We are all ready for Easter now! Our boys are snuggled up in bed, no doubt dreaming about the chocolate egg that Easter Bunny will bring on Sunday. Our bags are packed ready for our trip to the beach house tomorrow and our hot cross buns are having their second rise in the fridge overnight. They will be delicious when baked in the morning. Gosh life is good!
I will say goodbye for a few days. My computer and TMX are staying at home. My cooking for our weekend away is done now and ready to be packed up tomorrow morning. The TMX probably could fit in the car but it is a distraction for me (I can't help wanting to feed everyone) and my family is my sole focus at Easter. In the highly unlikely event that we run out of food my Mum assures me that fish and chips from the beach shop will be just fine. :-)
I wish you a happy and safe Easter weekend with your family. I hope you find joy in being together and in celebrating the love that is the true Easter message.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Filling Tummies with Pistachio and Cranberry Stuffed Roast Chicken
Yesterday was a big anniversary day in our house. My Hubby and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been eight years since that bright and sunny Good Friday morning. Time flies when you are having fun!
It has also been four years since we united with our beautiful eldest son in Ethiopia. Yes that momentous event happened on our wedding anniversary!! We are preferential adoptive parents (meaning adoption is our preferred option for creating our family) and we started the adoption process soon after getting married. You can imagine how unbelievably thrilled we were after over three years of waiting to unite with our beautiful son. The photo below is of our son and I in Ethiopia during our first week as a family. Our little man had never felt grass before and was so excited. Such a cutie!!!
To celebrate our anniversaries I cooked a special meal last night of roast chicken with pistachio and cranberry stuffing, mustard potatoes and honeyed peas and carrots. We finished the meal with a lovely lemon meringue pie (recipe from the EDC) and King Island cream. Yum!
Here is the recipe for the stuffing which I adapted from this recipe on Taste.com.
Ingredients:
120g day-old bread
handful parsley
1 small brown onion, halved and peeled
40g craisins (dried cranberries)
30g unsalted pistachio kernels
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
Method:
Blitz the bread and parsley in the TMX on speed 8 for 6 seconds. Set aside.
Add the onion, craisins, pistachios and garlic into the TMX bowl. Chop for 5 seconds on speed 5.
Add the oil and saute for 5 minutes, 100 degrees, reverse speed 1.
Add the breadcrumbs and egg and mix for 20 seconds on reverse speed 3.
Wash the cavity of your fresh or thawed chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel (inside and out). Use a spoon to stuff this mixture into the cavities. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Season the bird with salt and pepper and place in an oven bag. Cook according to weight guidelines.
It has also been four years since we united with our beautiful eldest son in Ethiopia. Yes that momentous event happened on our wedding anniversary!! We are preferential adoptive parents (meaning adoption is our preferred option for creating our family) and we started the adoption process soon after getting married. You can imagine how unbelievably thrilled we were after over three years of waiting to unite with our beautiful son. The photo below is of our son and I in Ethiopia during our first week as a family. Our little man had never felt grass before and was so excited. Such a cutie!!!
To celebrate our anniversaries I cooked a special meal last night of roast chicken with pistachio and cranberry stuffing, mustard potatoes and honeyed peas and carrots. We finished the meal with a lovely lemon meringue pie (recipe from the EDC) and King Island cream. Yum!
Here is the recipe for the stuffing which I adapted from this recipe on Taste.com.
Pistachio and Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients:
120g day-old bread
handful parsley
1 small brown onion, halved and peeled
40g craisins (dried cranberries)
30g unsalted pistachio kernels
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
Method:
Blitz the bread and parsley in the TMX on speed 8 for 6 seconds. Set aside.
Add the onion, craisins, pistachios and garlic into the TMX bowl. Chop for 5 seconds on speed 5.
Add the oil and saute for 5 minutes, 100 degrees, reverse speed 1.
Add the breadcrumbs and egg and mix for 20 seconds on reverse speed 3.
Wash the cavity of your fresh or thawed chicken. Pat dry with a paper towel (inside and out). Use a spoon to stuff this mixture into the cavities. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Season the bird with salt and pepper and place in an oven bag. Cook according to weight guidelines.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Filling Tummies with Honey Joys
Recently we celebrated our little man's 3rd birthday with a party at our house. We were supposed to be celebrating at our local park, but unfortunately it rained and we had to move the party to our house. Not a major drama as we have plenty of room but it was a little sad for our son who was so excited about having a scooter party!
