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Cooking With The Philips Airfryer XXL

I was sent a Philips Airfryer XXL to test out. Read on to learn how to cook hot chips and lamb chops & veggies in the airfryer.

Insert happy dance here. I do like getting lovely presents that can help the family, and especially me.

A big and huge thank you to Philips for this amazing gift.

  Previous to getting an email about this wonderful airfryer I really hadn’t heard about them. Yes, I was in the dark about the world of airfrying.   The airfyer is a healthier way to cook.

  • Healthiest way to fry* Twin TurboStar technology makes great-tasting fried food with the least amount of  fat.**
  • XXL family size 1.4 kg capacity is large enough for a whole chicken or six portions of fries for the whole family.
  • Automatic settings 5 preset programs & Keep Warm mode — with digital display and QuickControl dial.
  • Easy to clean QuickClean basket & non-stick drawer wash up in 90 seconds — or pop them in the dishwasher.

 

So what is an airfryer?

Twin TurboStar technology combines with 2225 watts of power for effective fat removal. A ‘tornado’ of hot air melts away fat — capturing it all in the bottom of the Airfryer XXL for easy disposal. *Based on the fat content of chicken and pork compared to deep-fat frying and wok frying. The airfryer circulates hot air at high speed, and in turn, cooks the food. Food is crispy outside and tender on the inside. The Philips Airfryer can grill, fry, bake and roast.  

How to make chips in the Philips Airfyer XXL

You might be surprised that making hot chips is rather simple. Ingredients:

  • 6 potatoes
  • Oil of choice

Preparation time: 30 minutes, this includes cutting up potatoes and soaking the chips for 20 minutes. 

Method:

  • I cut up 6 potatoes. I like to keep the skin on and therefore just washed them to take the excess dirt of them.
  • Once cut up they had to be soaked in water for 20mins.
  • After they have had their 20min bath, the chips need to be dried. You can either use a tea towel or a paper towel. I chose to use a tea towel.
  • Put the chips in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of oil.
  • Mix the oil around so that all the chips get coated in the oil.
  • Put all the chips in the airfyer basket. Make sure to do this by hand and to not tip them from the bowl into the tray. The airfyer does not like oil spilled in the try and therefore might have a negative outcome for the chips and machine if you do this.
  • Once in the basket, the chips are ready to be cooked.
  • Select the chips preset, make sure it on for 180 degrees Celsius and select 25 minutes for the cooking time.
  • At various times throughout cooking the chips stop the airfyer and move the chips around. This makes sure that they are all cooking well.
  • You will see the different times that you stop and stir the chips just how fast they are cooking.
  • Once all cooked, you can now enjoy yummy and healthy hot chips.
Yummy hot chips that I made with the Philips Airfryer XXL. They were so tasty and quick to make. Plus healthy as well.
Yummy hot chips that I made with the Philips Airfryer XXL. They were so tasty and quick to make. Plus healthy as well.

 

Lamb Chops and Vegetables cooked with the Airfryer

Hubby decided he wanted to have a go of the new airfryer. He cooked the below meal and found the airfryer so easy to use.

Happy and cooking dinner with the Philips Airfryer XXL
Happy and cooking dinner with the Philips Airfryer XXL

Ingredients:

  • 4 Lamb Chops
  • Rosemary and mint for marinade
  • 2 Carrots finely chopped
  • 2 Potatoes finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Rice to serve. Hubby used the quick microwave rice that takes 9o seconds to cook. You can make your own or do the quick way like we did. (the actual recipe suggested mash potato but since we added potato to the vegetables we decided to use rice  instead)
Lamb Chops and Vegetables cooked in the Philips Airfryer XXL.
Lamb Chops and Vegetables cooked in the Philips Airfryer XXL.

