Use it with any protein on hand – or even as a dip or on pizza and other flatbread for a complete flavour boost.

BETTER THAN RESTAURANT CURRY

Serves 6 as a main / A medium spiced curry
Prep time: 15 mins / Cooking Time: 20 mins
Difficulty: Easy

Protein of choice 1.5 kg
Mixed Roots Meat Mix 1 tsp
Plain, unsweetened yoghurt 2 tbsp

FOR THE CURRY
Neutral Oil* 4 tbsps
(Or Ghee and oil in equal portions)
Large onion (chopped) 1
Crushed garlic 1 tsp
Crushed or grated ginger 1 tsp
Crushed Tomatoes 400 gms -1 can
Coriander (small handful – stalks and leaves separated)
Mixed Roots Hurry Curry Spice Blend 2 tsp
Mixed Roots Meat Mix 1 tsp
Cashew Nuts – about 8
Garam Masala 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Splash of water

– Cut your protein into bite sized pieces.
– In a bowl, mix with the plain yoghurt and Meat Mix.
– Cover & set aside.
(You could also do this and leave overnight, covered in the fridge. Just pull it out and try & bring as close to room temperature as possible, before cooking.)

COOKING THE CURRY

– In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil & ghee on a medium-high heat.
– Add chopped onion and cook till transparent.
– The garlic goes in next. Mix well and cook till you can’t smell raw garlic or onions.
– To this add the crushed tomatoes and Mixed Roots Hurry Curry & Meat Mix Spice Blends, along with half the chopped coriander, ginger and cashew nuts.
– Mix well. Keep on a medium heat. Stirring occasionally.
– When the curry paste comes together it turns into this beautiful rich, terracotta colour, with the tomatoes shedding their oil towards the edges.
– Add a splash of water and heat through.
– Using a stick blender, crush the cashews and sauce into a smooth paste.
– Drop the marinated meat into the sauce and stir well.
– Cover and let simmer till the meat is cooked.
– Sprinkle the remainder of the chopped coriander along with the Garam Masala, cover and leave aside till ready to be served.

Serve with steamed rice, fresh roti or naan, a dollop of plain yoghurt and some poppadom & pickled red onions.

This makes a thick, rich sauce. If you want a creamy base, add a dash of water, coconut cream, or cream to bring to the consistency you would like it to be.

So, so, so good……

The post Better than Restaurant Curry appeared first on Mixed Roots.

Eggs are just perfect for brunch – or for a hearty brekkie to load you up for the day. Let me know if you make these (I’ve tweaked this recipe a wee bit to be more like where my current preferences lie).

Serves 2 | Ready in 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp cream (or milk)
• 200g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Mixed Roots Meat Mix Spice Blend
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 slices sourdough or grainy toast
• Fresh parsley or chives, finely chopped (optional)

Method

Cook the mushrooms

• Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the mushrooms and cook for 5–6 minutes until golden and any moisture has evaporated.
• Sprinkle over ½ tsp Meat Mix Spice Blend and stir through.

Prepare the eggs

• Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk with the cream.
• Stir through the remaining ½ tsp Meat Mix Spice Blend.

Make the scrambled eggs

• Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining butter to the pan.
• Pour in the egg mixture over the cooked mushrooms.
• Using a spatula, gently stir and fold the eggs as they cook.

Continue cooking slowly until the eggs are creamy and softly set. Avoid overcooking – the eggs should still look slightly glossy.

Serve

Toast the bread and place on warm plates.

• Spoon the creamy scrambled eggs over the toast.
• Top with the golden mushrooms.
• Finish with a crack of black pepper and a sprinkle of parsley or chives if using.
• With a mug of chai or coffee – of course 😉

My two cents’ worth:

For an extra hearty winter brunch, add a handful of baby spinach to the mushrooms during the final minute of cooking, or top with crispy bacon for a café-style finish. Yummmm

The post Creamy Scrambled Eggs (with Mushrooms) appeared first on Mixed Roots.

INGREDIENTS

Serves: 4

Burger Patties

• 500g mince of choice (beef, lamb, chicken, or plant-based mince)
• 1 cup cooked black beans or kidney beans, lightly mashed
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp Mixed Roots Texican Spice Blend
• 1 egg (optional, helps bind if using lean mince)
• Oil spray for cooking

Tomato & Cucumber Salsa

• 2 tomatoes, diced
• ½ cucumber, diced
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• Juice of ½ lime
• Pinch of salt & sugar

Quick Pickled Red Onions

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup vinegar
• ¼ cup warm water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

To Serve

• 4 burger buns, toasted
• Sour cream
• Extra coriander leaves
• Lettuce (optional)

Pickle the Onions

• Combine vinegar, warm water, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add sliced red onion and leave for at least 20 minutes while preparing everything else.

