Kamis, 28 Januari 2010

Beef or Chicken Fajitas



 
One of our very favourite meals is Fajitas.  I usually make both chicken and beef strips to go in them, and of course make my own spelt tortillas.   We avoid all the packet mixes and bought tortillas - they don't taste half as good as home made, and they generally are full of additives and preservatives and wheat and who knows what else! 

I like my fajitas pretty simple - I find if you put too much in them they burst apart anyway, and you just end up with a big mess... I mostly put in beef/chicken strips, sauteed onion and capsicum, and my dairy free sour cream.  Anything else I have on the side.  Some good ideas for side dishes are Mexican Quinoa (or rice), guacamole and a big salad.  But by all means, pile it all into the tortilla if you'd rather - the mess is half the fun! ;)

Prepare meat first:

Beef Fajitas

1.  Mince on speed 9 for 3 seconds:
- 4 cloves garlic

2. Add lime juice and seasonings, mix on speed 3 to combine:
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Cumin ground
- 1/2 teaspoon Oregano dried, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper ground
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper ground
- 1/8 teaspoon Onion powder
(these amounts are just to give you an idea - add more or less to taste)

3. Add steak strips, mix on reverse speed 1-2 until well coated. Remove to dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
- 700g steak (eg. rump or round) cut in thin slices, across the grain
 
Chicken Fajitas
 
1. Mince garlic, speed 7 for 3 seconds:
- 1-2 cloves garlic

2. Add and mix well on speed 5 (sorry, haven't converted it all to grams):
- 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (I know, doesn't sound very Mexican, but trust me... )
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 tsp liquid mesquite smoke seasoning (opt)
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Cumin ground
- 1/2 teaspoon Oregano dried, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper ground
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper ground
- 1/8 teaspoon Onion powder
(Again, seasoning amounts are just guides - add to taste)

3. Slice chicken breasts in thin strips and marinate in mixture (in a glass bowl in the fridge) for a couple of hours (if you have time):
- 4 chicken breasts

Then ...

4. Cook (or reheat) tortillas - place in oven on very low heat, covered in foil, to keep warm.

5. Saute the onion and capsicum strips in about 30g olive oil, in the Thermomix on 100 degrees, for 15 minutes, reverse, speed 1-2.
- 30g extra virgin olive oil (or butter)
- 2-3 brown onions, halved & thinly sliced
- 2-3 capsicums (red, green, yellow), de-seeded, halved & thinly sliced

6.  Meanwhile, lightly oil large frypan and place on high heat. When it's hot enough for a drop of water to 'dance' on the surface, add the fajita meat, cooking about 400g of meat at a time so it cooks quickly, the chicken first, then the beef. Remove to warm dish (or put it in your Thermoserver to keep warm).  Add the cooked capsicum and onion to dish too (or place in second Thermoserver).


 
Beef fajita meat with onion and red capsicum

Note...

If you have too much happening in your Thermomix (eg. you're making guacamole and sour cream in there, or cooking up some Mexican Quinoa or rice), you can saute the onion and capsicum in the pan you've sauteed the meat in, keeping the meat hot in a Thermoserver meanwhile... But you'll probably need another pair of hands to help!




Making fajitas is always a family affair for us...





7. To serve, spread a tortilla with guacamole, add a few slices of meat (only a little, or the tortilla will be too full), and top with sauteed onion and capsicum, some sour cream (or 'dairy free sour cream', which is what I use), salsa, or whatever toppings you prefer. Roll up, and fold up a flap at the bottom to catch the drips - fajitas are notoriously messy, but they're worth the mess!



Have fun :)

Sabtu, 23 Januari 2010

Menu Plan Monday - 25th January

School is starting this week - time to get organized! We've had a pretty laid back couple of weeks, spending time with Nana & Poppy who were visiting from Perth (which was very nice) ... it's going to be hard to get back into the everyday routine. (Specially without Nana here to help with dishes, washing, and playing constant card games with the kids!)