Preparation time is roughly about 3 and half hours. This is taking into account the 3 hours time for the lamb chops to marinade and prep time for the vegetables. Cooking time is about 8 mins. 2 mins to sear the chops and then 6 more minutes to cook the vegetables with the chops. Method:

  • Marinade chops with mint and rosemary for 3 hours. You can cut the mint and rosemary into fine pieces or zap it as a paste in a mixer.
  • Once the meat is fully marinated then you can get ready to organise the other ingredients.
  • Cut up the carrot and potatoes into fine cubes. Note: You can use different vegetables if you like, it is up to you.
  • Soak the carrot and potatoes in water for 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly before adding to the airfryer pan.
  • Add the oil to the airfryer pan and move around to coat the bottom of the pan. This way it will allow your chops to not stick.
  • Heat the airfryer to 200 degrees Celsius.
  • Put the lamb chops in the air fryer to sear. This is only for 2 minutes.
  • Take out the lamb chops and set aside for a second.
  • Put in the vegetables on the bottom of the airfryer pan, then add the lamb chops on top of the vegetables.
  • Cook again at 200 degrees Celcius for another 6 minutes.
  • Now it is cooked you can make the rice. If you are using the quick and easy method of microwave rice it will only take you 9o seconds.  We used Sunrice’s Rice & Quinoa
  • Now all done, you can enjoy your yummy meal.

 

 

Recipes for the Philips Airfyer XXL

Download the app and get more recipes. Available for at the App store and on Google Play.
You can also check out the Philips website for how to’s and video recipes for your airfryer. 
Stay tuned for more airfryer recipes.

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What did I think of EveryPlate

I think you already know my thoughts on having meals delivered.

I love it. Anything that makes my life easier is something I embrace and want to continue to do. 

Mexican Chicken & Corn Salad with Sweet Potato Wedges & Mayo

The ingredients were fresh and the recipe cards were easy to follow, with only 4 steps in most of them.

The ingredients from EveryPlate

Below are my favourite things about meal kits

  • You don’t have to think about what is for dinner – you just need to cook it
  • You don’t need to leave the house to collect the items for your meals – they are delivered to your door, thanks EveryPlate.
  • Even for the extras, you can still get home delivery from Woolworths….yes you never have to leave the house if you don’t want to. 
  • Now, all we need to do is to think about how to pack a chef, cleaner, and housekeeper in an EveryPlate box and I will be winning on all fronts. 

A few things we were not happy about:

  • Some of the recipes were missing a few ingredients but I substituted them, and the meals still tasted great. I did think that the kids might have used an ingredient for another meal, but they assured me they hadn’t. Maybe it was packing haste at EveryPlate HQ that meant we were missing a few things from our box.
  • I was given a free code to get an EveryPlate meal box to review. I waited until the box arrived to then cancel my subscription. I thought it was successfully cancelled but I was billed for another week. I was then told that I had to cancel on Tuesday, not Wednesday. 
The Nutty Sweet Chilli Noodles with Veggies and Sesame Seeds

Although I paid for the experience, I did enjoy the meals. My extra box allowed me to make my very first risotto, I had always thought that this was a terribly complicated meal to create…in fact it was super easy to do.  

Getting the salad ready

Another thing that I never really noticed before was how the two weeks of having the EveryPlate meal box made me more relaxed.

How you ask? I think it was not having to plan and think about all the meals for the weeks ahead, not having to shop and be in charge of it all.

It wasn’t my job to create the meals, it wasn’t my job to get all ingredients for the meals, and finally it was easy to just tell someone that there is a meal kit ready to go and to pick a recipe and cook something for the family – as it was family friendly the kids were able to help out more.

The Chorizo & Roast Veggies cooked a super simple and tasty meal.
Adding the salad the Chorizo & Roast Veggies – this was soooooooo yummy!

If you are thinking about simplifying your life and getting more time for yourself and the family then I would urge you to try an EveryPlate meal box, if you do you will win at dinner. 

What were my favourite meals from EveryPlate

It is so easy to get stuck in your ways. You get tired, and don’t have the time or energy to do anything different or complicated so an easy meal you have made a million times is what is served.

My favourites were:

Sticky Lemon Chicken with Fries and Stir-fried Veggies – This meal was so tasty and the sauce was tangy with the lemon. 

Chorizo & Roast Veggie Salad with Garlic Aioli – I really loved this meal. It was so yummy and morish, and oh so simple to make. I will make this again, as it was a HUGE hit with all the family. 

Try EveryPlate to break your monotony of everyday meals…yes you can win at dinner with EveryPlate.

My readers can get up to $115 on your first four boxes, with dinner from as little as $2.39 per plate. To get this deal click here

If you would love to give EveryPlate a go I have a great discount for you.

Try EveryPlate today and you’ll get up to $115 on your first four boxes, with dinner from as little as $2.39 per plate. Click here to get this deal. 

