today i made Cookie's recipe from the Thermomix competition - Decadent Chocolate Biscuits. the dough (yes, i do LOVE cookie dough ;p) wasn't as nice as yesterday's but the finished product is mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! the taste kind of comes out of nowhere to sock you one LOL

i had to make a ton of substitutions because i didn't have what the recipe called for, but they were still very good (going to be very hard to pick one)

here is my gluten free version:

Decadent Chocolate Biscuits
Ingredients
about 1/4 cup brandy (GF)
1 cup dried figs
100g GF milk chocolate
about 1/3 cup whole almonds
110g raw sugar *
150g butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
300g gluten free plain flour
1tbsp cocoa
small amount milk if needed

Method
Chop figs on speed 6-7 until cut into smallish pieces. Soak figs in brandy for a few hours or overnight in an airtight container.
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Place broken chocolate into TM bowl and mill for 4 seconds on speed 7. If you prefer chunkier chocolate check the chop earlier. Set aside in fig bowl.
Chop almonds for 4 seconds on speed 7. add to fig bowl.
place raw sugar in thermomix bowl and mill for around 10 seconds on speed 8.
Add butter, vanilla and egg into TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds on speed 5.
Add flour, cocoa and milk if needed, and with dial set to closed lid position, mix for 10-15 seconds on Interval setting until blended.
Add nuts, figs and chocolate and blend a further 7 seconds on Reverse + speed 4.
Place spoonfuls onto lined baking trays and cook for 10-12 minutes.
Allow to cool on trays, they will become firm as they cool.


* oops i just realised i only added in 1/3 of the sugar in the original recipe but they sure don't taste like they are missing sugar!

this one is NOT gluten free!! i promised to share this with some online friends so here you are! originally from tupperware, it's not the best pizza dough in the world (doesn't compare to the thermomix one ;)) but it's quick and easy, would be perfect for making pan pizzas while camping actually!

1 3/4 cups self raising flour
pinch of salt
60g cheddar cheese grated
7g sachet dried yeast
1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup boiling water
cracked black pepper
good pinch dried oregano

preheat oven to 220'c. line a baking tray or pizza tray with baking paper

place ingredients in a large bowl with a seal. seal and shake in a circular motion until mixture forms a ball and thumps in the bowl (kids are good for this lol)

remove dough and press out into the tray

cover lightly with plastic wrap and sit aside in a warm place for 10-15 mins until risen slightly.

prepare topping f choice and top bases.

bake 20-25 mins

it's Thermomix competition time again! as usual i forgot to get any recipes into the comp *rolling eyes*

however i have just made the first recipe for the comp - the Lime & Coconut Cookies. If the dough is anything to go by these are fantastic!!! *drool*

here is my GF version of the recipe, thanks to Natalee for entering it :)


Lime and Coconut Cookies
Ingredients
Zest and juice 2 limes
170g raw sugar
120g cold butter
120g gluten free plain flour
60g gluten free SR flour
100g quinoa flakes
45g shredded coconut
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
80-100g white chocolate

Method
Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Place zest into TM bowl and mill for 15 seconds on speed 8. Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat if necessary.
Add sugar and mill for 15-20 seconds on speed 8 - each time you hear the sugar get quiet scrape down and start again.
Add butter and blend for 10 seconds on speed 6.
Add remaining ingredients except for chocolate and mix a further 10 seconds on Reverse + speed 4.
Place heaped teaspoons of mix onto lined baking trays, flatten slightly and cook for 12-15 minutes until golden around edges.
Remove from oven and cool completely.
To prepare chocolate, place into clean dry TM bowl and mill for 5 seconds on speed 8. Scrape down and melt for 2½ minutes at 50ºC on speed 1. Scrape into Ziploc plastic bag, snip corner off to drizzle over lined up cookies.

yet again i'm repeating half of the last plan. i'm just so unmotivated to cook atm.

pumpkin gnocchi & roasted tomato sauce (from the freezer)
veal snitzel (crumbed with almonds & parmesan), potato bake and salad
palak tambli
minestrone
roast chicken & veg (need to find a rub of some sort to put on the chicken)
roast vegie enchiladas and rice