The party went really well and the kids all had great fun playing together. I had a bubble machine blowing out fun bubbles to catch and pop and a pass the parcel game. I didn't need to bother though as the kids really just wanted to play with the toys. I had pondered over the party food menu for a good week and really didn't need to bother with that either. Once again the kids just wanted to play. I had oodles of mini sausage rolls, chopped fruit, mini kiss biscuits, mini frogs in chocolate mud (custard) and mini honey joys left over. I always find it so tricky to plan the party food. My boys go to very mainstream parties with chips and lollies etc and have a firm idea of what they believe constitutes party food. I walk a very thin line when I try to bring a wholesome element to the food!!! I generally don't mind a few treats at parties, but after my youngest son vomited after a party last weekend (which actually was quite wholesome) I had to be extra careful with his own party. Next year I will stick to a sausage sizzle and birthday cake!
Anyhow I will post the recipe that I used for my honey joys. I found the ingredient quantities on the Kelloggs website and the method was based on this forum thermomix recipe.
Ingredients:
90g butter
90g rapadura (or sugar)
1 Tbsp organic honey
120g cornflakes
Method:
Preheat oven 150 degrees and place patty pans on a tray.
Place honey, rapadura and butter in TMX bowl and cook for 7 minutes, 100 degrees on speed 3.
Add the cornflakes to bowl and mix for 40 seconds on reverse speed 1-2.
Spoon the mixture into the patty pans and bake in oven for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
The party went really well and the kids all had great fun playing together. I had a bubble machine blowing out fun bubbles to catch and pop and a pass the parcel game. I didn't need to bother though as the kids really just wanted to play with the toys. I had pondered over the party food menu for a good week and really didn't need to bother with that either. Once again the kids just wanted to play. I had oodles of mini sausage rolls, chopped fruit, mini kiss biscuits, mini frogs in chocolate mud (custard) and mini honey joys left over. I always find it so tricky to plan the party food. My boys go to very mainstream parties with chips and lollies etc and have a firm idea of what they believe constitutes party food. I walk a very thin line when I try to bring a wholesome element to the food!!! I generally don't mind a few treats at parties, but after my youngest son vomited after a party last weekend (which actually was quite wholesome) I had to be extra careful with his own party. Next year I will stick to a sausage sizzle and birthday cake!
Anyhow I will post the recipe that I used for my honey joys. I found the ingredient quantities on the Kelloggs website and the method was based on this forum thermomix recipe.
Honey Joys
Ingredients:
90g butter
90g rapadura (or sugar)
1 Tbsp organic honey
120g cornflakes
Method:
Preheat oven 150 degrees and place patty pans on a tray.
Place honey, rapadura and butter in TMX bowl and cook for 7 minutes, 100 degrees on speed 3.
Add the cornflakes to bowl and mix for 40 seconds on reverse speed 1-2.
Spoon the mixture into the patty pans and bake in oven for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Monday, April 11, 2011
My "Alternatives to Take-Aways" List
I am having one of those days where I am just falling in love with my thermomix all over again. We are almost at our two year anniversary and I still use it all the time! Some people ask if I ever get sick of using it each day and I always reply that I could never tire of using something that makes my life so easy. It would be like tiring of using a washing machine and going back to using a wash board. Never going to happen!!!
Today my thermomix has been cooking up a storm whilst I have been cleaning the house, doing the ironing, mending a pair of trousers and reading the Wonky Donkey to my boys at least 5 times!!! So far today thermie and I have made our breakfast juice, a batch of Anzac's, a batch of tomato sauce, a batch of condensed tomato soup, a tray of cheese and bacon rolls for the freezer, a double batch of honey joys (for little mans birthday on Wednesday) and we are about to embark on a batch of apricot jam with some apricots that are thawing. After a little rest we will then embark on some bacon and corn chowder and a cheesy pizza bread for dinner. Yum! Whilst this is cooking I will most likely be putting my feet up (and reading the Wonky Donkey again :-)). I just love my thermomix!
At a recent social gathering I got chatting with a couple of friends who are also thermomix owners. We agreed that one of the best things about the thermomix is its ability to make quick and easy meals. My friend told me that many times after a busy day she considered buying some take-aways for dinner, but changed her mind and whipped up something in her thermie instead. There is great satisfaction in making a quick and healthy soup, risotto or casserole in the thermomix when you would have otherwise have bought unhealthy and expensive take-aways. Often making a meal from scratch in the thermomix is even easier than thawing and reheating a frozen meal from the freezer.
