Raw, superfood nut-free bites

Variants of my raw cacao treat balls occupy a permanent position in our fridge, and that's because we make them weekly . .  and as they disappear, I always make a new batch :) They are the first thing I reach for after a busy day at work . . . a super nutritious, raw cacao (aka chocolate) fix, enjoyed by my whole family. So I decided it was time I developed a nut-free version that my girls could take to school, and shaped them into little bars for something different. Of course, you can try this with any fudgy treat ball recipe, as long as it isn't too soft. A little coconut oil helps the mix to set in the fridge.   

My girls quite happily nibble on sunflower seeds as a snack so I kept them chunky, which I think looks pretty. . . you could always grind them so they disappear :) I love the little specs of pink through the fudge from the goji berries too. My girls don't like goji berries on their own, but always eat them in my treat balls. . . any way I can get goodness into them is a good way I say!  By grinding your own dry, freeze-dried or dehydrated superfruits, you can effectively make your own superfruit powder . . . I had a jar of dehydrated pomegranate seeds in the pantry which I had prepared myself when fresh pomegranates were fleetingly available in Hong Kong recently. Over this time, I also enjoyed using my Thermomix to de-seed and grind up the pomegranate 'berries', and used a nut milk bag to filter the blended mixture into a fresh juice . . . oh so yummy and nutritious!  

Oh, and if you can't get past nuts in this type of recipe, then by all means swap the sunflower seeds for cashews, almonds or walnuts (or a combination of them all). You can grind them at step 2 with the chia seeds and cacao beans or chop them roughly as I do with the sunflower seeds in this recipe at step 3. For a flavour variation, add a few drops of your favourite essential oil . . .  my girls have already requested peppermint next make :)

Enjoy the amazing burst of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients!!

ingredients
50g chia seeds
80g raw cacao beans or nibs
100g dried goji berries
40g dehydrated pomegranate seeds (or your choice of dry or freeze-dried berries)
100g sunflower seeds (preferably activated) - you could also use sesame seeds
180g fresh medjool dates 
3 tbsp raw cacao powder 
1 tbsp superfood powder blend (optional) 
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
20-30g coconut oil
8 drops of peppermint or orange essential oil (optional)

method

1. Add chia seeds and cacao beans to the TM bowl and grind for 20 seconds on speed 9, (you can add the sunflower seeds at this step too if you don't want them to be chunky). Decant and set aside. 

2. Grind goji berries and dehydrated pomegranate seeds on speed 9 for 10-30 seconds into a 'superfruit' powder, (the grinding time will depend on the choice of fruit you use here).  

3. Return the ground chia and cacao beans to the TM bowl, and add all remaining ingredients. NOTE: If your dates are not especially soft, you may need to add a few more. Mix on speed 8 for 20-30 seconds to combine, or until the mixture come together and is squishable when you press it between your thumb and fingers :) 

4. Press mixture evenly into a medium-sized square edged tray or cake tin greased with a little coconut oil or lined with baking paper, (I used a 20 x 20cm cake tin). Allow to stiffen for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before slicing into small bars or squares. Makes 28. Enjoy! These bars keep very well in the refrigerator.

no thermomix?
You will need to employ a coffee grinder or some equally powerful device to grind up your cacao beans and seeds. You should be able to combine all ingredients using a powerful food processor. Good luck :)

Spelt hot cross buns

First up, apologises for the late post as ideally you should have had this recipe in time for Good Friday . . . but life is never ideal is it? Easter is almost done and dusted for 2013, but you don't have to stop eating hot cross buns just yet do you? (in moderation of course, plus they freeze really well). I have been making my own hot cross buns at Easter for years, although originally I didn't use spelt flour and would use my bread machine to knead and prove the dough. I completely avoid the commercial varieties, not just because of all the additives and other synthetic ingredients, but because once you've had homemade you just can't go back can you? My crosses may not be as white and perfect as the store bought ones, but that's by choice . . . I choose the rustic look over bleached flour and hydrogenated oils any day!

