Monthly Archives: June 2014

Flavouring Home Made Yoghurt

Posted in Sweet by

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I always have two yoghurts on the go in my fridge – Natural for myself & for coking & then Vanilla for the kids.  If you haven’t done so already, check out my Make Your Own Yoghurt post.

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The most important thing to do first though, is always take 3 tablespoons of yoghurt for your next starter, before you add your flavouring.

Follow these directions to flavour your natural yoghurt.  I make Vanilla yoghurt for the kids, which they love on it’s own.  I’ll then often add to that fresh fruit, passionfruit or make my own berry coulis in my Thermomix (see below).

Vanilla Yoghurt:
Add to 1 quantity (1L) of Natural Yoghurt;
60g caster sugar
10g vanilla bean paste
10g vanilla extract
Stir ingredients well into yoghurt & refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

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Berry Coulis
Ingredients:
200g fresh or frozen raspberries or mixed berries
100g caster sugar
20g freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

Method:
1) Place all ingredients into TM bowl, cook 6 minutes/90 degrees/speed 4.
2) If you prefer a smoother coulis, puree 10 seconds/speed 8 after cooking.

Serve coulis once cooled & store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Ras el Hanout

Posted in Sides & Spices by

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I came across this spice a few months ago, sprinkled over some Hummus dip, having never heard of it before.  It originates from North Africa & translates literally as ‘head of the shop’ implying this is a mixture of the best spices a seller has to offer.  There is no specific recipe for Ras el Hanout, as each seller or shop has their own blend.

A colleague of mine from Thermomix found this recipe for Ras el Hanout on a blog called Chonny’s Thermomix Delights.   Like me, Chonny had experienced the spice sprinkled over some Hummus dip & was amazed at the flavour.  She pulled out the ‘Maha’ cookbook by Shane Delia, found his recipe & converted it to Thermomix method.

I’ve been taking my Ras el Hanout to Thermomix demo’s ever since, to rave reviews & requests to share this on my blog.   If you love making dips, especially for your early evening drinks, you won’t believe how good this is sprinkled over Hummus!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp allspice berries
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 tbsp flaked sea salt
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp tumeric
2 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp ginger
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp fennel seeds
7 cardamom pods (I used 1tsp ground)
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1.5 tsp cloves

Method:
1) Place all ingredients in TM bowl, cook 5 minutes/Varoma temperature/speed 2 (MC lid off)
2) Allow to cool to at least 60 degrees.  Replace MC lid on.
3) Mill 1 minute/speed 10.

Notes: I’ve found storing my ground spices best in these small decor containers.  You can buy them in packs of 6 from the supermarket or kmart.  I’ve found these really great, as most Thermomix recipes are a teaspoon of this & a tablespoon of that.  These containers are great, as I can get my spoons in easily, compared to getting spices out of the long slim jars.  This also allows me to buy my spices in bigger bags, which saves money too. 

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Macaroni Cheese with a Twist

Posted in Kids & Lunch Boxes, Uncategorized by

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I found this recipe on Facebook recently & noticed the amount of positive comments from Mum’s with fussy eaters.  As my 4yo is very fussy, I thought I’d have to give it a go.  Well……This is really yummy & Sophie devoured it!  In my household, that proves that it’s a big hit for any kids!  The best thing too, as that the sauce is full of pureed vegetables & the kids would never even know it.  I took some advice from the comments on the recipe & peeled the zucchini, which was recommended if you had a veggie spotter on your hands.  Sound familiar?

This recipe made a massive amount of macaroni cheese, but it didn’t go to waste.  I froze it in portions & the kids have already had it a few times defrosted.  I’ve posted this recipe twice – once as a full recipe & again as a half recipe.  I’ll make a half recipe next time & will still have enough to freeze for a few more meals.  I can imagine making the full recipe if we had friends over & wanted to feed a lot of kids.  There’s not a lot of difference to the method making half – it’s mainly making the béchamel at the end.  Source: Nikalene Riddle (Skinny Mixer)

FULL RECIPE Ingredients:
100g cheddar cheese, cut in 2cm cubes
60g parmesan cheese, cut in 2cm cubes
1.2L boiling water
100g sweet potato
100g carrot
150g pumpkin
1 zucchini
300g macaroni
500g milk
50g plain flour
40g butter, cubed
200g ham, diced or chopped
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp vegetable stock concentrate
pinch of pepper

FULL RECIPE Method:
1) Add cheeses to TM bowl, chop for 10 seconds/speed 9. Set aside.
2) Peel & dice vegetables into 1-2cm cubes & put onto Varoma tray. Peel the zucchini if you have kids who can spot the ‘green bits’!

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3) Place boiling water into TM bowl, add macaroni & put Varoma into place.
4) Cook 10 minutes/ Varoma temperature/Reverse/speed 1.
5) Drain macaroni & place in a Thermoserver to stay hot.
6) Add steamed vegetables to TM bowl, chop 10 seconds/speed 8. Stir veggie puree through macaroni.
7) Without cleaning TM bowl, add flour, milk & butter. Cook 6 minutes/90 degrees/speed 2.
8) Add ham, cheeses, mustard, paprika, stock concentrate & pepper. Cook 2 minutes/90 degrees/Reverse/speed 2.
9) Pour over macaroni, stir through & serve.

HALF RECIPE Ingredients:
50g cheddar cheese, cut in 2cm cubes
30g parmesan cheese, cut in 2cm cubes
700ml boiling water
50g sweet potato
50g carrot
80g pumpkin
1 small zucchini
150g macaroni
250g milk
25g plain flour
20g butter, cubed
100g ham, diced or chopped
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
1.5 tsp vegetable stock concentrate
pinch of pepper

HALF RECIPE Method:
1) Add cheeses to TM bowl, chop for 10 seconds/speed 9. Set aside.
2) Peel & dice vegetables into 1-2cm cubes & put onto Varoma tray. Peel the zucchini if you have kids who can spot the ‘green bits’!

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3) Place boiling water into TM bowl, add macaroni & put Varoma into place.
4) Cook 10 minutes/ Varoma temperature/Reverse/speed 1.
5) Drain macaroni & place in a Thermoserver to stay hot.
6) Add steamed vegetables to TM bowl, chop 10 seconds/speed 8. Stir veggie puree through macaroni.
7) Without cleaning TM bowl, add flour, milk & butter. Cook 5 minutes/90 degrees/speed 2.
8) Add ham, cheeses, mustard, paprika, stock concentrate & pepper. Cook 1.5 minutes/90 degrees/Reverse/speed 2.
9) Pour over macaroni, stir through & serve.

Notes:  You can use spelt, gluten free or any flour in the recipe.  Also, use any kind of milk too.