Well, hello blog.  I'm sorry I haven't had much time for you lately.  It's not that you don't mean anything to me, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to spend as much time with you as I'd like.

Life sure can be hectic with two little boys running around under my feet and other commitments of my own.  I don't know about you, but I cannot seem to achieve all that I want to achieve during any given day.  It's so frustrating.

One thing I have achieved lately is making a delicious snack that satisfies the tastebuds of my boys and my husband, and my unrelenting desire to cut back on refined sugar and carbs.  I guess you could say we are moving towards the clean eating idea.  I would like us to move there immediately with no backwards steps tomorrow, but my family have other ideas.

I do buy organic wherever possible, I have stopped buying sugar, but I still haven't managed to get away from white flour all the time.  We hardly eat loaves of bread anymore as such, but I do make crackers, tortillas or baguettes most weeks.  And invariably, I use mainly white flour as this is what my husband prefers.  Baby steps, baby steps...

Anyway, back to the point of this post, Apricot Balls.  Lots of seeds for goodness and held together with rolled oats and a sweet slurry of dried apricots and medjool dates.  A very flexible recipe, so feel free to adjust the quantities and types of seeds to suit your taste and your pantry.

My ingredients are medjool dates, organic dried apricots, water, organic unstabilised rolled oats, organic chia seeds, organic cacao nibs, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, and a homemade spice mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

This is such a super easy recipe to make.  The dates, apricots, spices and water are cooked in the Thermomix until a thick and sticky paste is created.  Then simply throw in the rest of the ingredients, whizz up until it all comes together (about 10 seconds), roll into balls and toss in extra coconut (or sesame seeds if that grabs your fancy).

If you, or your kids, prefer a smoother consistency, before you make the paste, throw the dry ingredients into the TM bowl and grind for perhaps 5-8 seconds on speed 9 to make a chunky powder (is that an oxymoron?) which you can then set aside until required.  So far, my kids are all good with the chunkier texture.

Healthy Apricot Balls

Ingredients

• 120 grams organic dried apricots
• 4-5 medjool dates
• 125 grams water
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 150 grams rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon pepitas
• ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon dessicated coconut
• 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
• additional desiccated coconut, to coat

Method

Place apricots, dates, water and spices into TM bowl and cook at 90ºC on speed 3 for 6  minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except additional desiccated coconut) and mix  thoroughly on speed 5 for 10 seconds. Roll into balls and coat with coconut.  Refrigerate for an hour or until cool.

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Leftover Oatmeal Muffins with Apple

Getting back into the swing of a routine now that my husband is back at work after 2 months at home, and given that it's been getting a little fresh in the mornings, I decided to make porridge for breakfast today.  I'd seen that Thermomix Australia had updated their porridge recipe from the EDC, so decided to give it a go.  I added 3 plums (quartered), 2 cloves and a teaspoon of cinnamon, just for good measure.  It was pretty good.  Much creamier than I'm used to, and didn't require any extra milk around the edges (which is how I normally have it).  It was pretty good with the fruit and the plums were very welcome in the muffins.

Of course, I forgot that like pretty much all the recipes in the EDC, it made an absolute bucketful, and was way too much for our little family.  Fortunately, I was able to make the most of my leftovers with this lovely muffin recipe (based on this).

You may think that 300g of cooked oatmeal is a lot, but it is actually just a heaped cupful. Left to cool in the muffin tin, these muffins are moist and not very sweet, but with little bursts of fruity goodness.  Muffins you can feel good about eating!

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins with Apple

• 1 apple, quartered
• 250 grams spelt flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 40 grams honey
• 125 grams milk
• 1 egg
• 40 grams coconut oil
• 300 grams cooked oatmeal

1.Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Butter the muffin pans or line with paper wrappers.

2.Combine dry ingredients together in small bowl.

3.In TM bowl, grate apple for 5 seconds on speed 5. Set aside.

4.Add coconut oil to bowl and melt for 2 minutes at 50ºC, speed 2. Add honey,  oatmeal, apple, egg and milk and mix well for 10 seconds on speed 4. Pour  into dry ingredients and mix well.