My family look forward to enjoying their hot cross buns straight from the oven at Easter time, and I also use this same recipe to make a fruit loaf all year round . . but isn't there just something special about eating them in the form of a bun :) The enjoyment we all get out of sharing them over brunch or lunch (depending on how late in the day I started making them), definitely makes it worth the extra effort to fuss over their presentation at least once per year. I like to make a double batch of the dough, one batch after another and combine the dough in a bowl to prove. I must confess that I haven't tried the EDC recipe, even though I have heard great things about it, but that's just because I can't quite get past my own recipe . . . when you're onto a good thing you stick to it right? :)

ingredients
330g filtered water
2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
500g spelt bakers flour (use all white or half wholemeal) - use normal strong bread flour if you can't find spelt bread flour. 
3 rounded tsp cinnamon
2 rounded tsp mixed spice
3 tsp sucanat, coconut sugar or raw caster sugar
1 tsp fine Himalyan or Celtic sea salt
20g cold pressed avocado or macadamia oil
1 1/2 cups dried fruit of choice (sultanas, raisins, currants, dried apricots, apple, blueberries, cranberries etc.)

flour paste
60g white spelt flour
70g filtered water
1 tsp cold pressed macadamia oil or softened coconut oil

glaze
3 tbsp filtered boiling water
2 tbsp sucanat, coconut sugar or raw honey
1/2 tsp mixed spice

method
1. Line a shallow rectangular tray or dish with baking paper. 

2. Add 330g filtered water to the TM bowl and heat 1 minute at 90°C on speed 1.

3. Add remaining ingredients (except the dried fruit), and mix for a few seconds on speed 7. 
Then, set dial to closed lid position and knead for 2 minutes on interval setting. 

4. Add your dried fruits of choice and use the spatula to combine using a chopping and mixing action. Transfer the dough onto your thermomat, pressing in any runaway sultanas & currants, and wrap up (or place in a large, lightly floured stainless steel bowl and cover).

5. Place the dough in a warm place for 1.5 - 2 hours or until the dough doubles in size. I like to place in a bowl in a 40°C oven or warmer drawer, covered with a damp tea towel. I've heard another great place is inside your car in the sun . . not that I have this option available to me in Hong Kong!

6. Once the dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a floured benchtop or your thermomat. Divide into 12 pieces of equal size (or 24 if you have doubled the recipe). I'm a little pedantic here I must confess, I use a scale to measure pieces of dough at about 90g each :)  Shape each piece into a smooth ball, then place smooth side up into your prepared tray or dish and brush the buns at this point with a lightly whisked egg or milk (this is optional as I didn't do this for the batch I made in the photo, but it will help your buns to brown a little more).

7. Cover the tray of buns loosely with the damp tea towel or your thermomat, and leave in a warm place (or return to the warm oven) and allow them to expand to just fill the pan (about 15-20 minutes). Next, preheat oven to fan-forced 190°C. 

8. Meanwhile, to make the flour paste for the crosses, place all ingredients in the TM bowl and mix to combine for about 20 seconds on speed 4 (or whisk together in a small bowl). Pour into a small ziplock bag and snip off the very corner with scissors (or use a piping bag fitted with a 5mm plain piping tip) and pipe the paste in one continuous line down the centre of each row of buns and then crossways to form crosses. 

9. Place buns in preheated oven and cook for about 15 minutes until golden brown and they sound hollow when tapped. 

10. To make the glaze, combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix well to dissolve the honey or sugar. Brush the hot cross buns with the glaze while still warm. Serve as is or with butter. They are also lovely with lemon butter. These buns are so moist I often skip using any spreads. Enjoy!

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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Chicken & vegetable sausage rolls with spelt pastry

I adore this recipe, so much so I am even a little hesitant to let you all know about it :)  But it's a bit late now to be precious about my recipes!!  It does make my day when somebody leaves me a little comment down below, so please don't be shy if you are enjoying something here on my blog. . . . .

