Saturday 30 August 2014

Plum Compote

About 8 serves


I often make a fruit compote from one fruit or another to keep in the fridge for the week ahead. They are really versatile. I usually serve it, as pictured, to sweeten some natural yoghurt for breakfast or a snack with some seeds or a little toasted muesli for texture and crunch. It's also great served with rice pudding for dessert or with pancakes or french toast.  





What's in it


700-800g canned plums in natural juice, drained with 2tbs juice reserved
1tbs brown sugar
Juice of half a lemon

How do I make it?


Place all ingredients including reserved juice in mixing bowl and cook, with MC lid removed and steamer basket on top, for 10min / 100°C / reverse / speed 1. 

There is 1 ProPoint for the entire recipe, so count zero ProPoints for a serve. 



Wednesday 27 August 2014

Chicken Parmagiana

Serves 4

An old favourite and my favourite meal at the pub.  A classic chicken parmagiana, less the calories! The tomato sauce and crumbed, uncooked chicken can be prepared in advance to save time, but serve the chicken straight from the oven to avoid the tomato sauce making the breadcrumb crust soggy.  



What's in it?


1 clove garlic, peeled
1 red onion, halved
1tbs olive oil
1tbs tomato paste
400g canned diced tomatoes
1tsp sugar
1/2tsp dried mixed herbs
4 x 150g chicken breasts, beaten to approximately 2cm thick
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 batch Parmesan and Herb Breadcrumbs (click here for recipe)
60g reduced-fat grated cheese

How do I make it?


1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C and spray large baking dish with olive oil. Grate cheese for 10sec / speed 7 and set aside. 

2. To make sauce, place garlic and onion in mixing bowl and chop 3sec / speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl.  Add olive oil and saute 2min / varoma / speed 1. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, sugar and herbs and cook 10min / 100°C / speed 1, with MC removed and steamer baskedt on mixing bowl lid.

3. While sauce is cooking, dip chicken in egg and then coat in breadcrumbs. Place on prepared baking tray and cook in oven for 20 minutes. 

4.  Top chicken with about 3tbs of sauce and 1/4 of grated cheese, then cook in oven for a further 5 minutes. Serve with roasted potatoes and a green salad.

8 ProPoints per serve.

Monday 25 August 2014

Apple, Raspberry and Almond Crumble

Serves 4

Sweet, tart, nutty and crunchy.  Nothing hits the spot like this old fashioned dessert. The combination of apples and raspberries is devine and the crumble comprised most of almonds has a beautiful nutty flavour. Best of all, it's a desert low in both fat and sugar. I serve mine with a dollop of greek vanilla yoghurt.




What's in it?


5 green apples, peeled and cut roughly into 8 pieces
150g fresh or frozen raspberries
2tbs brown sugar
1/4tsp ground cinnamon
2tbs water

CRUMBLE
40g almond meal (see Note)
4 dried dates, pitted
1/4tsp cinnamon
1/8tsp nutmeg
1tbs coconut oil
40g rolled oats
30g flaked almonds

How do I make it?


1. Preheat fan forced oven to 180°C or otherwise 200°C.

2. Place apples in mixing bowl and chop 3sec / speed 3. 

3. Add sugar, cinnamon and water and cook 8min / 80°C / reverse / speed soft to 1.

4. Add raspberries and mix 5sec / reverse / speed 2. Divide apples and raspberries between 4 individual ramekins. Clean and dry mixing bowl.

5. To make crumble, place almond meal, dates, cinnamon and nutmeg in mixing bowl and pulse on Turbo until combined.  Add coconut oil and process for 5sec / speed 8, until there are no lumps. Add rolled oats and flaked almonds and mix 7sec / reverse / speed soft to 1.

6. Spread crumble topping evenly on top of apples and raspberries.  Cook in oven for 20 minutes, or until crumble is lightly golden.  Serve on its own or with a small scoop of icecream or dollop of low-fat vanilla yoghurt. 

5 ProPoints per serve (not including icecream or yoghurt).

Notes:


Almond meal is easy to make in the Thermomix.  Just place desired quantity of almonds in mixing bowl and mill 10sec / speed 9.

