Buckwheat & Almond Crepes (or Wraps)

Buckwheat & Almond Crepes

filled with Strawberries & Vanilla-Cashew Cream

This morning I decided to make crepes out of buckwheat and almonds for breakfast. They were the best I've ever made! The secret? Partly the recipe (which was one I made up on the spur of the moment, knowing the basic ratio for crepe recipes), and partly the way I cooked them. I couldn't wait to share the recipe on Facebook, but I held back a bit of info so I'd have something to blog about... lol!

I don't know about you, but I've always found crepes a bit of a pain to make. Unless you have a good crepe pan, they can get stuck, or tear when you try and turn them over. So this morning I decided to save time and effort, and, well, CHEAT!! I cooked them in my sandwich press. :) It worked SO well that I won't cook them any other way now. It was really, really easy. No messed up crepes, not even one! This really is the simplest, quickest way to make crepes EVER.

This recipe is obviously gluten free; practically grain free (since buckwheat is not a grain); and it's also dairy free. (It's not egg free, but I'm thinking it could be if you used chia seeds instead of the eggs, and increased the amount of water a little. I'll try that soon and let you know how it goes.) The ground up almonds plus the water make the 'milk' for the recipe. It just so simple. I love recipes that really get back to the basics, and this is one of those.

These crepes are also perfect to use as savoury wraps; just leave out the vanilla. Gluten free wraps are generally awful - they are dry, and crumble when you try to wrap them around your food. But these crepes are soft and pliable, and are fine the next day so you can make them ahead. I also find these ones don't go soggy like the last gluten free crepes I tried to use as wraps, so that's another big plus! So make up a batch, and keep them in the fridge in a sealed ziploc bag, ready for school lunches - much cheaper and healthier than bought gluten free wraps, and they taste lots better.

Oh, and by the way, you can cook them longer and they'll turn into crisp 'wafers', which you can cut into wedges and serve with ice cream! Such a versatile recipe :) Hope you like them!

Buckwheat & Almond Crepes/Wraps

Soaked method:

1. Soak buckwheat and almonds in water, with vinegar, in a glass bowl (covered), overnight:

- 150g buckwheat, hulled

- 100g raw almonds

- 450g water

- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2. Next morning, blend soaked buckwheat and nuts in the soaking water on speed 9 for 2 minutes, adding a little water if needed. The mixture should form a vortex while blending - if it doesn't, it's too thick and you need to drizzle in water until it does. You should be able to see the metal top of the blades while it blends.

3. Add remaining ingredients and blend again for 1 minute, speed 9:

- 3 large eggs

- a pinch of salt

- 2 tsps vanilla extract (leave out if making savoury wraps)

- 45g macadamia oil (or other light flavoured oil)

4. Leave the batter to sit for 15 minutes in a cool spot, or in the fridge. It will get a bit thicker, so check it to see if you need to add any water. It shouldn't be as thick as pancake batter. (You can always add more water after the first crepe is made, if it's too thick.)

5. Preheat sandwich press. When it's ready, pour in the crepe batter, making sure you only make the crepe half the size you want it, as it will spread. (You can of course cook these in a crepe pan or frying pan instead of a sandwich press. You'll need a little oil or butter in the pan for each crepe. I would use coconut oil or ghee.)



6. Gently close lid and allow to cook until ready (about a minute, maybe a little more). If you want crispy 'wafers', cook until brown. (Don't worry if your crepes are a little bit crisp around the edges when you remove them - they soften up as they cool.)

7. Place crepes on a plate as you cook them, covering with a tea towel to keep warm. Leftover crepes can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days.

Non-Soaked Method

(for those of you who are in a hurry to make these and can't wait!)

1. Grind up the dry buckwheat in your Thermomix bowl on speed 9 for 1 minute:

- 150g buckwheat, hulled

2. Add almonds and grind for another 20 seconds, speed 9:

- 100g raw almonds

3. Add remaining ingredients and mix for 30 seconds on speed 9:

- 3 large eggs

- 450g water

- pinch of salt

- 2 tsps vanilla extract (leave out if making savoury wraps)

- 45g macadamia oil

4. Cook as per instructions above.

I like my crepes filled with fresh strawberries and vanilla-cashew cream, and drizzled with a little pure maple syrup... How do you like yours?

