Mini food processor - please share your uses & recipes

[buckeejit]

I have instructed him indoors to order one - it's a kitchen aid mini to match the mixer.

All I can think of doing with it so far is making houmous, chopping garlic & chilli and maybe breadcrumbs.

Does anyone have any other hints, tips or recipes that they love their mini chopper for?

[maxelly]

I mainly use mine to chop onions, not very exciting but it makes what was previously the number 1 annoying cooking task needed for nearly every recipe very quick and easy - just peel and chop into quarters or halves depending on the size of your onion/processor.

I do also make sauces in there, pesto or roast red pepper are favourites, it works well for any stir-through sauce that you don't need huge volumes for (you can add a little pasta water after blitzing if it needs loosening up a little... I don't find it works all that well for hummus TBH, for that I use my stick blender as it's easier to move around and get the lumps out...

[Blondie1984]

Curry paste
Hollandaise that has gone lumpy
Mayonnaise
Biscuits into crumbs for cheesecake base
Small quantities of caulirice

TBH if you can't think of reasons you would use it then why buy it?

[buckeejit]

Thanks, I will have to have a go at those.

It's just looking for other ideas blondie, will have a go at the cauli rice though never thought it would be that appetising. Worth a go though & I wouldn't have thought of it. I love roasted cauli so could be a good filler instead of rice & I am trying to lose weight!

[Whathappenedtothelego]

Mine was originally bought many years ago with baby food in mind (worked well)
Now I too like ours for chopping onions and making pesto.
It is OK for grinding coffee, blitzing dark chocolate for making hot chocolate, and making dips/vegetarian pates.
I also use it for breadcrumbs, and biscuit base for cheesecake.
I have attempted my own peanut butter and Nutella, but they were not an unqualified sucess, bit too grainy. Mine is a different brand, so maybe yours is better.

[Italia2005]

I use mine weekly to chop nuts for porridge, ice cream, etc. and decant into 7 daily portions and to make fresh sauces like pesto and salsa verde. It’s easily stored in saucepan drawer, quick to use and easy to clean.

[Hyperion100]

Chicken thighs, lemon grass, chilli, garlic, fish sauce, breadcrumbs, egg...whizz in to a paste, shape in to patties or around a skewer, then flour, egg and coat in sesame seeds. Shallow fry.

Serve with rice and a mango salsa - chopped mango, red onion, lime, chilli and corriander.

[buckeejit]

Nuts is a good one as I often make granola. Will investigate a decent pesto recipe too. The chicken sounds good but I might be tempted to coat the other ingredients to the chicken. A friend once made burgers by mincing chicken and coriander. Green burgers were not appetising!

[Noflora]

Mine is fairly new and have used it for
onions
nuts
breadcrumbs
Salsa
Guacamole up to the bit where you add the avocado, I prefer to mash that in a bowl with a fork so having varying texture, then add the processed bits.
Smoked salmon dip

[HaggisTheGreat]

Pesto and curry paste here too. Also tapenade and other dips and sauces, plus chopping small quantities of veg when you want them small (onions, garlic, herbs). Probably comes out once or twice a week.

[buckeejit]

Will have to make a list.

Salsa & tapenade are good shouts. And even peanuts for garnishing noodle dishes.

I might even chop up & freeze batches of chopped onions while I'm in the novelty of it! You can refreeze them once you've cooked them I think if batch cooking.

[buckeejit]

I love the new gadget. Sufficient capacity that it's not a pain but small enough to sit out & looks ok.

Done fab houmous, breadcrumbs & crushed biscuits for banoffee so far.

Will pick something else for tomorrow!