I keep a list on my recipe book stand of last minute meal ideas for when the day hasn't gone to plan, when I am rushing in the door from work or when I have forgotten to thaw meat. Sometimes when I am rushing and a bit flustered I can't think straight and really rely on my list to give me ideas for dinner. Here is my current list:
Family Chowder - On the advice from a friend I now make this with fresh corn kernals cut from two cobs, rather than canned creamed corn. Yummy!
Fettuccine with Arrabiatta sauce (recipe from EDC)
Thermomix Fried Rice
Margarita Pizzas
Creamy Tomato and Salami Fettuccine (recipe from EDC)
Lentil Bolognaise with Pasta
Sugo Alla Papalina
Egg and Bacon Pie
Pumpkin and Pea Risotto (Based on EDC mushroom risotto recipe)
Tuna and Macaroni Bake
Curried Pumpkin and Lentil Soup
Today my thermomix has been cooking up a storm whilst I have been cleaning the house, doing the ironing, mending a pair of trousers and reading the Wonky Donkey to my boys at least 5 times!!! So far today thermie and I have made our breakfast juice, a batch of Anzac's, a batch of tomato sauce, a batch of condensed tomato soup, a tray of cheese and bacon rolls for the freezer, a double batch of honey joys (for little mans birthday on Wednesday) and we are about to embark on a batch of apricot jam with some apricots that are thawing. After a little rest we will then embark on some bacon and corn chowder and a cheesy pizza bread for dinner. Yum! Whilst this is cooking I will most likely be putting my feet up (and reading the Wonky Donkey again :-)). I just love my thermomix!
Condensed Tomato Soup
At a recent social gathering I got chatting with a couple of friends who are also thermomix owners. We agreed that one of the best things about the thermomix is its ability to make quick and easy meals. My friend told me that many times after a busy day she considered buying some take-aways for dinner, but changed her mind and whipped up something in her thermie instead. There is great satisfaction in making a quick and healthy soup, risotto or casserole in the thermomix when you would have otherwise have bought unhealthy and expensive take-aways. Often making a meal from scratch in the thermomix is even easier than thawing and reheating a frozen meal from the freezer.
I keep a list on my recipe book stand of last minute meal ideas for when the day hasn't gone to plan, when I am rushing in the door from work or when I have forgotten to thaw meat. Sometimes when I am rushing and a bit flustered I can't think straight and really rely on my list to give me ideas for dinner. Here is my current list:
Alternatives to Take-Aways List:
Family Chowder - On the advice from a friend I now make this with fresh corn kernals cut from two cobs, rather than canned creamed corn. Yummy!
Fettuccine with Arrabiatta sauce (recipe from EDC)
Thermomix Fried Rice
Margarita Pizzas
Creamy Tomato and Salami Fettuccine (recipe from EDC)
Lentil Bolognaise with Pasta
Sugo Alla Papalina
Egg and Bacon Pie
Pumpkin and Pea Risotto (Based on EDC mushroom risotto recipe)
Tuna and Macaroni Bake
Curried Pumpkin and Lentil Soup
Pasta E Fagioli (recipe from EDC)
Friday, April 8, 2011
Filling Tummies with Easy GF Almond Pancakes
When I first spotted this pancake recipe on Heather's Mommypotamus blog I really didn't hold much hope of our boys liking them. They are not overly keen on eggy things and my eldest will avoid nuts if given the opportunity. Yesterday with a fridge full of eggs and a fresh supply of almonds I decided however that I had nothing to loose and might as well give them a go for an after school snack. I am glad I did as the boys gobbled them up. They are a bit eggy and definitely need sweetening up with some honey or maple syrup, but on the whole I was pleasantly surprised with them. I also like the fact that they are gluten free as I am conscious that we eat too much gluten flour and grain in our family diet.
Here is my converted (and modified version):
Easy Gluten-Free Almond Pancakes
Makes: 6 smallish pancakes (recipe can be easily doubled or tripled)
Ingredients:
60g almonds
3 eggs
20g organic pure maple syrup (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch Himalayan salt
Method:
Place almonds in TMX and grind for 20 seconds on speed 9.
Add remaining ingredients and mix for 30 seconds on speed 5.
