2014 Resolutions Project: Jamie Oliver's Chili Con Carne Meatballs with Bulgur Wheat

My 2014 Resolutions Project isn't a defunct one yet....not yet...after 2013, Monkey has continued onto 2014. Somehow this year had been rather busy and first quarter has already gone to my horror.
>.<

Time waits for no one and u gotta be fast. After all this is the year of Horse...galloping up and down. If u can't chase and reign the horse....u will be perpetually chasing after it this year. So u command the horse and don't let the horse command u.

the secret to success of Jamie O's 15 minutes meal is...that u have everything within sights...and your utensils must already be within reach. Doesn't matter if it's the water kettle, the food processor, the knives or the ingredients to the last details like food clipper for u to store back ur stuffs. Unless you don't really mind having all ur stuffs thrashed around everywhere and risked them being spilled EVERYWHERE. Also all your pans on the stove must be hot hot hot~~~~~

anyhow I wasn't rushing for time, so I took my own sweet time and surprising everything from the start as in really the start where I had to retrieve my food processor till the very end of merchandising my dish, Monkey took 35 minutes. It was pretty quick.

So if u are not really rushing for time, u start from blitzing about:
2 stalks of spring onions
1/2 bunch of coriander
4 pieces of grilled sweet pepper *those in the jar type*
700gm of passata *basically this is tomato puree in jar, you can get them from the tomato paste/puree section*
1 tsp of smoked paprika

blitz them until they looked like....euuwwwwwww...like the above...
but it tasted good...hahahahaha

just dunk all the stuffs into the hot pan over high fire and let it boil
this can actually be a pasta sauce u know :P


As the tomato puree are boiling.....measure a cup of Bulgur wheat onto another pot, put in a stick of cinnamon and 1 or 2 pcs of preserved lemon. I didn't manage to find any preserved lemon so instead I used lemon juice and salt but of coz the taste profile isn't the same.

So the key is for every cup of bulgur wheat, add 2 cups of water
If u are not a fan of bulgur wheat then use 1/2 cup with 1 cup of water.
Later I found out that bulgur wheat has got lower calories than rice, higher in protein and vitamins. It's easy to digest and high in fiber too. Hmmmm should have this more often in my daily diet.

400gm of minced beef. I got some really good quality ones for making burger. I can't remember if they were angus or wat...but it has got such a nice beefy nose to it.

Just some salt and freshly grinded pepper and scrunch the meat. This was so much fun to do :))). By then ur frying pan should be heated and drizzle some olive oil into it.

As u scrunch, make balls the size of ping-pong. And as u make them, dunk them into the hot pan. The sizzles and the smell was really good...it's just beef!!! with nothing else.

If u have anymore available burners, just grill-burn some red chilis
Thankfully JS's gigantic stoves has got 6 burners...
One was boiling the tomato puree
One was bz cooking the bulgur wheat
Another was with a fying pans with lotsa meatballs innit


in just a minute ur meatballs should have such beautiful colors...just shake shake the pan and ur ass for a bit, and the balls will move around the pan easily. If it doesn't move just use a tong to turn them over. I was more interested at the jus at the bottom of the pan....all the yummy goodness of protein.

U don't wanna overcook the meatballs, coz it will still be cooking over on this side. Using a tong, just transfer all the meatballs over here to continue boiling.

Drain a tin of red kidney beans, say about 400gm. It will cook with the fat and jus from the protein. Add in a pinch of cumin seeds for that extra kick. The beans will pop and the skins will undressed itself revealing the yellowish bean on the inside. Then immediately transfer this entire pan of kidney beans onto the pot of boiling meatballs and tomato puree

With the same tong, turn over ur grill-burnt chilis. I like it that Jamie O usually minimise his utensils but somehow I don't agree bcoz I am already using 2 pots and a pan plus a food processor waiting for me to be cleaned and washed....hahahahaha.

  

As the Meatballs were infusing itself in the volcanic tomato puree, the chilis were grilling, turn the fire off the bulgur wheat and fluff them up by removing more steam outta it. Just get a spatula and dig in, the steam will vent up. If u are using preserved lemon, just mash and mix it and remove the single stick of cinnamon. Since I don't have any preserved lemon...I just gotta remove the inedible cinnamon stick.

Get a flat plate and transfer all the fluffed up bulgur wheat. Make a hole in the middle like a well. Switch off the fire of your Volcano then transfer the meatballs and tomato sauce in the middle. Use a tong to pick up all ur grilled-burnt chilis on top. Cut some lime, throw in some coriander leaves and spring onions. Scoop down a few tablespoon of natural yogurt for that contrast.

and dinner is ready :))))

The recipe
For the meatballs:
- 400 gm of ground beef
- salt and pepper

For the bulgur wheat:
- 1 cup of bulgur wheat
- 2 cups of boiling hot water
- 1 or 2 preserved lemons
- 1 stick of cinnamon

For the tomato sauce:
- 700gm of passata *puree tomato in a jar*
- 4 pcs of grilled red peppers *fr the jar*
- 1/2 bunch of coriander
- 2 sprigs of spring onions
- 1 tsp of smoked paprika
- 400gm of red kidney beans
- 1 pinch of cumin seeds

To dress:
- 1 lime
- 4 red chilis *grilled on open fire*
- 4 tbsp of natural yogurt
- some coriander leaves
- some spring onions

Happy Cooking folks!!!!
it's Ok if u take longer than 15 minutes......as long as it turns out yummy :)))
This recipe is simple, easy and really delicious.