5.Spoon each muffin cup 2/3 full of batter. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a  toothpick comes out dry when inserted into the centre.  Leave in tin for 5  minutes before removing and cooling on a rack.

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Grain Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free Banana Pikelets

These were a little experiment for morning tea today for my little cherubs.  Based on this recipe.

Banana Pikelets (Grain, Dairy & Sugar Free)

(Servings: 4-6)

• 75 grams almonds
• ½ cinnamon stick
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 bananas
• 3 teaspoons almond milk

1.Place almonds and cinnamon stick in TMX bowl and grind for 30 seconds on speed 9.

2.Add eggs, baking powder, bananas, and milk and mix well for 5 seconds on speed 5.

3.Heat a little butter in a frying pan and dollop in tablespoons of batter. Flip when golden brown underneath. Continue cooking for another minute or so or until second side is also golden brown. Serve immediately.

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Making Pomegranate Juice

I have a pomegranate tree.  What a lucky score that was when we bought our house here in Adelaide.  I didn't even know what it was at first.  The poor thing is laden with so much heavy fruit, that much of it is resting on the ground.  Many of the fruit are splitting as well.  Not sure why that is, but I'm sure Google will tell me when I find the time to ask it.

I examined a few of the split ones and decided that as I couldn't see any signs of vermin or insect attack, I would juice them and see how I went.

It's a somewhat time consuming process, but the result is a lovely jewel coloured elixir that I love!

Pomegranate Juice (makes 600ml approx)


5 pomegranates, ripe
handful ice
100 grams water, approximately


1. Place enough water in the sink to cover a pomegranate. Score a pomegranate just through the skin as if to cut it in quarters. Under water (to
prevent juice going everywhere and staining your clothes), use the knife as a wedge to snap each quarter apart. Using gentle pressure with your fingers, prise the seeds out. The seeds will sink, the pith will (mostly) float. Skim the surface to remove as much pith as possible as this can make the juice bitter (as will unripe pomegranates).

2. Place the pomegranate seeds into the TM bowl with the ice and water. 

Blend for 30 seconds on speed 9.

3. Strain the mixture using a sieve, pressing down on the pulp to extract as much juice as possible. The pulp can also be placed into several layers of cheesecloth and squeezed to get as much juice out as possible.

4. To clarify the juice, place a coffee filter inside a strainer and allow the juice to drip through it. This will collect any remaining impurities.

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Meal Plan - Thurs 5th Apr - Wed 11th Apr

Hot Cross Bun Baked Custard

Well, I've been absent for quite some time.  So much going on in my life that blogging definitely took a back seat.  That's not to say that I intend to be an intensive blogger, but I hope to put on here the occasional Thermomix conversion and my meal plans each week.

I have always found that life is simpler, shopping is more cost effective and wastage is much less when we do a meal plan.  I have done them on occasion, but seem to fall off the bandwagon too easily.  It doesn't make sense when there are so many good and practical reasons to do them.

There have been two factors in this resurgence of meal planning at The Opies.  One is that I have signed up to a CSA scheme here in Adelaide.  Jupiter Creek Farm is an exciting endeavour, and I'm pleased to be supporting local, organic and sustainable agriculture.  Each week we receive a box of fruit and veggies that are determined by them - i.e. I don't get a choice.  For some people, this would be a hugely scary prospect.  For me, it's a challenge that I want to take on.  So, each week, when I know what's in the box, I will do a meal plan to make the most of that produce.

The second impetus is Jo from Quirky Cooking's initiative on her blog to post and link up meal plans.  Her weekly post encourages participation and I love to take inspiration from her plans and those who link up.

You'll notice in my plan (which is a direct export from MacGourmet's Meal Planning module) I have a section for food preparation.  This is where I plonk things that need to be done in preparation for an upcoming meal, or it might be for making snacks or the like.

Do you do meal planning?

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Saturday Round Up

Here's what Thermie has been doing for me lately!

