Vice Cream with Crio Beans

I saw this idea over on one of my fave blogs to read when I have a little time to relax, Not Quite Nigella. I changed it up a little because it was so totally perfect for your fave kitchen appliance and mine! I even made it as a Thermomix demo at my book launch, which incidentally WENT OFF! I hope if you were lucky enough to join me for that, you are still buzzing AND enjoying the spoils in For Foods Sake! I had a ball….If you would like a piece of the action, please go and purchase the book at the STORE.

If you would like a little Vice in your life, best make it this Vice, as it is all good for you! You could add all sorts of crunchy elements, as opposed to the macadamias, but add a little salt if you don’t use salty nuts. The salt will just elevate the flavor a little. Try Choc coated Crio beans, other nuts, chocolate chips or cacao nibs…or add orange zest and enjoy Jaffa Vice Cream…oh the possibilities.

NEED:

400g bananas, peeled and sliced, frozen

1 avocado

90g maple syrup

2 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

40g Margaret River Chocolate cocoa powder (or other premium cocoa)

Handful roasted, salted macadamias

DO:

Place bananas into Thermomix bowl and chop 5 sec/speed 10.

Add remaining ingredients except nuts and blend 10-15 sec/speed 6. Scrape down sides of bowl and add nuts and blend a further 10 sec/speed 6.

Serve immediately.

For Food’s Sake

The BIG BOOK invite…its offical!

CrioBru Tortillas

CrioBru tortillas with Beef Chilli

Well kids, you have heard me raving on about a lot of stuff lately (well, longer than lately…and yes, perhaps even wittering on and on and on about stuff!!) The BIG BOOK is here…its out and about! AND my Chic Chocolate Cooking Class is also up and selling like hot cakes, because of course the BIG BOOK is available at the cooking classes…signed or unsigned…but all with 80 recipes, and the gorgeous pics to go with them all…I’m not going to lie; This book is awesome. SO pretty, and I am so excited for you to get it and then tell me all about it. I hope you love it as much as I have loved the process. Tonight is the official launch…so I am getting my hair done and polishing my thank-you speech as you read this. (The Oscar acceptance speech I never got to give will fill in nicely I’m thinking!) Wish you were all here…but in the meantime, here is a recipe that will feature in the CCCC (Chic Chocolate Cooking Class) that goes with a lovely Crio Bru Beef Chilli that features in the BIG BOOK, and just in case you don’t know what the BIG BOOK is called…features in For Food’s Sake, an excellent full colour cookbook, with beautiful pics. (Am I boring you yet?) So what are you waiting for? Get organised…book, Crio Bru, Cooking classes…Happy 2012…year of the Dragon is roaring in!

NEED:

Dough One;

50g polenta

150g bakers flour

50-100g hot brewed Crio Bru liquid

Pinch sea salt

Dough Two;

200g bakers flour

Pinch sea salt

50g oil

50-70g hot brewed Crio Bru liquid

2 heaped tbsp Crio Bru granules

DO:

To make Dough one, place rice into Thermomix bowl and mill 1 min/speed 10. Add remaining ingredients and only about 50-60g of the water, mix 6 sec/speed 6.

Knead 1 min/Interval. (Add more water at this point if not forming sticky dough.) Turn out onto floured Silpat mat and wrap tightly. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile make  Dough Two by placing all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and mixing 6 sec/speed 6. Knead 1.5 min/Interval speed. Wrap tightly and allow to rest for at least 10 mintues.

Place both doughs back into Thermomix bowl and knead 2 min/Interval speed.

Roll into long sausage shape and cut into rounds which you then roll flat into large circles before placing into a hot, well oiled fry pan, Induction 7-8. Cook both sides and keep warm until use.

Use as wraps, top with Crio Bru Beef Chilli, Curry or salad, quick grilled meat strips, salad etc.

In the absence of Crio Bru in your pantry, you have two choices….get some, or use brewed coffee and grounds as per the recipe.

Iced Lemon and Coconut Slice

I don’t want to admit it…but seriously…coming home from a holiday where you are waited on hand and foot has been hell! So when I walked past the Muffin Something or Other shop and saw the Lemon Coconut Slices in the glass cabinet, I was filled with a longing to just buy one and be done with the whole concept of making every blessed thing from scratch! But I am not sure if I have been thermomixing for a little too long…I couldn’t do it. I need therapy. I need to be tied down and force fed fast food or premade cakes…is there anyone out there up for the task?