Banana & Pomegranate Custard Crumble

I had two very exciting things happen today - my Quirky Cooking Facebook Page reached 1000 followers (thank you lovely people!!), and I received a special package in the mail - a gigantic, beautiful pomegranate from Royal Pom! 

I noticed a week or two ago that Royal Pom were offering free samples, so I eagerly took them up on it. I don't remember ever eating fresh pomegranate before - maybe I have, since my mum loves them - but I can't imagine that I'd forget that mouth-watering, tangy, juicy, burst of flavour! Wow!

I hadn't had time to check out pomegranate recipes yet, but I couldn't wait! I cut it open and tasted it, and decided to make a quick banana custard with crumble topping, with some pomegranate arils sprinkled over the top to jazz it up. The tart, juicy arils remind me of shiny, red jewels that 'pop' in your mouth. They are a perfect foil for creamy bananas and custard, and crunchy crumble topping. Such a simple dessert, yet very satisfying. :)

First make the crumble topping.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

1.  Mix together in the Thermomix on speed 5 for 10 seconds:
- 250g gluten free flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 110g butter or macadamia oil
- 100g Rapadura (or less if you like)
- a handful of raw almonds (optional)

(Or for a very simple crumble topping, mix equal amounts of flour, oats/quinoa flakes, and butter/macadamia oil, plus some Rapadura to sweeten.)

2. Crumble the mixture onto a baking paper lined tray and bake for 10-15 minutes at 180C, until lightly browned and crispy. Set aside to cool.


While the crumble is cooking, make the custard. You can use whatever custard recipe you prefer, but here's two options for dairy free, gluten free custards. The banana-chia custard is also egg-free.

Rice-Almond Milk Custard:

Place all ingredients in the Thermomix and cook at 90 degrees, 7 minutes, speed 4:
- 500g rice-almond milk
- 60g Rapadura
- 30g cornflour or arrowroot
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 1 egg yolk + 1 egg (or 1 or 2 eggs, depending on size)*
- You can also add a tablespoon or two of butter (if you can have it) to make it creamier

Egg-Free Banana Chia Custard:

Grind together for 15 seconds on speed 9:
- 100g raw cashews
- 30g white chia seeds
- 30g gf cornflour

Add and blend for 1 minute on speed 9:
- 550g water

Add and blend 20 seconds at speed 8:
- 50g honey
- 1 large banana quartered

Cook at 90C for 7 minutes, speed 4.


Put it together: Slice up 2 or 3 bananas and layer them on the bottom of your dessert dishes. Pour the hot custard over the top so the bananas are completely covered, then crumble up some crumble mixture and sprinkle it over the top.

Top with fresh pomegranate arils.

That's it! So simple... enjoy!

Princess Sorbet... and Dreamy Dragonberry Delight!

'Princess Sorbet' ~ Dragonfruit & Lime

All princesses deserve 'fairy tale' food ~ 

and what could be more 'fairy tale-ish' than dragonfruit? 

The colour and texture of this fruit are enough to delight any princess, but with your trusty Thermomix you can magically transform it into a jewel-coloured sorbet, or a delightful, dreamy dessert! Your little princess is sure to be enraptured!

Dreamy Dragonberry Delight ~ Dragonfruit & Strawberry

What princess could resist this amazingly dreamy Dragonberry Delight?

(Actually, not even dragon-slaying boys can resist this one, 

even if it IS hot pink!)

Princess Sorbet 

(Dragonfruit & Lime)

1. Place lime zest and Rapadura into Thermomix bowl and grind on speed 9 for 30 seconds:
- zest of 1-2 limes (depending how 'zingy' you want it)
- 90g Rapadura

2. Add lime juice, dragonfruit & first batch of ice and grind on speed 9 for 10 seconds:
- juice of 1 lime
- 200g fresh dragonfruit
- 350g ice

3. Add second batch of ice and egg white, and grind on speed 9 for about 1 minute, using spatula to push ice onto blades:
- 350g ice
- 1 egg white

Dreamy Dragonberry Delight

(Dragonfruit & Strawberry Fruity Dream)

1. Place frozen dragonfruit into Thermomix bowl and grind on speed 9 for 20 seconds, helping it along with spatula:

- 350g frozen dragonfruit (chopped into small pieces)

2. Add strawberries and lemon juice, and grind on speed 9 for 20 seconds, until all the fruit is finely ground:

- 250g frozen strawberries

- juice of half a lemon

[Note: you can use any combination of dragonfruit & strawberries, just so it adds up to 600g]

3. Add honey & egg whites, insert butterfly, and whip on speed 4 for 4 minutes:

- 60g - 80g raw honey

- 2 egg whites

How's that for a snack fit for a princess!

