Ginger, cinnamon apple chips

My Excalibur deydrator is almost 2 months old now, and in my own tradition of getting the most out of all kitchen gadgets bestowed onto me, (although I must admit that some have gone into retirement since my Thermomix came along), my dehydrator has been working very hard indeed!. . .  I have been busy soaking, activating and/or dehydrating nuts, seeds, grains, fruits, vegetables and making my own raw crackers, sweet biscuits, granola, fruit leathers and so on :) Of course, a bit of trial and error has been involved, but this is an evolving list as I experiment with and become more familiar with my machine and all it can do . . sound familiar? :) But what a team my Thermomix and Excalibur are making so far! Here is a quick and fun recipe which highlights this relationship. If only my thermomix could slice the apples too! Aren't they pretty?! 

I employ the thermomix to make a lemon, ginger dipping solution for the apple slices. The natural acidity and vitamin C content of the lemon juice combined with icy cold water helps to prevent enzymic browning which will work to retain the light, bright colour of your apple slices very successfully (see photo above) . . . the fresh ginger will give the apple chips a lovely zingy taste . . . and married with cinnamon, this is a gorgeously aromatic flavour combination. 

ingredients

1kg Pink Lady apples, unpeeled (organic or soak in a vege-fruit wash & scrub well)

juice of 1-2 lemons (about 80g)

40g fresh ginger, peeled - or more if you like a strong ginger zing! 

250g icy cold filtered water

3 tsp ground cinnamon (or grind your own from cinnamon sticks!)

method

1. Add fresh ginger, lemon juice and filtered water to the TM bowl and blend on speed 9 for 30 seconds with the MC cup in place. 

2. Turn each apple onto it's side on a chopping board and with a very sharp knife (I like to use a ceramic knife), slice the apple into rounds of about 1-2mm thickness so that the core creates a star shape in the centre, (or use a mandoline if you have one). Discard the very top and bottom slices. The apple seeds should fall out when dried, so don't be concerned with leaving them in. 

3. Add the apple slices to a large bowl, and as you do so pour over a little of your lemon and fresh ginger juice at a time. Ensure that all slices of apple are fully immersed or dipped before you remove them to lay out on dehydrator trays. 

4. Lay your apple slices out on dehydrator trays and sprinkle with cinnamon. I like to use a small sieve for a finer sprinkle :) Set your deydrator to 135°F (57°C) and dry for about 24 hours or until crisp. This drying process will also generate a beautiful perfume for your home :) 

Voila! Gorgeous, wholesome, sweet and zingy cinnamon apple chips which your children will adore I promise :)

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Dark choc & ginger muesli bars

It has been far too long between posts I must apologise . . to myself mostly, because developing new recipes, playing with my Thermomix and taking photos of food is very therapeutic for me . . really it is :) I am sure that some of you can relate? 

This recipe is a variation of our favourite wheat, nut and dairy-free snack which I always have on for my girls to take to school and for hubby and I to take to work. I knew it wouldn't take me long to make this variation owing to my love of chocolate :) The original recipe is here. 

Dark chocolate & ginger muesli bars (aka granola bars)

ingredients
65g raw brown rice
1 tbsp golden flaxseeds (linseeds)
1 tbsp chia seeds
half small Pink lady apple (or any sweet apple)
100g dried dates
80g mixed dried fruit of your choice, e.g. apricots, sultanas, berries
40-50g good quality crystallized ginger
90g whole oats
70g wholegrain rice bubbles (or use more oats)
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
25g coconut, desiccated (or shred your own from fresh flesh)
20g sucanat or rapadura sugar (a little more if you're a sweet tooth)
40g coconut oil
2 large eggs
4 tbsp raw cacao powder
50g raw unpasteurised honey
80g dark chocolate, preferably 70% cacao, chopped (or use choc chips) - optional

method

Pre-heat fan forced oven to 180 degrees C. Line the base and sides of a 3cm deep, 20 x 30cm rectangular pan with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang.

Add the flaxseeds, chia seeds and brown rice to the TM bowl and grind for 20 seconds on speed 9. Decant into a bowl and set aside.

Place the crystallized ginger in the TM bowl and grate for 10 seconds on speed 5. Add the apple half and grate for a further 5 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add all the dried fruit. Turn to the lid closed position and pulse on Turbo 3-4 times until the dried fruit is evenly chopped.

Return the grounds seeds and rice to the TM bowl together with all of the remaining ingredients. Combine on reverse for 20-30 seconds on speed 3 until well combined. Check that the dry ingredients are completely coated in the wet.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan using the spatula. Use the back of a metal spoon or the bottom of a heavy glass to press the mixture evenly into the pan and smooth the surface.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes in the pan before lifting onto a cooking rack to cool completely before cutting. Cut the muesli slice into 16 bars. I didn't add the dark chocolate this time, but it is a lovely addition :)

No Thermomix?

