Crustless Macadamia Nut Pie

This pie recipe has got to be the easiest I've ever made!! There's no crust (so it's gluten free, and even grain free), and the actual making of it takes a couple of minutes at the most! (Plus cooking time, of course.) The original recipe was for a pecan pie, with lots of corn syrup and sugar, which I changed to agave syrup and Rapadura, using a bit less, and adding some sea salt to cut the sweetness a little.

This recipe makes two pies if you use regular pie plates - I made one pecan and one macadamia. (Sorry, don't have a photo of the pecan pie, it got eaten too quickly!) You can make it dairy free by using coconut oil instead of butter - a hint of coconut flavour goes well with macadamias.

1. Cover the bases of two lined pie plates with a single layer of nuts:
- 3 cups of macadamia nuts or pecan nuts (sorry, forgot to weigh them)

2. Place in Thermomix bowl and grind on speed 9 for 15 seconds:
- 150g Rapadura

3. Place remaining ingredients in Thermomix bowl and mix on speed 6 for 20 seconds:
- 350g agave syrup or rice malt syrup
- 6 eggs
- 2 Tbspns butter (or coconut oil)
- 2 tspns vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

4. Pour the syrup mixture over the nuts, dividing between two pans. Bake at 170 degrees C (325 degrees F) for 25 - 30 minutes, or until browned and firm to touch. Cool before slicing - store in fridge.

Viola! Easiest pie ever! Yummy served with cashew cream, or if you can have a bit of dairy, a blob of unsweetened whipped cream.

Cooking for New Year's Day

If you're up for some cooking for New Year's Day, here's a great recipe to try - Breudher (Dutch New Year's Cake)!

I made some today, and it's so delicious I'll probably have to make it again before New Year's Day! The recipe makes 3 loaves/cakes, so I've put one in the freezer, so hopefully it will last there for two more days, and I'll warm it up in the oven for New Year's Day breakfast. I've added some photos to the original post, so I thought I'd let you all know so you can have a look. (Btw, it does have butter in it, a fair bit, but I decided to make it anyway - I really don't think you could substitute anything else that would taste as good!)

Happy Cooking!

Breudher

Menu Plan Monday - 28th December

Hi all - just a quick menu plan this week - I'm a bit late! But I know what happens when I don't plan my menu - we end up with late meals and an unbalanced diet! If you'd like some menu planning help, advice, ideas... go to Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

Have a great week! :)

[TMX = prepared and/or cooked in my Thermomix]

Monday:

(lunch) Tuna pasta (TMX)

(dinner) Baked chicken, basil & tomatoes on brown rice (TMX)

Tuesday:

(lunch) Spelt tortillas (TMX) with tuna & salad

(dinner) Lentil bolognese (TMX) with spelt spaghetti

Wednesday:

(lunch) Spelt bread rolls (TMX) with salad (& probably tuna, again!)

(dinner) T-bone steak, baked potatoes & salad

Thursday:

(lunch) Vege pasta with gf pasta noodles (TMX)

(dinner) Leek quiche with oat almond crust (TMX) & salad

Baking Breudher for New Year's! Yum!

Friday (New Year's Day):

(breakfast) Breudher!

(lunch) Baked potatoes with toppings (including mushroom sauce - TMX)

(New Year's Dinner!) Homemade lasagne (dairy free) with homemade spelt lasagne noodles (sauces & pasta made in TMX), spelt garlic bread (TMX), greek salad, chocolate sorbet

Saturday:

(lunch) leftovers (I hope!)

(dinner) Tuna mornay (df TMX) on brown rice (TMX)

Sunday:

(lunch) Roast chicken & veges

(dinner) Spelt rolls and leftovers

Holiday Cooking

I hope you're all enjoying the Christmas break - isn't it nice to have some time off! I didn't get around to taking photos of everything I made at Christmas, but here's a few photos from our holiday cooking... using my Thermomix, of course! If you want the recipe for any of these, let me know. They are all dairy-free and naturally sweetened.

Happy holidays!

Raw Dairy-Free Berry Cheesecake

Chicken & Potato Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

(from the Thermomix Festive Cookbook - the dressing is amazing!

Kiwi Fruit, Lime and Mint Sorbet
(So refreshing!)

Sabayon with Poached Meringue and Pistachios
(Very rich - take my advice and don't eat it late at night - you won't be able to sleep!)



Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Cranberry & Pistachio Stuffing

(Steamed in Varoma with sauce cooking in bowl, sliced potato steaming in small basket in bowl, and broccoli on top - delicious!)


Mini Steamed Puddings
(Steamed in Varoma - a bit rich for me!)

Crustless Macadamia Pie
(Delicious and very quick! Also made a Pecan version, which we liked best - no photo, must have eaten it too quickly!)

Holiday Jelly Salad

(A family favourite - homemade jelly made with cranberries, green apple, orange segments & juice, pineapple pieces & juice, pecans/walnuts, celery, honey & gelatin.)

Christmas Wreath Bread

(Homemade spelt & seed bread braided into a wreath shape - made these for gifts.)

Leftover Roast Meat Pie

Hi everyone - I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was pretty quiet and relaxed - which was nice for a change, I guess. Boxing day was even more relaxed - plenty of leftovers to eat, nothing much to do except take the kids for a swim at the lake and sit around reading books and having naps... ah, dolce far niente!* 

This pie is a great way to use up leftover roast, gravy and vegies. This one was made with roast beef and veges, but you can use lamb, chicken, turkey - even ham with a white sauce instead of gravy. When I cook a roast I always use the pan juices to make lots of gravy, so I have plenty for pies the next day.

I've used lard in my pastry to keep it dairy free (I'd rather lard than any man-made 'plastic' butter substitutes!), but you can use butter if you'd rather, or a mixture of butter and lard. The lard makes the pastry very stretchy and easy to work with - you can pick up the rolled out dough and it won't break! It's very easy to make in the Thermomix, but if you don't feel like bothering with pastry, (or you are gluten free), you can make mashed potatoes or rice and serve the filling over that.