I pull out either this recipe, or my pork and beef sausage rolls for birthday parties, and they are always a hit :) I always have sausage rolls on hand in my freezer and regularly serve them up for a quick, easy and nutritious evening meal for my girls who devour them with veggie sticks or their favourite steamed veg on the side :) 

I have made several adjustments to this recipe over the years, my most recent is to add TM made stock paste, which adds a deliciously rich flavour to all of my dishes, plus I love to make my own rough puff pastry rather than use the commercial variety. It is very easy to make in the Thermomix if you haven't tried before, and it just adds something very special to a homemade sausage roll. Please let me know what you think :)

ingredients

Pastry: 
185g white spelt flour
190g wholemeal spelt flour
300g unsalted butter - I buy unsalted to avoid commercial salt then add Himalayan
1.5 tsp Himalayan (or sea salt)
150g filtered water, chilled
3 tsp lemon juice 

Filling:
1 sml sweet potato, peeled & thickly sliced (about 250g)
80g fresh wholegrain homemade bread, broken into pieces 
30g tasty cheese, cut into chunks (optional)
1 large clove garlic
1 sml handful your choice mixed fresh herbs, e.g. parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano
1 sml or half a large onion, quartered
1 medium carrot, cut into chunks
1 sml zucchini, cut into chunks
600g thigh or breast chicken, skinless, cut into 1-2cm cubes
1/4 tsp each of dried sage, cloves and nutmeg - I like to freshly grind my nutmeg & cloves
good grind black pepper
2 tbsp TM tomato sauce (ketchup)
1 tbsp TM chicken or vegetable stock paste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

To finish:
1 large egg + a little water
poppy seeds, to sprinkle

method
1. First follow the EDC rough puff pastry method to make 1.5 x qty batch of spelt rough puff pastry using the proportions of ingredients listed above. Make this ahead, wrap well in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. 

2. Peel and slice sweet potato into 2cm thick rounds and place in the Varoma dish. Add 400g of water to the TM bowl and set the Varoma dish into position. Steam for 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1. Set aside the sweet potato and rinse and dry the TM bowl.

3. Add fresh bread, tasty cheese (optional), garlic and fresh herbs to the TM bowl and chop on speed 7 for 5 seconds. Decant into a bowl. 

4. Add onion, carrot and zucchini to the TM bowl and chop on speed 5 for 5-10 seconds or until evenly  chopped.

5. Return the breadcrumb cheese and herbs mixture and add the cubed chicken, sweet potato and all remaining ingredients to the TM bowl and chop on speed 6-8 until finely minced and well combined. You will need to use the spatula to assist. Stop mixing to scrape down the bowl once or twice. 

6. Remove the slab of puff pastry from the fridge and slice in half, then in half again so that you have four equal sized pieces. Keep aside one quarter and return the remaining pastry to the fridge to keep cold. Roll out the pastry piece on a floured surface or your TM mat, to a rectangular shape of about 15 x 45cm, and 2mm thickness. 

7. Spoon a quarter of the mixture along the centre of the pastry. Turn one side over the filling and roll, seam side down, brush the edge with a little milk or water to seal. I like to then cut each roll in half and then lift each piece off the TM mat onto a chopping board, so that I can use a serrated knife to carefully cut each roll into 6 equal pieces. This creates a clean cut which doesn't flatten your sausage rolls as you cut which can happen if you use a blunt knife, (or use a butter knife on the mat so you don't slice it up!) 

8. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal slashes into the tops of your little sausage rolls, glaze with a whisked egg and water wash, then sprinkle with poppy seeds. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling, making 48 sausage rolls in total.

9. When you're ready to cook the sausage rolls, pre-heat oven to 220°C and bake on prepared oven trays for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve with Thermomix tomato sauce (ketchup). If freezing to reheat later, cook until the pastry is just cooked through or lightly golden, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. I like to freeze the sausage rolls in a single layer and when frozen solid, later transfer them to ziplock bags for easy storage. 