• use 65g brown rice flour in place of the whole rice
• grind seeds using a coffee grinder
• chop the crystallized ginger and dried fruit in a food processor or by hand
• combine all ingredients by hand or using a food processor or mixer

Here are some more lunchbox legends that you might like to check out . . .

wholegrain cheesy-mite scrolls 

cacao Anzac biscuits

healthy citrus & poppyseed muffins

Healthy citrus & poppyseed muffins

As requested by Miss 8, mummy's homemade version of her coffee shop favourite . . and do they stack up?? Miss 8 says "These are way better mummy . . plus they are healthy!" . . . Ha! Nothing escapes my daughter! 

These yummy wholesome muffins are citrus-y, moist and light and come with considerably less guilt than your average citrus poppyseed muffin . . .being lower in fat and sugar, and higher in dietary fibre.

Apple, orange & lemon poppyseed muffins

As this recipe uses the whole fruit, skin and all . . . I'd recommend you try to use an organic apple, orange and lemon for this recipe if possible, or at least wash the fruit thoroughly with a fruit and vegetable wash. Virtually nothing goes to waste in this recipe! These will be great for the school lunch box. . .

ingredients

1 whole apple (I used Pink Lady)
1 whole medium orange or tangelo
zest of 1 lemon (plus juice for icing)
2 large eggs
30g coconut oil, melted if solid (or use melted butter)
50g natural yoghurt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb
120g white spelt flour
120g wholemeal spelt flour
100g sucanat (rapadura) sugar or raw sugar
1-2 tbsp poppyseeds

method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C and prepare a 12-hole muffin pan.
2. Peel the zest from the lemon and add to the TM bowl and grind for 30 seconds on speed 9, decant and set aside.
3. Core and quarter one apple. Add to the TM bowl and chop for 10 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down the sides.
4. Add 20g water and cook for 8 minutes at 100°C on speed 1. MC lid off.  
5. Cut a whole orange into quarters. Remove the stem piece and slice down the centre of each wedge to remove the white pith and any obvious pips. Add to the TM bowl and blend on speed 7 for 10 seconds. 
6. Return the lemon zest to the TM bowl. Add the eggs, coconut oil and natural yoghurt. Mix on speed 8 for 10 seconds until well combined. 
7. Add baking powder, bicarb, flours, sucanat and poppyseeds and mix for about 8 seconds on reverse speed 4 until mixture just comes together. Do not over-mix.
8. Spoon the muffin mixture into prepared muffin holes filling each to the top, and place in preheated oven to bake for about 12-15 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Makes 12. 
9. Juice the zested lemon and make a lemon icing to drizzle over the muffins as pictured (100g icing sugar + 1-2 tbsp lemon juice), or enjoy without to avoid the extra sugar. My girls had fun icing them :-)

 

no thermomix?

• grate lemon zest using a grater, cook up chopped apple on a stovetop or in the microwave. Use a blender or food processor to blend the orange before combining with the remaining ingredients.

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Green superfood balls

I am very excited to hear that we have a new organic health food shop opening in Discovery Bay very soon called Just Green. I just happened to be google-ing organic produce in Hong Kong when I came across this information . . . this may not be news for some DBers, but I have been out of town for most of the Summer :)  I was in the city recently, and popped into their Wan Chai store to check it out. What a gold mine of organic goodies! I was very pleased to find just about everything on the shelves that I have been sourcing in Australia to make my recipes. Plus they sell dehydrators . . ooh how I'd love one of those one day!

So, I walked out of the shop with quite a few goodies under my arm, including some organic dried spirulina, (I take spirulina in tablet form, but I have never used this superfood in cooking). I say 'cooking' but of course you should always use spirulina raw to preserve its nutritional status. I was thinking about grinding up a scoop of it to add to fresh blended juice smoothies for my girls, but I couldn't resist trying it out in a green superfood treat ball :) Here goes . . . .

Green superfood balls
Each ball provides 1g of spirulina (1-5g per day has been associated with significant health benefits and many people take up to 10g daily). I couldn't resist adding raw cacao (also a superfood), which does tone down the green colour of the ball and adds a mild chocolate flavour. Of course, this is only an obligatory addition in my household :) 

Enjoy 2 balls per day for a wonderful energising, appetite-suppressing, nutrient fix! 
Try to buy certified organic ingredients where possible. 

ingredients

30g raw pistachios (shelled), for coating
30g desiccated coconut, for coating 

20g dried spirulina pieces (or powder)

20g organic chia seeds
100g fresh coconut 

75g almonds + 75g walnuts (preferably activated)

150g fresh medjool dates

50g organic dried goji berries 

1-2 tsp vanilla bean paste 
20g organic raw cacao powder (optional)

method

1. Add raw pistachios to the TM bowl and pulse on Turbo 2-3 times. Add desiccated coconut and combine for a few seconds on reverse, speed 3. Set aside in a shallow bowl for coating the balls later.