Naturally Sweetened Strawberry Jam

Interested in a delicious, naturally sweetened jam 

that only takes 8 minutes to make?  Well, here it is!

For a long time I couldn't bring myself to make jam - it just uses so much sugar and is sickly sweet (and as you've probably figured out by now, I don't like refined sugar)!  

I'd heard that if you wanted to use a natural sweetener (or no sweetener) to make jam, you needed apple pectin (which I couldn't find anywhere) or you could make your own from apples (which I couldn't be bothered doing)...  Then I found a jam recipe in the "My Way of Cooking" Thermomix cookbook that solved the problem for me!  Amongst the variations listed, it said you could use honey or other sugars, or even no sugar, if you used *agar-agar powder.  Yippee!!  I immediately made about four batches of apricot and honey jam with some organic apricots I had in the freezer, and it was lovely... The only problem was I made too much at once, and it didn't keep well in the cupboard - a lot of it went mouldy, despite being in sealed jars.  This is because the sugar in the jam is what preserves it, and the small amount of honey I used just wasn't enough.  

So I learnt my lesson, and now I only make small batches at a time (500g of fruit), and keep them in the fridge.  When jam only takes eight minutes to make, it really isn't a hassle to make some whenever you need it.  (If you have an abundance of fruit, you can prepare it and freeze it in 500g amounts, ready to thaw and make jam when needed.)  

The strawberry jam in the photo above was made just before some visitors arrived - I whipped up some spelt scones in the Thermomix, popped them in the oven, and the jam was ready by the time the scones were cooked.  It was still hot and a bit runny when the visitors arrived, but we didn't mind - we just spooned it over the scones and it tasted delicious!  After about an hour in the fridge the jam was nice and firm (see photo above).  I love the way the natural flavour of the fruit shines through in this jam - it doesn't taste like flavoured sugar, it tastes like strawberries!  The only problem is that you may not be able to stop eating it - we ate the whole batch in one day - half of it on scones, and the other half on a strawberry shortcake.  :)

You can of course use any fruit you like - for 500g of fruit, add 100 - 200g of Rapadura or honey (to taste) or you could just use a pinch of stevia or some xylitol - or no sweetener at all!  Some fruits also need a squeeze of lemon juice to add some tartness.  

* You can buy agar-agar in small packets from health food shops, and the health food section of some supermarkets, but it's a lot cheaper if you buy it online. The cheapest I've seen is from Wheat Free World.  You can also buy apple pectin online, but after looking at the ingredients, I'd rather use agar-agar anyway.

Strawberry Jam

1.  Before you begin, place a saucer into the freezer for testing the jam on.  Wash out your jam jars thoroughly with warm soapy water and rinse well.  Set aside.

2.  Place fruit in Thermomix bowl and chop roughly on speed 4 for 3-5 seconds, depending how chunky you want it:
- 500g strawberries (or other fruit)

3.  Add and cook 8 minutes, 100 degrees, reverse, speed 2:
- 150g Rapadura (or other sweetener)
- 1 level teaspoon agar-agar powder
(If you prefer your jam smooth and un-chunky, cook without the reverse, and puree on speed 8 when you're done.)

4.  Test if the jam is set by placing 1/2 tsp of jam onto the cold saucer.  When it is cool, push it with your finger.  If the jam wrinkles, it's ready.  If not, add a pinch more agar-agar, cook for another 2 minutes, then re-test.

5.  When jam is set, pour into 2 hot rinsed jars with twist-off lids and close immediately.  Turn jars upside down for 10 minutes.  Your jam will keep in the fridge for up to one month.

********

Don't you love how simple it is?  I'm so glad I can make my own, healthy jams now with seasonal fruits, instead of buying the commercial, over-priced, naturally-sweetened jams!

Leave a comment and let me know what variations you try and what you like best!

