Banana, nut & seed loaf (grain & dairy-free)

I'm back!! It has only been just over a year (oops!) since I posted a recipe on this blog . . have you missed me? A lot can happen in a year and has! I could offer up all sorts of excuses but I'm sure you're more interested in some new recipes right? I am very conscious that I haven't been holding up my side of the deal with new Likes to my Facebook page for this blog, dribbling, sometimes pouring in weekly (thank you!) as Thermomix users stumble across my recipes here on Mixing it up HK for the first time. 

To share a little with you of what I've been up to, the 'HK' part of my blog title hasn't been strictly true since December last year. I have returned to my home country of Australia, and to a very beautiful part of the world situated on the surfcoast in Victoria. As my husband still works in Hong Kong commuting home to be with us as often as he can each month, I feel very lucky to still have a link to this vibrant city (and my cherished friends) where I spent 14 years of my life, with an opportunity to visit several times a year. My own work also keeps me connected with Hong Kong which I enjoy. 

Here in Australia, my girls have settled in better than I could ever have hoped for at their new school, and have already established some beautiful friendships. Like any other mother, I'm performing a bit of a juggling act of work (my new nutrition & health coaching business here), home duties, and just being mum (sometimes dad too) to my two girls. I also make it a priority to incorporate fitness and 'me' time into my week. Whether this is my regular pilates class, a stroll on the beach, a bike ride to the local shops and farmers market, or getting to know new friends and catching up with old ones at a real food cafe . . . I'm a better parent and a happier, more balanced individual for doing so. There's too much stress to contend with in our daily modern lives, and as a health coach, I understand the negative impact this can have on the body. However, scheduling in some blogging time, something I really enjoy, needs to make it back onto my 'me' time list! So that's why I'm here. Hopefully you're happy about this too :) 

And now for the recipe . . . this grain and dairy-free loaf is perfect lightly toasted for breakfast with ripe avocado smashed or sliced on top, or simply enjoy with a thick lather of organic butter. I have to confess that it's also lovely topped with my mum's lemon butter, which I make with coconut oil these days, as a treat. The loaf has a mild banana flavour with a nuttiness and rustic texture that I adore. I love that it's extremely satiating and nurtures my body with minerals, healthy fats and a good dose of protein in the process. It's also the perfect way to use up almond pulp leftover from making my regular batch of almond milk. I simply dehydrate the pulp for about 6 hours at 47C before using in this recipe. You could also do this in a low oven. In place of almond pulp you can opt to use commercial almond flour or preferably finely ground almonds made in your Thermomix. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do X


Banana, nut & seed loaf (grain & dairy-free)

ingredients

40g flaxseeds (linseeds)

110g dehydrated almond pulp, almond flour or finely ground raw almonds

70g raw cashews

2 ripe bananas, cut into quarters

4 large organic, free-range eggs

½ tsp bicarb of soda

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp Himalayan or sea salt

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp raw honey or coconut nectar (optional)

100g walnuts, roughly chopped & optional - see variation below

100g tapioca flour/starch

30g chia or hemp seeds

40g pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

30g sunflower seeds

method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper. My tin is 19.5 x 9.5cm. 
2. Grind flaxseeds for 10 seconds on speed 9. 
3. Add dehydrated almond pulp (or raw almonds) and cashews and grind into a flour or very fine meal on speed 9 for 10-15 seconds. Set aside. 
4. Add the bananas, eggs, bicarb, baking powder, salt, apple cider vinegar and sweetener (optional) and mix on speed 4 for 15-20 seconds until bananas are mashed well and mixture is frothy. 
5. Roughly chop the walnuts by hand. Add to the TM bowl (or save some to sprinkle on top of the loaf) with the ground flaxseeds and nuts mixture, tapioca flour, chia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Add your flavour variations (below) at this step. Mix on reverse, speed 5 for a few seconds to combine. The mixture will be quite thick and stiff. 
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and spread evenly with spatula. 
7. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Slice and store in a ziplock bag in the fridge or freezer. 