Heat fry pan on a medium heat and grease with butter or oil.
Pour the batter into the pan (just small pancake size) and cook them turning over part way through.
Spread with honey, pure maple syrup or lemon juice and rapadura and enjoy!
Here is my converted (and modified version):
Easy Gluten-Free Almond Pancakes
Makes: 6 smallish pancakes (recipe can be easily doubled or tripled)
Ingredients:
60g almonds
3 eggs
20g organic pure maple syrup (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch Himalayan salt
Method:
Place almonds in TMX and grind for 20 seconds on speed 9.
Add remaining ingredients and mix for 30 seconds on speed 5.
Heat fry pan on a medium heat and grease with butter or oil.
Pour the batter into the pan (just small pancake size) and cook them turning over part way through.
Spread with honey, pure maple syrup or lemon juice and rapadura and enjoy!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Filling Tummies with Apple Streusel Teacake
For many people the Autumn months are more than a little depressing as the weather starts to cool off and the days begin to shorten. For me however it is a time to rejoice. Autumn is by far my favourite season. I love it when the warm summer nights are behind us and our boys can snuggle down and start sleeping well again. I love it when the growth of weeds starts to slow in the garden and I have time to do other things outside besides weeding. I love it when our lawn returns to a beautiful shade of green, even though it means a little more mowing for a while. Most of all though I love it when our lovely Apple Man returns in early Autumn to our local market. I am always delighted to see his old blue truck parked back at the market and I know that our weekly fruit bill will be halved once again. Each week I buy 2kg of pears, 2kg of red delicious and 2kg of golden delicious (or Granny Smith later in the season) off him for a grand total of $7.50. The apples and pears aren't organic and do need a good scrub, but they are local.
You may wonder what on earth I do with 6kg of apples and pears each week and sometimes I also wonder where they all disappear too myself. Each morning though my Hubby uses an apple and pear to make our juice and we all tend to have an apple most days for our morning or afternoon tea. The cooking apples I stew with rhubarb or use in desserts such as Apple Berry Crumble or Saucy Apple Pudding. My favourite use for cooking apples though would have to be whipping up my Easy Apple Teacake. This recipe is probably the most popular recipe that I have posted on the forum thermomix and always gets rave reviews whenever I make it (including today :-)).
Today when I made the cake though I decided to try a different topping. Normally I spread the sliced apples into a fan shape and sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar, but today I made a streusel topping. I know you really shouldn't say this about your own cooking but it was AWESOME!!! Even if you are not a big apple cake fan you really must try this cake. It is still ridiculously easy, but has a new dimension that is delicious!
Easy Apple Streusel Teacake
Ingredients:
Topping:
75g plain wheat flour
40g organic raw sugar
50g butter chopped
a few drops of vanilla extract
Cake:
60g butter
200g milk
1 free-range egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
190g plain wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder (homemade is free from nasties)
100g organic raw sugar
pinch salt
1 large apple peeled and thinly sliced (preferably a cooking apple)
cinnamon
Method:
Preheat oven to moderate and grease and flour your cake tin (I use a 20cm round tin).
Place topping ingredients in tmx bowl and combine for approximately 10-12 seconds on speed 5 until small crumbs form (watch carefully - see notes). Set crumbs aside and scrape bowl out well.
Melt butter in tmx bowl for 2 mins, 80 degrees, speed 2.
Add milk, vanilla and egg. Mix for 10 seconds on speed 4.
Add flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix for 10 seconds, speed 5.
Pour batter into tin and lay apple slices over the batter.
Sprinkle the apple lightly with cinnamon and then pour the crumbs evenly over the apples/batter.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Serve by itself, or with whipped cream and/or custard. Enjoy.
Notes:
If your crumbs are really tiny they will cook into the cake instead of holding their form and making a topping.
You may wonder what on earth I do with 6kg of apples and pears each week and sometimes I also wonder where they all disappear too myself. Each morning though my Hubby uses an apple and pear to make our juice and we all tend to have an apple most days for our morning or afternoon tea. The cooking apples I stew with rhubarb or use in desserts such as Apple Berry Crumble or Saucy Apple Pudding. My favourite use for cooking apples though would have to be whipping up my Easy Apple Teacake. This recipe is probably the most popular recipe that I have posted on the forum thermomix and always gets rave reviews whenever I make it (including today :-)).