Sunday

• Blueberry pancakes (with bacon & maple syrup, mmmm!), creamed corn, Family Chowder

Monday

• Blueberry & apple porridge, Amanda's Choc Fudge Brownies, Chocolate Cake, Lemon Shortbread

Tuesday

• Breakfast smoothie, mashed potato

Wednesday

• Breakfast smoothie, Gozleme (Janelle Bloom), custard

Thursday

• Blueberry & apple porridge, Dijon-style mustard, Tomato Salsa, grated cheese

Friday

• Blueberry & apple porridge, Zucchini Slice (muffins), grated cheese (for nachos), Impossible Lemon Pie (absolutely delicious - highly recommended) 

Saturday

• It was my day off, so Thermie had a day off too!

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Saturday Round Up

Here's what Thermie has been doing for me lately...

Sunday

• Blueberry porridge (yep, still on that one), lemon butter (EDC), Lemon Curd & Blueberry Friands, Coconut Lemon Chicken Soup

Monday

• Blueberry porridge, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Apricot Bites, Icecream Mixture, Chow Mein Mince

Tuesday

• Blueberry porridge, Rough Puff Pastry, Not Samosas

Wednesday

• Blueberry & APPLE porridge (had to change things up a little), focaccia (EDC), pizza dough (used 1/2 to make 2 pizza bases for the freezer and 1/2 to make cheesy breadsticks), savoury toast mixture (used the focaccia as the base), onion & cheese sauce (to go with maple syrup corned beef which I cooked in my slow cooker - haven't tried it in the Thermomix yet)

Thursday

• Blueberry & apple porridge, brownie milk, Pepperonata, braised cabbage, mashed potato, Lemon Curd & Blueberry Friands

Friday

• Blueberry & apple porridge, Chorizo Spinach & Lemon Risotto

Saturday

• Blueberry & apple porridge, orange juice, bechamel sauce, bolognaise sauce (using pepperonata), pasta dough (for lasagne)

I hope your Thermomix has done some nice things for you this week as well.  I'm considering taking up the challenge of macarons next week??!?!?!?!  Help!!!

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 Another facebook fan request (thanks Jeanette :-) )!

This is based on another of Janelle Bloom's recipes, although hers was a baked risotto.  No need to dirty a casserole dish when using one's Thermomix!

Chorizo, Spinach & Lemon Risotto

Source: Janelle Bloom - Fast, Fresh & Fabulous

Ingredients

• 4 chorizo sausage, (probably could get away with 2 or 3)
• 1 red onion, halved
• 400 grams arborio rice, rinsed
• 2-3 teaspoons chicken stock paste
• 1000-1100 grams water
• 1 bunch english spinach, shredded
• 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced or zested
• 50 grams parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place cubes of parmesan into TM bowl and grate on speed 8 for 8 seconds. Set aside. Place onion into TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 5.

2. Use a knife to split the sausage casings and peel each chorizo sausage. Discard casings. Place sausages, quartered, into TM bowl. Set dial to lid closed position and Turbo until chopped to desired texture (2-3 pulses). Insert butterfly and cook at 100ºC for 5 minutes on speed 1. Add the rice and cook for a further 5 minutes at 100ºC on speed 1.

3. Add water and stock paste (or you could use 1100 grams of chicken stock) and cook for 16 minutes at 100ºC on speed 1.

4. Transfer risotto to Thermoserver, add shredded spinach and lemon juice or zest and parmesan. Stir through, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

5. Serve with additional parmesan if desired.

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I am 100% guilty of owning quite a collection of cookbooks, but not making the effort to make something new.  As a reasonably new Thermomix owner, I've been concentrating on making recipes from the forum that are tried and tested, or from the Everyday Cookbook, or making things that we've always made.  I've done plenty of experimenting with the baking side of things (you may have noticed a bit of a theme on my blog) as I can do this during the day without the pressure of having to put up something edible for my three ravenous boys for dinner.

So, in an effort to remedy this, I was thumbing through my copy of Janelle Bloom's Fast, Fresh and Fabulous earlier this week looking for some recipes to try.  I decided this would be a good one to try in the Thermomix, because when required, it can be really delicate and I wanted to see how slow cooked strips of capsicum would hold up.