What I DID do was buy a pack of Arrowroot biscuits (shock, horror) and whip this up. I am not sure if it was the weather today, but it needed to be kept in the freezer to hold its shape. It has been totally humid and hot today, so I am going with that. Otherwise, try a little less butter, but it wouldn’t come together until I added the amount that appears in this recipe. And no, I didn’t make the butter myself! (Not this time.)

NEED:

Base;

Zest 2 lemons, finely grated

150g butter

50g cashews, roasted

250g pkg Arnotts Milk Arrowroot biscuits

1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

Icing;

400g icing sugar

Juice 1-2 lemons (around 50g)

70g butter, cubed

Enough shredded coconut to cover icing to taste

DO:

Place all base ingredients into Thermomix bowl and blend 20 sec/speed 8 or until well blended and coming together.

Line a square baking tin with paper and press the mixture into it. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Make icing by placing all ingredients except coconut into Thermomix bowl and blending 20-30 sec/speed 6.

Spread on top of slice, top with coconut and place into freezer until ready to serve. Slice when frozen….and eat whenever you damn well feel like it!

Lentil Salad with Basil and Lemon

Its Australia Day, and what is more Australian than lentils….well lots of stuff actually…but as you may be aware, I have been home from a cruise for less than a week, and talk about struggle with being home and getting back into the swing of it all! Can’t even bring myself to go to the shops, and so this was one of those; Must blog, have stuff in the cupboard, fridge that will do, and actually turned out quite delicious. So it is accompanying us to our BBQ and swim in a little while.

I wanted to add quinoa, but fresh out…need to order some from Honest to Goodness, as they stock an Aussie grown variety, that is nutty and delicious and un radiated….

So if you have it, add it…and actually, this lends itself to adding or subtracting just about anything that takes your fancy…Happy Straya day!

NEED:

200g lentils (I used green and red)

1200g water

Zest 1 lemon, finely grated

Juice 1 lemon

60-70g Fini EVOO plus some more as needed

Good pinch Murray River salt

1/4 red onion, diced

3 spring onions/shallots, sliced on the angle

1/2 red capsicum, diced

2 stalks celery, sliced

Good handful basil leaves, shredded (any variety, I used Thai as I have a garden abundance at the moment, adding a nice anise flavour)

300g cabbage, red or green, shredded

Other salad greens of choice

pistachios, pepitas, sunflower seeds to taste

DO:

Place lentils into simmering basket and pour water over.

Cook 30 min/100ºC/speed 3. Remove lentils and place into insulated serving bowl with lemon zest, juice, EVOO and salt. Stir and cover to marinate whilst you prepare the rest of the salad.

Prep remaining ingredients as directed and place all in large bowl. Stir through lentils and add more oil or seasoning as needed. Serve warm or cold.

Raspberry and Lime Spongey Mess

After an easy dessert? Got a sponge cake in the cupboard? (That was a joke…but you can run down to the shops right?) Most of this recipe can be quickly made and kept in the fridge for a desparate occasion…or go ahead, make a plan and make it as though you meant to…but either way? Delicious…go on, tell me all about it.

NEED:

Lime Butter;
Zest/juice 4 limes
120g sugar
160g unsalted butter , cubed
4 eggs

Berry Lime Coulis;
300g red berries of choice, fresh or frozen
65g sugar
Finely grated zest 1 lime
Juice 1 lime

Passionfruit Cream;

600g cream
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste
Pulp 2 passionfruit (grenadilla)

Assembly;
450g sponge cake, cubed
Additional raspberries to garnish

DO:

Lime Butter;

Place lime zest and sugar into mixing bowl and mill 15 sec/speed 10.

Add butter and chop 5 sec/speed 7.

Insert Butterfly and add all remaining Lime butter ingredients. Cook 10 min/80ºC/speed 4. Remove from bowl and set aside. Cool.

Make Lime Berry Coulis.

Place all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and cook 8 min/90°C/speed 1.

Blend 1 min/speed 6.

Strain through fine mesh sieve and refrigerate until use.

Whip chilled cream with sugar and vanilla in clean dry Thermomix bowl, with inserted butterfly 10-20 sec/speed 4.

Add passionfruit pulp and incorporate gently 4 sec/speed 4.

 Assembly;

Place cubes of sponge cake into large glass serving bowl, or several individual glasses. Drizzle with a little Berry Lime coulis. Dollop with Lime Butter and Passionfruit Cream. Repeat layering until all ingredients are used ending with cream. Garnish with raspberries. Serve chilled.