Please note that it is preferable to use activated nuts and seeds for easier digestion and improved nutrient uptake by the body. To incorporate this extra step you need to plan a day ahead . . . simply weigh out the almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pepitas and sunflower seeds and soak in filtered water overnight. Cashews only require a couple of hours soaking. The next day, drain the water from the nuts and seeds and dry on trays in a 50C oven or in a dehydrator until crisp. 

Topping ideas:

• avocado
• homemade pesto & sliced tomatoes 
• mum's lemon butter

Variations:

• Add desiccated coconut in place of the roughly chopped extra nuts
• For a chai flavoured bread, add 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cardamon, 3/4 tsp ground ginger, 3/4 tsp allspice and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Spelt English muffins

I've been meaning to try my hand at making English muffins for ages. My family loves them, but I choose to avoid the supermarket variety here in Hong Kong, because they are made from all white flour. . . and I just don't do white! When in Australia, I do enjoy wholegrain English muffins, but I'm not sure I'll bother ever again, as you would expect, they just don't compare to a version made in the thermomix :)

The following recipe is based on this one from The Opies Family Food blog, with a couple of changes. My version uses wholemeal spelt flour and added mixed seeds for better nutrition, plus I have sprinkled the muffins with ground millet instead of cornmeal. You can make your muffins ahead of time, and pop them in a ziplock bag ready to toast for breakfast the next day. Or you can go as far as making up the mixture, allow it to prove overnight, and cook your muffins fresh the next morning. They also freeze very well, just split and pack into a ziplock bag ready to enjoy another day.

Spelt English muffins

ingredients
30g whole millet
240g full-cream milk
50g butter
25g raw caster sugar
2 tsp yeast
240 filtered water
375g white spelt flour (or plain flour)
375g wholemeal spelt flour
1/4 cup mixed seeds/ wholegrains (e.g. chia, flaxseeds, millet, steel cut oats) optional
1 tsp Himalayan salt

method
1. Add millet to the TM bowl and grind for 10-15 seconds on speed 9. Decant into bowl and set aside.

2. Add the milk and butter to the TM bowl and heat for 3-4 minutes at 90°C on speed 1 until the butter is melted. Add the sugar and mix to combine for 5 seconds on speed 3. Decant into a small jug or bowl and allow to cool.

3. Place the water in the TM bowl and heat to 50°C for 1 minute 30 seconds on speed 1. Sprinkle yeast over the water (take care to avoid the blade) and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until frothy.

4. Add the milk and butter mixture to the yeast mixture in the TM bowl together with 375g of the flour. Mix for 15 seconds at speed 6 until smooth with the MC cup in place. Add the salt and the remaining flour. Mix for 10 seconds on speed 4. Set the dial to closed lid and knead for 3 minutes. Leave in the bowl with the lid on, until doubled in size. The dough will expand to fill the TM bowl - it will overflow through the hole in the lid if you leave it too long :)

5. Use your fist to punch down the dough and remove onto a thermomat. Roll out to approximately half an inch thick. Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass. Sprinkle a sheet of baking paper (or the thermomat) with the millet meal and set the rounds on this to rise. Dust tops with more millet meal, cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

6. Grease a large non-stick frypan with a little butter and preheat on low.  Cook muffins for 5 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and turn over, cook for a further 5 minutes or until cooked through. I have a gas cooktop and used the lowest setting possible. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.

7. To serve: use a sharp knife to score the muffin around it's middle and carefully split open by hand. Toast and top with your favourite spread, such as butter, honey or jam. They are gorgeous with lemon butter. Or serve with your favourite egg breakfast.

toasted muffins waiting to be topped!

