I have had several comments lately from loyal readers commenting that my posts have been somewhat irregular of late. I explained that I have been (as most people) a little time poor lately and have simply been churning out quick and easy dinner solutions. I was then asked, well what kinds of things have you been making? Can't you share those with us, we need a little inspiration to??
So here is what I churned out last night - fast food, but home made and healthy!
As "The Darlings" have a love of anything that comes wrapped in flat bread I was sure I would be onto a winner here. They didn't even comment about the pieces of green stuff in the meatballs, probably because once it was all wrapped up, they were so intent on devouring it, they didn't even see it!!!! Saying that - they didn't eat the tabbouli - but you can't expect miracles now can you???
I started off by making a hommus - it appears going back through my blog, that I haven't given you the recipe for this before, but it is a stock standard Thermomix recipe.
Hommus
From Thermomix EDC Cookbook
1 clove garlic
400g can chick peas, drained
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs tahini
40g olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place the garlic in the TM bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 7.
Add all other ingredients and mix 30 seconds (for a coarser style dip) or up to 1 minute (for a creamy style dip) on speed 4.
Remove approximately 90% of the dip, place in a container, and refrigerate until needed.
With the 10% of the hommus left in the TM bowl, it's time to make the tabbouli.
Tabbouli
Adapted from Meat on the Menu - Thermomix Cookbook
1 cup of burghul
2 green onion/shallots, cut into approximately 6 cm pieces
2 bunches of continental parsley, broken into halves
1 large bunch mint
juice of 2 lemons
50g olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 large roma tomatoes, halved, and seeds removed
1 lebanese cucumber, halved, seeds removed, then halved again
Place the burghul in a bowl and cover with boiling water for approximately 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain well, before adding to salad.
Place the shallots, parsley, and mint into the TM bowl (along with the remaining hommus). Chop for 5 seconds on speed 6. Scrape the bowl down, and repeat if necessary.
Add the lemon juice, olive oil, tomatoes and cucumber. Place on closed lid position, and press turbo 2-3 times until the desired consistency is achieved.
DO NOT RINSE OUT THE BOWL!!!! One of the great things about the Thermomix is that you don't need to keep washing the bowl all the time - often times you want the transference of flavours to the next thing you are making - of course, make sure you wash it well after mincing the meat!!!!!
Note: I find that using the turbo function gives you much more control and a lovely uneven chopped consistency - as opposed to simply "processed".
Add the well drained burghul and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in a bowl and place in refrigerator until needed.
Now onto the Meatballs......
Beef and Feta Meatballs
Adapted from Meat on the Menu - Thermomix Cookbook
large handfull continental parsley
large handful mint
4 cloves garlic
3 green onions/shallots, cut into approximately 6cm pieces
1kg rump steak, trimmed and cut into large cubes
2 tsp cumin powder
100g fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg
200g feta cheese
Place the shallots, mint, parsley and garlic in the TM bowl and process for 3 seconds on speed 7. Scrape down the bowl and repeat if necessary. Remove from the TM bowl, and place into a large bowl.
Place the bread into the TM bowl and process on speed 8 for approximately 10 seconds, or until fine breadcrumb stage. Remove from TM bowl and add to the herb mixture.
In 200-250g lots process the rump steak by putting in closed lid position and pressing turbo 2-3 times, this will give you a lovely inconsistent texture - some large some small. Remove from TM bowl and place in large bowl with other ingredients. Repeat until all the steak is minced.
Crumble the feta cheese, and in closed lid position hit turbo 1-2 times, or until the cheese is just crumbled. Add the cheese to bowl with all the other ingredients.
To the bowl containing the mince and herbs add the egg, cumin, and season well with salt and pepper. Using your hands mix the mince and seasonings until well combined.
To save washing up I like to use disposable aluminium trays - spray one or two (depending on size) well with olive oil spray.
Take a small handful of the mince mixture and shape into a torpedo shape. Place in the prepared aluminium tray. Repeat until all mince has been shaped. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 220 degrees.
Spray the tops of the meatballs with olive oil spray and bake for 110-15 mintes, or until starting to turn golden. Turn over, spray the other side with olive oil spray and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through.
To assemble your meal, heat a pice of lebanese flat bread in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Spread the bread with a good lashing of hommus, top with 2 meatballs, add a large dollop of tabbouli, then garnish with sauce of your choice - mine is hot chilli sauce!!!!
So there you have our fast and easy dinner last night!!!!
Hope it gives you some inspiration for your dinner tonight!!! I know it appears that there are a lot of steps to this - but in reality it all took between 30-60 minutes to prepare and all of the hard work was done by thermie. The most time consuming thing was shaping the meatballs!!!
For all those out there that always ask me "Do you really use your Thermomix?" - there you have your answer!!! It made making this meal oh so simple - no laborious chopping - just a couple of seconds of button pushing!!!! I use Thermie practically everyday in some way or another!!! Don't know how I ever did without my little friend!
