Thai Style Warm Spinach Salad (GF)

heat a medium saucepan and dry fry a few handfuls of cashews

add 2 tabs coconut oil and 1 small onion, sliced. cook stirring for a few minutes.

add 2 cloves roughly chopped garlic and stir for another minute.

add in a few cups of chopped vegies (i used eggplant, zucchini, broccoli and a whole red capsicum) and cook stirring until the vegies are cooked to your preference.

turn heat off and add in juice of one lime (or lemon), black pepper, good squeeze of stevia and some salt (or fish sauce). stir. add in lots of roughly chopped coriander and mint leaves

get a large bowl and put baby spinach in, top with vegies mix. gently mix so spinach has some dressing and some of it starts to wilt.  serve

we had ours with bbq'd pork cutlets and it was delish!

Kerala Curry (JO 15mm) (GF)

just made this quick vegie curry from Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals. I didn't put the pineapple in because i'm not supposed to eat it at the moment, and geoff wouldn't eat it. bit of a shame because it needed a touch of sweetness. other than that the only change i made was to add some brussels sprouts.

it was ok and i think it would definitely be delicious with the pineapple added.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/keralan-veggie-curry-with-poppadoms-rice-minty-yoghurt

Links - Indian

oh dear, i have 133 links saved in my bloglines ! no wonder it's so hard to find the new posts if there's not more than about 50 lol so here are the Indian ones I had saved to try one day...

Curry (Leaf) Powder
cumin / jeera bread
GLUTEN FREE bajra roti

Palak Panir
moth beans spinach gravy (what are moth beans)
vegetable & egg pulav
egg biriyani
pulav with whole spices
sweet & spicy okra
tomato saar (have made this and it's nice, VERY quick)
paneer butter masala
quick chickpea curry
aloo methi
bean & potato stirfry
garlicky lentils with spinach
potato okra stirfry
brinjal potato stirfry
tomato paneer
potato cauliflower curry
chickpea curry
Channa hariyali (chickpeas with coriander)
black bean curry & potato curry
mock aloo gobi (tmx)

chicken biriyani & gravy
methi chicken
grilled chicken kebab
Hyderabadi chicken biryani
methi murgh - chicken with fenugreek
murgh masallam
chicken vindaloo
chicken masala

koftas

aam kulfi
doodh peda
aam khand

hmmm well that got rid of 32 links lol i feel likei need to hold an indian themed dinner party to try some of these recipes - who's in?!



posted by Karen at http://brazen20au.blogspot.com

Vegie Pie (GF, DF)

60g Nuttelex olive oil spread, plus extra for greasing (or butter)
75g rice flour
75g potato flour
75g instant polenta
2-3 tabs iced water
1 egg, whisked

Filling:
1/2 tab oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 potato, peeled & chopped
1/2 sweet potato, peeled & chopped
2 heads broccoli, chopped
1 tab gluten free cornflour
1/2 cube Massel vegetable stock, dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley


Preheat oven to 180'c. grease a 25x15cm x 4-5cm deep dish
sift flours and polenta together into chilled bowl. add nuttelex and rub in until looking like breadcrumbs. add water and mix until formed into a bowl. add extra 1 tab water if needed
knead for 3 mins until smooth then roll out between sheets of baking paper until large enough to cover top of dish
fry oil and garlic, add vegies and fry 3 mins.
combine cornflour with 1/2 cup water & mix til smooth. add stock, and parsley and add to sauce. simmer 4 mins until thickened. pour into dish
cover filling with pastry. brush with egg and bake 35-40 mins. rest 5 mins before serving.