2. Add spirulina pieces and chia seeds to the TM bowl and grind on speed 9 for 20 seconds. Set aside in separate bowl to the coating ingredients (above).

3. Grate fresh coconut on speed 9 for 10 seconds, set aside with ground spirulina and chia.

4. Add almonds, walnuts and goji berries to the TM bowl and grind on speed 7 for 20 seconds. If you'd like some chunky pieces of nuts in your balls, pulse a portion rather than grind them all.

5. Return the coconut, chia and spirulina to the TM bowl together with the fresh dates, vanilla and raw cacao (optional). Mix on speed 8 for 30 seconds or until the mixture comes together well and is able to be squished and rolled into balls.

6. Roll mixture into small balls. I find it easy to scoop a plastic tbsp up the side of the TM bowl then finish rounding the ball by hand. Coat your superfood balls in a mixture of finely chopped pistachios and desiccated coconut. Makes about 20 balls. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

nutrition tid bits

'Superfood' seems to be the latest buzz word in nutrition these days, and is used to identify any nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. All of the ingredients in this recipe make this renowned list.

Spirulina, is an edible blue-green algae which could in fact be the most nutritious food known. Widely referred to as a 'powerhouse of nutrition', well over 400 scientific studies have proven it's worth. Spirulina is about 60% complete protein, a good source of the healthy omega fats, the highest known source of B12 and betacarotene (precursor to vitamin A), plus it comprises a huge variety of other vital vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, (NaturalNews). I like to buy spirulina as pure sun-dried pieces and grind it into a powder myself, using my Thermomix of course! Spirulina should be kept in an airtight glass jar in the fridge. You can crunch on this green superfood as a snack, add it to salads or in powder form, add it to freshly prepared blended juices or smoothies (as mentioned above), but if all that sounds a little too adventurous, it does go well in these balls I promise :) 

nutrition per ball

protein 3.2g

carbs 4.4g

total fat 8g

saturated fat 2.2g

dietary fibre 1g

kilojoules 403

calories 96

Extra coconut meat from your freshly opened mature coconut, can be used in your CADA breakfast. It will keep for up to 4 days (grated or in pieces) in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze fresh coconut for up to 6 months. 

For more raw treat ball recipes click here.
Find out why and how I use chia in my recipes here.

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Raw energy bars

I came up with the idea for these when I was thinking about what I could make for something different to take with us for a nutritious snack on a family outing to Ocean Park in Hong Kong at the beginning of the school holidays. Miss 5 was favouring my treat balls, but rather than make my usual version, I decided to have a play with the basic ingredients and turn them into a bar for something different! So I made a basic, yet tasty chocolatey mix and turned it into 6 bars just by moulding 3 tbsp of the mixture into a bar shape inside a little plastic bag using my TM spatula. You could easily mould my treat balls into a bar if you wanted to.

The result is a little raw energy bar that you can wrap and take with you as handy little burst of energy when you need it out and about. It's just a shame that I can't send it with my girls to school due to the nut content, as my treat balls have always been a hit with them.

This is what I started with, but there is scope for so much more as I intend to experiment with over the coming weeks. . . while we are on school holidays and I don't have to think 'nut-free'. I will update this page with new recipes as I develop them.

These balls are of course inherently dairy-free, gluten-free, and packed full of dietary fibre and healthy plant fats, plus the sweetness is contributed by whole foods rather than added sugar.

Raw energy bars 
makes 6

ingredients (basic recipe)
100g raw cashews
100g raw walnuts
100g fresh meijool dates
100g dried dates
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 tbsp raw cacao  -  if you're a chocoholic like me, you may need 5 :-)


method

1. Add the nuts to the TM bowl and with the MC in place, grind on speed 7 for 10-15 seconds. The ground nuts should look a little moist, but not pastey. You don't want to release too much of the oil content. 
2. Add all other ingredients and combine on speed 7 until the mixture feels fudge-like when you squash some between your fingers. You will also notice that the oils will begin to come out of the nuts. This should only take 10-20 seconds. If you over mix it will become very oily.
3. Scoop 3 tbsp of the mixture from the bowl and place inside a small ziplock bag. Using your TM spatula, push, prod and shape the mixture into a bar measuring about 3.5 x 10cm and voila . . . you have a nutritious little bar of raw food goodness :) My girls love mummy to add a few drops of peppermint oil for a choc-mint bar. 

Variations . . . there are so many ideas

Use your own combination of nuts and seeds to make up the 200g, e.g. pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashew, peanut, pistachio, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds. You could try to make these nut-free by using a combination of seeds only. 

