Monday 19 August 2013

Spinach and cheese pizza scrolls


These scrolls turn out an interesting greenish colour due to the spinach being incorporated into the flour. They freeze really well and are a very healthy lunch box food!

I got the original recipe from my Group Leader Elisabeth Higgins:

Ingredients:
60g baby spinach
560g bakers flour (I sometimes make them wholemeal by blitzing up about 100g of wheat grain/buck wheat or add in grains)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp/1 sachet yeast
20g oil
280g warm water
60g grated Parmesan cheese
100g grated Cheddar cheese

Method:
Place spinach in TM bowl and cover with bakers flour and blitz for 10-15 sec sec/sp 10.

If you need to grate your cheese do this after making green flour.
Place cubed Parmesan in TM bowl and grate for 10 sec/sp8. Set aside.
Place cubed cheddar in TM bowl and grate 4-8 sec/sp8. Set aside.
No need to wash out bowl, just continue recipe by adding spinach flour back into TM bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and combine on sp 6/ 7 sec.

Scrape down, set dial to closed lid position. Knead for 2 min on Interval setting.

Remove dough and rest until doubled in size (approx 30 min).

Roll out in a rectangular slab and sprinkle cheese (I also used tomato paste, and you could add any other toppings you would like at this stage), leaving a 2cm strip at the top.

Roll up and slice into scrolls.

Place in a cold oven and cook at 200C for 20-30 mins.

Muesli bars


These are the best muesli bars I have made in my thermie to date! Going to be a definite regular in my kids lunch boxes!

Here is the link:

I only had 70g of rolled oats left in my cupboard, used puffed rice (45g) and maple syrup instead of raw honey...



Nut butter


I love making my own nut butter. I follow the recipe in the EDC, but rarely use peanuts. With my latest batch I got really creative and toasted 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of cashews and almonds and blended with macadamia oil and a pinch of sea salt. Toast anyone?!

Thursday 15 August 2013

Quick and healthy no cook slices


On the left is chia, date and walnut slice:
 http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/recipes/chia-date-walnut-slice/76381
On the right is raw strawberry fudge:
http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/recipes/raw-strawberry-fudge-jules-galloway/87946

Give them a go! They are both delicious and my kids love them. Great for when a sugar craving hits!

Never split mayonnaise!





Perfect mayonnaise in about 4 minutes!
 Whole egg mayonnaise in the thermie (5 ingredients)
 List of ingredients on shop bough whole egg mayonnaise (12 ingredients)

When I first got my thermomix I had a couple of mayonnaise fails, until I was introduced to this quick and easy recipe by my lovely Group Leader Elisabeth Higgins:

Ingredients:
1-3 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled OPTIONAL (I use 1 clove)
1 whole egg (straight from fridge)
25g Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
250g neutral tasting oil (not EVOO, I use grape seed oil)
1-2 tsp lemon juice, to taste

Method:
Chop garlic 5 sec/sp7.
Add whole egg, mustard and salt to bowl and mix for 1 min/37C/sp4.
Open lid and distribute any mustard sitting on blades or base of bowl.
Replace lid and put measuring jug on top. Set scales and weigh 250g of oil into measuring jug.
Remove measuring jug and put MC in place.
With blades running on sp 4 and MC in place, pour oil slowly in a steady stream onto the lid of the TM. Push TM down if it is trying to lift itself.
Once all the oil has run through and the noise of the blades running has changed your mayo is ready!
Do the taste test and add lemon juice with blades running again on sp 4.

ENJOY!!


Thursday 8 August 2013

Menu plan #2

 Mincing the meat
 2 layers of sausages in the varoma 
 Served with pasta

Greek-Style Sausages in Tomato Sauce (Recipe from Devil of a Cookbook)

Sausage Ingredients:
800g beef cubed (I find about 3cm cubes and semi frozen given best texture)
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp fresh or 1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried mint leaves
1 tsp ground cumin 
70g bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sea salt to taste
1 tsp black pepper to taste

Method:
Place 1/2 of the beef into mixing bowl and mince 4 times/1 sec/closed lid/turbo. Repeat with remaining beef and set aside with first batch.
Place onion, garlic, herbs and cumin into mixing bowl and chop 2-3 sec/sp 7. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Add all remaining sausage ingredients, including reserved mince and mix for 2-3 sec/closed lid/turbo.
Roll 2 tablespoons of mixture into a small sausage shape, repeating with the remaining mixture. Place sausages into the varoma bowl and tray and set aside until required.

Tomato Sauce Ingredients:
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
120g red wine
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
80g tomato paste
3 tsp Thermomix vegetable stock concentrate
1 tsp sugar
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Few sprigs of thyme and oregano to garnish

Method:
Place onion, garlic and oregano into mixing bowl and chop 2-3 sec/sp 7. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Add oil and saute 2 min/varoma/reverse/sp1.
Ass wine and cook for 2 min/varoma/reverse/sp 1.
Add all remaining sauce ingredients except garnish. Set varoma into position and cook for 20-25 min/varoma/reverse/sp 1.
Place sauce and sausages into Thermoserver, top with sprigs of thyme and oregano and stand for 5-10 mins before serving.