This recipe makes two pies in standard sized pie dishes - you can halve it if you only have a little bit of leftover roast and vegies.

[Note: if you're unsure about lard, check out this website to find out why it's better than margarine.]

First, make the pastry:

1. Grind on speed 9 for 1 minute:
- 200g spelt grain

2. Add and mix on speed 6 for about 10 secs:
- 300g unbleached plain spelt flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 200g chilled lard (and/or butter), chopped in pieces
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

3. Add and knead on interval speed for 10-20 seconds until dough is formed:
- 100g chilled water (unless using all lard, then it's not necessary to chill the water)
- a good squeeze fresh lemon juice
(may need more water or flour, until dough is right consistency for rolling out)

4. If using butter, wrap in plastic bag and place in fridge to chill while you cook the filling. If using lard, no need to chill the dough, unless you won't be using it straight away - it will be easier to work with at room temperature.

The Filling:

5. Clean out bowl and chop garlic on speed 7 for 3 seconds:
- 1 clove garlic

6. Add and chop on speed 5 for 3 seconds:
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 carrot, quartered
- 1 stick of celery, quartered
(can add more vegies if you don't have many leftovers)

7. Add oil and cook for 3 minutes, 100 degrees, speed 1:
- 30g olive oil

8. Add, and chop on speed 3 for 10 seconds:
- 150g whole mushrooms, raw (opt.)

9. Cook for 2 minutes, 100 degrees, speed 1.
Add about 1 kg leftover roast meat (cubed) and leftover cooked vegies (roughly chopped) and any leftover gravy. (I sometimes add a bit of leftover mashed potato or rice too.)


10. Top bowl up with water, to the 2 litre mark. Add:
- 2 Tblspns cornflour/rice flour/spelt flour
- 1 Tblspn vege stock concentrate or stock powder (or to taste)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Cook for 10 minutes, 100 degrees, reverse speed 1.
(Add more cornflour if needed to thicken.)

11. While cooking, divide dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured bread mat, making a large circle about 5 mm thick. Pick up with the rolling pin (see picture) and drape over pie dish. Repeat with other half of dough. Press into dish, then when filling is cooked, place half the filling inside each crust and flop the sides over the filling to make a free form pie. (Alternatively, you can divide dough into four pieces and roll them out to make a base and top for each pie.)


12. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes in moderate oven (180 C) or until pastry is lightly browned. Set aside to cool for a few minutes before slicing. Pies may be frozen once cooled, and reheated in the oven.

* P.S. 'Dolce far niente' means 'sweet doing nothing' in Italian - it's the name of a painting I love!

Menu Plan Monday - Christmas 2009

Well the big day is nearly here! It's been flat out around here, but I finally have a week at home to get some cooking done... Hopefully I'll get a bit done every day, so there won't be heaps to do on Christmas day, and I can relax and enjoy it. I love to bake for gifts for friends and neighbours, so that's what I'll be doing a lot of this week.

On Christmas day we open our presents and Christmas stockings in the morning early (earlier this year, as Daddy has to work), then sit around building legos, doing puzzles, playing games, etc, have a lazy lunch, then in the late afternoon the family gets together for a big Christmas dinner - more presents, lots of noise and fun, usually some water fights, lots of photos, all helping to get dinner ready, lots of talking and laughing and reminiscing... my favourite part of Christmas! This year will be a bit smaller though, as my big sister and her family have moved away (I miss you, Joye!!), and my little sister and her family will be away on a family holiday, and my little brother and his wife have a new bub so will be staying in Brisbane for Christmas. Never mind, I'm sure my kids will be able to make enough noise for everyone! :D

I'm going to help the kids do a Nativity play for the family this year. I want them to remember what's really important in life - not getting presents, and tinsel and glitter and parties - that's nice, but it doesn't last. The most important thing is the love God has for us - so much that He sent His Son as the perfect gift, so that we could know Him personally...

A little child,

a shining star,

a stable rude,

the door ajar.

Yet in that place

so crude, forlorn,

the Hope of all

the world was born.

- Anon -

... And also the love we should have for each other - not just at this time of year, but all year long! True happiness comes not in getting, but in giving!

The means to gain happiness

is to throw out from oneself,

like a spider,

in all directions,

an adhesive web of love,

and to catch in it

all that comes.

- Leo Tolstoy -

May your Christmas be full of peace, joy and love!

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[TMX = prepared and/or cooked in my Thermomix]

Monday:

(lunch) Sandwiches & chocolate frappes

(TMX - made on rice-almond milk)

(dinner) Beef & vege pie

(made with leftover roast beef & veges, with spelt df crust - TMX)

Christmas cooking:

Jelly salad (TMX); mini steamed Christmas puddings (TMX)

Tuesday:

(lunch) Tuna & potato salad with sun-dried tomato dressing (TMX), jelly salad

(Mama Bel & kids over for lunch!)

(dinner) Baked chicken with spanish rice & salad

Christmas cooking:

Almond star cookies (TMX - with all the kids), pretzels (TMX)

Wednesday:

(lunch) Pasta salad (TMX)

(dinner) Beef ribs (crockpot) with salad & veges

Christmas cooking:

Crustless pecan pie (TMX); Fruity apple-mince tarts (TMX)

Thursday:

(lunch) Raw pasta sauce on brown rice pasta

(dinner) Pizza with raw topping - advocado & salad

Christmas cooking:

Christmas wreath bread (TMX); hazelnut kisses if I have time! (TMX); Sausage & egg bake (TMX) - in fridge for Christmas morning

Friday - CHRISTMAS!!