You can reheat your chicken & vegetable sausage rolls straight from the freezer. Just preheat your oven to 180°C and cook for 15 minutes or until piping hot. 

variation ideas

• for a nutritional boost use chia seeds in place of about half of the fresh bread or add some to the puff pastry!
• I usually mix up my fresh herbs according to what I have on hand. I'm really enjoying growing our own thyme, basil and rosemary quite successfully on our balcony these days . . . I love just thyme in a sausage roll and rosemary goes really well with it too!
• If you have Quirky Cooking's chicken stock paste on hand, this is the better stock paste choice for any chicken dish in my opinion. Thanks Jo! :)

no thermomix?
Prior to owning a thermomix, I would make this recipe using my food processor. I would buy ready-made puff pastry but no more! All pastries I have made in my thermomix turn out amazing, so I will never look back :)

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Not just pumpkin soup!

I'm back in Hong Kong after spending our Christmas break 'home' in Australia, and we are having some cool days right now, yes Hong Kong does get cold! So homemade soup is back on the menu! I've been making this pumpkin soup for as long as I can remember and before I was making it my mum was! This is an adaptation of mum's recipe and it's always a favourite when I serve it up for friends and family, so I thought I'd better thermi-fy it and blog it :)

I call this one 'not just pumpkin' because it's not your typical pumpkin soup. I toss in some extras along with the usual suspects plus a bit of spice . . . coriander and cumin which go so well with pumpkin, and it makes for a very flavoursome twist on the common favourite which is thick and very wholesome. I hope you like it!

As I have discussed before on this blog, soup-making is a joy when you own a Thermomix . . . . so easy and fun! It is so simple to adapt your favourite soup recipes. There are some great tips in the Everyday Cookbook for those of you who may be new to soup-making Thermomix style. So there's no excuse not to convert your favourite soup recipe :)

ingredients
1 large brown onion, halved

3 cloves garlic, peeled

20g olive or coconut oil

½ butternut pumpkin (about 500g), peeled & cut into large chunks

1 med-large sweet potato (about 300g), peeled & cut into large chunks

1 large carrot, cut into chunks

½ large or 1 sml zucchini, cut into chunks

1 stick celery, cut into chunks

3 tsp ground coriander

3 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp TM vege stock concentrate

approx 500g filtered water

200g full-cream organic milk (or plant-based alternative)

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

handful fresh coriander leaves (optional)

a little natural yoghurt

method

1. Place garlic and onion into TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula.
2. Add olive oil and sauté for 3 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.
3. Add pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, zucchini, celery (the bowl will be almost full) and chop for 10-15 seconds on speed 5. Use the spatula to assist if necessary so that the vegetables are chopped fairly evenly.
4. Add the spices and TM vegetable stock concentrate and filtered water (do not fill above the 2L mark on the bowl). Cook for 25-30 minutes at 100°C on speed 1 or until vegetables are tender. You'll need to place the basket on the lid to prevent a mess :)
5. Add a handful of fresh coriander leaves and season with freshly ground black pepper. Puree by gradually turning the dial to speed 7 and blending for about 15 seconds (with the MC cup in). 
6. For a creamy pumpkin soup, add 100-200g of milk and heat for a few minutes further at 100°C on speed 1 or simply blend on speed 3 and serve. 
7. Ladle into bowls to serve and garnish with a dollop of natural yoghurt and a sprig of fresh coriander. Enjoy!

nutrition tid bits

The pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot in this soup are very good source of carotenoids which are a group of brightly coloured pigments responsible for the orange colour of these vegetables, but also the red and yellow colours of others, including some fruits. Beta-carotene is a well-known pigment from this group which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Carotenoids are potent antioxidants, which when eaten in their whole food form protect against cancer and other degenerative diseases. 

