Almond Rosemary Crackers

A boring title methinks…but I have been studying good blogging habits and to my horror found I have comitted the cardinal recipe blogging sin; not naming my post correctly…being silly, in other words! This means all you search engine recipe junkies cannot find my recipes because, ‘Going Crackers’ does not come up in google when ‘Crackers’ is the search term!

So in an effort to help more readers find my recipes, I have taken the Oath of Truthful Titles, (yes that would be OTT)…no more crazy lady rants…well in the title at least.

I am sitting at present in Alice Springs airport waiting for my flight home to Perth after a whirlwind trip to cook with Cyndi O’Meara. What a beautiful place this is and I must say, unexpectedly so from my perspective. I think I thought I was flying into a flat desert, but quite the contrary. Stunning scenery and iconic Australian landscape that needs further investigation with the family…but I digress.

This recipe is one I whipped up last weekend in a cooking frenzy to feed my family in my absence (do they appreciate it?? NO!)

It is adapted from a recipe on Elana’s Pantry, a fantastic Gluten Free site that I frequent, though there are ingredients used that are unavailable in Australia. As usual, I knew there was an easier Thermomix version and so this; fantastic Almond and Rosemary crackers. I must say I have gone down this path before, but always added flour to make more of a shortbread. I now have a whole gamut of other ideas based on this method, so hold on to your Thermomixes…here we go!

Almond and Rosemary Crackers

NEED:

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, foliage only

270g blanched almonds

Celtic Sea salt to taste

1tbsp EVOO

1 egg

DO:

Preheat oven to 150°C.

Place rosemary, almonds and salt into Thermomix bowl and mill for 5 seconds on speed 8.

Add EVOO and egg and mix for 10 seconds on speed 6 to form a dough.

Roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper as thinly as possible and score with a pizza cutter into desired shapes. Sprinkle with additional salt grains if desired and press into the dough with a piece of baking paper.

Bake for 15 minutes until crisp. To complete ‘crisping’ process, break crackers apart and turn over and return to turned off oven to dry out.

Serve with cheese platter.

TASTE:

Add different herbs of choice according to what you have growing in your garden. Other good matches would be basil, oregano, paprika, or add garlic and 40g of good Parmesan to the nut mix before milling together.

So there you have it kids, not as boring as one may think…and all as I sit in an airport, gotta love it…

It’s not that I didn’t cook for a few weeks, (well it kind of is), but it was also that I had an amazing couple of days in Sydney getting to know Mark Best a little…for those of you who don’t know who that is, take a gander at this! He is all that and more, I was inspired by his relaxed manner, the ease with which he comes up with ideas, and his gentle humor…laconic Aussie but at the top of his game at the moment. I wanted to rush home and work on pushing the Thermomix to do more than ever before, simply to justify my existence as Thermomix Australia’s first ever recipe developer. (OK I was somewhat threatened by my lack of ingenuity, acumen, finesse, ability, need I go on??)

Mark managed to elevate my ideas about TM even further, I mean I know it’s amazing, but to hear him say so confirmed all my thoughts, and then he proceeded to make a fish floss, served with a shrimp Anglaise, followed by a liquid praline, and an instant ice cream using vanilla bean Anglaise to which he added liquid nitrogen as the TM was operating! Within minutes we had the most stunning ice cream, and he confessed that he had only had a practice run on that the day before. FANTASTIC! (Love a man with confidence! hahaha.)

Prior to the Thermomix gig with Mark, I had the chance to watch him in action at the Sydney Seafood School as he demo-ed to a class of 50 unseasoned would be chefs. Again, relaxed, unassuming and pro! To see the  School is to want to attend a class there! (Thanks to Roberta Muir for the opportunity!) What a stunning venue…Grace and I could not stop talking about it! It comprises a purpose built  lecture theater style room with demo kitchen at the front, over which are 3 screens for a full time perfect view of everything that happens in front of you. After watching the selected recipes from the guest chef (in this case, Mark,) the group then moves into a large room with stunning harbor views…(a bonus) and around 10 work stations. They are divided into groups to duplicate the current chefs recipes with all prep being basically done for them, a run sheet and the expertise of the guest chef at their disposal. STUNNING…capitals just don’t do me justice!

To finish up my Sydney trip I had a class for some top Sydney designers and despite a few hiccups, we had a great night, including the opportunity to work in a wonderful space at the ECC lighting design showroom…never underestimate a great venue to elevate the mood! Of course, surrounded by lamp shades that retail in the vicinity of $4000-$6000 made us look like a mere trinket at $1939 which didn’t hurt!