Here is my discount code: TWINS115 (The link should automatically have the discount code applied to it)

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Family

Make Dinner Easy with EveryPlate

Try Everyplate today and you’ll get up to $180 off, with dinner from as little as $4.44 per plate. Click here to get this deal.

All set to make the Sticky Lemon Chicken with fries and stir-fried veggies

If you are like me and love others organising things for you then you will love EveryPlate.


As a busy and tired mum, I’m happy to hand the job of planning dinner to someone else. In fact, I would love to hand over the housework, cooking and everything else for a break, but just having not to shop, think or plan the dinners is a start.

Part of the enormous weight of dinners is planning and thinking of different things to cook. It is so freeing to finally be done with it. It is a weight off my shoulders and does make me feel lighter. 

Having meals planned, with recipes and all the ingredients ready to go means that anyone can cook dinner. No excuses, it is super easy and allows for mum or the person who is the go-to cook to have a much-needed break. 

So, what did I cook with my EveryPlate Meal Kit?

Nutty Sweet Chilli Noodles with Veggies and Sesame Seeds

I do love a good stir fry with noodles, and it was nice to see that the kids enjoyed this meal too. One of my girls was keen to cook this recipe from EveryPlate and found the instructions easy to follow and was very happy with how the dinner turned out.

The Nutty Sweet Chilli Noodles with Veggies and Sesame Seeds all cooked and ready to eat

Chorizo & Roast Veggie Salad with Garlic Aioli

This was one of my favourite recipes. It was so extremely YUMMY. It was also a very easy meal to make. 

All you had to do is chop up all the vegetables, add the seasoning and bake in the oven for a while. Then chop up the Chorizo and add to the vegetables and cook in the oven until done.

Vegetables ready to cook
All cooked and ready to eat. The Chorizo & Roast Veggie Salad with Garlic Aioli was one of my favourites

The meal was topped off with garlic aioli and promptly eaten. Everybody said that they thoroughly enjoyed this meal and finished every crumb in their bowl. 

We need to make this again as it was a hit and very easy to create so perfectly for a mid-week dinner when you are busy.  It was so good and a meal I would never have made without my EveryPlate meal kit. 

Sticky Lemon Chicken with Fries and Stir-fried Veggies

When I first read this recipe, I thought it would be super complicated. I also wondered with one lemon how would it be lemony, but I was wrong on both counts. It was easy to make and in fact super lemony.

The chicken was breast fillets and I ended up cooking them and cutting them up into smaller pieces. I added to the recipe by making chilli chips, I added chilli flakes to the chips. This was one of my favourite recipes from the EveryPlate meals, it was also a different way to do chicken from my usual chicken dinners.

So yummy and lemony is the Sticky Lemon Chicken with Fries and Stir-fried Veggies
I added chilli flakes to the chips

The chips were great with added chilli flakes and added the right amount of spice to the lemon chicken.

Mexican Chicken & Corn Salad with Sweet Potato Wedges

The kids loved the spice on the chicken, and they ate it in record time… I was so glad that it was a hit. The meal was tasty and again easy to create as it made dinner on a weeknight easy.

Mexican Chicken & Corn Salad with Sweet Potato Wedges was one meal that the kids loved

The salad with added extras from my fridge

I was missing a few ingredients for the salad, so I added bok choy and parsley. It ended up looking great with all the different colours and tasted great with all the other ingredients from the meal. 

The meals were yummy, and easy, and helped a busy mummy make her life easier. 

If you would love to give EveryPlate a go I have a great discount for you.

Try EveryPlate today and you’ll get up to $180 off, with dinner from as little as $4.44 per plate. Click here to get this deal. Click here to get this deal.

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What did we think About HelloFresh?

It was very nice to have a break for a week. I didn’t go on holiday; I didn’t really have a break, but it felt like a mental rest to not have to think about what was for dinner as well as not shopping for all the items to go with the meals.

Until the job of deciding what to do for dinner is taken off my plate… see what I did there, a meal pun. I didn’t realise how much organising dinner every night weighed upon me.

Hubby preparing to make Chicken & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

It felt like a holiday to have all the decisions made for me (for dinners not everything in the world). You can let HelloFresh pick your meals or you change them to suit your needs.

Things that I loved about HelloFresh:

  • No shopping for ingredients
  • Gets delivered to your door
  • Super easy to follow recipes with portions so that there is no waste 
  • Very fresh ingredients 
  • Tasty meals with variety for the week
  • Recipes were easy to follow and create – simply match the recipe card to the right colour bag of ingredients.
  • Different meals that you normally would never cook
I liked the fact that all you have to do is match the colour codes for your ingredients and recipe.