Need to buy:
spinach x 2
cumin seeds
ground coriander
broccoli
onions
sweet potato
tomatoes
parsnips - few depending on size
1R 1G capsicums
brussels sprouts

well, i got the referral from my dr yesterday to have the biopsy done on myself to check for coeliac disease (in case i havne't mentioned it the cheek / buccal swab showed i carry the gene which means a 30% chance of having CD, plus i have a lot of the symptoms). i rang the gastroenterologist yesterday and rather than a 6-9 month wait it will most likely be done in the next month - IF i've been eating enough gluten!

because most of our main meals are gluten free and most of my baking is GF i'm not sure i've been eating enough (i did make sure i was eating some because i knew i wanted the biopsy but i expected it to take ages before it would be done). so now i'm loading up on gluten hoping that they'll say i can go ahead and not have to wait an extra month.

especially as my tummy is now killing me with cramps and is so hard and swollen, and i'm dizzy. anyway, if it turns out NOT to be CD, which is always possible, i have told my GP i'll then want a referral to a dietician so i can work out what IS causing the problem for me, as there is definitely something. bleh. roll on next friday when i have my apmt and can find out how long i'll have to wait...

this is for one large quiche, but is also fabulous made into mini quiches - just use more pastry and cut out rounds big enough for your cupcake / muffin tray.

shortcrust pastry for your quiche dish (1 sheet of frozen for one large quiche)
1 large onion, chopped
3 bacon rashers, chopped
2 tabs chopped parsley
3 eggs
375ml evaporated skim milk
litte nutmeg & cayenne pepper
1 cup grated cheese

grease your quiche / pie dish and line with pastry. trim off any overhang.
gently fry the onion, bacon and parsley. place into the pastry
mix together eggs, milk, spices. pour over onion / bacon mix.
sprinkle with cheese

bake in 425'F / 220'c oven for 10 minutes, then reduce to 400'F (?'c) for 20 minutes

serve with green salad and crusty bread

1 tab cornflour
1 cup water
1 tspn sesame oil
1 tab soy sauce
1/2 tspn sugar
sherry

mix cornflour with a little water until smoother then gradually add in all other ingredients. bring to the boil while stirring and simmer until thick and glossy looking.

you can also add some shredded shallots or sliced red chilli before pouring over your chinese omelette.


this is another one which would be a cinch in a thermomix!

i think this recipe came out of a very old AWW chinese cooking book, it's delicious!

hmmm interesting, i haven't written down how much meat of what kind! i'd imagine probably around 500-600g of fillet steak, finely sliced!

1/4 cup water
1/4 tspn bicarb soda

mix and mix with meat, stand 1 hour

4 tabs oil

heat 1 tab oil, fry steak over high heat til brown, remove

3 onions, cut into fine wedges

heat 2 tabs oil, fry til browned, remove

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup sugar

add final tab oil, re-add steak and onion, add sauce ingredients. remove from pan.

1 tab white wine

drizzle wine over the top and serve.

my ex was vietnamese and this is his recipe...


spareribs - boil til cooked
garlic - fry, add sliced pork
carrots - slice finely, add and fry til brown
hoi sin sauce - add & heat
shallots - slice finely and sprinkle over to serve

recipe from the 70's

1/4 cup oil (!!)
2 onions
1 carrot
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1 small cucumber
470g can pineapple
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tabs vinegar
1 tab tomato sauce
1 tab soy sauce
2 tspns cornflour

cut carrot, capsicum & cucumber into fine strips
drain & chop pineapple, keep juice for sauce
saute onions, carrots, peppers & cucumber, add pineapple
sauce:
combine reserved juice, sugar, vinegar, tomato sauce and soy sauce. mix cornflour with a little sauce mix and add to sauce mix.
add to vegies, stir til sauce thickens. simmer 2 minutes.



this one would be a good one for the thermomix! (i won't be converting it, no one but me likes S&S in this house!)