We'll be up early (to open presents before Daddy leaves for work!), so we'll need a substantial breakfast...
(breakfast) Sausage & egg bake

(lunch) a light lunch - leftovers & salad

Christmas cooking - making our Christmas wreath bread (TMX)

(dinner) Christmas dinner with Grandma & Grandpa! Here's the menu:

Berry & Lime sorbets

Grandma's delicious Roast Turkey

with cranberry sauce & gravy

Grandma's jelly salad

Roast veges

Christmas wreath bread (TMX)

Crustless pecan pie

Dairy-free berry cheesecake (from freezer)

Any other sweets that may be leftover from this week's baking & Christmas stockings & gifts!

Cafe lattes to finish off!

(TMX - I make mine with cashew milk - nice and creamy!)

Saturday:

(lunch) leftovers & beetroot salad

(dinner) Tuna la king on brown rice

Sunday:

(lunch) Fried rice with leftover brown rice & veges

(dinner) Spelt bread rolls & salad

Double Chocolate-Ginger Cookies

For those of you who like chocolate and ginger together, here's a double whammy of both! These are great with a glass of cold almond milk... and if there's any left, you could always wrap some up in cellophane with a pretty ribbon, and give them to your neighbours for Christmas :)

(They'll love you forever!)

If you use Rapadura in these, they need either an egg, or an extra 20g of rice-malt syrup. If you use rice-malt syrup, the egg can be omitted. I like it best with the Rapadura and egg.

1. First, take about this much fresh ginger (1 1/2 to 2 inches, depending how strong you want it) ...

... peel it, chuck it in the Thermomix, and grind it up for about 10 seconds on speed 9.

2. Add dates and grind for 15 seconds, speed 9:
- 70g dates

3. Add wet ingredients and mix for 30 seconds, speed 5:
- 70g molasses
- 70g Rapadura OR rice malt syrup
- 1 egg (optional if using rice malt syrup)
- 75g coconut oil
- 40g olive oil (or other oil, such as macadamia oil)

4. Add dry ingredients and mix for another 30 seconds, speed 5, using spatula to help mix:
- 230g unbleached plain spelt flour (or part wholemeal spelt flour)
- 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 20g cocoa (preferably good quality, fair trade)
- 1 tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)

5. Add choc chips and barely mix in, 10 seconds, reverse, speed 3:
- 100g Rapadura sweetened chocolate chips (or chocolate chopped in small chunks)



6. Drop heaped teaspoonfuls onto lined trays and bake in moderate oven (180 degrees) for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on trays, store in airtight container (in the freezer if you want them to last!) :)

Merry Christmas! A bit of fun...

I know this has nothing to do with cooking, but we thought it was so funny, and the kids wanted me to put it on my blog . . . so here it is! Enjoy! (And Merry Christmas!)

P.S. In our house, the 'shopping, shopping, shopping...' bit should be replaced with 'cooking, cooking, cooking...' So much to cook, so little time! :)

Raw Dairy Free Cheesecake

I've always found it very difficult to resist cheesecake, especially a good, homemade one, covered in cherries or berries (and chocolate)! And in our family, cheesecake is always popular at Christmas... thank goodness for a dairy free cheesecake - I can still avoid dairy, and not feel deprived :) Whip this one up in about fifteen minutes, pop it in the freezer, and you've got a fancy dessert ready for Christmas day! This recipe makes two cheesecakes in regular sized pie pans. (I made one for my dh's birthday the other day, and the other's in the freezer ready for Christmas.)

Note: If you want a quicker version of the crust because you don't have any Sprouted Buckwheat Granola already made up, just grind up 400g raw almonds and 400g raw dates until they are all mushed together, and press into pie plate - instant crust!

This recipe is based on one in Serene Allison's "Rejuvenate Your Life" cookbook (changed to suit my taste) - hope you like it! 

(I use my Thermomix for this recipe - if you don't have a Thermomix you can use a good quality food processor, but it may take a little longer to grind and mix.)

Granola Crumb Crust:

1. Place dates in Thermomix bowl and grind on speed 9 until mushy, about 20 seconds:
- 400g pitted dates

2. Add, and crush using bursts of turbo speed until desired consistency (about 6 bursts):
- 280g Raw Sprouted Buckwheat Granola
- 170g raw almonds
- 30g extra virgin coconut oil (or other mild-tasting, extra virgin oil)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt

3. Line two pie pans with baking paper, divide crumb mixture into pans and press firmly onto bottom and sides with greased hands. (See photo)




Berry Cheesecake Filling:

1. Place all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and mix on speed 9 for about 2 minutes, using spatula to help move mixture around, until it's smooth and creamy:
- 130g freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 250g raw pine nuts
- 250g raw almonds
- 130g raw sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 300g frozen or fresh mixed berries (or strawberries/pitted cherries, etc)
- 170g agave syrup or pure maple syrup (or to taste)
- 2 tsp psylliam powder (opt.)

2. Divide filling between two crusts, and place in freezer while you make the topping.

Berry Crumble Topping

1. Make a batch of Berry Nougat and sprinkle it over the cheesecakes. Drizzle with chocolate if you like - you can make your own raw chocolate with this recipe if you use agave syrup for the sweetener - I use! Rapadura, so it's 'almost raw'! :)

2. Cover cheesecakes and freeze. Thaw for about 20 minutes before slicing.

DELICIOUS!!

Menu Plan Monday - 30th November

Phew! It's so hot here! Everyone seems to be having hot weather - we need some cool meals! We've been having lots of sorbet lately, and lots of salads... although we do still have some hot meals, as I think everyone would whinge too much if I only stuck to salads and raw pasta and stuff! (Actually, we're very blessed to be living here - it's only gotten up to about 30 degrees C, compared to 45 degrees in some places!!)