The whole family got involved and cooked a HelloFresh meal each. It was great to see that the kids were excited to take part in what the family was eating for dinner each night. 

One thing that I did really like was that the meals were easy to create. No complicated steps or things to do. However, there were some recipes that were quicker to make than others, but no matter the time the meal took to make, the steps were still easy.

Hubby making the creamy peppercorn sauce

A few things we noticed:

  • While Hubby was cooking the Chicken & Creamy Peppercorn Sauce he noticed that the sauce took longer to thicken up than the recipe said. The recipe said around 5 or so minutes but it took around 30 minutes to thicken up. 
  • One of my girls was cooking the Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry and we realised that the way they wanted us to cook the rice didn’t work, so we ended up cooking it the normal way by boiling it in a saucepan.  
  • We added what we thought was ample olive oil for the marinade mixture, but it needed a bit more as it was too dry.

These were not major issues, and the meal was still easy to create and tasted delicious.

Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry ready to eat

I have never made a Carbonara from scratch before. I always thought it would be complicated. HelloFresh showed me that it is in fact very simple to make. 

It was nice to make a meal that I’ve never made before and allow me to have new cooking skills for next time. 

At least I will have the HelloFresh recipe card to help me make Creamy Bacon Carbonara again.

Making the Carbonara sauce for the Creamy Bacon Carbonara with Pear Salad

Our favourite meals were:

  • Quick Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry
  • Quick Caribbean Chicken Tacos with Pineapple & Corn Salsa
  • Creamy Bacon Carbonara with Pear Salad

So if you are like us and think you could do with some time out making decisions on what to cook for dinner, then HelloFresh can help you.

I have a deal that gives my readers $130 off a HelloFresh meal kit

CODE: TWINSPLUSONE130
Offer: Get up to $130 off your first four boxes!

Click here to go to the HelloFresh Discount Deal

Categories
Family

Chef Direct by Marathon is My Saviour

This week has been manic, well actually manic or constant chaos seems to be my new form of normal.

I did have a few weeks basically free to rest and to just be, I only had a few days full of things to do with the kids and then suddenly they have all been eaten up with plans, with so much busyness that means that rest, work and actual items that need to be done are not getting done at all.

With the racing here and racing there to keep kids entertained, cooking dinner seems to be an afterthought and very much forgotten.

Yep, insert terrible mother comments here.

I have been simply so tired and annoyed that I get to the end of the day and the darkness has filled the sky and I still have no idea what to do for dinner.

Lamb Shank Red Wine & Rosemary and Lamb Shank Traditional Mint Gravy from Chef Direct.
Lamb Shank Red Wine & Rosemary and Lamb Shank Traditional Mint Gravy from Chef Direct.

 

Bad planning I hear you say, probably….. but I have a fabulous solution or if you were Baldrick on Blackadder, a Cunning Plan.

 

My secret weapon is Chef Direct from Marathon Foods.

The amazing team at Marathon Foods sent me the following meals:

  • Lamb Shank Red Wine Rosemary
  • Lamb Shank Traditional Mint Gravy
  • Beef Meatballs Tomato & Basil Sauce 1.2kg
  • Mild Chilli Beef & Bean 1.2kg

Do you find that you run out of time to think of a yummy, healthy and a quick dinner for the family?

If you work or just wish to have a break from thinking of what to cook Chef Direct’s prepackaged meals are an awesome choice.

 

DID YOU KNOW…

“Marathon Chef Direct creations are made fresh and kept that way by use of clever technology and packaging without the need for refrigeration or freezing. Our delicious creations are free from artificial flavours, colours or preservatives and there is no added MSG.”

Storing the packs in the pantry due to no refrigeration is perfect as it frees up much-needed space in the fridge.

  • Marathon Chef Direct creations are shelf stable meals for the busy kitchen
  • Free from artificial flavours, colours or preservatives

Lamb Shank & Red Wine Rosemary

This was the first meal that we tried and I must say we were so impressed.

The super yummy Lamb Shank & Red Wine Rosemary from Chef Direct by Marathon
The super yummy Lamb Shank & Red Wine Rosemary from Chef Direct by Marathon

The meat just melted in your mouth and fell off the bone and the red wine and rosemary sauce was super tasty and a fab accompaniment to the meal.