For the most part, vegetables rich in carotenoids are best eaten raw or lightly steamed or sautéed to preserve their carotenoid content. That's why you should only cook your soup vegetables until 'just tender'. Tomatoes are an exception to this rule as their carotene content is intensified as a result of cooking. So your Thermomix tomato ketchup, tomato paste, pizza sauce and any other cooked dishes which contain tomatoes are a great source of the carotenoid lycopene. Other fruits and vegetables high in carotenoids include butternut squash, apricots, mangoes, oranges, papaya, watermelon and the less obvious leafy greens including spinach and kale.

Did you know that carotenoids are fat-soluble and should therefore be consumed with healthy fats to be absorbed by the digestive system? So don't attempt to make this soup fat-free and do make your own oil-based salad dressings from healthy oils like olive, avocado and macadamia nut oil, or add fresh avocado and a sprinkle of nuts and/or seeds to your summer salads to ensure that you are not missing out the health benefits of carotenoid-rich foods. 

Instant, dairy-free, raw cacao mousse with chia!

I just had to share this quick one! An instant and nutritious, rich chocolate dessert fix . .  . if you're thinking of reaching for some chocolate you must make this instead! So easy and soooo great!! I get to enjoy this dessert all to myself tonight . . .I promise I won't eat the whole lot :) . . but I'm sure it will be a hit with my girls too. The ground chia goes to work to provide instant thickening power for this recipe, owing to the gelation properties of the soluble fibre contained within the seeds which is released immediately on grinding. 

ingredients
4 tbsp (50g) chia seeds
1 can organic coconut milk (choose one which is additive free & avoid low-fat)
5-6 fresh dates, pitted
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 drops liquid stevia (or to taste)
4 ice cubes 

method
1. Add chia seeds to the TM bowl and grind on speed 9 for 20 seconds into a fine powder.

2. Add remaining ingredients and blend on speed 9 for 30 seconds or until smooth, with the MC lid in place. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later. . . and there you have it! Guilt-free, rich, chocolate-y deliciousness! 


Serves 2-4 depending on your appetite :)

This chocolate dessert will even keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It retains it's mousse-like texture very nicely :) 




variation ideas

• add a few drops of orange or peppermint essential oil for a choc-orange or choc-mint flavour
• grind some hazelnuts with the chia for a 'Baci' inspired flavour
• add 1 tbsp of a superfood powder blend for an antioxidant boost
• if you have a sweet tooth add a couple more dates or another drop of liquid stevia :)
• don't try flaxseeds in place of chia for this recipe, they have a stronger taste

nutrition tid bits
There's nothing better than the feeling you get from satisfying that chocolate craving, whilst fueling your body with a nutrient dense treat! This dessert is packed full of nutrition from chia and raw cacao in particular, which combined provide you with a high-quality dose of omega-3 fats, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, protein and a range of beneficial phytochemicals and antioxidants. 

You'll also notice how just one small bowl of this dessert fills you up very nicely :) This is the fibre in chia working to absorb liquid and gel up, not only in your bowl of chocolate goodness, but also in your stomach. Of course, the fibre in chia also helps with your digestion and even slows the conversion of carbohydrates to glucose, reducing blood sugar spikes. All in all, there are many reasons to treat yourself with this dessert every night :) Why not? I say. 

no thermomix?
If you don't own a Thermomix, you'll need a coffee grinder to grind up the chia seeds and a good blender to do the rest :)

source: unfortunately I can't take full credit for this amazing recipe . . . Erin from Earth Energy Yoga is the miracle worker. I have simply made a couple of tweaks and adapted it for the Thermomix. Thank you Erin! Thank you also to the lovely Thermo Bel for sharing this recipe with us on her Facebook page. 