Just found this in an old notebook, one to try for the kids ;)

1 1/2 lbs mince
1 onion, chopped
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup rice
pinch herbs
S&P
plain flour * Gluten free if needed
1 tin of tomato soup ** check ingredients if GF needed
1 cup water

mix all but soup & water & flour.
shape into small balls, toss in flour.
heat soup & water to boiling, add balls.
cover and cook 40-45 mins, turn once.

as of thursday 26th march Aldi will have gluten free stock :) it looks like it might be a permanent range but it's kind of hard to tell from the catalogue and it's not appearing on the website yet. *fingers crossed*

Basco Muffin mixes $4.49
Remiga Pastas 500g (corn & rice based) $3.49
Basco cake mixes $2.89
Hole-Sum Chips 100g $1.99
Lemon Myrtle macadamias 250g $4.99
Chickpea Crisps 175g $1.99

I"m not sure what I've been paying for the basco mixes (i can't find them on the homeshop site and i don't buy them all the time to find the receipt) but a google brought them up at $5.50 from one of the big online stores.

i'm repeating half of last week's menu as without chicken or potatoes it was kind of hard to do! (yes, i went to the supermarket twice to buy potatoes and left without them)

Moroccan chicken kebabs, rice and salad (emelia's request)
daal & rice
gnocchi & pesto & pumpkin
veal snitzel (crumbed with almonds & parmesan), potato bake and salad
palak tambli
minestrone

shopping list:
spinach
cumin seeds
potatoes (lots)
chicken
bacon
cabbage
parmesan
sweet potato
tomatoes
coriander
basil
onions?
salad

not sure this even counts as a recipe, it's so easy! lol

when rora was first diagnosed as coeliac I was able to buy a pack of frozen chicken nuggets from Freedom Foods, however they are no longer making them. mind you at $10 for 10 nuggets i certainly wouldn't have been buying them often!!

so the other night i made a small batch of nuggets to stash in the freezer, partially inspired by the open pack of FF cornflakes which no one likes (yes, kelloggs CF have gluten). you can use any leftover plain cereals, or rice flakes etc. even quinoa flakes might work.

I cut up 2 chicken breasts into large chunks (well, ok, geoff did that bit ;P). i noticed that rora didn't eat that many of them - though i thought the one i tasted was delicious - so i'm thinking next time i might lightly tenderise the chunks with a meat mallet.

i used about 100g of parmesan cheese, which i pulverised in the thermomix, using speed 6-8 until you can hear no more chunks hitting the sides. i then added in some cornflakes, around 1 cup and chopped some more. i deliberately left mine chunky but the larger pieces wouldn't stick so i would recommend making it fine and smooth. place the crumb mix in a bowl.

then you beat an egg in another bowl.

dip each chicken chunk into the egg, then roll in the crumb mix until well covered.

if you have time it's a good idea to refridgerate for a while before cooking, and you can even repeat the process for a second time if you like (i hate crumbing so i just do one layer!). then bake or fry until golden and cooked through - be very careful not to over cook or they will be dry and unappetising!!!! if you bake you might like to spray with a little cooking spray / oil.

serve with gluten free oven fries - we use the aldi ones in the purple packet - and dipping sauce if desired.

link to last post #2


palak tambli (spinach dish)

mixed bean palya

eggplant cauliflower & chickpea curry

sweet potato soup with haloumi & seeds

Santa Fe Huevos on Polenta Recipe aka Eggs Ranchero

Woolworths had these packet mixes on sale - buy 2 and save $xxx. so i let rora pick 3 and i picked one. this is the only one I've made so far and I thought I would review it.