The answer would be...really, really well.  I was surprised as I did kind of expect capsicum mush at the end of the cooking time, but not to be.  I was also surprised at how well the capsicum was stirred around while cooking when using soft speed.  Often I have found that this is just not enough to get things moving, particularly when the bowl is nearly full.

Anyway, this turned out to be a lovely topping for our scotch fillet steaks tonight for dinner.  Quite tart, so a good match for the rich meat.  I expect that the flavour may indeed develop further as it sits in the fridge over the next couple of weeks.

Pepperonata

Source: Janelle Bloom - Fast, Fresh & Fabulous

Ingredients

20 grams olive oil
1 small brown onion, halved
2 cloves garlic
2 red capsicum, cut into strips
1 yellow capsicum, cut into strips
1 orange capsicum, cut into strips
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon caster sugar
3 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Place onion and garlic in TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds speed 5. Scrape down. Add the oil and cook for 5 minutes at 100ºC speed 1. Add the capsicums and cook for 20 minutes 90ºC speed soft + reverse.

2. Add tomatoes, sugar and season with salt & pepper. Cook (without MC) for 15 minutes at 100ºC on speed 1 (or until sauce has thickened). Add vinegar and cook for 1 minute 100ºC speed 1.   Janelle recommends this as a great sandwich filler with ham, or tossed through hot pasta.  I tend to agree.  I think I'll be having a great dollop of this on a fresh, hot, crusty bread roll with leftover corned beef for lunch tomorrow.  And it may very well turn up in next weeks meal plan as a quick and easy pasta dinner. Happy cappy days :)

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Delicious, crispy (on the day they're baked anyway) and chewy at the same time, teeny tiny cuties.  A good way to use up some homemade condensed milk.

This recipe is modified from a recipe on Bestrecipes.com.au.

Apricot Bites

Ingredients

85 grams dried apricots
45 grams dessicated/shredded coconut
1 tablespoon self-raising flour
1 tablespoon cornflour
150 grams sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Place the apricots in the TM bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 7. Add the remaining ingredients and stir for 20 seconds on speed 1 + reverse (or until thoroughly combined). If the mixture is too stiff and not mixing well, heat on 50ºC while stirring to thin the condensed milk a little.

2. Roll level teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on baking paper lined oven tray about 3 centimetres apart.

3. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Stand on trays for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

VARIATION: Replace half the dried apricots with choc chips.  This recipe could be doubled easily.

TIP: Leave the mixture in the TM bowl as you're shaping your balls.  If you find the mixture getting quite difficult to work with, you can then just heat on 50ºC, speed 1 + reverse for 10-15 seconds to get it more flexible again.

There's no denying that I DID NOT roll my bites into balls here.  I just used two teaspoons and prodded them into some kind of resemblance of a ball.  This mixture is seriously sticky.  So because they had quite a bit of coconut 'hair' sticking out all over the place, they don't look as pretty as they could.  I'm sure if you had wet hands it would be ok to roll them, but I just wasn't up for it, chasing after two little boys!

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Not Chow Mein Mince & Not Samosas

I'm sure this recipe came into being perhaps in the 70's, when here in Australia, folks were beginning to discover 'cuisines' that involved things other than meat and three veg.  It's such a classic from my childhood that I still make it today.  I love it, my oldest son loves it, hubby loves it and it contains a lot of cabbage, which is REALLY good for you.  I have changed the ingredients to remove the old faithful 'packet of chicken noodle soup' (man that stuff was in everything back then!) and when I run out of Keen's Curry Powder, I'll be making my own from whole spices.  And this recipe is a super easy one pot meal to boot!

I don't think my Mum ever ran out of this stuff, it was always in the cupboard!

Chow Mein Mince

Ingredients

500 grams mince
2 teaspoons curry powder (I normally use 1 teaspoon when making for the kids)
2 onions, quartered
1 carrot
1 stick celery
2 teaspoons chicken stock paste
500 grams (2 cups) water
280 grams rice, rinsed
¼ cabbage

Directions

1. If using Thermomix to chop cabbage, place large-ish chunks into TM bowl and chop for 2-3 seconds on speed 4. Remove and set aside.  If not using Thermomix, finely shred the cabbage using a knife.  The shreds of cabbage need to be quite small so that the full amount will fit into the TM bowl.

