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!).