Chocolate Orange Sorbet

Here's a quick and refreshing dessert (or snack!) that I invented for our Master Thermy Chef competition at our last Thermomix cooking class... It's been quite a hit around here!  I think I've made it about six times in the last two weeks :)  I used less dark chocolate than my original Chocolate Sorbet recipe, so this one's a bit more economical - but still very chocolatey, as I added more cacao powder.  Hope you like it :)

1.  Grind in Thermomix on speed 9 for 30 seconds:

- 100g - 140g Rapadura (depending how sweet you like it)

- peel of 1 navel orange (wash & dry orange first, then peel in the zest with a potato peeler, no white)

- 40g raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

2. Scrape down sides, add chocolate, and grind on speed 9 for 15 seconds:

- 50g - 100g dark 70% cocoa chocolate (make your own with this recipe, or use Lindt chocolate)

3. Remove chocolate mixture to a bowl.  (I take the chocolate mixture out and add it back on top after the ice is ground up, otherwise it freezes to the bottom of the bowl once the ice hits it.)

Don't taste the chocolate mixture - 

you might not be able to stop eating it!! Lol!

4. Add to bowl and grind on speed 9 for 10 seconds, until ice is crushed:

- 400g ice cubes (about 2 trays of ice)

It never ceases to amaze me how powerful the Thermomix is!

Look at this - 400g of ice blitzed into snow in 10 seconds!

5. Add orange, chocolate mixture, and egg white to bowl and grind on speed 9 until mixture is fine, and whizzing around, creating a vortex in the bowl:

- flesh of orange (cut off and discard the pith)

- 1 large or two small egg whites

- chocolate mixture

6. As the mixture is whizzing around in the bowl on speed 9, drop ice cubes one by one into the vortex until you reach desired consistency. You don't need to use the spatula as much if you do it this way, although it might spit a bit so it can get messy! ;)

- 400g - 500g ice cubes (2 or 3 more trays)

A bit messy - but worth it!

Eat it quickly before it melts!  Or freeze for later.

Pink Fruit Cereal

Raw fruit 'cereals' are great for cutting down on grains in your diet, and are very quick and easy to make - perfect for a quick breakfast. And fruit is the perfect breakfast food, as it should really should be eaten on an empty stomach, so it can cleanse and energise your body and get everything moving. The nuts are an important addition as you should always have some protein for breakfast as well - it wakes you up, and keeps your blood sugar levels from dropping too quickly. (If you can't have nuts, add in some seeds instead.)

If you find fruit for breakfast doesn't fill you up enough, at least try and have some fruit before you have your toast and eggs, or whatever you like to eat for breaky. You can use any fruits really, with or without nuts, and add in some seeds and coconut if you like. The blueberries in this one make it a lovely pink colour.  (Should really be blue, don't you think?!)  

This is a great winter breakfast when there's not a lot of different types of fruit around. I also love this one for snacks, when I'm feeling the need for something sweet - it has no added sweeteners, just the fruit, so it's a healthy substitute for cake or bikkies!

Place all the ingredients in the Thermomix bowl, and pulse 3 or 4 times with the Turbo button (with lid in locked position) until it reaches the desired texture:

- 3 apples, quartered (peeled if not organic)

- 1 or 2 bananas, quartered

- a handful or two of frozen blueberries

- a handful of sultanas

- a large handful of pecans

- a handful of shredded coconut

- a drizzle of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

(If you want the bananas to be in nice little pieces, chop them by hand and stir them in at the end.  I can't be bothered in the morning!)

Avoiding Pesticides in Food

Strawberries soaking in homemade produce wash to reduce pesticide residue.

There is growing concern amongst scientists and food researchers over the adverse effects pesticides and other chemicals are having on our health. We are now being advised to minimize our consumption of pesticides, as longterm studies are showing links to ADHD, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and many other problems. Children are especially vulnerable during foetal development and early childhood.  Unfortunately, in Australia we are lagging behind when it comes to chemical regulation.  Buying organic is the obvious solution... but what if you can't always afford it, or it's not always available? Here's some ideas to help you reduce the pesticides in your diet - even on a budget!

- Know which fruits and veges are worst affected by pesticides, and try to only buy them organic. Each year, The Environmental Working Group publishes a list of the fruits and veges most affected by pesticides, and those least affected. It's helpful to know this, especially if you're shopping on a budget, so you can pick and choose what you buy organic and what you don't. Print this list out and take it with you when you go shopping, or download the app for your phone. (EWG's 2013 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides here - available as smartphone app, iPad app, or PDF file.)  This year they're telling us that the fruit and veges that are the worst for pesticides are: Apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, capsicum, nectarines, cucumbers, and potatoes (top 10).  The least affected are: asparagus, avocado, cabbage, cantalope, corn, eggplant, grapefruit, kiwifruit, mangoes, mushrooms, onions, papayas, pineapples, sweet peas, and sweet potatoes.