Morroccan Lamb Braise

I don’t want you being put off by the long list of ingredients on this one…just suck it up, print off the list (note Printer friendly version button now on each post…thank you Luke!) and go for it…you won’t regret it, really. It makes a LOT, so feel free to cut meat, tomtoes, and garnishes as needed…but please don’t alter cooking times.

NEED:

Juice ½ orange
780-800g lamb fillet, cubed
Few sprigs coriander
Bunch mint leaves
1 onion peeled and halved
4 cloves garlic
1 small red chilli
110g red capsicum
20g olive oil
15g ground smoked paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Generous pinch saffron threads
450g Roma tomatoes , quartered
3-4 anchovies, rinsed
6 fresh pitted dates
6 dried apricots , soaked in boiling water for 1 hour
400g tinned chickpeas (around 230 g after draining)
100g black or Kalamata olives
Crumbled fresh feta to garnish
Sliced red chilli to garnish
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

DO:
Marinate lamb in orange juice in non reactive bowl for several hours.
Place coriander and mint into mixing bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 5. Remove from bowl and set aside.
Place onion, garlic, chilli, and capsicum into Thermomix bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 5. Add oil and sauté 5 min/Varoma/speed 1 with MC off.
Add spices, tomatoes, anchovies, dates and apricots and cook 10 min/100ºC/speed 2.
Blend 5 sec/speed 6.
Add lamb (with juice) and cook 10 min/100ºC/Reverse +  speed 1.
Add chickpeas and cook 3 min/100ºC/Reverse + speed 1.
Add chopped herbs and olives and stir through 3 sec/Reverse + speed 1.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
Garnish with crumbled feta, sliced red chilli and additional fresh herb leaves. Serve with steamed couscous or rice.

Inca Berry Cinnamon Scroll Loaf

I discovered Inca berries at my local whole food supplier…and I am LOVING them…they are a tart little version of a raisin, sour, filled with little seeds, quite palatable on their own…and I discovered quite good for you…well, very good for you actually! I have always loved Cape gooseberries (which is the fresh version of Inca berries) so now with a facelift and a brand new sexy name, we have yet another new superfood…move over Goji!

NEED:

30g fresh yeast

20g sugar

300g milk

Pinch sea salt

510g bakers flour

20g powdered malt

Filling;

70g sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp cardamom seeds

50g brewed Crio Bru leftover grounds, still moist

70g butter

2 handfuls Inca berries, (dried Cape gooseberries)

2 handfuls dried cherries or craisins

Maple syrup to glaze

DO:

Place yeast, sugar and milk into Thermomix bowl and warm 2 min/37ºC/speed 2.

Add salt, flour and malt and blend 10 sec/speed 6.

Knead 3 min/Interval. Turn onto floured Silpat mat and knead by hand into a tight ball. Wrap and prove until doubled in your Kleenmaid warming drawer! (I know, I know, I AM spoilt!)

To make filling place sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick and cardamom seeds into clean Thermomix bowl and blend 10 sec/speed 10. Add Crio Bru grounds and butter and blend 8 sec/speed 6.

When dough has doubled, divide into two portions.

Roll one piece of dough out into a large rectangle, slightly smaller than the size of your Silpat mat.

Spread 1/2 the filling mixture over, sprinkle with berries and roll up, long side. Tuck ends of dough in and transfer to a paper lined baking tray.

Repeat with remaining dough and mixture.

Prove again for at least 30 minutes until risen and fragrant.

Preheat oven to bread setting 200ºC.

Bake 15 minutes until golden. Brush with maple syrup whilst still hot.

Slice and serve with lashings of butter….try honey or maple butter for a real treat.

Freeze one loaf unbaked if desired without second proofing. Bring to room temperature before baking as usual. Will keep in the freezer up to a month.

FIni Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse Tart

I know I can carry the chocolate thing too far sometimes…take for example the Crio Bru grounds in my Avocado dip…(don’t knock it until you try it!) But there really isnt a down side to a chocolate pastry base, filled with a chocolate mousse filling, and then, why not, to hell with the expense, top it off with some gorgeous berryness! This recipe was one I actually developed for the lovely Justine Schofield…if you are listening Jus, I am freelance now…busier than a cut snake, but hey, text me! (RecipesRittenRUs!!) It has subsequently been seen around various sources, so by now no means original…and even this is a tweak. But oh what a delicious one! Enjoy!