I didn't get a menu plan done last week - way too much going on. I know, I know - that's when you really need a menu plan, otherwise it gets way too chaotic at mealtimes... I was up at 5.30 one morning making Mexican Quinoa in the Thermomix for my dh to take to work, as there were no leftovers, no bread, no tortillas... nothing! Oh well, at least I could turn it on and go back to bed until it beeped to let me know it was done! This week is going to be just as busy, so I'm really trying to plan my meals! Here goes...

(Go have a look at Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com for some great menu planning ideas... and visit the Thermomix forum too!)

TMX = prepared and/or made in my Thermomix.

Monday:
(lunch - friends over) Rice pasta (TMX) with tuna, homemade mayo (TMX) & raw veges (mixed up individually into our own pasta salads!)
(dinner) Chicken & vege stir fry with rice (TMX)

Tuesday - a big cooking day!:
(lunch) Raw pasta sauce (TMX) on raw zucchini 'fettucine' (plus making a Christmas recipe to try it out - rolled chicken breast stuffed with cranberry & pistachio stuffing, steamed in Thermomix... will use for next day's dinner)
(dinner - DH's B'day BBQ at friend's!) Taking meat for barby, plus cream cheese & herb dip (TMX), potato & sundried tomato salad (TMX), steamed broccoli & lemon salad with fetta (TMX), spelt herb & garlic pull-apart bread (TMX), and, of course, the Thermomix - to make sorbet & lattes/frappes! And I'm making a cheesecake (TMX) for my dh, as he wants one for his birthday cake... so I'll also make a dairy free raw 'cheesecake' too, for those of us who can't have any dairy :(

Wednesday:
(lunch) Leftovers & sandwiches with homemade spelt bread
(dinner) Cranberry-pistachio stuffed chicken roll (TMX - made yesterday), served cold with salad

Thursday:
(lunch) Pizza - spelt base (TMX) with raw avocado & salad topping
(3pm) Homeschoolers' Art & Cooking Class break-up party - helping kids make salads & sausages, and taking leftovers home for dinner if any... if not...
(dinner) Tuna fishcakes with carrot & grape salad & oven-baked potato wedges

Friday:
(lunch) Baked potatoes & sweet potatoes (crockpot) with toppings & salad
(dinner) Lentil bolognaise (TMX) on spelt pasta with salad

Saturday:
(lunch) Tortillas (homemade, spelt, TMX) with refried beans & salad
(dinner) Fried marinara mix & salad

Sunday:
(lunch) Leftovers
(dinner) Spelt rolls with tuna, salad & homemade mayo

Menu Plan Monday - 16th November

My mind is blank... what to eat this week??? Hmm, better go get some inspiration from the Thermomix forum! Always plenty of good ideas there...

I also need to start thinking about Christmas cooking, and play with some ideas for the Thermomix Christmas Cooking Class. (For those of you who live on the Atherton Tablelands, I hope you can come to our cooking class - it will be on Monday the 7th December, 6.30-9.00 pm, at the Atherton Golf Club. $15 per person, which includes lots of yummy Christmas food, a cookbook-let of the recipes we make, and lots of prizes and give-aways. Please let me know if you can come!)

I did try a Varoma recipe that would be nice for Christmas - the turkey leg wrapped in bacon, with potatoes - it was delicious, but took a little longer than the recipe said. (Definately worth it though!)

Turkey legs in the Varoma basket - those are big legs!!

Yummy, juicy turkey meat!

The potatoes were cooked in the basket at the same time as the turkey was cooking on top. Peas can be added to the Varoma basket towards the end of the cooking time.

If you'd like some help with planning your menu, visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

(TMX) = Prepared and/or cooked in my Thermomix

Monday (clean out the fridge day):

(lunch) Turkey gumbo (from leftover turkey) & beetroot salad (TMX)

(dinner) Chicken-fried steak and Gemuse Eintopf (TMX)

Tuesday (poultry):

(lunch) Thai chilli chicken (TMX) with rice & stir-fry veges (TMX)

(dinner) Leftovers & spelt bread rolls (TMX) & salad

Wednesday (vegetarian):

(lunch) Tuna salad sandwiches on spelt bread (TMX)

(dinner) Lentil bolognaise (TMX) & salad

Thursday (meat):

(lunch) Sausage Strata (TMX) & salad

(dinner) Leftovers from lunch - going out

Friday (fish):

(lunch) Raw pasta sauce (TMX) on spelt noodles

(dinner) Grilled fish with almonds, mashed potatoes (TMX) & salad

Saturday (vege):

(lunch) Baked potatoes & raw vege sticks

(dinner) Mexican quinoa (TMX version) & salad

Sunday (meat):

(lunch) Nachos with red beans (TMX)

(dinner) Steak & baked veges & salad

[Note: salads generally depend on what's in the fridge and garden!]

Almond Butter Choc Chip Cookies

Everybody loves chocolate chip cookies! But how to make them healthy? I was so excited when I found Rapadura sweetened dark chocolate chips in a local co-op store! This is a recipe I developed that I make now and then for a treat - they're wheat free, dairy free and naturally sweetened, and really yummy - just ask the kids :)

The almond butter adds some protein and calcium, which is a plus. I make the almond butter first, in my Thermomix, then add the other ingredients. You could use any nuts, or pre-made nut butter - macadamia, cashew, peanut - (preferably not the horrible 'hydrogenated' bought peanut butter though), and you could also add some chopped pecans or walnuts if you like - yum! (Note: if you use other nuts, you may need less oil to make the butter - macadamia nuts may not need any oil at all.)

This recipe makes a lot, so you could half it, or just roll some of it up in plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer until you 'need' some cookies. You just have to thaw the dough out for 10 minutes or so, then you can slice it into rounds, place on a baking tray and pop them in the oven. It's great to have some in the freezer when visitors drop by!