I have enjoyed trying out some recipes in the new Thermomix cookbook, "My Way of Cooking" - I think our favourite so far has been the Cantucci... I used a lot less sugar than the recipe said (and changed it to Rapadura), and used spelt flour, and added pistachios, but otherwise it was mostly the same ;) I'll try to get my version of the recipe up soon.


For those of you who are sending the kids back to school this week, there's some great lunchbox ideas on the Thermomix Forum - have a look. Also, our favourite nutritionist, Cyndi O'Meara, has some really great, healthy ideas in this youtube clip - check it out for alternatives to cling wrap (which contains additives not suitable for children), how to keep lunches fresh, how to organize lunches at the start of the week so it's not such a rush each morning, and more...



If you don't yet have Cyndi's book, "Changing Habits, Changing Lives" I highly recommend it! Cyndi will be coming to speak for us up here on the Tablelands in February - come along and get some great advice on healthy eating (and see us demonstrate the amazing Thermomix and taste what we cook!)

When: Tuesday, 23rd February, 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Where: Mareeba Soccer Club, Borzi Park, Chewko Rd, Mareeba, Qld
Cost: $25 per person
(To purchase tickets to this event, contact Colleen Alba on (07) 4092 5005 or at maacas@bigpond.com.

If you need help planning your menu, (or you're wondering 'why bother??'), check out Menu Plan Monday at I'm An Organizing Junkie. Have a great week! :)

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

Monday:
(lunch) Spelt bread rolls (TMX) with egg salad (TMX) & lettuce
(dinner) Beef chop suey (TMX) over brown rice (TMX)

Tuesday:
(lunch) Tuna patties with fresh vege sticks & herb & garlic mayonnaise (TMX)
(dinner) Huevos Rancheros (tomato sauce made in TMX) with corn tortillas (TMX)

Wednesday:
(lunch) Baked potatoes with dairy free sour cream (TMX) & vege sticks
(dinner) Fish (shallow fried in cornmeal) with mashed potato & steamed veges (cooked together in TMX)

Thursday:
(lunch) Avocado & tuna salad wraps (in spelt tortillas - TMX)
(dinner) Crockpot corned beef with potatoes & veges & parsley white sauce (df - TMX)

Friday:
(lunch) Pasta e Fagioli (TMX)
(dinner) Shepherd's pie (TMX) & vege sticks/salad

Saturday:
(lunch) Indonesian summer salad (TMX)
(dinner) leftovers/soup (TMX)

Sunday:
(lunch) Beef stew with dumplings (spelt - TMX)
(dinner) leftovers

Jumat, 08 Januari 2010

Raw Fruit Cereal


Here's an easy fruit and nut cereal that's delicous for breakfast or a nutritious snack... Eat it on it's own, or with some almond milk (or rice-almond milk). This recipe is based on one from "The Fit For Life Cookbook" by Marilyn Diamond. It makes about 2 - 3 servings.

1. Grind in Thermomix on speed 9 for 10 seconds:
- 10g linseeds (flaxseeds)

2. Add nuts and seeds in Thermomix bowl and roughly chop on speed 7 for 2 seconds:
- 40g raw almonds
- 15g raw pepitas
- 10g sunflower seeds

3. Add and chop for 3 seconds, speed 5:
- 2 apples, cored & quartered
- 1 large banana, quartered
- 1 tspn ground cinnamon
- dash of ground nutmeg
- 1 Tblspn pure maple syrup (optional)

4. Add and stir on reverse speed 1 for 5 seconds:
- 50g raisins or currants

Enjoy on it's own, or with some almond or rice-almond milk!

Kamis, 07 Januari 2010

Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse


Yippee!!! I found a recipe for dairy free chocolate mousse that tastes like the real thing - light and airy and creamy and chocolatey! It's so quick and easy and very addictive! I found the original recipe on taste.com (and I think they got it from Super Food Ideas magazine). I converted it to a Thermomix recipe, changed the castor sugar to ground Rapadura, added more cocoa, and broke out into spontaneous rejoicing at eleven o'clock last night when I tasted it!!! (Probably shouldn't be eating rich chocolate desserts at eleven o'clock at night, but it was for a good cause, don't you think?) Thank you taste.com - I am pathetically grateful!

