Tomato pasta sauce packed full of veg!

I've been making this 'pasta' sauce since Miss 9 was a baby, (although it has evolved over time of course). So, I thought it was about time that I blogged it :). This tomato-based sauce is so versatile and nutritious, you can use it to create a vege-packed bolognaise or add some chickpeas, baby spinach and spices for a vegetarian meal. I have always preferred to make my own pasta sauce, so I converted this recipe for the Thermomix very early on when I could see how very simple it would make this recipe to prepare. 

If you buy the bottled kind of tomato pasta sauce, unfortunately, as with any can, jar or carton of juice, soup, sauce or vegetables you find on the supermarket shelf, the nutrition has been largely destroyed by pasteurisation or ultra heat treatment (UHT) . . . plus you'll find that some cans are lined with BPA-based lining, so watch out for this too. The Food Standards Agency requires that food is heated to produce a 'commercially sterile shelf-stable product'. This heat treatment kills food spoiling microorganisms, as well as pathogens (microorganisms that cause illness), but unfortunately it also destroys enzymes and nutrients that are not heat stabile, such as vitamin C and the B group vitamins. An exception is lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes and other red fruits which gives them their red hue. Lycopene levels are found to increase with cooking time, such that processed tomato products are an excellent source of this antioxidant, however it is also likely that other beneficial antioxidants in tomatoes are destroyed in the same process. So, it's a good idea that tomatoes feature both raw and cooked in your diet for full nutritional benefit :)

This recipe calls for canned tomatoes, but you could very easily substitute fresh . . .I would cook them first to develop their flavour (follow the EDC method). Personally, I would prepare the tomato component of this recipe from scratch if our little tomato bushes on the balcony were productive enough! Unfortunately, I don't think that the Hong Kong heat and humidity is all that suitable for tomato growing, although we might have had a better season if the recent wet and wind hadn't washed away our blossoms! Oh well, it's all part of the fun :)

This sauce has a lovely richness of flavour as well as sweetness. You can choose to blend or not to blend, depending on how your family prefers it. We like it a little chunky as you can see in the pic. This recipe makes a TM bowlful bursting at the seams. I freeze the sauce in ready-to-go portions which cover us for several meals.

ingredients
1 red capsicum (pepper), blackened, peeled & chopped
2 sml or 1 lge carrot (about 150g), cut into chunks
120g mushrooms
1 med zucchini (200g)
1 apple, cored & quartered
40g EVOO
1 brown onion, halved
3-4 cloves garlic
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes, BPA-free
400g tomato passata 
50g tomato paste (or concentrate)
100g wine, filtered water or meat stock
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tsp dried oregano, basil or mixed herbs
2 dried bay leaves
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Himalayan or sea salt, to taste
good handful fresh basil leaves

method
1. To chargrill red capsicum: Hold the capsicum with the stem upright and remove the core as you slice downwards to create 4 large pieces (or cheeks). Remove any membranes or seeds. Place each of capsicum pieces on a sheet of foil on an oven tray under a hot grill for about 10 minutes or until blackened and blistered. Remove from grill, fold up the sides of the foil and wrap ensuring that the steam cannot escape. Allow to cool, over which time the steam will condense and allow for the skin to be easily removed. Peel of the skin and cut into chunks.

2. Add carrot, mushrooms, zucchini and apple to TM bowl and chop on speed 4 for 10-15 seconds until evenly chopped. Decant into a bowl and set aside. 

3. Add onion and garlic to TM bowl and chop on speed 7 for 5 seconds. Add 40g olive oil and sauté for 3-4 minutes at 100°C on speed 1. 

4. Return chopped vegetables and apple to the TM bowl and add can or fresh tomatoes, passata, tomato paste, dried herbs, wine or water, and combine on speed 4 for 6 seconds. Add bay leaves and cook at 100°C for 25 minutes on reverse speed 2. Place the basket on top to prevent spitting. 

5. Remove the bay leaves using the spatula and add roasted red capsicum, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar. Blend on speed 4-5 for 5 seconds, or to your liking.


uses & variations

• add can tuna or salmon & serve with pasta
• add cream cheese or cream for a creamy sauce (blend into the sauce at step 5 and heat a little further)
• add freshly minced beef & cook up a batch of spaghetti for a quick spaghetti bol (see method below)
• Stir through some fresh baby spinach, cooked chickpeas and serve with a little brown rice, for a quick vegetarian meal. 
• add fresh or dried chilli (to taste) for a kick!