(Preheat oven to 175 degrees celcius)

1. First, make your nut butter (or you can use a bought one)...
Grind on speed 9 for 30 seconds, then scrape down sides with spatula:
- 250g almonds

2. Add and mix on speed 9 for 20 seconds:
- 50g macadamia or light olive oil
Scrape down sides of bowl again.

3. Add and mix on speed 6 for 30 seconds:
- 150g Rapadura 
- 180g raw honey (1/2 cup)
- 3 medium eggs
- 230g macadamia, coconut or light olive oil (1 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

4. Add and mix on speed 6 for 10 seconds (using spatula to help mix):
- 500g plain spelt flour (can be a mixture of wholemeal and white, and may need more or less than 500g - you should be able to roll the dough into balls)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp baking soda

5. Turn dough out into a large bowl, add a little more flour if needed. (I do this in a bowl as the Thermomix is a bit too full at this stage, and the heavy dough slows down the blades.) Add choc chips and mix in with spoon:
- 1 cup mini dark choc chips, Rapadura sweetened (or malt sweetened) *


6. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto greased or papered baking trays and bake in oven at 175 degrees celcius for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. (Or you can roll dough into balls and flatten with a fork.)

7. Cool on the trays for crispier cookies, or remove to a rack while warm for softer cookies. Or just eat them all while they're warm, and lick the chocolate off your fingers! :D

(If you do cook the whole batch at once, store them in the freezer so they don't go stale.)

* Note about Rapadura sweetened choc chips - I bought these at a co-op store in Cairns (Qld) - they are made by Rapunzel and can be bought online. Another naturally sweetened, allergy free brand is 'Enjoy Life Foods' - these ones are great as they don't contain soy, but are pretty expensive.  I know in the USA you can also get malt sweetened choc chips, but I haven't been able to find them here.

Banana Raspberry Smoothie

Smoothies are perfect for an energy boost at morning tea time - my blood sugar levels always seem to be dropping at this time of day, and a good smoothie really helps. Here's one that we love to make... it's delicious!

I start off most of my smoothies by grinding up raw almonds, pepitas, linseeds and dates - that makes the sweet milk they are based on. You can really add any frozen fruit, plus water, and some additional sweetener if needed. I usually add frozen banana to make it thick and creamy - (just peel them and freeze them whole in a plastic bag, and break them off as you need them). I also like to add tahini to make it creamier, and to add a calcium boost. (Of course, if you have a powerful machine like the Thermomix, you can grind up your own sesame seeds at the start if you'd rather, instead of adding tahini.)

(Note: If you have time, soak the almonds and seeds for a few hours or overnight, then drain off the water, add all other ingredients and mix on speed 9 for 1 minute.)
1. Grind up for about 20 seconds on speed 9, or until finely ground:
- 2 handfuls of raw almonds
- 1 handful of raw pepitas
- 2 tsp linseeds (flaxseeds)

2. Add and grind for another 10-20 seconds on speed 9, until fine:
- 1 big handful of pitted dates

3. Add and mix on speed 9 for 1 minute:
- 3-4 frozen bananas, chopped in 1 inch chunks
- 2 big handfuls frozen raspberries
- 2 Tblspns tahini
- 1 Tblspn agave syrup (or pure maple syrup) (optional)
- 1 litre water (more or less depending how thick you want it)

Enjoy!

Raw Sprouted Buckwheat Granola

This is a great recipe which I like to make for breakfasts and snacks. The buckwheat is sprouted, then mixed with the other ingredients and dried in a dehydrator to make a crunchy granola-style cereal. Very good for you - it contains no gluten, bad fat, over-processed grains or refined sugars like you usually find in breakfast cereals! You can add more or less sweeteners as desired. The original recipe is from Serene Allison's 'Rejuvenate Your Life' raw food 'cookbook' - the Apple-Almond version is my own 'tweaked' version. I use my Thermomix to grind up the seeds, chop the nuts and dried fruit, and grate the apples.

First, sprout your buckwheat. You'll need:

- 1 very large colander or 2 medium size (stainless steel is best)
- 1 large pot for soaking

- buckwheat kernels (about 4 - 6 cups or so - make lots and dry them to use in granola and treat balls)

1. Put your buckwheat kernels in large pot and soak overnight with plenty of water to cover - they'll expand quite a bit, maybe over twice their size, so don't fill pot more than half full of buckwheat!

2. In the morning, pour your grains into your colander to about half full. (You may need to use more than one colander.) The buckwheat will produce a natural mucilage (like linseeds), so rinse this off really well, then place the colander on a plate or in a large bowl to catch the drips. Cover colander with a tea towel.

3. Rinse sprouts really well, for a minute at night and a minute in the morning, for one or two days, depending on the weather. If you live in a hot climate, be careful not to leave them too long and rinse them well, or they'll go brown and 'sour'. They usually only take about a day for me. If you need to save water, fill your sink with fresh water and dunk the colanders, running your fingers through the sprouts to rinse. They should look like this:

Buckwheat Granola/Muesli:

1. Mix together really well in a huge mixing bowl (or a wok):

- Approx. 14-16 cups sprouted buckwheat

- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 3/4 cup raw honey

- freshly ground linseeds (a cup or so)

- freshly ground sesame seeds (2 cups or so)

- add lots of raisins, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped almonds, chopped walnuts, shredded coconut, chopped dried fruit (unsulphered apricots, dates, figs, etc) - whatever you like

- a good sprinkle of cinnamon or a splash of vanilla extract or flavour to taste

2. Spread on greased mesh dehydrator sheets, and dehydrate overnight or longer, until crispy. (The smell will make you hungry - smells divine!)

[If you don't have a dehydrator, you can dry this on baking sheets in a very low oven - if you prop the door open a little this will lower the temperature. I'm not sure how long it would take in the oven, so keep an eye on it.]

Enjoy with milk of your choice, or some yoghurt if you can have it, and fresh fruit - yum!