Thai style chicken & coconut salad

It's always lovely to be in my home country of Australia to celebrate Christmas with family, and I count myself very lucky to be part of a family that on both sides are very passionate about preparing good food whether it be at Christmas or anytime of the year :)  Christmas day, is of course an opportunity for everyone to come together to celebrate, and on my husband's side owing to the enormity of the get together . . . which is a tribute to a devoted family with many who travel from afar . .  everyone brings a plate or two of food rather than a gift, and the focus is on family, fun, conversation, and of course fabulous food (and wine).

As the guests arrive on the day, a large, long table is carefully adorned with the most delicious of creations. Some dishes are old family favourites that have a starring role each Christmas, and other dishes make their first appearance, but never disappoint due to the calibre of the cook that has prepared them! They meet the scrutiny of 60 plus people, and if we are lucky will return the following year. 

There is always an amazing spread of cold meats (turkey, ham, rare beef, chicken and even tongue for the more adventurous), with luxurious homemade condiments and simple, yet exquisite sides such as minted peas and glazed carrots among an assortment of gourmet salads from green salad, caprese, watermelon & mint, green bean & pine nuts and my favourites this year . . marinated citrus chicken, roast pumpkin rocket & fetta, pancetta & broad beans, Moroccan pearl couscous & chickpea, and coconut chicken salad . . . needless to say every plate was piled high and you were certainly the odd one out if you didn't come back for seconds or even thirds! 

 

We finished with two large glorious homemade steamed Christmas puds, one recipe handed down through generations . . served up with thick creamy vanilla custard and a lashing of hard sauce. 

The recipe below is my Thermomix version of the lovely Thai-style Coconut chicken salad or Yum Gai - which my gorgeous sister-in-law contributed to the festive feast. She was generous enough to share her recipe and I have made just a couple of tweaks. It is a perfect fresh flavoured Summer salad. I took it along to a friend's BBQ dinner and my girlfriend commented "this is a salad to impress". I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and friends do . . .

Thai-style coconut chicken salad

ingredients
2 chicken breast fillets, skin off, quartered
1 pink lady apple, cored
1 large pink shallot (or sml red onion)
2 handfuls of fresh mint leaves
1 large carrot
1 punnet cherry or baby roma tomatoes
100g baby spinach leaves
100g cashews (raw or roasted - optional)

dressing:
juice of 1-2 lemons (4 tbsp)
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sambal olek (hot chill paste) - or to taste
4 tbsp coconut milk
2 spring onions, cut into 5cm pieces
2-3 fresh kaffir lime leaves
1 handful fresh coriander leaves

method
1. Add 500g boiling water to the TM bowl and chicken pieces into the Varoma dish. Set the Varoma into position and steam the chicken for approximately 15 minutes on speed 1 or 2 or until cooked through. Remove the Varoma tray, set aside and allow the chicken to cool.  Rinse out the TM bowl ready to prepare the salad dressing. 

2. Add all dressing ingredients to the TM bowl and blend for 10 seconds on speed 7 with the MC lid in place - you could also add the shallot here if you prefer to blend it in with the dressing. Decant and set aside.

3. Add the cooked chicken pieces to the TM bowl and shred for about 3 seconds on reverse speed 4. Remove the shredded chicken into a large bowl. Isn't this just so impressive! 

4. Prepare your carrot with the apple etc. in step 5 below, or for a fussier look you could cut julienne-style or use a spiraliser, and then add to the large bowl with the chicken. 

5. Add the apple, shallot (or red onion) and mint leaves to the TM bowl and chop roughly on speed 4 for 5-6 seconds. Decant and add to the large bowl with the other ingredients. 

6. Shred the baby spinach with a knife or keep whole, add to the other ingredients and pour over the salad dressing. Use your spatula or salad servers to toss the salad to combine all ingredients and dish onto a large serving plate to serve. Sprinkle with cashews (optional) and garnish with a sprig of mint. Enjoy!

variation ideas

• add red capsicum instead of cherry tomatoes
• use fresh chilli in place of chilli paste
• try chopping the baby spinach with the apple, onion and mint at step 5.

no thermomix?