I added mash: Potato, red onion, brown onion, corn from fresh corn that I boiled and then removed the kernels, & carrots.

For some extra greens I cooked up some beans in olive oil and a little soy sauce.

The lamb Shank was warmed up in the microwave for 6 mins. This is my type of cooking, 6 mintues for a fab meal to be ready…. oh and a little bit extra for the mash, but not by much.

I would say I probably only cooked for about 30mins and used the microwave or 12 mintues (6 minutes for each Lamb Shank)

This meal was stress-free, easy to make and delicious!

 

Beef Meatballs Tomato & Basil Sauce 1.2kg

Beef Meatballs Tomato & Basil Sauce 1.2kg from Chef Direct by Marathon.
Beef Meatballs Tomato & Basil Sauce 1.2kg from Chef Direct by Marathon.

This pack is a huge size and I decided that it was wise to half it and put the rest into a container to store in the fridge. I ended up using the remainder for the kid’s dinners the next night.

Beef Meatballs with Tomato and Basil Sauce from Chef Direct ..and yes I added broccoli.
Beef Meatballs with Tomato and Basil Sauce from Chef Direct ..and yes I added broccoli.

 

To heat up the meatballs and sauce, just boil some water in a pot and heat in the bag for 35 minutes (Making sure that the pot is off the heat when the bag is in it). You can also heat in an ovenproof dish, reheat in the oven for 30 minutes at 180°C (Heating in the oven make sure to remove contents from bag and place in the dish to reheat).

Cooking vegetables, reheating the meatballs and sauce and cooking the spaghetti. Talk about multitasking.
Cooking vegetables, reheating the meatballs and sauce and cooking the spaghetti. Talk about multitasking.

 

You cannot have meatballs without spaghetti, and I also added some vegetables. It got topped off with some grated mature cheese and then it got eaten!

The verdict was that it was another yummy, filling and easy to make the meal.

 

Mild Chilli Beef & Bean 1.2kg

Chilli Beef & Beans by Chef Direct is so tasty and super convenient for busy mums.
Chilli Beef & Beans by Chef Direct is so tasty and super convenient for busy mums.

Hubby and I love a chilli meal and this really was tasty. It is not that spicy and has a good taste for those that don’t like it too hot. If you do want to increase the heat, you can always add some more chilli flakes to your meal. This way you can make it just the way you like it.

I boiled water in a saucepan and then took the pot off the heat. I added the Beef and Beans so that it could heat up and be ready for us to eat.

Reheating only took 30mins and gave me some time to get the vegetables organised.

 

Rice was added and I used the easy prepackaged and super quick Sunrise Rice and Quinoa Brown Rice, which only takes 90 seconds to be ready. I did say it was super quick!

I do love my greens, so added broccoli, bok choy and some capsicum for colour.

The vegetables for the Chilli Beef & Beans from Chef Direct by Marathon.
The vegetables for the Chilli Beef & Beans from Chef Direct by Marathon.

 

Now for the finished yummy looking meal of Chilli Beef & Beans with Rice and Vegetables.

The finished meal of Chilli Beef & Beans from Chef Direct by Marathon. Looks so good, doesn't it?
The finished meal of Chilli Beef & Beans from Chef Direct by Marathon. Looks so good, doesn’t it?

If you wish to make your life a bit simpler you can get the Chef Direct range at IGA and have a break or at least make dinner time so much easier.

The Chef Direct range is also perfect for camping and travelling. No need to refrigerate and can be easily packed. Use for your next camping holiday with the family.

As a busy mum to 3 kids and a hubby, it would be nice to have someone make me a meal for a change.

The yummy Lamb Shank Red Wine and Rosemary Sauce meals from Chef Direct by Marathon.
The yummy Lamb Shank Red Wine and Rosemary Sauce meals from Chef Direct by Marathon.

The meals from Chef Direct are so easy to prepare I just might be able to put my feet up and take a break.

All you need to do is to add the mash, spaghetti or rice and a few things to the meal. Other than heat up the packet from Chef Direct and then enjoy!

A HUGE thank you to Marathon Foods for sending us such tasty, amazing and easy to prepare meals.

I’ve been telling other mums about what a great time saver these meals have been for me.

I would strongly recommend that you give the Chef Direct range a go, you will be so happy you did.

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