Sunday 24 August 2014

Thai Beef Salad

Serves 4


My oh my, this is a kicker of a salad. When it's all pulled together and you take a bite, your taste buds are assaulted with sweet, sour, salty, spicy...all at once. It's also super quick, so don't be afraid to tackle this one midweek. My recommendation - cook the steak on the BBQ. To save time, I get my husband to do this while I prepare the other components and then just toss everything together at the end.


What's in it?


800g rump steak, all visible fat trimmed and seasoned with sea salt and black pepper
1tbs olive oil
100g baby spinach leaves
1 red capsicum, seeded and finely sliced
1 yellow capsicum, seeded and finely sliced
200g bean sprouts
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1/2 cup coriander leaves
2tbs chopped mint
60g crunchy fried rice noodles (optional)

DRESSING
30g lime juice
20g fish sauce
20g soy sauce
1 clove garlic
1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
1cm piece of ginger
1tsp brown sugar
1/2tsp sesame oil

How do I make it?


1. Preheat hot BBQ or frypan. 

2. Place all dressing ingredients in mixing bowl and blend 6csec / speed 7.  Set aside, making sure you scrape out any chilli/ginger/garlic stuck to the sides of the bowl and lid. 

3. Brush meat with oil and cook for 3-4 minutes each side for medium rare, or until cooked to your preference.  Once cooked, place steaks aside for 5 minutes to rest, then slice into thin strips. 

4. Place beef and all remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Pour dressing over beef and salad, then toss gently.  erve immediately. 

10 ProPoints per serve (including crunchy noodles) or 8 ProPoints per serve (without crunchy noodles).

Notes:


If you intend keeping some of the salad to eat as leftovers the following day, I recommend not tossing the leftover portion or portions with the dressing but that you instead pack a little dressing to be tossed with the leftover salad the following day. This will ensure that your salad remains fresh and does not become soggy overnight in the fridge. 

Friday 22 August 2014

Chewy Raw Brownie Slice

Makes 10


This chewy brownie no-bake slice is so rich and indulgent, you won't believe how easy it is to make. The slice is bulked out with fresh dates which are naturally sweet and give the slice its chewy texture. If you love chocolate, this is definitely a recipe for you for morning tea, afternoon tea, an after dinner treat - anytime really!



What's in it?


100g dark eating chocolate (70% cocoa), roughly broken up
200g fresh pitted dates
140g milk chocolate digestive biscuits 
10 macadamia nuts, salted or unsalted

How do I make them?


1.  Spray a small loan tin with olive oil spray and line with baking paper.  Set aside.

2. Place chocolate in mixing bowl and grate 5sec / speed 8, then melt 2min / 50°C / speed 1.  Set aside melted chocolate in medium sized mixing bowl.

3. Place macadamias and digestive biscuits in mixing bowl (no need to clean it first) and chop 2sec / speed 5.  Add to melted chocolate. 

4. Place dates in mixing bowl and process 15sec / speed 8,  or until smooth. 

5. Add dates to chocolate mixture and mix, with your hands, until combined. 

6.  Spoon mixture into prepared tin, pressing firmly and smoothing surface. 

7. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight, until set. Cut into 10 pieces.

4 ProPoints per serve.

Monday 18 August 2014

Cauliflower Gratin

Serves 6


Creamy and comforting, this old favourite is a lovely accompaniment to a winter meal. Growing up, my mum's roast meats were always served with cheesy cauliflower on the side. Cauliflower is a great low-carb alternative to starchy potatoes and is high in dietary fibre, folate and vitamin C.  Served this way, my kids devour it within a minute or two of their plates hitting the dinner table.  So simple, yet it's one of my all time favourite dishes.




What's in it?


40g low-fat cheese, cubed
1L water
1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets
20g butter, cubed
30g plain flour
310g skim milk
salt and pepper, to season
1 batch of parmesan and herb breadcrumbs (Click here for recipe)

How do I make it?


1. Preheat oven to 180°C

2. Place cheese in mixing bowl and grate 10sec / speed 7. Set aside.

3. Without cleaning bowl, place water in mixing bowl and bring to the boil, approximately 10min / varoma / speed 3, or until varoma temperature is reached. 