Make the Salsa

• Mix tomatoes, cucumber, coriander, lime juice, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Prepare the Burger Mix

In a large bowl combine:

• Mince
• Mashed beans
• Diced onion
• Chopped coriander
• Texican Spice Blend
• Egg (if using)
• Mix gently until just combined.
• Divide into 4 equal portions and roll into loose balls.

Smash & Cook

• Heat a large cast-iron pan or get the Barbie up to optimal temperature (Very hot!)
• Spray some oil onto pan or grill and maybe even some on the Mince balls!
• Place a mince ball onto the hot surface and immediately smash firmly with a burger press or spatula until about 1cm thick.
• Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until nicely caramelised, then flip and cook another 2–3 minutes.

Repeat with remaining patties.

The post Smash Burgers – Texican Style! appeared first on Mixed Roots.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 mins // Cook time: 15 mins

INGREDIENTS

• 500g pork mince
• 2 tbsp Mixed Roots Thai Zinger seasoning blend
• 1 tbsp oil (I prefer Peanur oil for a lot of Asian style meals)
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (fresh or frozen) Broccoli, Capsicum, Carrot, Green beans
• Shredded Cabbage 1 cup
• Water chestnuts (if possible) 1 small can, sliced up
• Juice of ½ lemon or lime
• Handful fresh coriander, chopped (some set aside to garnish at the end.)

To Serve

• Steamed jasmine rice
• Lemon or lime wedges
• Crispy shallots

• In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil.
• Add the shredded cabbage along with the ginger and garlic.
• Stir well till you don’t smell the raw garlic.
• Add the Thai Zinger and give it another good stir.
• The mince and chopped coriander goes in next.
• Give the mix a really good stir, breaking up any lumpy bits.
• When the mince is nearly cooked, add the mixed veg & water chestnuts and stir well. (Depending on my mood, I sometimes I add a splash of fish sauce as well!)
• Squeeze over lemon or lime juice.
• Stir through the coriander set aside
• Taste and add a little more Thai Zinger if desired.

• Spoon over fluffy jasmine rice.
• Garnish with extra coriander and a lemon wedge.
• Crispy shallots are your secret weapon for extra crunch!!!

My two cents’ worth:

For a richer, more authentic Thai-style version, stir through:

• 1 can coconut cream, OR
• 2 tbsp peanut butter and a splash of water

This turns the dish into a creamy Thai Zinger coconut mince bowl that’s fantastic for meal prep and freezes well.

Yummmmm 😋

The post Zingy Thai Pork Mince appeared first on Mixed Roots.

Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 800g boneless chicken thighs, diced
• 2 tsp Mixed Roots Tandoori Seasoning Blend
• ½ cup plain unsweetened yoghurt
• 1 Tbsp oil (or melted ghee)

For the Sauce

• 1 Tbsp oil, melted ghee, or butter
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp Hurry Curry  (or 3 tsp for a bolder curry flavour)
• 400g can crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup cream (or coconut cream)
• 2 Tbsp cashew nuts soaked in boiling hot water for about 10 minutes
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander, leaves and stalks separated and chopped

Method

Marinate the Chicken

In a bowl combine:

• Chicken
• Tandoori Seasoning Blend
• Yoghurt
• Oil or ghee
• Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes (overnight is even better).

Cook the Chicken

• Thread marinated chicken onto skewers if desired.
• Grill on a BBQ, under an oven grill, or in a hot pan.
• Cook until lightly charred and almost cooked through.
• Remove and set aside.

Make the Sauce

• Heat the oil, ghee, or butter in a heavy-bottomed pan.
• Add garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw garlic flavour.
• Stir through:
  • Ginger
  • Hurry Curry Blend
  • Cashew nuts
  • Crushed tomatoes
• Add the chopped coriander stalks.
• Sprinkle in a little extra Tandoori Blend if desired.
• Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add a splash of water if the sauce becomes too thick.
• Using a stick blender, blitz until smooth.

Finish the Curry

• Stir through the cream.
• Add the cooked chicken.
• Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce is rich and silky.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

To Serve

Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve with:

• Fluffy basmati rice
• Warm naan bread
• Pickled onions
• Raita

Yummmmmm 😉

⸻

The post Easy Chicken Tikka Masala appeared first on Mixed Roots.