Chocolate Dough; 

NEED:

100g sugar

230g plain flour

120g unsalted butter, cold and cubed

35g Valrhona cocoa (or other high quality cocoa)

3 egg yolks

1tbsp iced water

DO:

Place sugar into Thermomix bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 10.

Add flour, butter and cocoa and mix 6 sec/speed 6.

Add egg yolks and water and mix 6-8 sec/speed 6-7 until a ball of dough forms.

Turn mixture out onto floured Silpat mat and push together with your hands. Form a flat disc, wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill.

Preheat oven to 180ºC.

Roll dough out to 3mm thick and line 8 individual tart tins, or a 23cm tin with pastry.

Trim edges and dock pastry with a fork all over the base. Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.

Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove beads and cook a further 10 minutes until crisp.

Allow to cool completely before filling.

Mousse Filling;

NEED:

150g good quality dark chocolate

50g milk

1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

300g whipping cream

100g fruity Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries to garnish.

DO:

Place chocolate into Thermomix bowl and chop 10 sec/speed 8.

Add milk and vanilla and cook 2 min/50ºC/speed 1. Remove from bowl and set aside.

Without cleaning bowl, insert butterfly.

Place cream into Thermomix bowl and whip 10 sec/speed 4 or until soft peaks form.

Add melted chocolate back into Thermomix bowl and mix 3 sec/speed 4.

Pour EVOO onto lid with MC in place and incorporate 20-25 sec/speed 2.

Assemble by spooning mousse into prepared tart cases, topping with fresh berries and serving immediately.

Ice Magic, Magic Shell or good ole crack shell chocolate topping

NOT good for you…really, if you have guiltily bought that stuff ever, you will have read the ingredients (unless you were just so guilty that you figured ignorance was bliss!) ANYHOO, you know it is all bad…not a lot of chocolate going on, but here we go…Crio Bru is about to come to the rescue yet again, and I am happy to say, this is the best darn ice magic ever…and it’s good for you. (If you are in the states, I think this stuff is called Magic Shell…but hey, you say to-mate-o and I say to-mah-to!)

I ate two bowls of ice cream for this shoot…the sacrifices I make, and right before I go test the theory that tanned fat is better than white fat as I lay on deck on the very lovely Legend of the Seas and sail around Bali etc…tough gig, but my private nervous breakdown has been scheduled for some time now…I’ll be back in a couple of weeks…but don’t fret…I have planned heaps of recipes to pop up here without me…now who do you love??

NEED:

100g dark chocolate (or milk or white)

65g brewed Crio Bru liquid

65g coconut oil

1 tsp Heilala vanilla bean paste

Pinch sea salt (optional…but I do love the little salty sweet yin yang)

DO:

Place all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and cook 2 min/50º/speed 2. Place into sterilised jar and do not refrigerate. It will stay liquid in the pantry. If you need to make it more liquid before pouring over ice cream, just place into Microwave for a few seconds and stir briefly to re mix.

Use over ice cream…and watch the magic happen!

Pasta Carbonara

It was bound to happen. In fact, I am amazed it didn’t happen sooner. Upon announcing that I was making pasta carbonara tonight for dinner, my (16yr old) son was pretty excited…why I wonder did I not do this recipe before?? Its a puzzle, but thanks to Julianne Block for asking the question…and magically, here it is! (Now Julieann, go sing my accolades far and wide!!)

YUMMY, and so easy, it just may become a staple…perhaps we might add it to the Dinner Spinner app…did you buy one yet? If not why not?

Get with the program kids. I mean, really…

NEED:

50g Parmesan, cubed

1 large brown onion, quartered (200g approx)

4 cloves garlic

300g speck bacon, cubed

200g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced

620g liquid chicken stock OR equivalent water and stock paste of choice

2 tbsp Umami paste

300-400g long or short pasta of choice (100g per serving is an average!)

200g cream

Sea salt to taste (depends on saltiness of your speck)

Cracked black pepper to taste

Few Italian parsley leaves and or basil leaves to garnish

DO:

Place Parmesan into Thermomix bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 8. Remove from bowl and set aside.

Place onion and garlic into Thermomix bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 4.

Scrape down sides of bowl and add speck and mushrooms. Saute 10 min/Varoma/Reverse + speed 2.

Add liquid, Umami paste, and pasta and cook for time stated on pasta packet 100ºC/Reverse + speed 1.

Add cream, seasoning and herbs. Serve immediately with grated parmesan over.