It was very easy to make, just mixing a little oil and water into the first 2 packets, then baking for 15 minutes (my oven started to burn it just after 10 minutes). then let it cool slightly, mix up the icing and spread on top. i found the icing very hard to spread - it didn't want to stick to the slice (it certainly didn't look anything like the icing on the front of the box!).

everyone enjoyed it, even with the walnuts which were chopped quite finely, and it was virtually demolished that night! (only 2 small pieces were left). the slice was fairly crumbly.

the slice is also dairy free and egg free as well as gluten free. the list of ingredients is not too bad, other than one preservative.

to be honest if i added chopped walnuts to this chocolate fudge slice, which is barely any more involved to make, and then made an icing for the top (which i never bother with lol) it would be nearly identical for much less cost and barely any more effort. but if i was feeling particularly lazy i would buy this again :D heheheh

from the Coeliac Australia yahoo group

Sweet potato & Sheep Feta & Macadamia Balls.
Posted by: "GlutenFree Cooking" glutenfreecooking@yahoo.com glutenfreecooking
Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:57 pm (PDT)
Bake 1,3kg ( 3 very large ones) sweet potatoes ( the orange sweet potatoes, kumera) in a corningware dish with a lid in your oven till soft. Keep the skin on. Remove baked sweet potatoes. The centre of the sweet potato must be really soft. Scoop the flesh out of the peel. Let it cool for a bit. Roast 48 macadamia nuts that have been cut in half, add to the sweet potato, add fresh ground pepper to taste add, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 ½ cups of fresh mint leaves that have been roughly cut, add about 400g sheep’s feta ( I usually by the Kebia sheeps feta, the 900g) that you crumble though your fingers. Dry fry about 400g of chickpea flour. Use your fingers or your Kitchen Aid to mix all the ingredients together. Make sure it is well mixed. The mixture is very sticky. Roll about 68 balls the size of an Australian 50c. Place on magic cooking sheet http://www.magiccookingsheet.com.au/index.asp?page=Magic-Cooking-Products-Home in a baking tray bake for
45-50 min in a fan forced oven 180-190. Cooked when they bounce back when you press on them. Serve with chilli sauce or, lime or lemon juice. Freeze well. Great as a snack to work.
Jeanne

rora wanted a "pink" cake yesterday, so lacking any cochineal or anything else to make a cake pink i decided to go with strawberries, even though the last time i attempted a strawberry cake it was awful!

well this one was NOT awful! it was divine! too much sugar for me, and next time i will add 2 punnets of strawberries, but this is a definite keeper :)

from the Lucullian Delights blog and her Ricotta and Almond cake

Strawberry, Ricotta and Almond cake (gluten free)

100 g whole almonds
1-2 punnets (around 200-400g) hulled & halved strawberries
75 g butter
3 eggs
2oog sugar (* next time i will try 150g)
125 g ricotta
100g brown rice flour
few drops of cochineal, optional :)

place almonds in bowl and chop at speed 6 until almonds become meal. (sorry i have mine already ground so can't remember how long! maybe 40-60 seconds?) remove and place in another bowl

add strawberries and chop at speed 6 for 1-5 seconds until finely chopped and slightly pureed

add chopped butter and mix for 1 minute on speed 4 90'c

add in eggs and sugar and mix on speed 4 for 5 seconds

add ricotta and brown rice flour, mix on speed 4 for 5-10 seconds or until well mixed.

pour into a lined, greased tin and bake at 180'c for 25-35 mins. serve with a dollop of fresh thick cream.


this would be lovely for dessert or a decadant afternoon tea (it is very rich, moist and sweet)

yes it's been a long time ;)


Moroccan chicken, rice and salad (emelia's request)
Lamb korma (p 104 200 curries book), dhal makhani (p170 200 curries book)
daal & rice
gnocchi & sauce (or pesto)
tacos
veal snitzel (crumbed with almonds & parmesan), potato bake and salad

Ok, Emelia and I have just made a double batch... will report later as to how these turned out with the changes * ;) this is a great recipe to make with kids because it's so easy.