Originally from Australian Healthy Food Guide, Nov 09
posted by Karen on http://brazen20au.blogspot.com/

Rough guide to daal and spicy vegies (indian style) (GF, TMX)

we had such yummy vegies and daal, here's a very rough guide to what i did:

Daal
heat oil, gently fry 2 tspns cumin seeds and 2tspns black mustard seeds. add in a small amount chopped ginger and 1-2 garlic cloves
when just starting to stick add water - maybe around 3-4 cups - and 1 large tspn chicken (or vegie) stock concentrate
add around 1/2 - 2/3 cup red lentil
simmer until lentils are tender (around 20-25 mins). add around 1/4 cup coconut milk and cook another 5 mins before serving


Vegies
heat oil, gently fry 1 chopped onion, approx 2 tspn aldi curry blend, 1 tspn turmeric (hmmm sure there was a third but can't remember it! i think maybe ground coriander? NOPE it was a tspn of caraway seeds! thanks clear marie :))
when it starts to stick add in a tin of tomatoes (or 3-4 fresh chopped tomatoes)
put in 1 chopped carrot, 1 green and 1 yellow capsicum (1" dice) and 1 tin drained chickpeas.
add a large tspnful chicken or vegie stock concentrate and a little water if needed
put a lid on an angle (to allow steam to escape) and cook on medium low heat until the vegies are just soft but still with some body and the sauce slightly thickened.
i think some tamarind would be nice in this too

serve with rice :)

PS: yes, you could easily do both of these in the thermomix too but i had started too late and needed to cook all 3 dishes at the same time

Quick & Easy Potato, Pea & Cauliflower Curry (GF)

based on a recipe from jacki passmore's curry in a hurry book

makes enough for 6 adults as the only dish, or halve the recipe to use as a side dish.

1 Large onion, sliced
oil
2 cloved garlic, peeled & chopped
1/2 tspn turmeric
4 tspns Thai Mussamun Curry Paste (check the label for gluten)
2 tspns vegetable stock concentrate (or 2 GF stock cubes, crumbled)
1/2 - 3/4 cup water
8-10 Desiree (pink skinned) chat potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 medium cauliflower, cut into pieces the same size as the potatoes
1 cup of frozen peas

chopped coriander and steamed basmati rice to serve

heat oil in a large wok or pan, add onion and fry over medium heat until translucent
Add garlic, turmeric, curry paste, stock and water and stir well. heat and add potatoes. cover and cook for about 5-8 minutes.
add cauliflower and peas, stir well, re-cover and cook for another 8-10 minutes until all vegies are tender.

sprinkle with coriander and serve with rice.

note: this is a very mild curry.

Tonight - Zacusca...

...was pretty yum.

Zucusca is a Rumanian speciality spread on bread, served as a sauce with grilled meat or used as a sauce for pasta. you can find the thermomix recipe here

I liked it, the kids liked it and dh didn't mind it (he doesn't actually like eggplant, which i had only used around 450g of).

we had ours with grilled sausages / chevapi sausages and veg steamed in the varoma while the zacusca cooked (they took 30 mins for 1" cubes). i whizzed mine at the end to make it more like pasta sauce.

Here's exactly how i made mine:

450g eggplants
400 g red & green capsicums
150 g onions (1 medium large)
600 g tomatoes
1 bayleaf
200 g olive oil (i know it's heaps but it didn't seem oily)
3 tspns spanish vegetable stock concentrate
1 tsp pepper
Chilli, according to taste


Cut vegetables into 1.5" cubes prior to putting in thermomix
Chop eggplants 8 secs/speed 5. Set aside.
Chop capsicums and onions 5 secs/speed 5. Set aside.
Chop tomatoes for 5 secs/speed 5. Now add all the ingredients incl. spices and oil to the TM bowl.
Cook for 45 mins/100°/speed 2 without MC. Place the basket on top of the lid to stop the sauce decorating your kitchen.

* If you would like a smoother sauce, you can puree it on speed 6 to desired consistency. Pour into sterlised jars and close tightly.

Middle Eastern lentils and rice with blackened onions

from the SMH Good Living magazine for 2/6

6 tab olive oil
6 onions, halved and finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tspn ground cumin
1/2 tspn ground cinnamon
1/2 tspn ground allspice
5 cups water or vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, washed and drained
1 cup long grain rice, washed and drained
1 cup plain yoghurt, drained through muslin lined colander for 30 mins
fresh mint sprigs to garnish

heat 2 tabs oil in large saucepan. add ONE onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and allspice and saute for four minutes until onion is softened and lightly coloured.
add water or stock and lentils and bring to the boil. reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 mins.
stir in rice, return to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid has been absorbed and rice & lentils are tender, about 15 mins. season well with S&P
meanwhile, heat remaining oil in pan and cook remaining onions until soft, well coloured and beginning to caramelise and blacken at the edges, about 30 mins.
arrange rice & lentils on a platter and sprinkle with onion. servew ith yoghurt & mint.