2. Place onions, carrot and celery into TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds speed 5. Add the oil and mince and cook at 100ºC for 10 minutes on speed 1. Add the stock paste, water, rice, chopped cabbage (and any other chopped veggies) and continue cooking at 100ºC for 20 minutes on speed 1 + reverse (MC off, basket on top to prevent splatters). Use the spatula every 5 minutes or so to give the mixture a good stir to ensure all the rice and cabbage is pushed under the liquid.

3. Check to ensure the rice is cooked, remove to Thermoserver and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. This recipe makes too much for one meal in this family.  In fact, there's enough for lunch the next day plus more.  So, today, I got to thinking about how I could jazz this very basic meal up a little.  Samosas?  Well, kind of... Not Samosas Ingredients 1/2 batch of rough puff pastry (either EDC or this one or the bought stuff) leftover Chow Mein Mince  Directions 1. Roll out the puff pastry to 3mm thick.  Use a knife or pastry cutter to cut out square or circles (or whatever shape excites you). 2.  Place a teaspoon (or so) of the mince mixture in the centre of the pastry, wet one half of the edges with water, fold over the pastry and seal by pressing together with your fingers. 3.  Brush with egg wash and bake in a hot oven until the pastry is cooked, golden and crispy. These are a great finger food idea for your next party.  If you make a batch of the mince mixture specifically for the Not Samosas, I recommend using the full amount of curry powder.  As there is a reasonably small amount of filling, they are very mild with only half the curry powder.      Happy 'Not' Days :D

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Making Sweetened Condensed Milk - UPDATE

Those of you who read my last post on this topic, will know that I make condensed milk primarily for making vanilla icecream for my husband.  I have made this a number of times since that post, and have a few updates for you.

Firstly, I now make a smaller batch.  Only enough for one batch of icecream, which for me these days is around 300 grams (sorry, I haven't ever weighed the end product).  Secondly, I've reduced the amount of sugar down to half the weight of milk.  So, if I use 400 grams of milk, I use 200 grams of sugar.

I'm still using raw sugar and it still has the background taste of the raw sugar when it's done.  I suspect if I were to use white sugar, this after taste wouldn't be present.  However, my husband hasn't complained and I prefer not to have white sugar in the house.  Making the smaller amount also shortens both the cooking time and the cooling time before I can make the icecream.  Additionally, it means the speed doesn't have to be as fast.  I still put it on speed 4 to allow maximum evaporation, but because the bowl isn't as full, it won't boil over at the slower speed.

Here's my current recipe.  Note, that these quantities can be increased proportionally to make whatever amount of condensed milk you need.  Just increase the cooking time by the same ratio.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Ingredients

400 grams milk 
200 grams raw sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Place all ingredients in TM bowl and cook at Varoma temp for 17 minutes at speed 4 with the steamer basket on the lid to prevent splatters.

Happy icecream days :)

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I do love a good friand.  Blueberry is most often my choice if I have one, but friands are few and far between in my life...sadly.  I have never made them before because...well...almond meal is so damn expensive and goes rancid so quickly I just never bothered.  Enter...Thermomix and instant almond meal.

I also have a love affair with lemon.  I love anything with lemon in it.  Lemon chicken, lemon syrup tea cake, lemon and sugar on pancakes, lemon water, lemon iced tea...I could go on, really.  In fact, when I was little, I would eat lemons like oranges.  Not so much anymore.  But if there's a lemon wedge on my plate, and I'm not eating at some fancy hatted restaurant (like that ever happens), I will often pick up that wedge and eat the flesh.  That does sound kinda creepy...

Anyhoo...to the recipe of my day...and gosh this is really good, and quite easy.  The ingredients are based on a combination of a couple of recipes on Taste.com.au and the method is based on Tenina's.

