Get into that Christmas Spirit!

We've been having fun experimenting with Gingerbread decorations at our place. I have an adapted Gingerbread recipe which doesn't rise as much as the recipe in the Festive Recipe - making it pefect to keep it's shape for decorations.

Ingredients:
450g Plain Flour

165g Brown Sugar
1 tbsp ground Ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground clove
185g Butter, chopped coursly
200g Golden Syrup
1 Egg

Royal Icing
1 egg white
200g sugar

Stained Glass Windows
Boiled Lollies – sorted by colours

Method
Pre heat oven to 180ºC.
Place all ingredients into TM bowl except the egg white and mix for12 seconds on speed 6.
Set dial to closed lid position and knead for 50 seconds on Interval setting.
Tip gingerbread mixture onto lightly floured Silpat baking mat and knead into a smooth ball.
Place the mixture into a covered bowl and put in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Between two pieces of baking paper roll out the gingerbread mixture to approximately 4mm in thickness.
Remove top layer of paper and cut the gingerbread into desired shapes, e.g. gingerbread men, stars, hearts etc.
Place onto lined baking tray and bake for approximately 10 minutes, depending on size and shape. Place on cooling tray when cooked.

Ginger Bread Christmas Tree

Make Gingerbread recipe as above.

For each tree, you will need 2-3 each of 5 different sized star shapes cut out of ginger bread (3cm, 5cm, 6cm, 7cm and 9cm or there abouts).
Bake stars (smaller ones only require 10 minutes, larger ones require 12 minutes). Meanwhile make Royal Icing.
To assemble, join the 9cm stars with Royal icing, then the 7cm stars, then the 6 cm stars and so on (refer to picture). Decorate trees by joining cachous to stars with tiny dots of royal icing.
Dust with icing sugar.

Royal Icing
Add egg white to a clean and dry TMX bowl and beat on speed 4 until stiff peaks form. Add icing mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time until all added in.

Stained Glass Gingerbread Decorations
Crush each colour of boiled lollies seperatly. Place in Thermomix and crush on speed 9 for 5 seconds. Remove to a smaller bowl.

Follow directions as per Gingerbread recipe above.

Cut Christmas Tree Shapes using a larger cutter, then using a smaller cutter, cut out small Christmas Tree shape or use small star shapes. Using a skewer or a sharp knife, remove dough from the smaller shape.
Using the blunt end of a skewer place a hole in the top of the biscuit to use to thread ribbon later.
Bake in oven as per instructions above for 7 minutes. Remove and fill windows with crushed boiled lollies of chosen colour and return to the oven for another 3-4 minutes. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring.
When cooled, thread with ribbon to decorate a Christmas Tree.

Other ideas:
You could use any Christmas shape for this, such as an angel with a heart cut out and filled with red candy.

General Tips

If using the gingerbread for decorating your Christmas tree use a drinking straw to punch a hole in an appropriate place before baking so a ribbon can be threaded through for hanging. Reform holes with straw while hot if needed.

Nan's Boiled Salad Dressing

In the pursit of finding all things low fat for a little longer, I dug up Nans Boiled Salad Dressing recipe which she uses pretty much as a replacement for mayo. Nan uses it in her coleslaw, through chopped egg and lettuce, and anywhere you'd use a dressing or mayo. And it's not full of oil! So here it is:

Ingredients:
200g sugar (feel free to cut this back)
1 desertspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 heaped desertspoons plain flour *
1-3 egg (in Nan's words "your choice!" - I used 2)
2 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup white vinegar

Method:
Place all ingredients into TMX bowl and cook for 8 minutes, 90C on speed 4. Refridgerate once cooked and use a an alternative to mayo or coleslaw dressing.

* Apparently corn flour isn't strong enough to hold in the dressing and will end up going runny.  I'm keen to hear if any gluten free cooks out there have a suggested alternative??

Fat, Egg & Dairy Free Fruit Cake

OK, well this isn't a Thermomix recipe, but had to share it anyway. I've had to seriously cut all dairy and fat from my diet for a little while and had trouble finding something as a bit of a treat, until I stumbled across this recipe from a gorgeous lady I used to work with (Hi Val!!).

Fat, Egg & Dairy Free Fruit Cake
1 cup dried Paw Paw
1 cup dried Pineapple
1 cup dried Apricots (roughly chopped - can pulse a couple of times in the TMX)
1 pkt mixed dried fruit
3/4 cup peacan nuts or walnuts
3/4 cup almonds (roughly chopped - can pulse a couple of times in the TMX)
2 cups fruit juice
3/4 cup coconut
2 cups SR Flour

Soak fruit and nuts in juice over night.
The next day add coconut and SR flour. Mix well and place mixture into greased and lined square cake tin. Cover with foil. Bake in a slow oven (150C) for about 2hours or until cooked. Removing foil for the last 1/2 hour.
Note: Place a tray of water in the bottom of the oven to keep the cake moist. Next time I'll also add a can of crushed pineapple to increase the moisture.

