking for something sweet to snack on and decided to make the sorbet from QFITT.

The only change I made was that I reduced the sugar from 60g to 40g.  My sorbet has ended up a bit darker in colour than the photo in the book - from memory my cinnamon stick broke a little when cooking the pears so I probably didn't manage to get it all out of the mixture before I froze it.  This is a nice refreshing sorbet with a lovely hint of spice from the ginger, cinnamon and star anise.

15
Main Dishes / Lime & Mint Chicken Skewers
« on: November 08, 2012, 06:46:04 am »
I've made this recipe a few times over the past couple of months, both pre and post Thermomix, and everyone who has tried it has commented how nice it is.  The recipe was sourced from www.taste.com.au.  

As well as BBQ skewers, I've also used the marinade for chicken breasts and cooked them on the stove (would probably work in the oven as well).

Name of Recipe:  Lime & Mint Chicken Skewers

Number of People: 6 serves

Ingredients:
2 limes
2 long fresh green chillies, deseeded
2 garlic cloves
60 ml (1/4 cup) light olive oil
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
800 g chicken thighs, fat trimmed (if doing skewers, cut into 2cm pieces)

Preparation:
- Zest the limes (or just remove the peel with a potato peeler or knife and zap in TMX)
- Juice the limes
- Put the lime zest, lime juice, chillies, garlic, coriander & mint leaves in the TMX bowl and zap until the ingredients are finely chopped and well combined.
- Transfer to a bowl and add the chicken, stirring well to coat.
- Cover and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to marinate.
- if making skewers, thread the chicken onto skewers and brush with marinade.
- BBQ, grill, bake (whatever your preferred method is) chicken until cooked through.

Serve with lime wedges, mint leaves and tzatziki.

Photos:

Tips/Hints:
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes prior to threading the chicken.  This will ensure they do not burn when cooking on the BBQ.

members' comments

Kulsha - these turned out perfectly tonight on the weber, so tasty !! We served them with a simple salad of shredded Asian cabbage, sliced cherry tomatoes and crunchy noodles dressed with oil and a bit of rice wine vinegar and sesame seeds. Will make these again!!

Pages: [1] 2