Batch-Cooking: Warm Vegetable Salad; Tomato and Mushroom Spaghetti; Chicken with Rice and Pepper Sauce
A batch-cooking session with the Thermomix TM7 that yields three meals in one go: a warm vegetable salad, tomato and mushroom spaghetti, and chicken thighs with rice and pepper sauce. Steaming in the Varoma cooks rice, potatoes and vegetables while the sauce simmers below, making it ideal for efficient meal prep with minimal washing up.
About this recipe
Batch-cooking with the Thermomix TM7 is the smartest way to fill your fridge with three ready-made weeknight dinners in a single session: a warm vegetable salad, tomato and mushroom spaghetti, and chicken thighs with rice and pepper sauce. The trick lies in the layered cooking: boneless chicken thighs sit in the simmering basket above a bubbling sauce of bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and oregano, while the Varoma above steams fluffy jasmine rice, potatoes and fresh vegetables at the same time. Searching for a batch-cooking recipe Thermomix fans swear by? This is it, because the all-in-one kitchen machine cooks every component simultaneously without you stirring a single pan. The smoky paprika seasoning on the chicken infuses the sauce below, and the steamed potatoes and vegetables become a warm salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil. Perfect for busy households, this meal prep approach gives you a quick weeknight dinner solution with minimal washing up afterwards.
Preparation tips
- Distribute the jasmine rice evenly on the Varoma tray lined with moistened baking paper so the steam reaches every grain and the rice cooks uniformly fluffy rather than clumping in the middle.
- Season the chicken thighs generously with paprika and salt before placing them in the simmering basket, as this seasoning slowly infuses the tomato and mushroom sauce cooking below during steaming.
- Store the three components separately in airtight containers in the fridge: the pepper sauce with the spaghetti, the chicken with the rice, and the steamed vegetables tossed in extra virgin olive oil for the warm salad.
Recipe variations
- Make it vegetarian by replacing the chicken thighs with firm tofu cubes in the simmering basket and swapping the bacon for smoked paprika-spiced diced courgette, keeping the tomato and mushroom sauce base intact for the spaghetti.
- For a seasonal autumn version, replace the potatoes and vegetables in the Varoma with pumpkin chunks and broccoli, and add a pinch of chilli flakes to the pepper sauce for extra warmth on colder evenings.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Steaming in the Varoma cooks the jasmine rice, potatoes and vegetables gently above the chicken, keeping every component tender in one session. [Multi-Function]
- Weighing the rice and chicken directly in the basket with the integrated scale ensures exact portions for three meals without extra cups. [Precision Control]
- Mixing the tomato, mushroom and bacon sauce in the bowl creates a rich pepper sauce base while everything else cooks above it. [Multi-Function]
- Heating the sauce at steaming temperature infuses the oregano and paprika flavours evenly without any risk of burning the bottom. [Temperature Control]
- Chopping the mushrooms and bacon finely beforehand gives the spaghetti sauce a savoury, restaurant-style texture in seconds. [Multi-Function]
Ingredients
- olive oil
- vegetable stock paste, homemade
- fine sea salt
- dried oregano
- bacon lardons (optional)
- fresh button mushrooms
- tinned chopped tomatoes
- water
- chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- smoked paprika