Use any combination of dried fruit such as dried blueberries, raisins, sultanas, apricots, cranberries, figs, dates, goji berries, prunes, apple, cranberries. It is a good idea to include fresh dates for stickiness. 

Add some extra flavouring such as cinnamon or mixed spice, lemon or orange zest, peppermint oil or vanilla.

Replace 50-100g of the fruit with dried or fresh coconut. I like to use fresh coconut in my treat balls. 

Raw cacao, fruit & nut treat balls

These Raw Cacao bean & goji berry treat balls are the first recipe that I ever developed in my Thermomix and posted to the Thermomix Australia Recipe Community. Since then, I have had some lovely positive feedback on the forum. Being as life is a little busy at the moment and is unfortunately holding me back from 'playing' with my Thermomix (other than making my regular recipes of course)  . . .  I thought I'd post this recipe as a quick and easy one this week.




Since making these tasty and nutritious raw 'superfood' cacao morsels, I have tried a number of variations . . I now find myself adding fresh coconut and dates which I always have in my fridge to make my CADA+Pear breakfast. These ingredients really help to make the balls moist and fudgy without needing to add honey to help the ingredients glue. 


Not only is this the healthiest way to get your chocolate fix, it is also the healthiest way to eat nuts and seeds, especially if you are able to source certified organic. For even more nutrition, use activated nuts or soak and dry your own at the lowest temp in your oven or in a dehydrator. 


There a three basic recipes below with variation ideas summed up at the bottom. I have to tell you that they are child-friendly too, my girls love these as an after school snack . . . I love them as a healthy pick-me-up anytime of day :)


Raw Cacao bean & goji berry treat balls 
These balls are a healthy way to satisfy a chocolate craving with considerably less guilt! They are packed full of antioxidants, dietary fibre, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. Enjoy!

Original recipe - still a favourite!

ingredients
70 g raw almonds (or cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts etc. OR 50g nuts + 20g chia / flaxseeds)
70 g raw cacao beans or nibs
45 g organic goji berries (Chinese wolfberry)
45 g dates (or use half dates & half dried apricots)
2 tsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp raw honey or your choice of syrup
1 tsp vanilla bean paste 


method

1. Add raw cacao beans and raw almonds (+ seeds) to the TM bowl and grind into a fine powder on speed 9 for about 10 seconds.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and mix on speed 8 for about 30 seconds until the mixture is finely ground, comes together well and is able to be shaped into balls.
3. Shape into approximately 15 balls. Store in the refrigerator.

Fudgy version (using fresh coconut & medjool dates)

'fudgy' treat balls with fresh coconut & fresh date 

ingredients

40g raw almonds

30g raw cashews
80 g raw cacao beans or nibs

50g fresh coconut

75g (or 7) fresh medjool dates

40g goji berries

10-20g raw cacao powder (optional) - for a richer chocolate flavour

1 tsp vanilla bean paste 

method

1. Add raw almonds, cashews and cacao beans to the TM bowl and grind into a fine powder on speed 9 for 10-20 seconds. Decant.
2. Add fresh coconut to the TM bowl and grind on speed 9 for 20 seconds. 
3. Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl with the ground nuts and cacao beans and mix on speed 8 for about 30 seconds or until the mixture is finely chopped and comes together well. Roll into small bowls. Makes about 16. Keep in the refrigerator.

For a richer, darker, chocolate flavour, add the 10-20g raw cacao powder which has a more concentrated chocolate flavour than the whole cacao beans. 


Quick choc-mint fix treat balls 
August 2012 - My girls requested these non-stop over the July school holidays on our recent trip home to Australia. Great if you don't have raw cacao beans or nibs on hand. Stick to the basic recipe or mix up to your preference. If you don't have the seeds add more nuts. 

ingredients

20g flaxseeds (linseeds) or chia

80g raw walnuts (or a mix of your fave nuts)

100g fresh dates, pitted

100g mixed dried fruit (e.g. blueberries, sultanas, cherry, goji or more dates)

4 tbsp raw cacao

5 drops peppermint oil

1 tsp vanilla paste (optional)

method

1. Add seeds and nuts to the TM bowl and grind into a fine powder on speed 9 for about 30 seconds.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and mix on speed 8 for about 30 seconds until the mixture comes together well and is able to be shaped into balls.
3. Shape into approximately 15 balls. Store in the refrigerator.

variations ideas for all treat balls

• You can use any mix of raw nuts and seeds. Try all seeds for nut-free treat balls.
• I am a big fan of dates and goji berries, but you can use any mix of dried fruit, e.g. apricots, sultanas, raisins, blueberries, cranberries . . . . sometimes I just use fresh dates.
• Add peppermint oil or fresh orange zest for a little more interest. 
• Make them into raw energy bars!
• Roll in coconut . . . .!

no thermomix?
Try using your food processor! 

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