 [Note: The Environmental Working Group is from the USA - it may not be exactly the same in Australia. Also, some farmers may use natural methods but just not be certified organic. Talk to your local growers and market stall holders, and find out what methods they use. Where I live, the macadamias are quite naturally grown with barely any pesticides, and what they use is mostly natural. But I've heard that other macadamia growers use a lot of chemicals. I actually went to the local farm and saw how they did things for myself, and I'm happy to buy their macadamias, even if they're not certified organic. Check things out for yourself, this is just a rough guide to get you started.]

- Buy your organic fruit and veges bulk, dividing the order with friends – you'll save a lot. Try local growers and co-ops, as they will be the freshest. (Check out my post on buying in bulk for tips.)

- Start a vege garden. It doesn't have to be big - lettuce, herbs, cherry tomatoes, capsicums, carrots, strawberries and silverbeet can all be grown in small gardens, or you can plant them in pots or boxes. (Strawberries, capsicum and spinach/silverbeet are amongst the worst offenders for pesticides when grown commercially.) Get a friend to grow some veges, and you grow others, and you can share your produce.

- Sprouts are easy to grow at home, and full of vitamins and nutrients. This may be the simplest way to begin cutting down on pesticides for your family.

- Eat a varied diet to reduce your intake of pesticides that may be consistently found on some fruits and veges.

- Beware of imported produce - the country of origin may not have as strict health regulations as we have in Australia, and may have a much higher percentage of pesticides. I never buy US cherries, for example, as I've read that they are one of the worst for pesticides!

- Wash your produce well, and peel off thick skins if they're in the high risk list. Rinsing (and soaking) produce really well will reduce pesticides and kill bacteria found on the skins of fruit and veges. You can buy vege washes made of natural ingredients which are supposed to remove wax and pesticide residues, but you can also make your own very cheaply. The easiest method I have found is:

* Fill your sink with cold water.
* Add four tablespoons of salt and the juice of half a fresh lemon.
* Soak fruits and vegetables for five to ten minutes (leafy greens two to three mins, berries one to two mins)
* Rinse well.

For thick-skinned produce and apples, scrub with a vegetable brush after soaking.
(The soaking helps to break down the wax layer, as well as kill bacteria and rinse off pesticides.)

- Discard the outer layers of leafy green veges like lettuce and cabbage - this will greatly reduce the amount of pesticides on the produce.

One more tip: Even organic and home-grown fruits and veges have bacteria on the outside of them. They pick up micro-organisms from the soil, people's dirty hands, etc, and these can make you sick. Make sure you wash your hands AND the produce really well before eating or cutting, even if they have thick skins (like oranges or melons) as the bacteria will be transferred to your hands or knife, and then onto the inside of the fruit or vegetable. If you're eating on the run, have a spray bottle filled with filtered water that you can spray onto apples and other fruit to clean them before eating.

Fruit Pizza

Our oldest daughter turned 13 the other day (I can't believe I have a teenager!!), and she requested Fruit Pizza for breakfast.  We love to make this for breakfast on special occasions - although it's so quick and easy you don't really need to wait for a special occasion!  And you don't have to have it at breakfast time, either...  We've had this instead of a birthday cake a couple of times, because the kids really love it.  The base is more like a pancake than a pizza crust, and needs to be cooked in a very hot oven so it puffs up.  Top your pizza with whatever fruit you like, and drizzle with either pure maple syrup for breakfast, or melted chocolate for a delicious dessert!  Makes two pizzas.

1.  Preheat oven to 230 degrees C (450 F) and melt butter or ghee in two 9-inch pie plates, then remove from oven:

- 2 Tblspns butter/ghee (1 for each pie plate)

(If you can't have butter or ghee, just grease pie plates with preferred oil.)