Lemon Curd & Blueberry Friands

Ingredients

75 grams plain flour
185 grams almonds
200 grams sugar
5 egg whites
200 grams unsalted butter, melted
1 lemon, zested
10 teaspoons lemon curd, plus extra to serve
Handful of blueberries
Whipped cream (optional), to serve

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 10-hole friand pan or line with paper cases.  (I used a muffin tin with muffin cases and made 12).

2. Place the sugar, almonds, flour and lemon zest into TM bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 10. Set aside. Place egg whites into TM bowl and mix for 30 seconds on speed 4. Return the almond mixture to the bowl. With dial set to closed lid position, add melted butter through the hole in the lid as you mix all ingredients together for 30 seconds on interval speed. Divide mixture between prepared pans and top each with a teaspoon of lemon curd. Swirl through the batter with a skewer. Scatter with blueberries.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden. Leave in tin for 5 minutes before removing to cool, then dust with extra icing sugar. Serve with extra lemon curd, and whipped cream if desired.   Happy lemony days!

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Saturday Round Up

So, Thermie, what have you done for me lately?

Sunday

• Blueberry porridge, steamed rice, naan bread, Butter Chicken (Indian Cookbook)

Monday

• Blueberry porridge, Isi's Very Normal Bread

Tuesday

• Blueberry porridge, Chocolate Orange Sorbet

Wednesday

• Blueberry porridge, Honey Soy Stir Fry Chicken Winglets, steamed rice & veggies, chicken stock paste

Thursday

• Blueberry porridge, chocolate cake, steamed veggies & gravy (using liquid from slow cooker pot roast)

Friday

• Blueberry porridge (a bit of a theme here...), tortillas

Saturday

• Blueberry porridge, Isi's Very Normal Bread x2, Thermomix 'Fried' Rice

I think there might be a couple of things missing from this week's Round Up, but we won't dwell on the failings of my short term memory here.

I hope you've all had a great week, and stay tuned for a couple of recipe posts coming this week.

Happy sunshiney Autumn days!

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A Round Up of sorts...and a quiche and a salsa

I have been meaning to do a couple of retrospective posts to update you on what Thermie has been up to the past few weeks.  Instead, I'll just do a bit of a summary here and then provide a quiche recipe from earlier this week.

Each week, I have been making a loaf of bread (we try not to eat too much bread here), baby food (although this is getting less and less as Sam is able to eat more and more family food), a couple of batches of fresh orange juice, and porridge most mornings.  I love being able to make great tasting flavoured porridge using normal (and very cheap) rolled oats and then adding some frozen blueberries or an apple or whatever fruit is at hand.  I normally drizzle on some raw honey for a little sweetness.  I've also made focaccia, cheesy breadsticks and Anzac biscuits.

As my Facebook followers would know, I've made a couple of batches of choux pastry for chocolate eclairs.  I've never made choux pastry before and so hadn't been aware of the difficulties faced when making it the conventional way.  I know now!  But Thermie makes it oh so easy, and chocolate eclairs or profiteroles will probably be my go to dessert when something a little special is required.  In fact, I'm inspired to attempt a croquembouche one day!

I've made mini lemon tarts, a pineapple and coconut cake, and some stewed fruit.

Main meals have included pumpkin soup, Sausage & Celery Casserole (I may post the recipe here soon as it's a really simple and delicious meal with an ordinary sounding name!), Spiced Chicken & Sweet Potato with rice, Moussaka, Savoury Toast, Chicken Stroganoff (EDC), Mushroom & Bacon creamy pasta sauce, KFC Chicken, coleslaw, potato salad (mayonnaise & steamed potatoes), and Spinach, Bacon & Parmesan Quiche.  Recipe (as requested by lovely Facebook follower, Julianne) is below.

Spinach, Bacon & Parmesan Quiche

Source: Based on a recipe found on Taste.com.au.

Ingredients

1 qty sour cream pastry
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, halved
100 grams rindless bacon, in short, thin strips
125 grams spinach (if frozen, then thawed and drained)
4 eggs
185 grams cream (or milk)
125 grams milk
50 grams cheddar cheese, grated
50 grams parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1. Make the pastry as per directions and blind bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top starts to brown. Grate the cheeses (separately) and set aside.