Cavolo nero (kale) and bean soup

from the SMH Good Living magazine for 2/6

2 tabs EVOO, plus extra
2 sticks celery, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
1 brown onion, chopped
1.5L chicken stock
1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
200g cavolo nero, shredded (discard thick stems)
1 x 400g can white beans, rinsed & drained
80g dried stelline or other soup pasta
shaved parmesan, to serve

heat 2 tabs oil in large saucepan. add celery, carrot and onion & cook over medium heat for 5-8 mins, stirring often.
add stock, tomatoes & cavolo nero, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins.
Mash half the beans to a paste and stir into the soup with the rest of the beans.
season with salt & pepper, add stelline and simmer for 3-5 mins
top with parmesan & drizzle with EVOO
serve with crusty bread


i have some kale from choku bai jo so i think i'll make a batch of this for my lunches (that way kale-hating geoff doesn't have to eat it). i'll convert to thermomix too of course ;)

Bron's Spanish Vegetable Stock (GF, TMX)

I made a batch of Bron's Spanish Vegetable Stock on the weekend, gosh it smelled good cooking!!! it turned out the most amazing radioactive green though LOL. i used it today in my pumpkin soup and got heaps of compliments so not sure if it was the stock ;) (there was nothing else special about the soup, it was literally butternut pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, potato, red lentils, the stock and water!)

Bron's Spanish Vegetable Stock
2 cloves garlic
handful flat parsley
2 carrots
1 small turnip
1 parsnip
1 sticks celery including leafy part
2 leeks
1 onion (I weighed all these ingredients and it all weighed 820g)
Place them all in THX and blitz 7-10, then add 200g salt and 20g olive oil and program 30 mins, 100º, speed 2 & 1/2.
Then blitz 7-10 for 30 seconds and store in fridge in a jar.

thanks bron!!!

Curry Vegie Fritters (GF, TMX)

I'm not going to post the method, as this is more a record of ingredients for me :) This recipe is in the new "A Taste of Vegetarian" cookbook from Thermomix. it is vegan and a perfect recipe to use up leftover veg in your fridge ;) here is the gluten free version i made tonight which was YUM!!!! 5/5!

it's a funny recipe though - you swear there's no way it's enough batter for that amount of veg but it's perfect!

600g roughly chopped veg - i used 1 onion, 1 small yellow capsicum (though something red would have been great ;)) half a small cauliflower, some beans and 3 small potatoes, plus half a bunch of finely chopped coriander
3 corn cobs, kernels removed
2 cloves garlic
110g gluten free plain flour (i used white wings)
80g besan / chickpea flour
1 tspn garam masala (made in tmx ;))
1 tspn curry powder
210g water
oil for frying

** see the recipe book for the method!

as i didn't have any avocado to make the salsa the book suggests and dh doesn't like it, i just mixed natural yoghurt and sweet chilli sauce, though i'd thought a spiced yoghurt (with cumin, coriander, S&P and fresh mint) would have been great, but couldn't be bothered to do it lol

i think that these made in teaspoonfuls rather than large spoonfuls would make fantastic finger food for a cocktail party

Involtini di melanzane

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 ;)

Quick & Dirty Baked Beans -version #2 (TMX, GF)

this version was even easier and yummier than my other version! it reminded me of the pasta e fagiole without the pasta.


this quantity serves around 2-3 as a main (with toast or baked potato etc)

2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 green capsicum (pepper)
5g olive oil
3 ripe roma tomatoes, quartered
1/2-1 tspn beef stock powder (i use massell)
1 tin drained rinsed butter beans
1-3 tabs chickpea flour (or other, chickpea is what i had on the bench from last night)

chop the capsicum and garlic finely on speed 6 for around 2 seconds. scrape down bowl.
add oil and cook for 2 minutes at 90' speed 1 (you might not need as long if not using onion)
add tomato and chop on speed 6 for about 5-10 seconds
add stock powder, 1 tab flour and beans and cook for 10 minutes at 90'c reverse speed 1
check thickness, add more flour if required and cook for a further 5 minutes at 90'c reverse speed 1

i think these were nearly good enough to be acceptable for the kids ;)