My Apple-Almond Variation:

(Photo at top)

1. Grind up a good couple of handfuls of pitted dates in Thermomix (speed 9 until desired texture)

2. Add to Thermomix 4 - 6 peeled, cored apples and grate on speed 5, 5 seconds.

3. Add to above recipe, leaving out pumpkin seeds, and adding lots of chopped almonds (or pecans or walnuts). I also use apple juice concentrate and agave nectar to sweeten it instead of honey, and add lots of cinnamon and nutmeg.

I don't really measure amounts, just keep adding, mixing and tasting til it's how I like it :)

Menu Plan Monday - 9th November

How did your menu plan go last week? Mine was a bit mixed up - we made almost everything on the plan, just not always on the 'right' days! Our favourite meal of the week was the Fish in Tomato Sauce with Potato, from the Varoma cookbook, "Full Steam Ahead" (Thermomix) - it was sooo yummy! (The original recipe uses salt cod, but I used Spanish Mackeral.) It consisted of a tomato sauce simmered in the bowl, the fish fillets placed in two layers in the Varoma and cooked for 6 minutes at the end of the sauce's cooking time (cooked with the steam of the simmering sauce), then potatoes and capsicum in thin slices cooked in olive oil and water in the bowl, then an eggless mayonnaise made in the bowl... and you put it altogether in a casserole dish: sauce, then potatoes & capsicum, then fish, then mayonnaise drizzled over; then baked for five mins in a hot oven - YUM! (Sorry, forgot to take a photo - I was too hungry!) I was so pleased the mayonnaise worked, as I'd tried a recipe for eggless mayo before that hadn't worked, and I'd thought it was because I used rice-almond milk instead of cow's milk. This recipe actually cooks the mayo, and it worked fine with rice-almond milk. I'll post the recipe for those of you who'd like it.

Lamb & Lima Bean Stew

And the second favourite (for me anyway!) was the Lamb & Lima Bean Stew - a very simple crockpot meal that I made up on the spur of the moment that worked really well!! (Must post that one too!)

I also managed to get my raw buckwheat granola made - finally! Yum - great for breakfast or snacks. Only problem is the dehydrators kind of get in the way in my new kitchen - there's not a whole lot of counter space left!

But at least it doesn't take me long to clean up in here! Doesn't really matter if my kitchen's small - I have a Thermomix!! I don't NEED twenty appliances cluttering up my cupboards and countertops! :)

So here's my plan for this week... if you'd like some ideas for planning your week's menus, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com! Or have a look at all the recipes on the Thermomix forum and blogs. (I've got a recipe in the Monthly Mouthful competition on the Thermomix blog - come have a look and vote!) Have a great week! (Note: we have our main meal at lunch time when my dh is shift working, if you're wondering why things look back to front!)

Monday: (lunch) Chicken pasta (for the family - thrown into the Thermomix as I ran out the door for a meeting!); (dinner) Fast Chicken Curry (TMX)

Tuesday: (lunch) Stuffed tomatoes (steamed in TMX) & pumpkin soup & spelt bread rolls; (dinner) Fish fillets, steamed in TMX with veges & a tomato sauce.

Wednesday: (lunch) Turkey with bacon and potatoes (from Varoma cookbook) with veges steamed in steamer basket; (dinner) leftovers & spelt bread rolls.

Thursday: (lunch) Turkey mince sausages (homemade, TMX) in spelt tortillas (TMX) with salad; (dinner) Russian potato salad (TMX).

Friday: (lunch) Lamb chops, baked potatoes & sweet potatoes, salad (TMX); (dinner) Tuna pasta (TMX).

Saturday: (lunch) Stir fry veges (TMX) & rice; (dinner) Salmon fish cakes & mashed potatoes & salad.

Sunday: (lunch) Crockpot turkey mini drumsticks with this seasoning, & salad; (dinner) Spelt garlic-herb pull apart bread, and leftover salad.

Cyndi O'Meara Teleseminar

This is a gentle reminder for those who are interested in joining in on Cyndi's next teleclass - it's well worth listening in, and you can even ask questions and she'll answer them for you! The feedback from these classes has been fantastic - don't miss out on this FREE hour of gaining insight into the confusing world of nutrition!

Event: Cyndi's Teleseminar no. 7
When: Wednesday 11th November, 6.00am Eastern USA, 8.00pm Qld Australia, 9.00pm Australia Eastern Daylight Savings Time, 6.00pm Western Australia.
Format: Simulcast - attend either by phone or internet.
TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

Free Teleseminars with Cyndi O'meara

Apple-Oat Fritters

I made these fritters for breakfast this morning (seeing there was no bread left and I hadn't gotten around to making any buckwheat granola...) - they were very yummy and filling! And the recipe made heaps, so there's plenty for snacking on later. (So if there's only one or two of you, I suggest halving it!) For best results, (and to make the grains easier to digest), start the night before and use the 'pre-soaked version'.

I just used a basic pancake recipe and added grated apple, oats, cinnamon and apple juice concentrate. If you're gluten free you can use gluten free flour and quinoa flakes intead of the oats. Add more or less milk, depending on whether you prefer them thicker or thinner.


Pre-soaked version:
Mix the flour, oats, rice/almond milk and vinegar in the Thermomix and leave to soak overnight. The next morning, add the apples and walnuts and chop speed 5 for 3 seconds, then add remaining ingredients and mix on reverse speed 2 until well mixed.

 
1. Grate in Thermomix, speed 5 for 3 seconds (or by hand):
- 4 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
- a handful of raw pecans/walnuts (optional)

2. Add rest of ingredients and mix on reverse speed 2 until well mixed (may need to use spatula to help it along):
- 250g spelt flour (mixture of plain & wholemeal; or gluten free flour)
- 100g rolled oats (or quinoa flake for gf)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 350g rice/almond milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tblspns extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tblspns raw honey
- 2 Tblspns apple juice concentrate (optional - sweeten to taste)

2. Melt a tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil in frying pan and cook fritters over low heat, turning over when starting to bubble. I add a little ghee/oil between each batch, as it makes the outside crispy - yum!