So here is what I churned out last night - fast food, but home made and healthy!
As "The Darlings" have a love of anything that comes wrapped in flat bread I was sure I would be onto a winner here. They didn't even comment about the pieces of green stuff in the meatballs, probably because once it was all wrapped up, they were so intent on devouring it, they didn't even see it!!!! Saying that - they didn't eat the tabbouli - but you can't expect miracles now can you???
I started off by making a hommus - it appears going back through my blog, that I haven't given you the recipe for this before, but it is a stock standard Thermomix recipe.
Hommus
From Thermomix EDC Cookbook
1 clove garlic
400g can chick peas, drained
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs tahini
40g olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place the garlic in the TM bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 7.
Add all other ingredients and mix 30 seconds (for a coarser style dip) or up to 1 minute (for a creamy style dip) on speed 4.
Remove approximately 90% of the dip, place in a container, and refrigerate until needed.
With the 10% of the hommus left in the TM bowl, it's time to make the tabbouli.
Tabbouli
Adapted from Meat on the Menu - Thermomix Cookbook
1 cup of burghul
2 green onion/shallots, cut into approximately 6 cm pieces
2 bunches of continental parsley, broken into halves
1 large bunch mint
juice of 2 lemons
50g olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 large roma tomatoes, halved, and seeds removed
1 lebanese cucumber, halved, seeds removed, then halved again
Place the burghul in a bowl and cover with boiling water for approximately 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain well, before adding to salad.
Place the shallots, parsley, and mint into the TM bowl (along with the remaining hommus). Chop for 5 seconds on speed 6. Scrape the bowl down, and repeat if necessary.
Add the lemon juice, olive oil, tomatoes and cucumber. Place on closed lid position, and press turbo 2-3 times until the desired consistency is achieved.
DO NOT RINSE OUT THE BOWL!!!! One of the great things about the Thermomix is that you don't need to keep washing the bowl all the time - often times you want the transference of flavours to the next thing you are making - of course, make sure you wash it well after mincing the meat!!!!!
Note: I find that using the turbo function gives you much more control and a lovely uneven chopped consistency - as opposed to simply "processed".
Add the well drained burghul and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in a bowl and place in refrigerator until needed.
Now onto the Meatballs......
Beef and Feta Meatballs
Adapted from Meat on the Menu - Thermomix Cookbook
large handfull continental parsley
large handful mint
4 cloves garlic
3 green onions/shallots, cut into approximately 6cm pieces
1kg rump steak, trimmed and cut into large cubes
2 tsp cumin powder
100g fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg
200g feta cheese
Place the shallots, mint, parsley and garlic in the TM bowl and process for 3 seconds on speed 7. Scrape down the bowl and repeat if necessary. Remove from the TM bowl, and place into a large bowl.
Place the bread into the TM bowl and process on speed 8 for approximately 10 seconds, or until fine breadcrumb stage. Remove from TM bowl and add to the herb mixture.
In 200-250g lots process the rump steak by putting in closed lid position and pressing turbo 2-3 times, this will give you a lovely inconsistent texture - some large some small. Remove from TM bowl and place in large bowl with other ingredients. Repeat until all the steak is minced.
Crumble the feta cheese, and in closed lid position hit turbo 1-2 times, or until the cheese is just crumbled. Add the cheese to bowl with all the other ingredients.
To the bowl containing the mince and herbs add the egg, cumin, and season well with salt and pepper. Using your hands mix the mince and seasonings until well combined.
To save washing up I like to use disposable aluminium trays - spray one or two (depending on size) well with olive oil spray.
Take a small handful of the mince mixture and shape into a torpedo shape. Place in the prepared aluminium tray. Repeat until all mince has been shaped. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 220 degrees.
Spray the tops of the meatballs with olive oil spray and bake for 110-15 mintes, or until starting to turn golden. Turn over, spray the other side with olive oil spray and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through.
To assemble your meal, heat a pice of lebanese flat bread in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Spread the bread with a good lashing of hommus, top with 2 meatballs, add a large dollop of tabbouli, then garnish with sauce of your choice - mine is hot chilli sauce!!!!
So there you have our fast and easy dinner last night!!!!
Hope it gives you some inspiration for your dinner tonight!!! I know it appears that there are a lot of steps to this - but in reality it all took between 30-60 minutes to prepare and all of the hard work was done by thermie. The most time consuming thing was shaping the meatballs!!!
For all those out there that always ask me "Do you really use your Thermomix?" - there you have your answer!!! It made making this meal oh so simple - no laborious chopping - just a couple of seconds of button pushing!!!! I use Thermie practically everyday in some way or another!!! Don't know how I ever did without my little friend!
Looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteWe have healthy "fast food" options too. My kids are the same with wraps, doesn't matter what is inside as long as it is wrapped in a burrito.