4. Place cauliflower in lower varoma tray.  Place varoma tray on mixing bowl lid and steam 8min / varoma / speed 3.

5. Place steamed cauliflower into a casserole dish or medium size ceramic baking dish. Dry mixing bowl.

6. To make cheese sauce, add all remaining ingredients (except reserved cheese) to mixing bowl and cook 7min / 90°C / speed 4. When finished, add reserved cheese and mix 20sec / speed 3. 

7. Pour cheese sauce over cauliflower and top with 1 batch of parmesan and herb breadcrumbs. Bake in oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.  Serve immediately.

4 ProPoints per serve.

Friday 15 August 2014

Duo of Banana 'Ice Cream' (Dark Chocolate and Caramel Cinnamon)

Serves 3 to 4


One simple ingredient can be whipped into a rich and silky ice-cream, and the result is amazing, creamy like dairy ice-cream but without the calories, sugar and fat.  That ingredient is, as one could tell from the title, bananas.

Banana 'ice cream' can of course be eaten plain, and is great on top of french toast with maple syrup for breakfast, but the flavour combinations and uses are truly endless and only limited by your imagination.  A few other flavours that I like to make are Strawberries and Cream and Coconut Rough.  Or freeze any flavour into popsicle moulds for a day-time treat for the kids.

In this combo, the dark chocolate ice-cream is made with no added sugar and has a slight bitterness to it, just like the taste of a quality dark chocolate.  It contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the caramel cinnamon ice-cream which has been made even creamier with condensed milk.  Serve together topped with a couple of chopped macadamia nuts and you will never feel guilty about eating ice-cream ever again!





What's in it?


Dark Chocolate Ice-cream


1 1/2 medium ripe bananas, sliced and frozen
3tbs unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2tbs light thickened cream


Caramel Cinnamon Ice-cream


1 1/2 medium ripe bananas, sliced and frozen 
2tbs skim sweetened condensed milk
1/4tsp cinnamon


How do I make it?


1. Place bananas into bowl and blitz until they have a soft serve consistency, approximately 20 sec increasing speed slowly from 1 to 10. It may be necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl and blitz again for a few seconds to achieve the required consistency.

2. Add other ingredients and blend, approximately 10 sec / speed 4.

3. Pour into container and freeze until firm (approximately 3 to 4 hours).

2 ProPoints for a 1/4 serve.


Notes:


If not intending to use the same day, or you have leftovers, this 'ice-cream' will freeze quite hard overnight so will need to be taken out and allowed to rest at room temperature for a little while before becoming soft enough again to scoop.

Bacon and Pea Risotto

Serves 4

Seeing risotto made at the first Thermomix demo that I went to was the main reason I said yes when the the consultant asked who was interested in buying one that day. I immediately imagined how much easier it could make my life, particularly with cooking those quick mid-week meals to feed my hungry husband and kids after a long day at work. And after having my Thermomix for over a year now, I certainly don't miss standing at the stove gradually adding stock and lovingly stirring a risotto. My risottos get all the love they need from my Thermomix!

There are so many great risotto combinations. Providing you always have some aborio rice, some parmesan and a vegetable or chicken stock paste in the freezer, this is one meal you can easily create anytime you don't have a meal planned by adding whatever added extras you have in the fridge or freezer. This bacon and pea risotto is just one example. It can be on the table within 30 minutes. You can't beat that for a healthy midweek meal that is sure to please. 



What's in it?


25g parmesan cheese
1 brown onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
160g short cut bacon, fat trimmed, thinly sliced
20g butter
200g aborio rice
2tbs dry white wine
1 1/2 tbs chicken stock paste (see Note) and 750mL water or 750mL preservative free liquid chicken stock
120g frozen peas


How do I make it?