2.  Beat together in Thermomix on speed 5 for 20 seconds (or by hand):

- 6 eggs

- 250g rice-almond milk (or other milk)

- 100g plain spelt flour or gf flour (or use coconut flour or tapioca flour for a grain free option)

- 2 Tblspns Rapadura or 1 Tblspn honey

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

3.  Pour into greased pie plates and bake for 8 minutes.  Reduce heat to 190 degrees C (475 F) and bake about 8 minutes longer - until golden brown with puffy sides.

4.  Immediately top with sliced fruit, sprinkle with coconut (opt.) and drizzle with syrup (or chocolate), then slice and serve.

- 1 punnet strawberries, washed and sliced

- sliced bananas

- whatever other fruit you like (kiwi fruit, passionfruit, rockmelon, etc) - optional

- shredded coconut - optional

- pure maple syrup (or melted chocolate)

(Optional: If you like, you can top with a dollop of cashew cream - if you can handle dairy, you can use whipped cream or yoghurt.)

Eat More Fruit!

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." This saying is not far from the truth - fresh fruit provides our bodies with fresh water, living enzymes which aid digestion, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, natural sugars for energy, and fibre to help clean out the body. Fruit is a perfect package!

Fruit is vital fuel for our bodies, and should be eaten regularly – at least four pieces per day, with as much variety as possible. At night, our metabolism and digestive systems slow down, and they need to be 'woken up' in the morning. The best way to wake up, get energized, and get everything moving is to begin your day with fruit. We are blessed to live in Tropical North Queensland, where there is a huge variety of delicious fruits, all year long. But wherever you live, there's sure to be ways to help you get more fruit into your families' diet! Here's a few ideas...

Breakfast Sorbet

* Start the day with a fruit salad, a fresh fruit 'cereal' or a fruit smoothie – kids love a smoothie for breakfast, and it will help them be alert and awake for school. (Make sure you add some nuts/seeds for protein, for extra energy and to fill up hungry tummies.)  Or top waffles or pancakes with fresh fruit.  Sometimes we even have berry nougat or 'ice-cream' for breakfast, made from fresh fruit of course!  (Try banana-cacao, banana-pecan or a breakfast sorbet!)

Brown Rice Waffles with Strawberries

* For a quick energy boost during the day, whiz up a 'boost juice' in your Thermomix – this is a great way to make your own juices, as the fibre is still all there, and you don't get a sugar high, then a sugar low!

* Keep a fruit bowl or basket on the table (and on your desk at work) filled with fresh, washed fruit to encourage the family to snack on fruit instead of junk. (And get rid of any junk food in the house so it's not even an option!)

Fruit Jelly (recipe coming)

* Send fruit to school in the kid's lunchbox – if they're not fussed with eating a whole apple or banana, try making them a fruit salad drizzled with some fresh orange juice.  Or make a jelly with fresh fruit, fruit juice, nuts, honey and gelatin/agar powder.  It's easy, and kids love it!

* Make it a habit to grab a piece of fruit each whenever you go somewhere in the car – this helps avoid the temptations to buy junk food while you're out.

Fruit-filled Brioche

* Use lightly cooked fruit in desserts and baking – apple pie or crumble, fruit cobbler, brioche, stewed fruit and custard, fruit muffins, apple cake, apple/berry sauce on pancakes, dried fruit in bars and slices and granolas, and even a fresh fruit 'pizza'! (Recipe coming!)  When cooking fruit, it's best to cook it very gently over low heat so you don't kill the enzymes – I find my Thermomix perfect for this – or try some raw fruit recipes.

Lime & Mint Sorbet (recipe coming)

* Make a fresh fruit sorbet or foam for an afternoon tea treat – much healthier than icy poles and ice-cream! (Takes two minutes in the Thermomix!)

Berry Foam

Remember, the key is VARIETY! Don't be afraid to try new fruits. There's a lot more out there than just apples, bananas and oranges. Eat whatever's in season, as it's the freshest, but if you can't find many types in winter, add some frozen berries and frozen mango for some variety.

Hazelnut Chocolate Strawberries

Strawberries are back in season - YAY!!  Try this for a yummy treat...

Wash and trim strawberries (saving the leaves), and slice in half.  Dollop one half with some homemade chocolate hazelnut spread, and sandwich together with the other half.  Place leaves on plate and top with strawberries.

Easy and delicious!

Creamy Citrus Smoothie

Sorry I've been out of touch for a couple of weeks - been moving house, and I was sick for a week too!  I can still barely see the floor for boxes, but we're getting there :)  Here's a quick recipe that I hope you'll enjoy...