2. Place onion (and bacon if preferred, I prefer to chop by hand) in TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 5. Add oil and spinach and cook for 5 minutes at 100ºC, speed 1. Remove from bowl and drain if necessary. Add eggs, milk & cream to TM bowl and mix for 8 seconds on speed 4.

3. When pastry has been blind baked, place the grated cheddar cheese in a layer over the bottom of the quiche, then spread over the bacon & spinach mixture. Pour in the egg mixture and use a fork to swirl through the spinach, lifting it up into the egg mixture. Sprinkle over the parmesan cheese and some smoked paprika if desired.

4. Place the quiche back into the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until just set.

Last night we had nachos using organic corn chips, tomato salsa, grated cheese and sour cream.  This is such a quick and easy meal, but normally full of additives and other nasties.  I chose a brand of plain corn chips to reduce the nasties that are generally in the flavoured versions and I made my own salsa rather than buying a jar.  This was so easy to make - never will The Opies buy another jar of salsa!  I used this recipe but made some modifications (next time I might add a red and/or green capsicum as well).

Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

750 grams raw tomatoes
1 medium red onion
20 grams red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon homemade sweet chilli sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder

Directions

1. Chop the onion for 5 seconds on speed five, then add the tomatoes and process for an additional 5 seconds on speed 5.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 30 mins, Varoma temp , reverse + speed 1. Leave the MC off but place the steaming basket on top to prevent splatter.    Hopefully next week I will get back on my horse and continue with "proper" weekly round ups.  Until then folks...happy days!!

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Lemon-Lime Yoghurt Poppyseed Cake

I've had a request from Sarah, a lovely follower on my Facebook page, for a recipe I made this morning for a Lemon-Lime Yoghurt Poppyseed Cake.  She was fortunate enough to have been given a whole pile of lemons and limes and was looking around for recipes.  This recipe will only use up one lemon and one lime, so for those of us not so fortunate, it is still extremely accessible.

I based the recipe on this one.

Lemon-lime Yoghurt Poppy Seed Cake 

Ingredients
210 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
200 grams raw sugar
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 lime, juiced (if desired) and zested
120 grams thick plain yoghurt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100 grams grapeseed oil
 
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160ºC. Grease and line a loaf pan.
2. Place sugar, lemon juice (and/or lime juice) and zests in TM bowl and grind on speed 10 for 5 seconds. Scrape down sides and repeat.
3. Add the yogurt, eggs, vanilla and oil and mix for 10 seconds on speed 6. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds to the TM bowl and mix using interval speed for 10 seconds.
4. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

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Saturday Round Up

Here's this week's Round Up.  Have a happy and safe Easter everyone :)

Sunday

• Porridge with stewed apple & pear (all cooked together), lamb, lentil & veggie baby food, apple & pear baby food, BBQ Sauce (MOTM), Moroccan Lamb

Monday

• Porridge with stewed apple & cinnamon, Isi's Very Normal Bread, Lavosh Crackers, pizza dough (EDC), Anzac Biscuits (EDC), Luigi's 40 Second Cookies (EDC), Rocket & Cashew Pesto Dip, Quick Spanish Beef, Asian Varoma Demo (Lychee Sorbet, Soft Chinese Rolls, Ginger & Garlic Rice, steamed broccoli, stir fried sugar snap peas, steamed pork, walnut cream)

Tuesday

• Porridge with stewed apple & cinnamon, Thai Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup, Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Wednesday

• Breakfast smoothie, Peppercorn Sauce (MOTM), Cheese Sauce (EDC)

Thursday

• Breakfast smoothie, grated cheese (for pizza)

Friday

• Breakfast smoothie, Choc Chip Biscuits (EDC), Anzac biscuits (EDC), Hot Cross Buns (EDC), Quince Paste 

Hot Cross Buns - glazed straight out of the oven

Thermomix Quince Paste - ready for the fridge!

Saturday

• Thermie is having the day off today!

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Saturday Round Up

Oh dear, late again this week.  My sincere apologies to those of you whose lives just aren't quite complete until you know how I used my Thermie for the past week...hmmm, I crack myself up.  Anywho...