SO as I shoot out the door in literally minutes for my Singapore flight, stay tuned on Twitter and promise, only healthy recipes when I get home…really!

Yes, The Full Willy! As in Willy’s Wonky Chocolate…its a long story, but after watching the amazing Willy on SBS and being totally charmed by the romance of it all, I happened to visit my sister and found that her husband had gone ahead and ordered some of Willy’s amazing chocolate and whats more, he GAVE me some, bless his cotton socks! They cost a little more than the average chocolate bar (well a lot more actually) and in an effort to honour such a gift (and chocolate perfection) I pondered again and again what I should do with such a precious commodity! I felt like the proverbial kid in a candy factory and couldn’t quite decide between good and gooder…but here we go. A combo of several faves of mine, brioche, almonds and of course, good old Willies Wonky chocolate.

NEED:
1 batch Brioche dough

1 beaten egg for glaze

100g Willys 100% cacao bar (or unsweetened dark chocolate in the absence of excellence!)

150g caster sugar

150g almonds

150g clotted cream

2tsp vanilla essence

1tsp almond essence (optional)

DO:
Line 2 trays with baking paper and set aside. Make brioche as directed and rise overnight. Bring dough to room temperature before using as follows;

Roll dough out to large rectangular shape.

Spread filling on as evenly as possible. Fold half dough lengthways into centre of rectangle. Bring other half in to meet it in center. Fold those ‘pockets’ in on top of one another to make a long layered length of dough.

Cut across into equal widths (see pic) and place onto prepared trays. Brush with egg wash. Place into cold oven (to facilitate another rise) and bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown at 200-220C. Cool slightly before eating…though to burn ones tongue on molten chocolate inside fragrant brioche is akin to sadistic pleasure…not that I know about all that stuff!

To make filling;

To make filling place chocolate (in chunks) into Thermomix bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 9. Add sugar and almonds and mill a further 20 seconds until the fat is actually starting to be released from the cacao and almonds and the mixture starts to form a rough dough.

Add cream and essences and mix a further 10 seconds on speed 7. Spread this on dough and proceed as directed above.

So Willy, here’s hoping this meets your high standards! Amazing story, amazing chocolate,and now amazing Chocolate Brioche (at least I like to think so…thanks Stu!)

White Christmas with Candied Clementines

Fresh Pesto

With about 3 weeks to go till ‘you know what’, now would be a good time to start planning a few gifts for special people that come from your very own kitchen. I personally love to both give and receive homemade treats particularly if they resemble something straight out of the David Jones food hall! I have a few ideas already posted on here, so bookmark this page as it will guide you to a few of those.

Have you checked out the price of Pesto’s lately? When freshly made from a delicatessen or specialty store, they not only come in ugly plastic containers, you might as well open your wallet and allow them to help themselves! SO try this recipe for Pesto and purchase some pretty jars from your favorite home-wares store, tie with ribbon, and perhaps include a pkg of gourmet dried pasta. Voila, beautiful homemade gift!

Another idea is a fragrant box of crackers…try these on for size. Wrap in a tube, add a wedge of favorite cheese and a jar chutney (no recipe on here yet!)…gift two sorted!

I think my almost absolute fave at Christmas is Panforte and if I say so myself, this is an excellent recipe! Slice into thin wedges, dredge generously with icing sugar, wrap in cellophane, lots of ribbon…several gifts, if you manage to resist eating them yourself!

Most people anticipate some cookies/biscuits at some point throughout the season, and these are extraordinarily good and kind of more adult than not! You can find gusseted cellophane bags quite easily at this time of year, which are perfect for gift wrapping them. A little ribbon, a tag, perhaps even a copy of the recipe attached and again, easy gifting!

Today’s new offerings are so cute! Very DJ and oh so easy!

NEED:

zest 1 lime

370g pkt white chocolate melts

45g organic extra virgin coconut oil

6-7 whole glace clementines OR 170g glace orange slices

30g coconut chips (available at Asian stores)

50g puffed rice

50g craisins

DO:

Place zest and choc melts into Thermomix bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 9.

Add coconut oil and melt together for 6 minutes at 37oC on speed 1-2.

Meanwhile, dice the glace clementines/oranges.