This is a rather heavy cake, but either way I am thankful to have an alternative!!!

Honey Lemon Drink ~ the cold soother!

It seems that changing seasons bring on new colds and viruses. And at the moment in the North East it seems that Spring can't quiet decide what it wants to do. One week we're in shorts, the next we're huddled up to the heater again while it's snowing on the alps. And this week it shall be raining....  I've been lucky enough (cough, cough...) to catch another one of Grace's colds. So as I type this I'm sipping some of the Lemon Honey drink that by beloved Thermomix has just made for me.  For those of you not on the Forum Thermomix website, I strongly suggest that you put aside... oh lets see... perhaps a week to look through all the amazing recipes, hints, tips and help (once you start it's hard to stop).  The recipe for the Honey Lemon drink can be found here on the Forum.

I vary the recipe slightly every time but here's the one I made tonight:

Honey Lemon Drink
Combine the following ingredients into TM bowl:
500-600 mls boiling water,
1 lemon sliced (or 2-3 small lemons),
12 slices fresh ginger,
4 tablespoons honey
5-6 cardomon pods

Set Timer for 20 minutes and cook at 100C on Reverse .
Strain using baset, and pour into cup.
Sip rugged up on the couch with a cosy blanket.

For me, I dilute the drink 50/50 with some hot water. You can also add a dash of whisky or brandy if you do so desire.  This drink does seem to be quiet revitilising and you can feel it doing wonders for you!
 
Now, there is also quiet a bit happening with Thermomix at the moment. In 2008 about 5000 Thermomixes were sold. This year in July alone, 1000 were sold!! It is certainly gaining some momentum as word gets out. And Thermomix is really starting to get some media coverage, in Newspapers, Magazines and on TV. So keep your eyes open!  Now is also a great time to become a consultant. If you would like to know more information about becoming one, please give your consultant a call and they can get some information to you.  You can also check the Thermomix Australia website for training dates and open day information HERE.
 
For October only there is a host promotion for discounted Thermomix Carry Bags. See the Thermomix News banner at the top for more details. This is a great saving, and with Christmas just around the corner.... give your consultant a call before their diary fills up.

Happy cooking!!

Chocolate & Coconut Slice

Last week I needed something a bit extra for DD's lunchbox and whizzed up this yummy slice. It was so easy at I ended up taking half of it to work for our post lunch sugar hits...

Ingredients:
Base
125g unsalte butter
100g brown sugar
80g coconut
65g plain flour
30g self raising flour
1 tablespoon cocoa

Icing
150g sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon soft buter
2 tablespoons milk (approx)

Preperation:

1. Add Sugar for icing to bowl and grind on speed 10 for 20 seconds to make icing sugar. Set aside.
2. Add butter to bowland melt for 2 mins, 60C on speed 2.
3. Add all dry ingredients and mix on speed 7 for 20 seconds.
4. With blades moving speed 5, add egg through the hole in the lid and mix for another 20 seconds.
5. Press base into greased 28x18cm tin.
6. Bake for 20mins at 180C. 
7. Whilst baking prepare icing. Add icing sugar, cocoa, buter and  tablespoon of milk into bowl and mix on speed 5 for 10 seconds. Add extra milk if required until it is a thick paste.
8. Spread base with icing immediatly, sprinkle with extra coconut and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Shall post a picture later today.

Spicy Chicken & Sweet Potato

Somehow, I manage to find recipes to feed a crowd... must be in my genes from the days that Nan fed the 8 in her family, foster kids and farm hands... You can only imagine how much easier life would have been with a Thermomix!!

Is anyone else always over catering??

This is a tried and true Donna Hay recipe that I used to cook up in the oven.  After the first time I had converted this to the Thermomix I was suprised how fresh the flavours were but had taken it for granted UNTIL... recently trying to save time I thought I'd bake this in the oven again while I had the rice and veggies steaming in the TMX. How wrong I was! Not only did it take much longer in the oven to cook through, the flavour was destroyed. How disappointing. So from here on it, it's a TMX only recipe for me. Given the large quantity too, it freezes really well for those nights you just don't want to cook.  Hope you enjoy it too...

Spicy Chicken & Sweet Potato

Feeds about 6

Ingredients:
1.2kg chicken thighs (I used de-boned and skinless)
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
500g sweet potato, peeled and chopped (if medium into 8 pieces)
1/2 tablespoon veggie stock concentrate
1/2 cup water
1x 400g can of crushed tomatoes

Preparation:
1/ Mix olive oil, chilli flakes, sweet paprika, cumin and coriander together.
2/ Toss chicken in oil mixture to coat.
3/ Layer chicken and sweet potato in Varoma, leaving enough space in the base for steam to move through the Varoma.
4/ In the bowl add the veggie stock concentrate, water and crushed tomatoes.
5/ Cook for 45 minutes, speed 1 at Varoma Temp.
6/ When cooked place chicken and sweet potato in Thermo server and pour over the tomato sauce.
Serve with TM Steamed Rice and Vegies.