Serve with mashed potato or pasta, yum!!

Spinach Fettuccine with Vegetable Pasta Sauce

I used the pasta dough recipe from the EDC and blitzed a handful of uncooked baby spinach 
with the flour before proceeding with the recipe. 

Heaps of hidden veggies in this dish!

Vegetable Pasta Sauce (Recipe from Louise Fulton Keats Baby & Toddler Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 brown onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, roughly chopped
150g pumpkin, roughly chopped (no need to peel if using butternut pumpkin)
2 zucchini, roughly chopped
100g button mushrooms
4 tomatoes quartered
1 tbsp tomato paste
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
1 tsp brown sugar
3 sprigs of fresh basil or oregano leaves
(Personally I feel this recipe needs a little salt added if for the whole family, so I added 2 tbsp of vegetable stock concentrate also)

Method:
Place onion and garlic into mixing bowl and chop 3 sec/sp 7. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Add oil and saute 2 min/100C/sp 2.
Add carrot, pumpkin, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes and chop 5 sec/sp7. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat.
Add tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, sugar (and stock concentrate if using) and cook 15 min/100C/sp2 with MC removed and TM basket on lid to prevent splatter.
Add herbs, replace MC, and blend 1 min/sp 7, gradually increasing from speed 1 to speed 7.

This recipe makes about 1.5L and freezes well.

Chicken Enchiladas:




These were and absolute hit at my house! Next time I will add some vegetable stock concentrate to the enchilada sauce, I also added in a tin of red kidney beans, and only needed 1 avocado, not 2 as per the recipe.

I had time to make my own tortillas from scratch which is worth the extra effort if you have time. I got the recipe from the Robogourmet iPad app:

320g plain flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp baking powder
180g warm water

Put all ingredients in thermomix bowl and mix for 10 sec/sp 7 to combine.
Knead for 3 min/interval setting.
Remove dough and place in oiled bowl (or wrap in thermomat)  and place in warm place to rest. 
Divide dough into 10-12 pieces and roll out flat into rounds.
Fry in a lightly oiled frying pan until they start to brown.
Turn over and cook other side.

I made these as my enchilada sauce was cooking, and kept them warm in the thermoserver.

Pumpkin, Feta and Caramelised Onion Tart: (Recipe from Devil of a Cookbook)



This was the first time I have every made a tart (I've made plenty of quiches and pies, but never a tart!), and it was divine! It was delicious hot and cold, and would be a great one to take along for a picnic etc.

Ingredients: 
500g pumpkin, cut into 4cm cubes
30g olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus extra to sprinkle on pumpkin
2 large onions sliced into rings
1 tbsp sugar
1 quantity short crust pastry (recipe in EDC)
100g Persian feta (I just used a smooth feta)
100g full-cream milk (I used hi-lo)
100g pouring cream min 30% fat (I used light pouring cream)
2 eggs

Method:
(I made my short crust pastry while my pumpkin was roasting, before caramelising the onions, and wrapped in my thermomat and put it into the fridge to cool before rolling out)

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Grease a 23cm pie tin and set aside.

Place pumpkin into a heavy based roasting pan, drizzle with 1/2 the oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20-30 min, until soft and slightly coloured on the edges. Set aside.

Place onion, sugar and remaining oil into mixing bowl and saute for 30min/varoma/reverse/sp 2. Set aside.
Line prepared tin with pastry and blind bake until golden brown (approx 30 min). Spread reserved caramelised onion over cooked pastry shell, crumble over feta and top with reserved pumpkin.

Place milk, cream, eggs and remaining salt into mixing bowl and mix for 10 sec/sp 3.

Carefully pour over pumpkin base and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until just set.

We ate it served with steamed broccolini :)

Steamed Trevalla with Lime and Coconut Sauce: (Recipe from Devil of a Cookbook)


We had this on a Friday night as an at-home "date night" meal after the kids had gone to bed. It is a delicious example of using the Thermomix to it's full potential, and enjoying a restaurant quality meal in only 20 minutes!

Ingredients:
2 tsp sugar
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 red chilli (deseeded if preferred)
1 clove garlic
2cm piece of ginger, peeled
Flesh 2 limes
2 tsp fish sauce
600g skinless, boneless trevalla (or other white fish of choice), cut into serving portions
400g full-cream coconut milk (I used light and it was fine)
350g basmati rice
2 bunches bok choy, washed and drained
coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
Place sugar and lime leaved into mixing bowl and mill 10 sec/sp 9.

Add chilli, garlic, ginger, lime and fish sauce and chop 10 sec/sp 9.

Add coconut milk to mixing bowl and heat for 4 min/100C/sp1. Pour sauce into thermoserver to keep warm.

Without washing bowl, place 1L water into mixing bowl. Place rice into basket, rinse and insert. Place fish into varoma dish and bok choy onto varoma tray. Set varoma into position and steam for 13-16min/varoma/sp 4.

Serve rice topped with fish and bok choy. Pour over reserved lime and coconut sauce and garnish with coriander.

Enjoy with a glass of wine!