Add all remaining ingredients and mix for 20-30 seconds on Reverse + speed soft.

Spread into lined 15cm baking tin and refrigerate. When completely set, turn out onto chopping board and slice into thin slices. OR to gift wrap as in picture, slice to fit acetate box of choice and tie with ribbon.

Recipe Two; (‘two in one post’ I hear you cry! It is Christmas after all, and I do love all my commenters…take note those of you who silently lurk!) is for Passionfruit Curd, an excellent gift for all occasions, so pretty when in a clear jar, decorated with ribbon and perhaps given with a fresh loaf of Brioche! Oh Heaven!

NEED:

Zest 1 lemon

Juice 2 lemons

200g unsalted butter

220g caster sugar

1whole egg and 3 egg yolks

pinch salt

1 tin passionfruit pulp or fresh pulp from 2 passionfruit

DO:
Place all ingredients except passionfruit pulp into Thermomix bowl and cook for 10 minutes at 80oC on speed 4.

Check consistency to see if you are happy with its spreadability! Add a few minutes at the same temperature if necessary.

Add passionfruit pulp and stir through for 5-7 seconds on reverse + speed 3 until combined. Decant into pretty glass jars or use drinking glasses then cover with cellophane or fabric. Keep refrigerated until gifted. These should keep for around 2 weeks in the fridge. It makes a stunning filling for mini tarts. Use a sweet shortcrust pastry recipe and line mini tartlet pans with pastry. Dollop some passionfruit curd into each case and bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until golden and fragrant.

So Merry Christmas all…I am off to Bali soon and with Christmas a few days after I get back, I am not sure I will make it back on here before. Be safe, cook up a storm and for Pete’s sake (whoever Pete is?) leave a comment to make my blogging day! (‘blogging’ in that sentence can be substituted with any word of your choice!)

Thai Beef Salad

Sorry, its Friday afternoon at the end of a long week, and so I am not only tired, but silly to go along with it! Thai Beef Salad is one of my favorites and lately I have been on a mission to find a nice one in a restaurant that I could rely on to deliver the taste hit that I crave…no luck! So had to come up with my own, here it is. Although we have had  nothing but rain here all week (mid November, what is going on??) I am primed and ready for some hot weather eating. Hope you enjoy this on a leisurely evening…cooking time of approximately 5 minutes…how much more leisurely could you get? Enjoy!

Thai Beef Salad

Marinade NEED:

55g Tamari or soy sauce

55g fish sauce

50g honey

Juice ½ orange

Juice 1 lime

Handful coriander leaves

Handful mint leaves

1 small chilli (deseeded if desired, for more heat leave seeds in)

2 large cloves garlic

3cm piece peeled ginger

Marinade DO:

Place all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and mix for 10 seconds on speed 8. Drizzle over meat and leave for around 3-4 hours if possible.

Dressing NEED:

Juice 1 lime

25g Tamari or soy sauce

Juice ½ orange

2tbsp sesame oil

20g fish sauce

1 small chilli (deseeded if desired, for more heat leave seeds in)

2 large cloves garlic

3cm piece peeled ginger

Few coriander leaves

Few mint leaves

Dressing DO:

Without washing bowl after making marinade, place all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and blend for 10 seconds on speed 8. Set aside until assembling the salad.

Salad NEED:

100-150g Asian vermicelli noodles

400-500g rump steak cut in strips

2 tbsp olive oil

200g sliced mushrooms

3 diced tomatoes

½ thinly sliced red onion

1 ruby grapefruit peeled and segmented

Few sprigs mint/coriander

Mixed salad greens of choice

Salad DO:

Place vermicelli noodles into insulated bowl and cover with boiling water.

Drain marinade from beef strips and set aside. Place olive oil into Thermomix bowl and heat for 2 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 2.

Place beef strips into Thermomix bowl and cook for 5 minutes at Varoma temperature on Reverse + speed soft.

Meanwhile, assemble the remaining salad ingredients on large platter.

Drain noodles and toss with about half the dressing.

Place dressed noodles on top of the salad, add beef and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve immediately.

Christmas Ice Cream Torte

I know that sounds crazy to my northern readers, but as the temperature starts to head into the 30′s (Celcius that is), our thoughts down under turn to Christmas, and ways to keep the feasting cool and casual, around the pool or water somewhere, somehow…what better conglomeration than Ice Cream and Christmas Pudding? Great in the centre of your Christmas table or really charming as individual serves, this recipe is a beauty, if I say so myself. More of a torte than a Christmas pudding, a piece d’resistance after a stunning meal, and a must to start off my Christmas ramblings for 2009. Hard to believe how fast the year has gone, but lets stay away from that topic shall we? SO with no further ado, let the cooking begin…2009 Christmas here we come!