Choc Pix (Gluten free, Thermomix version)

210g raw sugar
230g butter at room temp
20g cocoa
150g dessicated coconut
290g Gluten Free SR flour (i used Edwards??)
10g guar gum
2 eggs
1 tspn vanilla

mill sugar on speed 6 for around 20 seconds to make it finer. cream butter & sugar on speed 5 for around 5 seconds, scrape down sides and repeat.

add flour, guar gum, coconut & cocoa. Mix on reverse speed 5 until mostly mixed (20 secs?) add egg & vanilla through lid and mix well - perhaps another 20 seconds on speed 5?

bake 325'F (165'C) for around 8 minutes.

best thing with this recipe is that i don't like them LOL


* they are a bit too dry and crumbly so will play with the recipe again soon to see if i can improve it.

an old recipe (i just found a recipe folder i started years ago) taht i think i got from a friend, or maybe i copied it from a recipe mum got from a friend.

if there's one bad thing the internet has done for recipes it's that we no long handwrite copies of recipes for each other. i really treasure mum's handwritten recipes and the fact that when i see the writing i know who wrote them straight away.

Choc Pix

4oz margarine
1 tab cocoa
1 egg
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup SR flour
1/2 tspn vanilla

cream marg & sugar. sift & add flour & cocoa. mix well and add egg & vanilla. add coconut.
bake 325'F (165'C)

hehe
i always make my soup in the biggest chunks of vegies possible, as i can't be bothered chopping vegies finely when i'm going to puree anyway! today is a holiday, and while it's not cold it is grey and overcast. i made a loaf of gluten free bread and this soup which everyone had a second bowl of...

you'll need a very large saucepan or stock pot for this

1 tab olive oil
1 large onion, roughly diced
1 tab cumin seeds or ground cumin ( i ran out of seeds!!)
1 tab ground coriander
1/2 large butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into large (2"/5cm) chunks
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cut the same
1 large carrot, ends cut off and cut into smaller chunks (i find carrot cooks slowly when unpeeled)
1 medium potato, washed and cut into quarters
3cm ginger, peeled and quartered
4-5 large cloves of garlic, squashed and peeled
red lentils, maybe about 1.5 cups?
chicken stock to taste
water to cover

heat oil over medium heat and fry onions a few minutes. add spices and cook a few minutes more.

add everything else and cook until vegies are soft enough to break apart (maybe 25 mins).

puree in the pot and serve when smooth. everyone else had theirs with sour cream but i liked mine as it was.

this afternoon we did some baking to take afternoon tea to M&D's (so i could give her the rest of her birthday present, which i will hopefully put on my craft blog soon)

we tried a new recipe - almond biscuits - which wasn't very successful, won't try it again, and made another batch of the cheddar shortbreads which was very successful! instead of the cayenne i put in a few shakes of smoked paprika and some caraway seeds (maybe 1/4 tspn)

next time i will double the doubled recipe ;)

i know a few of you will love this!

thanks kazari for sharing it :)

100 blogs for the frugal gourmet

from the Canberra Times Food & Wine supplement on 3/12/08

Involtini di melanzane

serves 4-5 as a main, makes 16 rolls

salsa di pomodoro
3 medium/large eggplants
extra virgin olive oil as needed
1 bunch basil
cheese filling:
250g fresh ricotta, drained
1 free-range egg
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
110g fresh cows milk mozzarella, cut into cubes
1/2 cup (65g) freshly grated parmesan
2-3 tbs toasted pine nuts (optional)

1. to make the filling set aside 2 tabs of parmesan. lightly beat egg and mix in ricotta and seasoning. add mozzarella, remaining parmesan and pine nuts. keep in fridge til needed.
2. use long serrated knife to cut eggplants lengthways into slices 6mm thick. cut slices from the centre section of eggplants - you should get 5-6 slices from each (use leftover for another recipe)
3. sprinkle slices with salt and leave to drain on rack for an hour. rinse off salt and squeeze dry between teatowels.
4. brush lightly on both sides with olive oil, grill both sides (can also fry or bake)
5. to assemble brush a large shallow oven proof dish with olive oil. preheat oven to 180'c
6. lay slices on bench with narrow end closest to you. cut several basil leaves into shreds and sprinkle over slices. spoon a tab of cheese filling onto each at the narrow end. roll slices up around the filling and place seam side down in the dish
7. spoon tomato sauce over rolls and sprinkle on reserved parmesan. bake in oven until hot, about 30 mins.
   