Serves: 4–5

Naturally: gluten-free & dairy-free

Ingredients

Method

• Heat oven to 200°C (fan bake).
• In a large bowl (or straight in the baking dish), mix garlic, lemon zest & juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs.
• Add chicken and toss well so everything’s coated.
• Arrange chicken in a baking dish or tray (skin side up if using thighs).
• Bake uncovered for:
  • • Bone-in: 40–45 minutes
  • • Boneless: 25–30 minutes
  • Spoon the pan juices over once halfway if you remember.
• If you want extra colour, switch to grill for the last 3–5 minutes.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve with the pan juices drizzled over.

Easy sides that go great

The post Lemony, Texican Chicken appeared first on Mixed Roots.

Let me know if you make this. And if you ate it with corn chips, tortillas, or even on rice!

Pork & Pineapple Chilli

Pork Mince 500 gms
Chopped Onion 1 medium
Crushed Garlic
Mixed Beans 1 can
Crushed Pineapple in Juice 1 can
Anything Mix Spice Blend 1tbsp
Chopped Coriander – handful
Neutral Oil for cooking

– Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
– Cook the chopped onions tills transparent.
– Add the crushed garlic and sauce till you can’t smell the raw garlic & onions.
– Add the pork mince and small well to cook through.
– Sprinkle the Anything Mix and mix well.
– Pour the crushed pineapples – juice and all.
– Add the can of the mixed beans – along with the “canning juice”.
– Mix well and heat through.
– Stir through the chopped coriander.

Serve on a bed of corn chips with guacomole, a red onion salsa and sour cream (personally, I don’t like cheese on my nachos, but you do you and go crazy with the cheese if that’s your jam!)

Enjoy!

The post Pork & Pineapple Chilli appeared first on Mixed Roots.

Shelled & De-veined Prawns 200 gms
Crushed Garlic 2 tbsps
Fish Mix I heaped tsp
Melted Butter 6 tbsps
Chopped parsely & coriander 2 tbsp
Lemon Wedges – to serve
Salt & Pepper

Add the crushed garlic, Fish Mix and chopped parsley and coriander to the melted butter to make a thick paste.
Toss in the thawed prawns and mix well to coat well.
In a hot pan, toss the garlicky prawns till pink and cooked.
Grind some fresh pepper and season with some sea salt.
Serve with lemon wedges and a rocket & pear salad.
(Or just omit the salad and eat the whole bowl by yourself!)

The post Garlicky Prawns appeared first on Mixed Roots.

The post Chickpea Curry appeared first on Mixed Roots.

Brisket is a lovely, hearty, filling cut that oozes juices and absorbs flavours. Coated and seared with our hearty Meat Mix, and then left to simmer in juices along with beans…. Yummmm!

Brisket 1 kg
Meat Mix 3-4 tbsp
Neutral Oil 2-3 tbsp
Onion 1 large
(finely chopped)
Garlic 3-4 cloves
(finely chopped)
Bay Leaf 1-2
Beef Stock 2 cups
Crushed Tomatoes 1/2 cup
Canelli Beans 2 cans
(drained)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parsley (chopped – to garnish)

– Pat your brisket dry and generously rub on the Meat Mix.
– In a heavy bottomed skillet (I love my heavy duty cast iron pan), heat half the oil.
– Sear the meat till sealed and browned on all sides. (Add more oil if you need it.)
– Let the meat sit aside.
– In the same pan, add the remaining oil and cook the bay leaves, chopped onions and garlic till the onions are transparent and the mixture doesn’t smell “raw”.
– Put the cooked onions and garlic mix into your slow cooker.
– Sit the seared meat on the onion / garlic.
– Mix the crushed tomatoes and the stock and pour over the meat.
– Cover and cook in the slow cooker on High for about 6 hours.
(Try to resist the temptation to lift the lid, stir and inhale. You lose about an hour’s worth of heating every time you lift the lid and it slows the cooking process considerably.)
– After about 6 hours, lift the lid, stir and add the drained beans in.
– Mash in some of the beans to thicken the sauce and make it more creamy.
– Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
– Cover and leave aside for another hour or so.

Before serving, pull out the brisket and let sit – covered – for 10-15 minutes.
Slice into thick slabs with a sharp knife.

Serve on a bed of creamy mash or fluffy rice with the beans and sauce, with a side of slaw or some sharp micro-greens. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Ultimate winter comfort food!
I hope you enjoy this as much as we do 🙂

Kalpana xox

The post Slow Cooked Brisket w/ Home Made “Baked Beans” appeared first on Mixed Roots.