Christmas Ice Cream Torte

NEED:
1 recipe Raspberry Coulis from Everyday Cooking for Every Family (Thermomix book)

230g butter shortbread biscuits (I recommend Walkers for the butter content.)

55g toasted blanched almonds

55g sugar

2 eggs

300g chilled cream

½ tsp rosewater (optional)

50g craisins

50g shelled pistachios

150g each pink and green Turkish delight, cubed (available at specialty stores)

DO:

Make Raspberry Coulis and cool.

Pre heat oven to 180ºC. Line the base of a 13cm spring form pan or for individual tortes, butter a muffin or friand tin and set aside.

Place shortbread biscuits and almonds into clean Thermomix bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 10.

Push into pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Place sugar into clean and dry Thermomix bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 10. Insert Butterfly.

Add eggs and cook for 6 minutes at 60ºC on speed 3.

Pour into separate bowl and chill.

Pour cream and rosewater into Thermoimix bowl and whip for 10-20 seconds on speed 4 until soft peaks form. Fold by spatula into chilled custard and then fold through remaining ingredients except Coulis.

Pour into base and then pour Coulis on top. Stir through with a skewer to create a marbled effect.

Freeze for 4 hours or more before serving.  Garnish unmoulded torte with fresh berries, mint leaves and additional pistachios or Turkish delight pieces as desired, and dust with icing sugar.

General Tips

To assist with serving, place in fridge 20 minutes before unmoulding and slicing.

Chorizo and Lime Fajitas

If it is Mexican, Thai, Italian, involves cheese, (or as you  know can be classed as dessert), I am there! This is Mexcian flavored and involves cheese, so a big scorer…plus with lovely weather, this is great for a day by the pool. I have been looking at Christmas recipes as well, and will have to increase my bakers dozen to a few bakers dozen I think! I have so many in my head…(and therefore providing me with my own built in flotation device) that I just don’t have the time to get them all on here! (Any volunteers out there for testing/eating/writing?) Life is never dull and in fact I am heading off to Canberra and Sydney in literally moments, so this is my attempt at keeping you all on the hook! Keep in touch via comment, (yes folks, if you have seen Julie and Julia you will know that comments are the lonely bloggers life line!!) and I promise to be back soon to flood your inbox with amazing Christmas stuff…K? In the meantime, enjoy!

Chorizo and Lime Fajitas

NEED:
170-200g red onions peeled and halved
Generous pinch sea salt
Juice 2 limes
150g long grain rice rinsed
250-300g sweet potato peeled and cubed (approx 1-2 cm square)
1L water
2 chillies
350g sliced chorizo sausage (approx 3)
7-8 flour tortillas
Crumbled feta to taste
Salad greens to taste

DO:
Place onion, salt and lime juice into Thermomix bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 5. Set aside and allow to marinate for a couple of hours if possible.
Place rice into basket with sweet potato on top, add water to Thermomix bowl, insert basket and cook for 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 3. Set aside and empty water from bowl.
Place chillies into Thermomix bowl and chop for 4 seconds on speed 6. Add chorizo and sauté for 10 minutes at Varoma temperature on Reverse + speed 1. Spoon off excess fat if desired and add rice and sweet potato to bowl.
Stir together gently for 5 seconds on Reverse + speed 1.
Cook one tortilla at a time over a direct flame for 10-15 seconds on each side, or in a dry hot fry pan. Arrange on work surface.
Divide the chorizo mix between tortillas, top with red onion and lime relish, crumbled feta and fresh greens. Wrap tightly and cut in half to serve.