8. leave to rest 10 mins before serving. drizzle with olive oil and scatter with basil leaves. serve warm or at room temp with italian bread and a salad

Salsa di Pomodoro - Tomato Sauce
2 tabs extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
S&P
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
750g rice tomatoes, peeled & seeded, or 2 tins tomatoes including juice, or combination
pinch chilli flakes
1/2 tspn sugar
splash red wine vinegar (optional)
handful basil leaves

1. add a little tomato paste if fresh tomatoes aren't at their best.
2. roughly chop tomatoes.
3. heat oil with onion & pinch salt
4. cover and cook gently for 10 mins, add garlic after 5 mins
5. increase heat and add tomatoes, chilli flakes, sugar, vinegar & pepper, cook for a few minutes
6. turn heat down and simmer, partly covered, for about 30 mins
7. stir occasionally, adding water if necessary
8. sauce is ready when it thickens and oil separates
9. puree with hand blender or food processor *
10. slice basil leaves & add

* this recipe is just made for a thermomix ;)

today is my first unemployed day ;) of course i am cleaning *sigh* anyway, i am cleaning the junk pile that is my computer desk and will be posting any recipes i find on it so i can then throw them away!

this one is from the Coeliac Society of NSW

Nutty Lemon Slice

1 cup GF self raising flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut
90g melted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (or macadamias i think!)

1. combine all ingredients together and press into a shallow 26x 16cm microwave safe casserole dish lined with baking paper
2. cook on high for 3 minutes
3. remove from microwave oven, mark with a knife into 18 slices, then before it is completely cool cut through and carefully remove from dish
4. ice with lemon icing by mixing 1 cup pure icing sugar with enough lemon juice to make a spreadable consistency
   

hehhehe


it was Geoff's birthday today so I decided to make him this cheesecake (and yes, that is the infamous cauliflower tagine i've been waiting for!) unfortunately violet crumbles and crunchie bars aren't gluten free (not many lollies are, surprisingly) so i had to use shaved chocolate as the decoration - next time i would use a combo of dark and white shaved.

Chocolate Cheesecake - gluten free version
as always please check ingredients to ensure brands are still gluten free

Ingredients
270g chocolate gluten free biscuits (or we used a mix of freedom chocolate ones and arnotts rice cookies)
55g butter
125g block milk chocolate (we used Cadbury
60g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or essence
750g cream cheese
5 eggs
160g sour cream
2 tbsp Dutch process cocoa mixed with a little warm water
small block of white and small block of dark chocolate
gluten free heart sprinkles

Method
Place biscuits and 40g butter into TM bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 7.
Press into large spring form pan and bake in 160°C oven for 10 minutes. Set aside.
In clean TM bowl chop chocolate with remaining 15g butter for 5 seconds on speed 4. Melt for 4 minutes at 37°C on speed soft.
Add sugar, essence and cream cheese and beat for 30 seconds on speed 8.
Add remaining ingredients and blend for 1 minute on speed 9.
Wrap a double layer of foil around the outside of the springform pan.
Pour cheesecake mix into spring form pan and place in a water bath in 160°C oven.
Cook for 1 hour or until set in centre.
Cool.
cover with peelings of chocolate and sprinkles sprinkled over lol



to be honest i wasn't that excited by this cheesecake, but i am not a chocolate cheesecake lover anyway! i think the honeycomb would have made it more interesting, or some baileys or other liqueur and / or berries would have made it more interesting.

it was not my day for cooking though, as i burnt the crust a little by having to go to the shop after putting it in the oven (mind you, the trip meant having to put the kids in our little car, without them all being properly restrained like they are in the big car, but g had taken that to put petrol in - usually we never need to go out when we're home alone with the kids on a weekend!!) i had only bought 250g of cream cheese and needed 3 times that!

i have made cheesecake 2-3 times in my life and have to admit i am no cheesecake chef :(