Tips/Hints:
This recipe could easily be stretched to feed a few more mouths and more chicken could be placed in the Varoma.

Afghani Lamb & Spinach

Here's another lamb recipe I recently discovered whilst trying to use up a few trays of chops (it's actually amazing how little actual meat is on a chop... )

Afghani Lamb and Spinach Curry
Feeds: 6-8 people

Ingredients:

Zest 1 lemon

1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1kg lamb shoulder, trimmed, diced into 3cm pieces

4 cloves of garlic

1 large brown onion, peeled and quartered

2 teaspoons ground tumeric

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

400g can chopped tomatoes

2 cups of beef stock (or 2 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of Vegie Stock Concentrate)

350g spinach or kale or combination - chopped
1/3 cup (45g) toasted slivered almonds

Preparation:

1. Place lemon zest in bowl and grate on speed 9 for 20 seconds (stopping mid way to scrape down). Set aside.
2. Add garlic to bowl and chop speed 9 for 10 seconds. Reduce speed to speed 5 and drop onion onto moving blades for 5 seconds. Set aside.
3. Heat 1/2 of the oil in the bowl and heat for 1min 30 seconds on Varoma at speed 1. Add lamb in batches (I did batches of 1/3 at a time) and cook for 3 mins Varoma, Reverse Speed 1 to brown meat. Set aside.
4. Return garlic and onion mixture to bowl along with spices and cook for 3 mins, 100C on speed 1 1/2.
5. Add lamb, tin of tomatoes (undrained) and stock. Cook on 100C, speed REVERSE 1 1/2 for 60mins without the MC in place (sit the basket on top to stop splattering). This will help the sauce thicken. About 10 minutes before the end add lemon rind.
6. Tip into serving bowl (this makes about 3 - 31/2 litres so if using Thermoservers you would need 2) over spinach and stir. Sit until spinach has wilted.
7. Serve curry on steamed rice with almonds sprinkled over the top.

Tips/Hints:

• This is an adapted Womans Weekly recipe.
• We cut the Cayenne Pepper right back to 2 quick shakes. The curry was quiet mild - and the flavours more even the following day.
• The lemon rind certainly lifts the flavours and is lovely in there.

Nepalese Meatball Curry

Welcome! This is my very first posting and I hope to add a couple in the next week or two and add some recently converted Thermomix Recipes and update you with what is happening with Thermomix. I hope to at least send out something on a monthly basis... so we'll see how it goes.

Having an abundance of Lamb in the freezer that needs to be used up I've been going through my "old" (non TMX) recipe books looking for inspiration. Thanks to a Woman's Weekly cookbook I have converted this Nepalese Meatball Curry, which is quiet mild & makes a large quantity (6-8 people).

Meatball Ingredients:

2 tbs vegetable oil

1 small white onion (peeled and quartered)

3 cloves of garlic

5 cm piece of ginger (25g) peeled and sliced

750g lamb mince

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 fresh long red chilli (we removed the seeds for a milder version)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 cup fresh coriander

2 tbs breadcrumbs

Curry Sauce:

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, peeled and quartered

1 clove garlic

3 cm piece of ginger (25g) peeled and sliced

1 tbs coriander stems and roots

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground fenugreek

1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

1 tsp ground turmeric

2x 400g can crushed tomatoes

1 cup of beef stock (or 1 cup water + 1 tsp veggie stock concentrate)

1/4 cup lemon juice

Method:

Put chilli, coriander, garlic, ginger and onion into TMX bowl and cut on speed 7 for 10 seconds. Add oil and saute for 3 mins, speed 1, on Varoma temp. Let cool for 10 mins.

Add all other meatball ingredients and mix on Reverse, Speed 4, using the spatula until all combined. Put aside in another bowl and clean TMX bowl ready for the curry sauce.

Place coriander stems and roots, garlic and onions to the TMX bowl and chop on speed 7 for 10 seconds. Scrape down with spatula and chop again on speed 7 for 5 seconds. Add oil and saute for 3 mins, speed 1, at 100C.

Add spices and saute for 1 min, speed 1, 100C.

Add tomatoes and stock. Cook for 30 mins, speed 1 at 100C, with the MC at an incline position.

Meanwhile roll the meatballs using level tablespoon amounts and place them in the Varoma using both trays. Once the Curry Sauce has finished the initial 30 minutes, put the Varoma in place (with Meatballs) onto the bowl and set the TMX for another 30 mins, Speed 1 on Varoma temp.

When the second 30 minutes has finished, add the lemon juice and stir on speed 2 for 30 seconds.

Place meatballs in a serving bowl and pour Curry Sauce over the top.

Serve with TMX steamed rice and veggies.