1. Place parmesan in mixing bowl and grate 10sec / speed 9.  Set aside. 

2. Place onion, garlic and parsley in mixing bowl and chop 3sec / speed 7.  Scrape down sides of bowl.

3. Add bacon and butter to mixing bowl and saute 3min / varoma / reverse / speed 1.

4. Insert butterfly.  Add rice and wine and saute 2min / 100°C / reverse / speed 1.

5. Add stock and water and cook 20min / 100°C / reverse / speed 1.

6. Add peas and cook a further 3min / 100°C / reverse / speed 1.

7. Pour into thermoserver or other bowl, mix through reserved grated parmesan and season generously with black pepper.  Serve immediately.

9 ProPoints per serve.

Notes:


I use Quirky Cooking's chicken stock paste, which can be found at http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/creamy-chicken-brown-rice-soup.html. It is so quick to make, stores in the freezer well for a number of months and can be scooped out as needed, so there is no reason not to always have some of this on hand for when it is required. 

Tuesday 12 August 2014

Chocolate Coconut Custard

Serves 4


I love the flavour that coconut brings to food, so the recent popularity of coconut derived products like coconut oil and coconut sugar and coconut milks and creams being increasingly used in sweet dishes is really working for me.  Coconut is a perfect partner to chocolate and this yummy custard can be whipped up in no time when your sweet tooth comes calling.  It reminds me of Tenina Holder's famous Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie, which is my go to decadent desert when I really want to spoil family and friends (and myself).  But this low fat and relatively low sugar desert can be had any day of the week!







What's in it?

250mL skim milk
250mL light coconut milk
60g coconut sugar
20g cornflour
2 eggs
2tbs good quality unsweetened cocoa
1tsp vanilla bean paste
Shredded coconut, for garnish

How do I make it?


Place all ingredients in mixing bow and cook 7mins / 90°C / speed 4. Serve hot or cold, garrnished with a little shredded coconut if desired.

5 ProPoints per serve.

Creamy Parsnip Soup

Serves 6

Parsnips may look like a mutated white carrot, but this root vegetable has a nutty sweet flavour, is fabulous roasted and gives mashed potato an earthy flavour when added.  Here I have used them to make a velvety smooth and satisfying soup, perfect for a cool evening. Delicious! Serve well seasoned with some crusty sourdough bread.


What's in it?


1 onion, peeled and halved
20g butter
500g parsnip, peeled and roughly sliced
500g potatoes, peeled and quartered
2tbs vegetable stock paste (see Note)
1L water
6 sage leaves
1/4 cup light thickened cream
Chives, for garnish


How do I make it?


1. Place onion into mixing bowl and chop 3sec / speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl. 

2. Add butter and saute 4mins / varoma / speed 1.


3. Add parsnip, potatoes, stock paste, water and sage and cook 25mins / 100°C / speed 1. 


4. Blend 30sec / speed 8, gradually increasing from speed 1 to speed 8 or until a smooth consistency is achieved. 


5. Add cream, season to taste, and blend 30sec / speed 4 to 5. 


6. Serve soup hot, garnished with chives and extra black pepper.


4 Propoints per serve. 

Notes:


I use the vegetable stock paste from Thermomix's Everday Cookbook.

Saturday 9 August 2014

Slow Cooked Eggs with Crispy Prosciutto and Asparagus

Serves 2


These do take an hour to cook, so why bother I hear you ask?  Because the result is the most perfect poached egg you will ever eat.  Intrigued?  You just need to try it.  The texture is dreamy - soft and silky white and a velvety creamy yolk.  

Served with some crispy salty prosciutto and some greens on the side,  these slow cooked eggs are a lovely indulgent way to start a Sunday morning. 



What's in it?


4 XL eggs (approximately 59g each)
100g packet of proscuitto, fat trimmed
Bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed
2 x 40g slices sourdough bread

How do I make it?


1. Fill TM bowl with approximately 2L of water.  Carefully place eggs in TM basket and place in bowl.  Cook for approximately 6 to 8 mins / 60°C / speed 3 until water temperature reaches 60°C.  Reduce the speed to 2 or between 2 to 3 if eggs are spinning around in the basket.

2. Reset TM and cook 60 mins / 60°C / speed 2 to 3.

3.  Meanwhile, place trimmed prosciutto on a baking tray lined with baking paper and asparagus in Varoma tray.

4. When eggs are finished cooking, remove basket from TM bowl with spatula and set aside while you complete steps 5 and 6. 