For a bolognese sauce:
Add 1 x rump steak, cut into chunks,  to TM bowl and pulse on turbo 3-4 times for a chunky mince. Scrape the minced meat off the blade with the spatula, then add 20g EVOO and cook for 6-8 minutes on Varoma, reverse speed soft. Then add 500-1000g of the tomato pasta sauce (recipe above), depending on the number of people you are serving and how meaty you like your bolognaise. Add 1-2 tsp of your favourite stock paste and cook for 10-15 minutes at 100°C on reverse, speed 1-2. Serve with lightly steamed spiralised zucchini or pasta of your choice. 

Mexican tortilla pies

I decided to have some fun with my first ever batch of TM made spelt tortillas! Thank you Quirky Cooking :) I made them with 200g white and 100g wholemeal spelt flour, but I'll add more water next time as they were probably a little too thick (as you can see in the photo below) . . . . anyway I'm sure I'll get better with practise! I've added a tortilla press to my wish list too :)

To fill my tortilla pie crust, I wanted to make a taco-type filling completely from scratch, i.e. no commercial taco seasoning in sight! I am also liking that I now have a gorgeous healthier alternative to corn taco shells . . . I avoid corn and corn derived ingredients these days due to the controversy surrounding it and other genetically modified crops, (read more here). If you like tacos, you should enjoy these. They are both fun and nutritious for your children, with hidden veg inside :)

The filling for these pies makes heaps, so you'll most likely need two batches of tortillas or a full bag of purchased ones, (but if you are still buying it's time to try TM made!). You can make the homemade tortillas ahead of time. Simply store them in a large ziplock bag or freeze them, if you are making more than one-day ahead. You can also prepare the pie crusts up to a day ahead from your freshly made tortillas. Just follow step 1 & 2 below, and store them in an airtight container. They will remain crisp and ready to use. 

I topped our Mexican tortilla pies with freshly made guacamole and grated cheese, but you could also add fresh tomato salsa and sour cream. 

ingredients
TM made spelt tortillas
3 tsp cumin seeds
3 tsp dried coriander (cilantro) leaves
1 1/2  tsp oregano leaves
3 tsp paprika
1 sml dried red chilli - or use chilli powder to taste
1 medium carrot, cut into chunks
1/2 punnet mushrooms
1/2 green capsicum or zucchini, cut into chunks
500g beef rump steak, trimmed & cut into chunks
1 sml red onion, halved
2 large cloves garlic
30g EVOO
1 x can organic BPA-free crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 x can organic BPA-free red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
2 tbsp TM vegetable stock paste
handful fresh chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

guacamole topping
1-2 ripe avocadoes
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
grated tasty cheese, to taste


method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C fan forced. Grease 6-8 holes, 3/4 cup capacity texas muffin pan with oil. You could also use large ramekins. 

2. Microwave tortillas on HIGH about 10 seconds each or until warm to soften (if needed) and form the pie crust by pressing one into each muffin hole, (you will need to fold in the sides of the tortilla a couple of times to make it fit). Spray or brush with coconut oil and bake for about 8 minutes or until golden & crisp. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile add all of the dried spices to the TM bowl. Grind for 30 seconds on speed 9 or until finely ground. Decant and set aside. This is your additive-free taco seasoning!

4. Add vegetables (except onion) and chop for 5 seconds on speed 5. Decant and set aside in a separate bowl to the spices.  

5. Place red onion and garlic (+ fresh chilli if using) into TM bowl and chop for 6 seconds on speed 7. Add the beef and set dial closed lid and mince by pulsing Turbo button 2-3 times. NOTE: Don't overdo the pulsing, remember that your mince will break up more during cooking. 

6. Add the oil and return the ground spices to the TM bowl and sauté for 4 minutes on 100° C, on reverse + speed 1. 

7. Return the chopped vegetables and add remaining ingredients, except the fresh coriander to the TM bowl.  Cook for 15-20 minutes at 100°C on reverse + speed 1. Stir through the chopped fresh coriander using the spatula. Pour the mince mixture into a thermosaver and clean the TM bowl ready to make the fresh guacamole . . . or use your second bowl if you have one :)

8. To make a basic guacamole, add avocado flesh and lemon juice to the TM bowl. Season well and mix on speed 5 for 5 seconds or until a desired consistency. 