Here's this week's Round Up:

Sunday

• Breakfast smoothie, zucchini, sundried tomato, asparagus & chicken cream sauce for pasta

Monday

• Breakfast smoothie, Beef Stroganoff (EDC), steamed rice

Tuesday

• Breakfast smoothie, vegetable baby food, Danube (filled bread), Lemon Risotto (with spinach & basil butter)

Wednesday

• Porridge, 2L yoghurt

Thursday

• Breakfast smoothie, apple & oat baby food, Easy Oat Cookies, mini crustless quiches, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla icecream mixture, chocolate custard

Friday

• Breakfast smoothie, (ate leftovers for lunch and went out for dinner)

Saturday

• Porridge with stewed apple (cooked together), (leftovers for the rest of the day)

Happy Thermomixing ya'll
xxx

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What does one make when one wants to bake Anzac Biscuits, but one doesn't have golden syrup on hand???  OR, when one just wants to bake some super easy, super tasty, super quick, buttery, oaty, biscuity goodness with ingredients almost guaranteed to be in your pantry???

Easy Oat Cookies

Ingredients

    •    200 grams butter
    •    320 grams plain flour
    •    250 grams raw sugar
    •    100 grams rolled oats
    •    1 teaspoon bicarb soda
    •    1 large egg

Directions

1. Chop the butter into pieces and place in the TM bowl. Melt for 4 minutes at 50ºC on speed 1.
2. Add the flour, sugar, oats, bicarb & egg and mix for 30 seconds on interval speed (using the spatula to help incorporate the ingredients).
3. Roll into balls about the size of a walnut, flatten slightly, and bake in a preheated oven set for 180ºC for 15 minutes.
4. Leave on oven tray until firm enough to move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes 
Makes about 30 biscuits.
If the balls are not flattened, the biscuits retain quite a rounded shape and are more 'cakey' in texture. If a crisper biscuit is desired, flatten the balls quite a lot.
These would be delicious with added sultanas or choc chips.

  
Happy cookie days!

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After my success with the Mediterranean Pull Apart, I was confident to make this recipe posted on the Cindystar blog.  It looks so impressive, and I think it would make a stunning starter to a dinner party, or, if one used mini easter eggs inside, a perfect Good Friday breakfast!

I used the following fillings in one or more of the little rolls:

• Red Onion Relish
• Sundried tomatoes
• Sundried tomatoes & grated parmesan
• Vintage cheddar cheese & quince paste
• Almond, cashew & peanut butter
• Fig & orange jam
• Lindt Intense Orange Chocolate

Other filling suggestions:

• Ham & cheese
• Mini easter eggs
• Shredded roast meat & gravy
• Finely diced vegetables & mince (a la pasty filling)
• Savoury mince
• Spinach & ricotta
• Salami, sundried tomato & cheese
• Finely diced/shredded apple, roasted & chopped hazelnuts with cinnamon
• Lemon curd
• Chocolate hazelnut spread

 

Danube (Filled Bread)

Ingredients

    •    550 grams bread flour
    •    250 grams milk
    •    50 grams extra virgin olive oil
    •    30 grams honey
    •    10 grams of salt
    •    2 teaspoons dry yeast
    •    1 egg
    •    1 egg lightly beaten, for brushing

Directions

1. Place the milk in the TM bowl and warm for 2 minutes at 37ºC on speed 1.  Add the oil, sugar, yeast and whole egg and mix for 10 seconds on speed 6. Add the flour and salt, mix for 2 minutes speed 7, then knead for 1 minute.
2. Let dough rise in a lightly oiled and covered bowl until it has doubled in size.
3. Divide the dough into pieces, flatten each leaving the centre thicker than the edges, fill with the filling and form a ball (slightly larger than a golf ball).  Place the balls in a pan covered with parchment paper (in a flower shape, or other shapes as your imagination allows) brush with beaten egg and allow to stand for half an hour in a warm, still place (cover if necessary).
4. Brush again with egg and bake at 180ºC for about 30 minutes, making sure to cover it with aluminium foil if it is browning too quickly after just 15-20 minutes.

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