• Boil or steam chicken fillets on the stovetop & shred using two forks (oh no!)
• Finely chop the spring onions and lime leaves and combine with the other dressing ingredients for a chunkier style dressing

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Dark chocolate fruit cake

I have created this recipe now with Christmas in mind, but the inspiration for this cake comes originally from my amazing wedding cake which I had made for the occasion 12 years ago this coming March! It was the perfect combination of mud cake and fruit cake, decorated in a white chocolate ganache and topped with a beautiful arrangement of white chocolate shards and roses . . . and I haven't had anything quite like it since :)  Mud cake has long been a favourite of mine, but I rarely bake it at home purely because it is just too indulgent! My chocolate brownie always hits the spot when I'm in the mood for a rich chocolate, fudgy fix.

This is my own healthy version of a chocolate mud fruit cake, and for me it's the right mix of dark chocolate and fruity fudginess, plus it's not too sweet.  Making it this close to Christmas,  I have added a little mixed spice & the zest of an orange for a more festive feel. It's not too late to add this to your 'To do' list, there's no need to soak the fruit for days ahead :)

Dark chocolate fruit cake

ingredients

80 raw almonds

100g 70% dark chocolate (I like to use vegan)

150g organic dried prunes, pitted

150g organic dried dates, pitted

50g unsalted butter or coconut oil

100g goji berries

100g sultanas (or raisins)

100g currants

1-2 tbsp raw honey
½ tsp green leaf stevia powder

100g Baileys or Kahlua (coffee liquor) - use Brandy @xmas

juice & zest of 1 organic orange 

3 large eggs

150g white spelt flour (for grain-free see variations below)

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp bicarb of soda 
good pinch fine Himalyan salt

method
1. Peel the zest of the orange into strips and add to the TM bowl together with the almonds and dark chocolate and grind for 15 seconds on speed 7 into a coarse powder. Decant and set aside.
3. Mash prunes and dates at speed 6 for 15 seconds.
4. Add butter or coconut oil, goji berries, sultanas, currants, raw honey, coffee liqueur (or Brandy), orange juice and salt to the TM bowl and heat the mixture for 8 minutes at 90°C on reverse, speed 1. Stop once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
5. While the mixture is cooling, preheat oven to 160°C and grease and line a 20cm round or square cake pan (or 4 individual tins 10x10cm square pans).
6. Add eggs, flour, baking powder, bicarb, stevia and return ground nuts and dark chocolate to the TM bowl. Also add ½ tsp mixed spice here for a Christmas cake. Mix with the aid of the spatula for approx 20 seconds on reverse, speed 3-4. You will collapse the structure of the dried fruit if you mix at a higher speed. If you prefer to blend the fruit, this is an option.
7. Carefully pour the mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 mins or until darkened on the edges and a skewer comes out clean. Allow to sit in the cake pan for a few minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

no Thermomix?
Zest the orange using a grater, chop the dried fruits by hand or use a food processor and cook the liquor with the fruits etc. (step 4) on the stovetop.

variations

• for more of a festive flavour add 1/2 tsp mixed spice and use brandy instead of coffee liquor
• this recipe also works well as individual cakes to package for xmas gifts. Keep it simple and decorate with a wide Christmas ribbon :)
• for a dairy-free use vegan chocolate and coconut oil instead of butter
• for a grain-free version:
• increase baking powder and bicarb to 1 tsp of each
• add 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseeds + 3 tbsp water)
• in place of the spelt flour use 50g coconut flour + 50g tapioca or arrowroot flour

Gingerbread cookies

The festive season is upon us . . . doesn't it come around so quickly! Right on schedule my girls have been asking for gingerbread biscuits or 'cookies', depending on your inclination . . but we've already had this discussion here :) This is our second batch for the month as they're a popular addition to the lunchbox as well as a hit with playdates! It's always a fun activity to get out the cookies to decorate as an after school activity :) 

We do tend to associate this recipe with Christmas, but I have been known to make them at other times of the year. I developed this recipe a few years back and have now not only adapted it for the TM, but I also mill whole grains for the recipe rather than purchase ready-made flour. This does give a slight grainy texture to the cookies which my girls are very used too, but if you are only in the early days of experimenting with 'healthier versions' on your children, you might like to start with half white, half whole grain flour. This recipe is inherently higher in dietary fibre due to the wholegrains and also lower in sugar than most gingerbread recipes. There is the option to grind your own cinnamon and cloves too if you purchase them whole these days. 