I'll be trying my hand at a spiced fruit version next yum! I'll keep you posted :)

For more breakfast ideas see Thermomix does breakfast


Find me on Facebook at Mixing it up in HK

Thermomix does breakfast

As I've mentioned before on this blog . . .I have always been one of those unusual people who really enjoys a good, healthy start to the day and have never understood how anyone could skip this important meal. My motto is that regardless of how busy you are, you should always make time for a nutritious breakfast. If you're a busy person, you are probably most in need of this healthy start to your day!

I love to 'mix it up' for brekky . . . which has a double-meaning in my case, because I have a growing repertoire of breakfast ideas to choose from, and of course love to employ my Thermo'mix' to make them :-)  I go through phases of enjoying either my homemade, nutrient-packed, carrot, seed, nut & fruit loaf smothered in ripe avocado, CADA+P (fresh coconut, almonds, dates, apple + pear) turbo pulsed a couple of times in the Thermomix and served with a dollop of yoghurt, or my healthy version of traditional Swiss breakfast. 

We also enjoy our favourite dairy-free 'Good morning' Thermomix smoothie (pictured left), which contains all the usual suspects . . . a combination of frozen berries and any fresh fruit I can get my hands on, with the addition of freshly ground flaxseeds and coconut water, (never let this go to waste when you cut open a fresh coconut for your CADA breakfast). Coconut water is a potent source of electrolytes, calcium, potassium and magnesium plus a variety of vitamins and antioxidants, especially the water from a young coconut . . the perfect sports drink really! I freeze it in ice cube trays and always add it to our smoothies. 

On weekends we often enjoy my banana, oat & spelt pancakes, and when I have the time to fuss a little, I like to whip up a batch of spelt crumpets . . . both recipes my girls adore.


Always looking out for, or thinking up my own healthy breakfast ideas, I recently developed these nutritious good-sized biscuits with brekky in mind. They are not only a healthy start to the day but also perfect for a brekky on the run or if you prefer, a mid-morning snack! So if you're one of those busy people I mentioned above who can't quite make the time for a nutritious breakfast, make these on the weekend and then there's no excuse not to start the day off well :-) 

Thank you Thermomix for your continued inspiration at breakfast time and for making it so easy to opt out of sugar-laden commercial cereals :)

Breakfast biscuits
makes 5 (serve 1 for breakfast)
These brekky biscuits are packed full of dietary fibre and sweetened with natural sugars contributed by the fruits and a little honey. They are also dairy-free and wheat-free.

ingredients
20g brown basmati rice 
25g walnuts
40g dried apricots
20g dried goji berries (wolf berries)
3 fresh medjool dates
20g coconut oil
20-30g raw honey
1 large egg
25g shredded or desiccated coconut
90g wholegrain oats

method

1. Preheat oven to 160 C (fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper or silicon sheet.
2. Place the brown rice into the TM bowl and grind for 40 seconds on speed 9. Decant into a bowl.
3. Add the walnuts and chop using turbo pulse x 2. Set aside in the bowl with the rice flour.
4. Add dried fruit and turbo pulse 2-3 times to your desired texture and set aside with the other ingredients. 
5. Add coconut oil and melt for 1-2 minutes at 50 C on speed 1 until melted. Add the egg and honey and whisk for 10 seconds on speed 4. 
6. Return all ingredients plus coconut and oats to the TM bowl. Mix on reverse speed 2 for 20 seconds or until the mixture begins comes together.
7. Shape 3 tablespoons of the mixture into a ball. Place on the tray and press down until 7-8cm in diameter. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

mixture rolled into balls

press to 7-8cm diameter

    8. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking tray for 15 minutes,      

        then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These biscuits will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or wrap individually in plastic and place in a ziplock bag to freeze for up to 3 months. Incase you're wondering, the 5th biscuit was my test subject that's why it's missing from the photos ;-)

variations

• Use any combination of dried fruit of choice (I like to use dates & goji for their natural sweetness and health benefits)
• Omit the walnuts and add a little extra flour to make these nut-free
• Substitute a flax or chia-egg for the chicken egg to make these vegan 

no thermomix?
Use brown rice flour in place of the rice. Chop your fruit in a food processor (or by hand) and combine with all other ingredients using an electric mixer or wooden spoon :-)

 Find me on Facebook at Mixing it up in HK

Cool crumpets mum!