3. Serve plain, or drizzled with a little apple juice concentrate or pure maple syrup.

Menu Plan Monday - 2nd November

We had a nice little holiday and came back refreshed, and I managed to get lots done yesterday, so I can actually see the floor now! Here's a photo of our new house from the front...

... when I get the kitchen cleaned up, I'll post a photo of it - lol! (No dishwasher now, so it's a constant job to keep it tidy... thank goodness we've got four little 'dishwashers' to help!)

I'm a bit late getting organized for this week... The fridge and cupboard are very empty - need to go shopping. (And need to get the garden going!) We'll have to buy lots of apples - I bought one of those apple slinky machines (that peel, core and slice your apples into a slinky) and the kids are eating heaps of apples now! Lots of fun.

Today I'm working on ordering my bulk order for grain, seeds, flour, oil, etc, for the next six months, so I'd better start cleaning out the freezer again. That means I need to use up some quinoa, barley, almonds, oats, lima beans, buckwheat, millet, rye, maize, and lots of little bits and pieces. So it's time to get a bit more creative - I've been slack the last few weeks and just stuck to basic recipes because I was too busy. One recipe I'll be making is Sue Gregg's 'Eight Grain Muffins' - a blender-batter recipe made in the Thermomix using eight whole grains. I'll be using my Thermomix and crockpot a lot as usual, as well as my dehydrator to make some raw muesli (made from sprouted buckwheat).

I'll try and get some of these recipes posted this week - maybe I'll get some spare time somewhere...

For help with menu planning, or recipe ideas, go to Menu Plan Monday at "I'm an Organizing Junkie". And if you want Thermomix recipes and ideas, check out the Thermomix forum and the Thermomix recipe blog. Have a great week!

Monday:

(lunch) Spelt bread rolls (TMX), bean pasta (TMX) with spelt noodles

(dinner) Sweet n sour beans (leftover from crockpot) & beef mince on rice with veges

Tuesday:

(lunch) Mashed potato (TMX), vege sticks & leftovers

(dinner) Sweet n sour chicken (with cucumber & pineapple) on brown rice (TMX)

Wednesday:

(lunch) Lima bean stew (crockpot) with cornbread (TMX - made blender-batter style with whole maize grain) & raw vege sticks

(dinner) Moroccan lamb with quinoa (TMX - from Varoma cookbook, my version of 'Moroccan Couscous with Saffron')

Thursday:

(lunch) Leftovers with toasted cornbread & salad

(dinner) Fish in tomato sauce with potatoes (all in TMX - from Varoma cookbook's 'Salt Cod in Tomato Sauce' recipe)

Friday:

(lunch) Tuna fishcakes with salad

(dinner) Vegetable soup (crockpot) with Eight-Grain Muffins (TMX).

Saturday:
(lunch) Rye bread with leftover vege soup

(dinner) Crockpot Swiss steak (dairy free) with mashed potatoes (TMX) & steamed veges (TMX)

Sunday:

(lunch) Leftovers & salad

(dinner) Julie's Herb & Garlic bread (TMX - I'll use ghee instead of butter & spelt instead of wheat flour)

Baking: Apple pie with barley-oat crust & dairy-free custard; eight-grain muffins; spelt & rye breads; cornbread; apple-oat slice; macadamia choc-chip cookies (with Rapadura-sweetened choc chips!).

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

I REALLY love chocolate! (Have you noticed?) I love chocolate drinks, and chocolate cakes, and chocolate cookies, and chocolate-banana-macadamia ice-cream, and chocolate sauce... I even love chocolate chicken!! (My dh and I went to a Mexican restaurant last night, and of course I had to order Mole Poblana - chocolate chilli chicken - yum!)

I've been meaning to post my recipe for hazelnut chocolate spread for a while... It's much healthier than Nutella, and to make it dairy free you can use dairy free chocolate and coconut oil - works beautifully! You could even use this amazing coconut butter (made in minutes in the Thermomix from dried coconut) instead of the coconut oil, although it doesn't turn out quite as smooth, and has a slight coconutty flavour. Otherwise, use ghee (recipe below) or just good old butter (if you can have it).

Hide this delicious spread in the back of the fridge, and then when you feel the need for some chocolate, you can spread it thickly on a hot bread roll, or some toast, or onto strawberries, and sneak off to your room to eat it! Just don't tell the kids and hubby it's there, or it won't last long! ;) 


Note: First you should toast your hazelnuts in the oven and rub off the skins with a tea towel. If you don't have time or can't be bothered, you can use the raw hazelnuts, the flavour will just be a bit less nutty.

1. Grind in Thermomix on speed 9 for 10 seconds:

- 90g Rapadura

2. Add and grind on speed 9 for 10 seconds:

- 60g hazelnuts (toasted or raw)

3. Then add and grind again for 10 seconds:
- 50g good quality, dairy free dark chocolate (70-85% cocoa organic chocolate, or my recipe), broken into pieces

4. Add remaining ingredients and heat for 6 minutes, 60 degrees, speed 3:

- 20g cacao powder (or good quality cocoa)

- 100g rice/almond milk

- 70g coconut oil, coconut butter, ghee (recipe below) or butter

5. Place in a sterilized jar and keep in fridge for up to 21 days (not that it will last that long!!!)

To make your own ghee, just cook butter for 7-10 mins at 60 degrees, speed 1; cool, scrape off milk solids and discard, and carefully scoop ghee into another container, discarding any milk solids at the bottom of the container.