5. Place prosciutto under a hot grill until starting to crisp, approximately 4 to 5 mins. 

6. Remove all but approximately half a litre of water from TM bowl and re-set for 3 to 4 mins / varoma / speed 3 until water temperature has reached Varoma.  At that stage, place Varoma tray, covered, on bowl lid to steam asaragus for 2 mins / varoma / speed 3.

7. When all steps are complete, carefully crack eggs onto a plate.  The eggs should simply slide intact out of their shells like a perfect poached egg.  It is normal for there to be a little bit of watery egg white come out too, which can be discarded when serving.

8. Using a spoon, place eggs one by one on top of toasted sourdough topped with prosciutto and serve with asapargus on the side and some freshly cracked black pepper. 


9 ProPoints per serve.

Notes: 


This method for cooking slow cooked eggs is drawn from the recipe for "Sous Vide Eggs (The Ultimate Egg)" on the Recipe Community website, at http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/recipes/sous-vide-eggs-ultimate-egg/60825.  There are some great troubleshooting tips in this recipe for anyone who is not getting a perfect result with the 60 mins at 60°C method.  Keep in mind that if your eggs are smaller or larger than 59g, the required cook time may vary. 

Friday 8 August 2014

Mango and Banana Smoothie

Serves 2


Blend, rinse, repeat.  For everyone out there that thinks a Thermomix is nothing more than a glorified blender, it does so much more and then some.  But it is a damn good blender too! This delicious fruit smoothie is a great way to start your day, or an energising afternoon snack. Because it can be done so quickly, I often whip this up when I need to race out the door, pour into a travel mug and take it with me. 




What's in it?


1 ripe medium banana
Flesh of 1/2 mango, fresh or equivalent defrosted from frozen
280g skim milk
1tsp honey
1/2tsp vanilla bean paste
handful of ice cubes

How do I make it?


Place all ingredients in TM bowl and blend 30-60sec/speed 8.

2 ProPoints per serve. 

Oat and Raisin Cookies

Makes 12


This is an easy, fun and delicious cookie recipe.  Who doesn't love home made cookies?  They're so much tastier than shop brought ones!  Make these to share for afternoon tea or the kids will love them as a treat in their school lunch boxes.  




What's in it?


85g unsalted butter
50g soft brown sugar
1tbs golden syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/4tsp bicarbonate soda
70g plain flour
75g rolled oats
50g raisins or sultanas
50g sunflower seeds

How do I make it?


1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. Melt butter, sugar, golden syrup and vanilla bean paste 2mins/60°C/speed 2.

3. Add bicarbonate soda and mix 5sec/speed 3.

4. Add all remaining ingredients and mix 10sec/reverse/speed 4. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix a further 10sec/reverse/speed 4. 

5. Roll small spoonfuls of mixture, place onto baking trays lined with baking paper and flatten slightly with a fork, leaving space between each one for spreading during baking. 

6. Bake approximately 15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly on trays until they have become more firm, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container. 

4 ProPoints per cookie.

Tuesday 5 August 2014

Quick raw muesli with oats and apricots

Serves 2


This is a healthy twist on the popular CADA (coconut, apple, date and almond fresh muesli) recipe from Thermomix's Everyday Cookbook.  To reduce the fat content, I have substituted part of the coconut and almonds for oats.  I have also used apricots instead of dates because that's what I had on hand, but you could use any dried fruit in this recipe. 



What's in it?


10g dessicated coconut
20g almonds (or other nuts of choice)
40g soft and juicy dried apricots (or dates or other dried fruit of choice)
1 apple, cored and quartered
50g rolled oats

How do I make it?


Place all ingredients into TM bowl and press Turbo briefly 2-3 times.  Serve on its own or with a dollop of yoghurt and your choice of sliced fruit.

