Lunchboxes

Raw Cacao Bliss Balls

~ nzthermomixmum
Raw cacao bliss balls
Raw cacao bliss balls

These paleo raw organic cacao balls are soooooo good. Processed simply in 20 seconds in thermomix and then hand rolled into coconut. Kept in the fridge they are perfect sugar free sweet treat for lunch boxes and coffee or morning  tea. Miss 8 said “so yummy… I like the chocolate centre” Ground raw almonds to flour, then added medjool dates, coconut oil, chia seeds and cacao powder. Recipe link below from the thermomix community. It’s only takes seconds at speed 9 to convert raw almonds to almond flour.

Almond flour/meal
Almond flour/meal

http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/desserts-sweets-recipes/organic-raw-cacao-bliss-balls/122176

Gluten free bread (chia and pepita) and brown rice salad

~ nzthermomixmum
Gluten free bread
Gluten free bread
Brown rice salad
Brown rice salad

Off on a school trip tomorrow with Miss 8 to Tiri Tiri matangi, so needed to precook a couple of meals in advance. Following the guided recipes for gluten free bread and rice salad on the thermomix is like having a chef next to you telling you what to do next! Miss 14 has been asking for the gluten free chia and pepita loaf since we last tried it at the Thermomix course a couple of weeks ago and it doesn’t disappoint. It has the texture of vogels bread and toasted it will be even scrummier. Even though it would be easy enough to make up a rice salad without the thermomix, the advantage is that while the rice cooks in the bowl, the vegetables and eggs steam in the Varoma tray. This salad is topped with fresh herbs, tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice but any light dressing or combination of vegetables could be substituted. We are loving all the whole foods we are now eating and can’t remember the last time I put a packet of biscuits in my shopping trolley. Lasagne also made for tonight’s dinner, bechemal sauce was made yesterday in the thermomix and refrigerated so only had to make the meat sauce today.

Pretzels

~ nzthermomixmum
Pretzels hot out of the oven
Pretzels hot out of the oven

Miss 14 was looking through our new thermomix cookbook ‘Festive Flavour’ for a new recipe to try and the pretzel recipe  jumped out. We love the pretzels from the hole in the wall pretzel shop in upper Queen St. Their apple and cinnamon pretzels are super yummy so we’re hoping this recipe measures up. The recipe is simple and dough is prepared in a few minutes and left to prove in warmed thermoserver. Miss 14 shaped into pretzels, dipped into hot water mixed with baking soda before baking for 10 minutes. Half sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Fab homemade pretzels.

Gluten free muesli slice

~ nzthermomixmum
Breakfast muesli slice
Breakfast muesli slice

Oops ate a piece before the photo could be taken! Just received a new recipe book and chip “Cooking for me and you”. This book and recipe chip caters for gluten free and vegetarian diets and specifically created for  two person meals, we figured adapting for a family wouldn’t be too difficult. The guided recipe above was made for kids afternoon tea today, called ‘breakfast bars’. This slice is a highly nutritious combination of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Used prunes instead of apricots, other ingredients ..figs, assorted nuts, 3 eggs, pepitas, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut and maple syrup . Not very sweet because I reduced maple syrup from 60g to 35g. Probably add some chocolate chips for the kids next time as there were no ahhhs today !  But it’s certainly healthy and simple to put together and it will be great for their lunchboxes.

Apple tart

~ nzthermomixmum
Apple tart
Apple tart

I’ve never made pastry before and was keen to try it with this guided apple tart recipe from the Basic cookbook. Ran out of time to make it look pretty hence the fairly rustic look  and didn’t bother to core the apples either.  Seeds and a little peel are all good roughage. The pastry was made in a couple minutes and the hardest part about this recipe is peeling the apples. We absolutely loved the taste of the end result. Homemade apple pie, the short crust pastry is crisp and a slice with vanilla ice cream really really good. Made in a small 20cm tin so only needed half the apples. Was so quick decided to make another one and use the other half of the apples. Again reduced sugar topping on the apples to just a sprinkle instead of 30g. Here’s apple tart number 2 for lunchboxes !

Apple tart second time
Apple tart second time

Caribbean carrot cake

~ nzthermomixmum
Carrot cake with cream cheese icing
Carrot cake with cream cheese icing

This is a carribean carrot cake, made using the guided recipes, super quick because the thermomix grates the carrot and mixes all the other ingredients with carrots, I reduced sugar and used assorted activated nuts instead of walnuts. Great recipe and made up two loaf tins instead of one round cake, reduced cooking time slightly. Here is the pic of the very last slice before it was demolished.

Bread rolls

~ nzthermomixmum
Wholemeal bread
Wholemeal bread

We had a breakthrough with bread today.  Yippee ! This time used a whole sachet of yeast for the basic bread recipe which is the tip we picked up from the Catherine at the thermomix course. And instead of using wheat grains, just substituted wholemeal flour.   I think there’s about three teaspoons of yeast in one sachet and the recipe requires only 2 tsp so there was always a little leftover previously. This time with more yeast, proving was only 30 minutes as per recipe. And the second prove after the buns are shaped  was 20 minutes as per recipe. Miss 14 shaped the buns using tips from course. The kids loved making the hedgehog buns. Buns cooked in 15 minutes at 200c. Above pic is hot out of the oven. Nothing like having the smell of baking bread in the house.

Lunch was rice noodles with chicken and courgettes. Thermomix chicken stock used as a soup base and unfortunately  just used the last spoonful from the jar. It has lasted us almost three months. So will be making more tomorrow. Miss 8 says it’s her favourite soup in the world! What a compliment.

Wholemeal bread rolls

~ nzthermomixmum
image
Wholemeal bread rolls

Thermomix held a course for new owners in Mt Wellington on Tuesday night. Brilliant … Miss 14 and I attended and we came away enthused to try so many more guided recipes from sampling the dishes and drinks there. Can’t wait to make homemade muesli, gluten free bread, lemon and parsley juice, brown rice salad and creamy tomato soup. The peach sorbet served up was ‘wow’ but we are a already  spoilt because we have sorbet/ slushies/ smoothies  use nearly every day with assorted fruits and berries. The inclusion of fresh herbs is definately on the list now that we have a newly planted herb garden and tasted the fab lemon and parsley juice.  One of the consultants demonstrated three methods of plaiting bread rolls using the guided basic bread recipe P218 in the Basic cookbook.  So had to give this one a go.  The rolls are wonderful, used half wholemeal half flour to make the dough. The proving took about an hour rather than the 30 minutes but the worth the wait. The texture was still great the next day for school lunches. And both miss 14 and miss 8 wanted to eat them just plain with butter and pesto.

Strawberry Bliss Balls

~ nzthermomixmum
Raw strawberry bliss balls
Raw strawberry bliss balls

These raw vegan sugar free bliss balls are made from medjool dates, banana, strawberries, activated nuts, chia seeds, and coconut.  Used thermomix to blitz the dates first, then added the other ingredients. Pulsed a few times. Shaped into balls and rolled in desiccated coconut and refrigerated for 20 minutes to firm up. Rolled a few in chocolate hail for kids. But they were happy to eat the sugar free ones. Delicious and a great alternative to biscuits and cake. Recipe from Pete Evans Paleo Family Food cookbook.    Strawberry bliss ball link http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/desserts-sweets-recipes/strawberry-bliss-balls/232564