In winter there's plenty of citrus fruit around - isn't it great when friends give you great big bags of oranges and mandarins off their trees!  Here's a delicious alternative to the usual orange juice - the nuts turn it into a calcium-rich fruit 'milk'!  Sometimes I call it 'orange milk', or 'orange smoothie', but you can really use any citrus fruits in it - mix and match: grapefruit, mandarin, lemonade fruit, and bush lemons - and I often add some kiwi fruit too.  As you can see from the photo, I leave a bit of skin on the fruit, as the bioflavinoids in the skin help you to better absorb the vitamin C - and the Thermomix does such a good job of blending it, your kids will never know it's there!  (Use organic fruit if possible, especially if you're including peel.)  See below for some more great variations and tips.

I don't measure amounts, so just make it to taste...

Place in Thermomix bowl and blend on speed 9 for 1 minute, or until smooth:

- a mixture of 3 or 4 oranges/mandarins/grapefruit/bush lemons/lemonade fruit/kiwi fruit (get most of the seeds out, and most of the peel off - just leave a little bit of peel in there)

- a spoonful or two of raw honey (to taste)

- ice cubes, to about the 1.5 litre mark

- a good handful each of raw almonds and raw cashews

- water to barely cover (add more if needed to thin it out)

Here's a few more tips and variations from my friend Barbara...

"As a little extra – if you want to ‘mellow’ the stronger citrus taste because of the lemon and or grapefruit, include a washed and quartered apple. Depending on the relative quantity of citrus, one or two apples will do. Leave the skin on and the core in – more bioflavonoids in them. If you want to make it creamier and a little thicker, drop in one or two bananas. A handful of mint if you have it and/or 2cm of washed fresh ginger – sliced roughly - makes it extra refreshing and healthful for coughs, colds etc. Finally – the most daring is a chilli added at the beginning of the blending or a good shake of cayenne pepper in each glass then a quick stir. It is very warming when slightly under the weather! "

Thanks Barbara!

Ginger & Vitamin C Boost Juice

Ginger & Vitamin C are great for fighting colds and flus - try this juice when you need a boost!

Whiz up in Thermomix for 1 1/2 minutes on speed 10:

- 300g fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

- 1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled, deseeded & quartered

- 2 kiwifruit, peeled and halved

- a good chunk of fresh ginger, peeled (about 2 cms)

- 60g raw honey

- 300g ice cubes

Fill glasses two thirds full, top up with soda water, and stir. Enjoy!

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!

Fruit-Filled Breakfast Brioche

This morning I made a filled brioche for breakfast. There's nothing like steaming hot fruit encased in a sweet bread to make the kids get out of bed! It was supposed to be filled with the leftover cooked apples and cinnamon I had in the fridge, but when I went to get them, they were gone... (My kids love cooked apple - they eat it on toast.) So in the absence of anything else, I used a tin of peaches. It was still yummy!

This is an easy breakfast if you're an early riser - it took an hour and a half from beginning to end (but only about 10 minutes of actual work). If you're not an early riser, have it for morning or afternoon tea! (I use my Thermomix, which makes it very quick. If you have to make it by hand it will of course take longer.)

1. Place in Thermomix bowl and mix for 10 seconds, speed 6:

- 400g unbleached plain spelt flour

- 2 tsp (or 1 sachet) instant dry yeast

- 60g honey

- 40g oil (or butter)

- 1 egg (optional)

- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

- 150g rice/almond milk (or other milk) (approx. - check as you mix to see if you need more milk or more flour)

2. Mix on interval speed for 3 minutes, wrap in breadmat (or place in oiled bowl and cover), and rise in cold oven for 20 - 30 minutes with a shallow pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven to create steam.

3. Remove from oven and roll dough into a circle, about 1 cm thick. Place dough on pizza tray lined with baking paper. Spoon cooked/tinned fruit onto centre of dough, and fold dough over it into the centre, leaving a hole so you can still see some of the fruit.

4. Place tray back in cold oven and turn it on to 180 degrees C (less if fan-forced). (Leave the pan of hot water in the oven.) Leave to rise and bake for about 25 minutes, checking towards the end and turning tray so it browns evenly. May need a little more time - lift brioche up a little to check if it's browned underneath.

5. Slip onto a large plate, slice like a pie, and serve hot!