9. To assemble the tortilla pies . . . spoon the Mexican mince mixture into the tortilla cases. Dollop with guacamole and sprinkle with grated cheese. Enjoy!

variation ideas

• I have also prepared mini versions of these using smaller tortillas in a muffin tin - a fab finger food or children's party idea!
• If you have leftovers, you could whip up some spelt bread dough and make bread pockets with the taco mixture as a filling.
• Enjoy gluten-free by serving up the taco mixture with rice  :)

no Thermomix?

• grind the spices in a coffee grinder
• use minced beef & cook on the stove top
• use 2 stock cubes in place of the TM vegetable stock

The inspiration for my TM Mexican tortilla pies comes from this recipe.

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Quinoa & four veg cakes

I have only needed to survive 10 days without a Thermomix here in Australia this visit thanks to my gorgeous mother-in-law, who will get to use it soon I promise :)  Fresh out of the box it was put to work to make fruity delight, dip, bread rolls, risotto and custard (for the demo) . .  then I kept the tempo up by making a batch of my raw cacao Anzacs, Quirky Cooking's chicken stock paste & creamy brown rice & chicken soup (which is a family favourite), plus stewed rhubarb, raspberries and apple ready for breakfast in the morning . . . all before the day was out! Wheew!  Since then, I've been using Thermie no.2 several times a day . . . impressing family and friends in the flesh rather than simply via pretty pictures on my blog :) 

Here's a recipe I'd been conjuring up in my mind for a week or so, amongst others . . . until the Thermomix arrived. I created this for a light dinner. If you're into risotto cakes, this recipe is a nutritious take on these utilising quinoa instead of white rice. Great for the lunchbox!  I'll definitely be making these in Hong Kong to take into work. But let's not talk about going back to work just yet!

Quinoa & four veg cakes

ingredients

30g brown basmati rice
70g parmesan, chunks or fetta cheese (or mixture of both)
handful of fresh basil
100g quinoa, soaked or rinsed
1 medium leek, cut into chunks
1 medium zucchini, quartered
1 large clove garlic
15g olive oil

80g baby spinach leaves

2 large eggs
1 red capsicum, chargrilled, peeled & diced
a good grind of salt and black pepper



method

1. Measure 100g uncooked quinoa into the steam basket, remove and rinse well or soak overnight inside the TM bowl and drain. Add 400g of filtered water. Cook for 18 minutes at 100°C on speed 4 until quinoa is plump and slightly crunchy. MC lid on.  
2. While the quinoa is cooking. Cut the cheeks off the red capsicum and place on a sheet of aluminium foil under a high grill until blackened. This should take about 10 minutes. Then wrap the capsicum in the foil and set aside to cool. Later peel off the skin and dice. Set aside. 
3. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
4. Rinse and dry the TM bowl and lid and add brown rice, mill for 30 seconds on speed 9. Set aside.
5. Add the parmesan cheese and fresh basil to the TM bowl and grate for 15 seconds on speed 8. Set aside with the milled rice. If using fetta, crumble and add at step 7.
6. Add leek, zucchini and garlic to the TM bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 5. Add oil and sauté for 2 minutes at 100°C on speed 1. Add baby spinach leaves and sauté a further 1-2 minutes with the MC lid on, until the leaves begin to wilt. 
7. Return the milled rice, parmesan & basil and cooked quinoa to the TM bowl together with the remaining ingredients (eggs, diced red capsicum). Season well, then combine for 5 seconds on reverse, speed 4. 
8. Grease a muffin pan well with coconut oil and scoop the mixture into the muffin holes, fill to the top, press down and level with a spoon. 
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool and set slightly before removing from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious with tomato chutney & rocket. 

variation ideas

substitute a brown onion for the leek. 

substitute semi-dried tomatoes for red capsicum, stir through at step 9.

substitute cubed roasted sweet potato for the zucchini, stir through at step 9. 

nutrition tid bit

Quinoa pronounced keen-wah could be described as a seed dressed up as a grain, because although it cooks up like a grain, it is actually a seed from a plant which is closely related to spinach and beetroot. Well known in vegan circles because it is a complete protein, which means that it contains all of the 9 'essential amino acids' which must be supplied by the diet (our bodies cannot synthesise them), quinoa is becoming more and more popular for non-vegetarians as a gluten-free alternative to couscous, bulgur or pasta. There are three types of quinoa available commercially; white, red and black, although the most common is the white variety. Each has slightly different taste and texture characteristics. Quinoa is highly nutritious, not just an excellent source of protein but also a good source of minerals such as manganese and magnesium, plus also folate and dietary fibre, as well as a range of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. 

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