]]> http://tenina.com/2009/10/feeling-chilli-tonight/feed/ 2 http://tenina.com/2009/08/in-the-raw/ http://tenina.com/2009/08/in-the-raw/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:19:00 +0000 Tenina http://cravepublishing.com/steamovencooking/?p=823

Hazelnut Brownie Slice

Well folks, I have been introduced to Raw Foodism of late, and in a quest to make something delicious that meets the raw food criteria, I came across a lovely picture of a Raw Brownie, no recipe, just a pic, and I think this recipe is almost it, but perfectly awesome in it’s own right…just look at it! One little square of this will last you almost all day as far as energy requirements are concerned, I am amazed as to how filling this is! Raw, tick, delicious, tick, decadent, tick! I loved it so much it has just made the reprint of the Thermomix little booklet ‘Rawlicious’ which is widely available from your Thermomix consultant or by phoning the office! So please, let me know how that works for you…and BTW Sydney and Melbourne, I am appearing at the Gluten Free Expo in Sydney August 21st and 22nd, and helping with Nico Moretti’s cooking classes on August 25th both the day and evening ones, so come and say hi.

Hazelnut Brownie Slice

NEED:
Crust:
40g cacao butter
60g pitted dates
130g hazelnuts
50g shredded coconut
Topping:
100g dates
160g macadamias
160g hazelnuts
50g raw cacao
80g organic coconut oil
80g cacao butter
30g maple or pear syrup
Pinch sea salt
Few chopped nuts of choice or shredded coconut for garnish

DO:
Place all base ingredients into Thermomix bowl and chop for 20 seconds on speed 7. Press into 20cm square baking tin that has been lined with baking paper. Place into freezer.
Make the topping by placing dates into Thermomix bowl and chopping for 10 seconds on speed 7.
Add remaining ingredients except garnish nuts and blend for 20 seconds on speed 9 until smooth and creamy. Pour onto base, sprinkle with chopped nuts and refrigerate until firm.
Cut into slices or squares to serve.

I imagine this could be done in a high powered food processor, but why put yourself through it? Just get the original and the best…that sounds like a great marketing line if ever there was one!

Georgie and me

Chocolate Frangipane Croissant

Well its official, George is a really nice Master Chef! I had the privilege of feeding him breakfast last Friday and although I have put this recipe up here before (in the deep dark recessed archives somewhere!), I persuaded myself that it was almost a Croissant Baklava, thus meeting the Greek requirement, though GC must be completely over being fed ‘Greek’ foods I suspect!

NEED:
Day old croissant…(This quantity makes 6)
110 grams blanched almonds
200g dark chocolate
250 grams unsalted butter
drizzle almond essence
1/4 cup icing sugar
flaked almonds to finish

SYRUP made from 1 cup water and 1/2 cup caster sugar brought together until sugar is dissolved on Induction 6. Can add a dash of rum or brandy at this point. Cool. (Really cool…as in hip!)

DO:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
Cut croissant in half and lay in baking dish.
Place almonds into Thermomix bowl and mill for 8 seconds on speed 8.
Add chocolate and mill a further 8 seconds on speed 8.
Add butter, icing sugar, essence and egg and pulse together in food processor. Mixture should be chunky and textured, as opposed to smooth!

When blended spoon onto croissant half and top with other half.
Pour syrup over and allow to soak in.
Sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake until golden. (Around 20 minutes)
Serve whilst warm.

Chicken and Lime Soup

On my recent travels which included a pit stop in Houston, I tasted a lot of fresh, delicious Mexican food and this soup was inspired by one made by my dear friend Patti. Unable to source Hominy in Australia (not yet anyway) I played around with just fresh corn and I must say that we loved this…and I hope you will too! Whats more, this will feed an army depending on how many vegetables you chop up to serve with it…and as my army all seem to be returning home, this may just come in handy!

NEED:
4-5 cloves garlic
Handful fresh oregano
Handful fresh coriander (reserve some for serving)
1 red chilli
1 onion peeled and halved
Zest 2 limes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken thigh fillets cubed
900g chicken stock
Juice 2 limes
1 x 420g tinned corn drained or equivalent fresh kernels

TO SERVE:
2-3 tomatoes chopped roughly
1-2 kumatoes chopped roughly (optional)
2 shallots sliced
1 red capsicum diced
1-2 sliced avocadoes drizzled with lime juice
¼ cabbage shredded
Coriander leaves
1 pkg plain corn chips
Sour cream
DO:
Place garlic, oregano, coriander, chilli, onion, zest, cumin and olive oil into TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 6.
Sauté for 5 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1.
Add remaining ingredients except corn and place the squeezed lime skins into TM bowl as well.
Cook for 10 minutes at 100ºC on Reverse + speed soft. Remove lime skins and squeeze well using a slotted spoon.
Add corn and cook a further 4 minutes at 100ºC on Reverse + speed soft.
Serve immediately in large soup bowls, and top with all other ingredients.