Today when I made the cake though I decided to try a different topping. Normally I spread the sliced apples into a fan shape and sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar, but today I made a streusel topping. I know you really shouldn't say this about your own cooking but it was AWESOME!!! Even if you are not a big apple cake fan you really must try this cake. It is still ridiculously easy, but has a new dimension that is delicious!
Easy Apple Streusel Teacake
Ingredients:
Topping:
75g plain wheat flour
40g organic raw sugar
50g butter chopped
a few drops of vanilla extract
Cake:
60g butter
200g milk
1 free-range egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
190g plain wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder (homemade is free from nasties)
100g organic raw sugar
pinch salt
1 large apple peeled and thinly sliced (preferably a cooking apple)
cinnamon
Method:
Preheat oven to moderate and grease and flour your cake tin (I use a 20cm round tin).
Place topping ingredients in tmx bowl and combine for approximately 10-12 seconds on speed 5 until small crumbs form (watch carefully - see notes). Set crumbs aside and scrape bowl out well.
Melt butter in tmx bowl for 2 mins, 80 degrees, speed 2.
Add milk, vanilla and egg. Mix for 10 seconds on speed 4.
Add flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix for 10 seconds, speed 5.
Pour batter into tin and lay apple slices over the batter.
Sprinkle the apple lightly with cinnamon and then pour the crumbs evenly over the apples/batter.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Serve by itself, or with whipped cream and/or custard. Enjoy.
Notes:
If your crumbs are really tiny they will cook into the cake instead of holding their form and making a topping.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Filling Tummies With Nay's Fruit Bars
Last week there was a request on forum thermomix for a fruit bar recipe (one like the commercial pillow type bar that Weight Watchers and Heinz make). When I read the request I thought gosh that is tricky and wondered if anybody would be able to help. I should never have doubted the clever recipe developers on the forum however. It didn't take long for member Nay-Nay to respond with a recipe idea and then to follow it up by personally trying the recipe out. After checking out Nay's fabulous photos and recipe I just had to give them a try.
Wow, wow, wow!!! I was so impressed with this recipe that I made two batches during the week. One batch was date and lime and the other was apple, cinnamon and sultana. Basically you stew the filling in the TMX and set it aside to cool. Then you whip up the pastry in the TMX, roll it out and assemble the fruit bars like sausage rolls.My eldest son was thrilled when he saw the bars cooling and he told me that his friends have the same bars for their morning tea at school. How exciting! Both kids (and Hubby) love them!
You can check out Nay's recipe and photos in this thread (scroll down as it is the second recipe in the thread). I made the following modifications to the recipe:
* I substituted the sugar for 50g rapadura.
* I substituted the wheat flour for 310g unbleached white spelt flour.
* I used 300g dates (in the date version) and the same amount of liquid stated in the recipe.
* I used lime juice instead of lemon in the date version.
* I stewed 5 peeled and chopped apples, some rapadura, a little water, cinnamon and sultanas. I stewed them for 5 minutes, 100 degrees, speed 2.
* I only baked my bars for 25 minutes and might reduce it by a little bit more next time.
* Each batch made about 15 bars and I have frozen most of them. I defrosted one to try and it was perfect.
Enjoy making these!!!
Wow, wow, wow!!! I was so impressed with this recipe that I made two batches during the week. One batch was date and lime and the other was apple, cinnamon and sultana. Basically you stew the filling in the TMX and set it aside to cool. Then you whip up the pastry in the TMX, roll it out and assemble the fruit bars like sausage rolls.My eldest son was thrilled when he saw the bars cooling and he told me that his friends have the same bars for their morning tea at school. How exciting! Both kids (and Hubby) love them!
You can check out Nay's recipe and photos in this thread (scroll down as it is the second recipe in the thread). I made the following modifications to the recipe:
* I substituted the sugar for 50g rapadura.
* I substituted the wheat flour for 310g unbleached white spelt flour.
* I used 300g dates (in the date version) and the same amount of liquid stated in the recipe.
* I used lime juice instead of lemon in the date version.
* I stewed 5 peeled and chopped apples, some rapadura, a little water, cinnamon and sultanas. I stewed them for 5 minutes, 100 degrees, speed 2.
* I only baked my bars for 25 minutes and might reduce it by a little bit more next time.
* Each batch made about 15 bars and I have frozen most of them. I defrosted one to try and it was perfect.
Enjoy making these!!!
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