Menu Plan Monday - 26th October

Well, I 've started this week off with lots of cooking... today I've made homemade muesli bars, honey roasted nuts, spelt bread rolls and spelt bread, dairy-free choc-hazelnut spread, bean pasta, meatballs, creamy asparagus soup, a few batches of butter and some ghee! Phew! My dh and ds have gone camping (hence the need to make some homemade muesli bars and roasted nuts for them to take), and I need to get lots of cooking done early in the week, as we're going away for a couple of nights later in the week - just me and my dh, alone!!! Yeehah! Off to a posh motel in Cairns to have a break, and belatedly celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary while the kids enjoy some time with G'ma and G'pa. So there'll be a gap in the menu where I won't be cooking dinner - just eating out at some great restaurants, I hope!

I didn't completely stick to last week's menu - still a bit crazy here with unpacking, and visitors dropping by to see the new house. On Saturday night we had an impromptu 'dinner party' with friends - I had no meat, it was 5pm, and our friends are coeliac so we had to have something suitable for them... We ended up making two batches of tuna mornay, one with gf pasta and dairy white sauce, and one with spelt pasta and df white sauce! (Thank goodness for the Thermomix!) The veges were stir fried and served on the side, (along with baked veges), as someone doesn't like his veges mixed in with his tuna mornay (not mentioning any names, Chris)! Anyway, it may not have been a fancy meal, but as the saying goes, "It's not what's on the table that counts, but who's on the chairs!"

Hope you have a great week - check out Menu Plan Monday for some more menu planning ideas!

[TMX = prepared and/or cooked in the Thermomix]

Monday:
(lunch) Leftover chicken curry (TMX) and rice
(dinner) Creamy asparagus soup (dairy free - TMX) and Pasta e Fagioli (TMX) with meatballs

Tuesday:
(lunch) Sandwiches & leftovers
(dinner) Baked potatoes & salad

Wednesday:
(lunch) Crockpot BBQ beef ribs, baked potatoes, salad (for family, while I do a demo)
(dinner) Tuna pasta (TMX) & salad

Thursday & Friday:
Away!

Saturday:
(dinner) Crockpot sweet 'n' sour beans with rice (didn't get this done last week - putting this in the crockpot for the family as I'll be at a demo)

Sunday:
(lunch) Crockpot chicken & veges
(dinner) Spelt bread rolls & pumpkin soup (TMX)

We'll be taking the Thermomix with us on our getaway, as I like to have it for making porridge, custard, salad, smoothies, juices, etc...

Will be using Thermomix early in the week to make bread, tortillas, cakes and cookies, for us and kids to have for days not at home.

Menu Plan Monday - 19th October

Hi everyone - I'm finally back! After weeks of upheaval (and sickness), we are finally settling into our new house... although we still have lots of cleaning to do at the old one, and lots of boxes to unpack at the new. But I definitely think it's time for a menu plan, even if it is very basic! I'll try to post some of the recipes later this week.

We still don't have an oven here, so I'm using the Thermomix and crockpot a lot. I'm also keeping meals simple, as there's still so much to do. My new kitchen is really tiny (but cute!) so I'm very thankful for my space-saving Thermomix - there really isn't any room for any other appliances except the electric frypan and the crockpot!

Check out Menu Plan Monday at 'I'm an Organizing Junkie' for more menu planning ideas. Hope you all have a great week.

[TMX = prepared and/or cooked in Thermomix]

Monday: Creamy chicken & veges (dairy free sauce made in TMX, all cooked in crockpot) with broccoli and zucchini.

Tuesday: Chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes (TMX), steamed veges (TMX).

Wednesday: Tuna mornay (dairy-free, TMX) with gf noodles; salad.

Thursday: Sweet & sour beans (crockpot) on brown rice (TMX); salad.

Friday: Fish (coated in cornmeal & shallow fried), baked potatoes (crockpot) & salad (TMX).

Saturday: Spaghetti bolognaise (sauce made in TMX) with spelt fettucine; salad.

Sunday: Nachos with kidney bean sauce (TMX) and gaucomole (no cheese - dairy-free sour cream).

Quick Yeast-Free Spelt Bread

This recipe is a lot like my scone dough recipe. In fact, that's what it started out as, but it kind of morphed into this! If you want to make damper, you pretty much just use the scone recipe and shape the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, cut a cross into the top, brush with milk, and cook it. But this time I did it a little differently - I used hot Almond-Sunflower Seed milk and olive oil, and it changed the consistency to a much more bread-like, less crumbly loaf. We loved it! The outside was crisp and the inside soft, and it was quicker than making yeast bread. Perfect for breakfast, spread with a thick layer of avocado, some herb salt, and lots of freshly-ground pepper - yum!

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees celcius.

2. Make a batch of Almond-Sunflower Seed milk (or heat your choice of milk to 50 degrees) and set aside.

3. Weigh into Thermomix bowl and mix on speed 6 for 6 seconds (no need to dry bowl unless you want to grind part of the grain first):
- 440g plain unbleached spelt flour (can use partly wholemeal spelt flour)
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt

4. Add oil and mix for a few seconds on speed 5:
- 60g olive oil

5. Add and mix for 5 seconds on speed 5, until dough roughly comes together:
- 230g warm Almond-Sunflower Seed milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

6. Set dial to closed lid position and mix for 20 seconds on interval speed, until dough forms a soft ball. (Should spring back when you poke it - if too sticky, add some more flour.)

7. Turn dough onto lightly floured bread mat and form into a smooth ball. (The dough will be slightly bouncy, like bread dough, not too soft and sticky like scone dough.) Transfer dough to a floured oven tray. Flatten slightly, and cut a 2cm deep cross into top of ball with a sharp knife. Brush with some more of the warm milk and place tray in hot oven.

8. Cook for 10 minutes on 220 degrees, then 20 minutes on 180 degrees. Bread should be nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped underneath. Leave to cool for a few minutes before slicing.