I have always been one of those unusual people who really enjoys a good, healthy start to the day and have never understood how anyone could skip this important meal. My motto is that regardless of how busy you are, you should make time for a nutritious breakfast. If you are a busy person, you are probably most in need of the healthy start to your day!

I usually wake up hungry and go through phases of enjoying either my homemade, nutrient-packed fruit loaf smothered in ripe avocado, CADA+P (fresh coconut, almonds, dates, apple + pear) turbo pulsed a couple of times in the Thermomix and served with a dollop of yoghurt, or my healthy version of Swiss breakfast which was introduced to me by my mother-in-law many years ago. A good smoothie and homemade low-fat, high-fibre muffins also feature . . . or when in Australia, my favourite veggie cafe breakfast. Recently, I have added spelt crumpets to my repertoire thanks to my Thermomix :)

In Hong Kong, despite our British history, it can be hard to come by a good English-style crumpet, and you'll definitely have no hope finding the wholemeal variety! I stumbled across a Thermomix recipe online and since making them for my family several times now, I have discovered that the shop bought version just doesn't cut it in comparison. Try it for yourself!  My girls devour 2-3 for breakfast . . . honestly, they would eat them anytime of the day, and are always pleading with me to make more! I love that this recipe makes a lot. You can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for a few days or freeze with a piece of baking paper in between each one. Simply pop in the toaster (on crumpet setting) and enjoy!

This is my version of Thermomixers’ crumpets recipe.

SPELT CRUMPETS - makes 16

For best results use bread (baker's) flour for this recipe. If you can't find spelt baker's flour, you can use spelt plain (all purpose), although you will need to prove the mixture for longer. This mixture can be made the night before and refrigerated overnight after proving. The longer you prove the better for more bubbles! Handle the mixture lightly so not to destroy any 
of those precious little babies.  

Ingredients:
200g white spelt bread flour + 1 tbsp
170g wholemeal spelt bread flour
1 tsp raw caster sugar
2 tsp dried yeast
300g tepid milk
200g tepid water
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
4 silicon egg rings
oil or butter for greasing

Method: 
Add the sugar, yeast, 1 tbsp of flour and 100g of the milk to TM bowl. Set to mix for 4-5 minutes at 37°C on speed 2. The mixture should be frothy.

Add remaining flour, milk, water, egg and salt. Mix for 10 seconds on speed 7. The mixture should resemble a thick batter. Mix further for 8 minutes at 37°C on speed 1.

Leave the mixture in the TM bowl to prove for at least 1 hour until the batter expands and bubbles at the surface. You can leave for a few hours if you need to.

After proving, add the bicarb soda and gradually increase the speed to beat the mixture for 2 minutes at speed 5. Allow the mixture to rest in a warm place for at least 30 minutes longer. You can leave the mixture to prove for even longer to develop more bubbles.

Oil the egg rings and frypan with a little butter or oil. Place the rings in the pan and heat for 1-2 minutes.

Pour batter slowly and carefully into each ring to about half the depth of the egg ring and cook on very low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the surface appears dry and is studded with holes. If there are no holes you need to prove your mixture for longer.

The mixture will rise to fill the rings. If it overflows, pour in less next time :) As the mixture is almost sets on top, puncture a few extra holes for visual authenticity :) Flip the crumpets over to cook on the other side for a minute or until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Clean and oil rings and frypan and repeat process until all batter has been used.

Serve warm with your favourite topping! You can pop them in the toaster for a crisper surface.

No Thermomix?Use a food processor or electric mixer to make this recipe. Just ensure that the egg is at room temperature and the milk and water are tepid to warm. Measure your liquids in a pyrex measuring jug and heat in the microwave.