6 ProPoints per serve (not including yoghurt)

Monday 4 August 2014

Beef and Vegetable Rendang Style Curry

Serves 4 to 6

A lot of Thermomix owners say that you can't cook a curry or stew in the Thermomix as well as the old fashioned way.  They need to give this one a go.  In this flavoursome Indonesian style curry, the beef is tender and the smell emanating from the kitchen will make your mouth water.  The greatest thing about making curries in the Thermomix is the ease with which you can make a quick and fresh paste from natural ingredients, so throw away your mortar and pestle and those commercial paste jars.

I love the flavour of curries but can't handle much heat, so the paste in this recipe is intentionally mild.  If you like your curries a bit (or a lot) spicier, just add another chilli or two when making the paste.


What's in it?


1 red onion, halved
1 large red chilli, roughly chopped
1 lemongrass stick, roughly chopped
3cm piece of ginger, peeled
3cm piece of galangal, peeled
1tbs ground cumin
2tsp ground coriander
2tsp ground tumeric
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1tbs coconut or olive oil
2tbs coconut milk powder
700g rump steak, visible fat trimmed and cut into 3-4cm pieces
1tbs vegetable stock paste (see Notes)
500g water
2tsp coconut sugar or grated palm sugar
500g butternut pumpkin, cut into 3-4cm pieces
200g green beans, cut in half
Coriander and a little extra finely sliced chilli (optional), for garnish

How do I make it?


1. Place onion, chilli, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, cumin, coriander, tumeric and garlic into TM bowl and chop 3sec/speed 7.  Scrape down side of bowl and repeat at speed 7, scraping down side of bowl until a paste has formed. 

2. Add oil and cook 4mins/varoma/speed 2.

3. Add beef and cook 10mins/varoma/reverse/speed 1.

4. Add coconut milk powder, stock, water and coconut sugar and cook 70mins/80°C/reverse/speed soft with MC removed and TM basket on mixing bowl lid.  As the maximum cook time allowed is 60mins, you will need to reset the machine for an additional 10mins.

5. Add pumpkin and cook a further 10mins/100°C/reverse/speed soft, with MC removed and TM basket on top.  Finally, add the beans and cook a further 4mins/100°C/reverse/speed soft. 

6. Pour curry into thermoserver to keep warm while rice is cooking. 

7. To cook the rice, place water into TM bowl and rice into TM basket and cook 15mins/varoma/speed 2.  Remove TM basket with spatula and fluff rice with a fork to serve. 

8. Garnish curry with coriander and some sliced chilli and serve with cooked basmati rice.

9 Propoints for 1/4 share or 6 Propoints for 1/6 share.  Add 3 ProPoints for 1/2 cup cooked rice per serve. 

Notes:

Suitable to freeze.  

For a spicier curry, add another chilli to the paste at step 1.

The vegetable stock paste used in this recipe can be found in Thermomix's Everyday Cookbook.

Banana and Vanilla Bean Porridge

Serves 4 


This is a regular morning feature in our house.  It needs no attention once set to cook, so I usually throw the ingredients in the thermo and then go have a shower or get the kids ready for school.  By the time I'm finished, breakfast is ready.  Did I mention how much I love my thermomix? The ripe bananas infuse the porridge with a natural sweetness, so no extra sugar is needed (although of course can be added for those with a sweet tooth) and the vanilla bean adds not only a lovely flavour but also smells divine.  Top with some beautiful fresh berries, and it's the ultimate midweek winter breakfast. 


 


What's in it?


160g rolled oats 
550g skim milk
400g water
1 tbs vanilla bean paste or seeds from one scraped vanilla bean 
2 ripe medium bananas, sliced
1tbs flaked almonds
Fresh berries

How do I make it?


1. Place all ingredients in TM bowl and cook 11 mins / 90°C / reverse / speed 2.

2. Go have a shower, dress the kids, put on a load of washing. 

3. Serve immediately topped with any of fresh strawberries, blueberries or raspberries and some flaked almonds. 

6 ProPoints per serve.

Notes:


For a single portion, use only 40g rolled oats, 150g skim milk and 100g water and cook 7 mins/90°C/reverse/speed 2.

If you like it a little sweeter, sprinkle each serve with 2tsp brown sugar or drizzle on 2tsp maple syrup for one more ProPoint.