1. Measure into a small measuring jug and whisk with fork until completely combined:
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 tspns powdered gelatine

2. Add and stir in well until dissolved:
- 2 rounded Tblspns raw cacao powder (or organic cocoa powder)
    This mixture needs to reach room temperature - you can put it in the fridge for a little while if you're in a hurry.

3. Grind in Thermomix for 30 seconds on speed 9:
- 60g Rapadura
Tip into a bowl and set aside.

4. Separate eggs, setting egg yolks aside:
- 4 room temperature eggs, separated

5. Place egg whites in Thermomix bowl and add:
- a pinch of cream of tartar (to stabilize the egg whites - makes a light, fluffy mousse)
Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with butterfly attachment, speed 4, for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until stiff peaks can be formed.

6. Continue beating on speed 4, and begin to add powdered Rapadura, 1 tablespoon at a time through hole in lid.  Beat until meringue is thick and glossy.  (It won't be stiff any more - that's okay.)

7. With machine still mixing on speed 4, add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop machine.

8. Check temperature of gelatine/cocoa mixture - it needs to be the same temperature as the egg white mixture before combining them!

9. With butterfly still attached, and machine running on speed 4, slowly drizzle cocoa mixture into egg white mixture in a thin stream through the hole in the lid, until well combined.

10. Pour mixture into six small serving cups and refrigerate for four hours, or until set and chilled. Or if you're impatient like me, pop them in the freezer for half an hour! ;) Dust with some cocoa and serve.

YUMMY!!!

By the way, this recipe can easily be doubled to make 12 servings at a time - a good idea, since they'll disappear quickly! :D

Senin, 04 Januari 2010

Menu Plan Monday - 4th January


Happy New Year everyone!! I thought I'd better start off the new year right, and get my menu planned for this week, even though I didn't feel like bothering... had a big day! Nanna and Poppy arrive tomorrow for a visit, and we only see them once a year, so we'll have to plan some special meals for them...

I hope you all cooked lots of yummy food over the holiday break - our favourite was probably the chocolate sorbet - (wish I had one right now)... although that could have been because we had such nice friends to share it with :) Ever noticed that it makes all the difference to a meal if you have good friends and family to eat with? "Meat eaten without mirth is ill of digestion." (Or something like that...) So, what was your favourite meal last week? If you'd like recipes for any of these meals that don't have a link, just let me know.

Today I joined "Top Mommy Blogs" - if you like my blog, you can click on the link in the side bar and it will count as a vote for me :) Check out their website for links to great blogs by mums all over the world!

If you'd like some menu planning ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com for some help. If you're a Thermomix-er, you'll find some great recipes at the Thermomix forum.

Have a great week!

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

Monday:
(lunch) Out at a demo - kids at my sisters
(dinner) Leftover chicken & gravy with rice (TMX), plus some fish my dh caught on the weekend!

Tuesday:
(lunch) Russian Potato Salad (TMX), tossed salad, spelt bread rolls (TMX)
(dinner) Spaghetti bolognaise (sauce made in TMX) with spelt pasta & salad

Wednesday (dh starts night shift so main meals at lunch time):
(lunch) 'Fried' Rice (TMX) with grilled chicken breasts
(dinner) Leftovers or minestrone soup (TMX)

Thursday:
(lunch) Steak, & dairy free potato bake (sauce made in TMX with this recipe), & beetroot salad (TMX)
(dinner) Leftovers & tuna salad sandwiches (on homemade gluten free bread - TMX)

Friday:
(dinner) Hamburgers on spelt buns

Saturday:
(lunch) Baked potatoes, dairy free sour cream (TMX), carrot & grape salad (TMX) with homemade mayonnaise (TMX)

Sunday:
(lunch) Chicken in crockpot with cashew satay sauce (TMX - made ahead, poured over hot chicken), salad
(dinner) leftovers