I made a terrific bread recipe during the week, part of which I used as a crusty base for an onion tart…the rest made the most delicious bread which toasted to nutty perfection and was swiftly polished off by the hungry hoards that inhabit my kitchen whether I let them or not! SO two recipes for the price of one, but I neglected to photograph the bread…use your imagination, or better still, go and cook, slather with butter and eat! (Then come back and tell me how it went)

Hazelnut Seed Loaf

NEED:
2 teaspoons dried yeast granules
300g warm water
1 generous teaspoon honey
310 grams wholemeal flour
330 gram unbleached bakers flour
pinch Celtic sea salt (My new ingredient love!)
100g sunflower or Pepita seeds
100g roasted skinned hazelnuts

DO:
Place yeast warm water and honey into Thermomix bowl and warm for 4 minutes at 37oC on speed 1.
(This can be achieved by mixing the ingredients and allowing to stand for a few minutes to bubble…if you are so unfortunate as to not have a Thermomix…will I ever shut up about that???)
Add flours, salt and nuts and mix quickly on speed 7, then with lid in closed position use Interval setting to knead for 2 minutes. (Add more water if necessary.)
Oil a Silpat mat or similar and wrap the dough in it whilst you make the tart ingredients.

Meanwhile, back at the Thermomix….

Onion Tart

NEED:
700-750 grams brown onions peeled and chopped in half
60 grams olive oil
50 grams butter
3 eggs
nutmeg to taste
Celtic sea salt to taste!
200 grams cream
Shortcut bacon slices
Large pie dish

DO:
Place onions, oil and butter into clean Thermomix bowl. Cook for 30 minutes at 100oC on speed 2.
Allow to cool slightly.
Prepare the pie base by greasing the pie dish, then take a portion of your bread dough big enough to line the dish, roll it out into a large round and place into dish. It should come up the sides of the dish.
Place the cooled onion mix into the dish.
Without cleaning the bowl, place all ingredients except the bacon in and whiz together on speed 7 until blended (around 5 seconds). Pour over onion mix.
Lay shortcut slices on top and bake in moderate oven for about 1 hour or until golden on top and set in center. Serve with fresh rocket (preferably from your own garden….and yes, now I AM showing off!)

NOW…back to your bread, you should have more than enough dough left over to make a hearty loaf, rise and punch down once, roll into loaf shape and place in tin (if using) and allow to rise again.
Cook in hot oven (220oC plus) for 25 minutes, take out of tin and cook a further 5 minutes until crusty on the base. Slice and enjoy!

Apologies for my recent lack of posts! Life has taken over my life…(‘does it ever end?’ I ask myself.)

One of my sons is in hospital with Golden Staph (though I hardly think it rates a capitalization!) Nasty super bug and it’s really bugging me too! Poor love..still on a brighter note and speaking of ‘Golden’, {eewwww} our days are warmer and sunnier than usual, spring is in the air, well in Australia at least!! The weather is balmy and our thoughts are all turning to the beach, BBQ-ing and salads. Between the Steam Oven and the Thermomix, you can do the most fantastic salads. Blanching vegetables is so easy and a great way to increase the nutritional benefit in your vegies. Of course salad dressings are that much easier with the Thermomix and truly, why would you buy one ever again? Thermomix’s Mayonnaise recipe is to die for, I could eat it out of the jar with a spoon! (But I resist!!)

The following recipe is a winner with my family and has become a firm favorite…I think it originated from Singapore…but anyway, thanks to my sister in law we have been eating this one for years and I suspect it will become a firm favorite in your house too, once you try it. There were no grapes available in Perth today, so craisins it is!

NEED:
2 small heads of broccoli, washed and chopped into bite size pieces
1/4 red onion
3-4 rashers of bacon diced
500 grams red seedless grapes (in the absence of grapes, you can use 100 grams dried cranberries)
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds dry toasted in hot pan
DRESSING;
3 tbspn TM Mayonnaise (or good commercial whole egg mayo)
3 tbspn sour cream
3 tbspn red wine vinegar
2 tspn dark brown sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DO:
Blanche brocolli florets in Steam Oven by cooking for 9 minutes exactly.
Remove from oven, place in serving bowl and leave to cool.
Chop onion in TM bowl and place in serving bowl.
Fry bacon (in same pan you used for nuts.)
Slice grapes in half if they are large, otherwise use whole and add to serving bowl.
Top with bacon and nuts.
Drizzle with dressing.

DRESSING:
Place all ingredients in TM bowl.
Blend on speed 8 for 4 seconds.
Use immediately, but will keep in the fridge for up to a week in a screw top jar.

SERVE:
With steamed Chicken breasts, and fresh crusty bread! (or grilled beef ribs and potato salad…oh the possibilities, like the winter, are endless…so knock yourself out!)

DO:
Cook bacon and onion on Induction high.
Add other ingredients and a splash of chicken stock.
Leave quite chunky (don’t blend the mix too much)
Add rocket last just to wilt.
Cut pocket in chicken or Turkey breasts or thighs.
Stuff with filling. Steam for about 15-20 minutes,

SERVE:
Slice and drizzle with “Red Wine, Mushroom Sauce”.

Bacon and Corn chowder

NEED:

250 gms bacon
4 garlic cloves
2 brown onions diced
Diced vegetables of choice:
Capsicum
Celery
Carrot
Pumpkin
Broccoli
Potato
3 cobs of corn
salt/pepper to taste
1-2 litres real chicken stock
1 cup milk
½ cup cream (optional)
60g corn flour

Optional grated cheese of choice (Parmesan, swiss or combination)

DO:
Prepare all vegetables, de-kernel corn, crush and chop garlic and dice bacon.
Fry bacon in dry stockpot on Induction 8.
Add vegies and fry until fragrant and bright in colour.
Add stock and simmer on Induction 6 for 10 minutes. (Use timer)
Meanwhile mix a paste with cornflour and milk. Set aside.
When vegetables are tender quickly pour in flour/milk mix and stir to thicken.
Add salt and lots of pepper. Before serving, stir in cream and cheese if so desired.

SERVE:

With CHEESY SCONE RING or fresh crusty bread.