I use blackstrap molasses in this recipe which imparts a robust flavour as well as a deep brown pigmentation to the gingerbread. Molasses is the dark sticky syrup which is removed from cane sugar during the process of making refined white sugar. It is also a very good source of iron, calcium and a variety of other minerals. If you prefer a lighter-style gingerbread, golden syrup also works very well, or try half and half. Have fun!

Gingerbread cookies (oat & spelt)
makes 3 dozen medium-size cookies

ingredients
150g whole oats
350g whole spelt grains (or use wholegrain spelt flour)
100g unsalted butter, cut into chunks
100g rapadura (sucanat) or raw caster sugar
170g unsulphured blackstrap molasses (or golden syrup)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 1/2 tsp ground dried ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon (or 2 cinnamon quills)
1/4 tsp ground cloves (3 whole cloves)
1/4 tsp salt 

method
Add whole oats and spelt grains to the TM bowl and grind into flour on speed 9 for 2 minutes. Decant the flour and set aside. You could also grind your own whole cinnamon and cloves at this step.

Add the butter, molasses and sucanat to the TM bowl and mix together for 1-2 minutes at 60°C on speed 2 or until the butter has melted. If you don't have unsalted butter, use salted butter and omit the 1/4 tsp salt. Add the egg and bicarb soda and mix on speed 3 for 10 seconds. 

Return the oat and spelt flour to the TM bowl with the ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt - I like to use Himalayan salt, which is pure, uncontaminated and unrefined. 

Set the lid to closed position and combine on interval speed for 30 seconds or until the ingredients just come together to form a stiff yet slightly sticky dough. You may need to add more flour here if your mixture is too sticky, particularly if you are using white spelt in place of wholegrain spelt. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface (or your Thermomat), then use Turbo pulse 1-2 times to clear any dough from under the blade. Shape the dough into a smooth disc and wrap up inside your Thermomat (or cover in plastic wrap) and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Don't be concerned that the dough is sticky, it will stiffen in the fridge. 

Preheat fan forced oven to 180°C. Roll out the dough to approximately 6mm thickness. Cut into your shapes of preference and place on lined baking trays. Press the dough scraps together and roll out again. My girls love to get involved here . . . we have accumulated a beautiful collection of cookie cutters over the years :)

Bake 10-12 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown a little on the edges. Cool slightly on the trays before transferring to a cooling rack. 

Once your cookies are cool, decorate with homemade royal icing if you like. I make my own icing sugar from raw sugar, hence the off-white colour of the icing which gives a lovely rustic, homemade touch to the cookies and sure beats loading my children up with corn syrup, artificial flavours, colours and an assortment of other additives you'll find in the commercial ready-made stuff! I use a piping bag with a small tip, but you could easily pop some icing in a small ziplock bag, cut of the very tip and let little fingers do the decorating :)


variations

• As mentioned above, for a lighter coloured cookie without the robust flavour of molasses, use golden syrup or half & half
• Use half white spelt flour and half wholegrain flour
• Use 100g of whole raw almonds in place of 100g wholegrain spelt if there are no nut allergies in your family
• I used this combination for the dry ingredients recently, which worked really well. Simply grind the almonds, spelt grains and oats first, set aside and return to the TM bowl with the white spelt flour at step 3. 
• 100g raw almonds
• 200g spelt grains
• 100g whole oats
• 200g white spelt flour

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