Links - Vegetarian / Vegetables #2

first list of links to try here http://brazen20au.blogspot.com/2008/07/links-vegetarian-vegetables.html

baked vegetable jalfrezi

Dhansak (eggplant, pumpkin & lentils, indian)

5 minute indian style cabbage

malai kofta

paneer tikka

Punjabi Aloo Gobi – Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

creamy black lentils

dani's greek style baked beans

red kidney bean curry

roasted garlic cauliflower

mediterranean carrot rolls & salad

sweet potato falafel with yoghurt tahini sauce

cauliflower & date curry

paneer pasanda

masoor dal with lemon

malai kofta

Indian style side dishes

well after postponing it all weekend i finally started making the Chicken Tikka Masala at 5pm on Monday, only to discover it had to marinate overnight! ooops!

so last night I finally cooked it up. it was good, though the recipe definitely needs tweaking (it had too much lime juice for a start) like the Butter Chicken did. This recipe is a perfect recipe for the Thermomix (other than the grilling of the chicken and the marinading i did all the rest in the TMX) so when i've had a bit more of a play with the recipe i'll post a conversion.

we had it with rice (of course lol), some more of tenina's naan's (last of the freezer stash), a lentil and beet chard dish (ryan said "oh YUM, i LOVE lentils!! when he saw it lol) and a vegie dish which i thought would be a disaster, but was actually quite nice. no recipes today, but i will note down spice combos so i have them for another time...

Lentils:
brown lentils
beet chard
black mustard seeds
fennel seeds
garam masala (need to find which recipe i used and make more!)
garlic
cumin seeds
chicken stock
cardamom pods

vegies:
sweet potato
eggplant
onion
sugar snap peas
fenugreek
garlic
coconut cream
chicken stock
aagh can't remember the other spices... will have to come back later

and flickr isnt cooperating with uploading photos this morning either :(

and one last catch up post...

some meals we have had in the past week...

the one with all the vegies was a tofu and vegie green curry. this was attempt #1 for iron rich foods for rora. it was a bit of a disaster, not a terrible disaster but not that nice either. the kids hardly ate any of it (only the rice) and it was too spicy for ryan. i had also put macadamia nuts in it too.

the other picture is of the pizzeria pot pie which wasn't too bad. it won't become #1 favourite but we will probably have it again. i think i would like to do it with more bits and pieces in it. we used the thermomix scone recipe to top it and it was a bit much.

i wanted to cook indian for dinner but am missing too many ingredients, plus i was going to start preparing the dried chickpeas now (at 5pm) oooop - too late!

i'm not in the mood for anything else on the menu...

Chick Pea Patties with a Chilli and Tomato Salsa

i made these a few years ago and we LOVED them! however i don't think i've done them since :( a good one to try again soon as chickpeas are high in iron. i'm going to C&P all my fave recipes here now because too many of my links are broken now and i don't want to lose any more good ones!!!

this recipe is originally from the Women's Weekly


Chickpea Patties With A Chilli And Tomato Salsa

Serving size: Serves 6
Cooking time: Less than 30 minutes
Special options: Kid friendly, Lactose free, Low cholesterol, Low fat, Vegan, Vegetarian
Course: Lunch, Main

INGREDIENTS

2 cups tinned chickpeas, drained
¼ cup coriander leaves
¼ cup mint leaves
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 green chillies, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
sea salt and pepper
½ cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 red capsicum, roasted, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil

Salsa
4 ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
splash balsamic
1 teaspoon brown sugar
¼ cup coriander, chopped or basil leaves

METHOD

Combine chickpeas, coriander, mint, ginger, chillies, cumin and seasoning in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped and add the corn. Pulse briefly and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.

Stir in the breadcrumbs and capsicum until well combined. Form into 12 patties. (It may help to have wet hands when forming patties).

Combine all the salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Season.

Heat oil in a non stick pan and fry patties for 3 minutes on each side or until well browned and cooked through. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve patties with the salsa.



hmmmmm i think this will be a good one to convert to the thermomix ;)

Quick, easy and healthy - oh and yummy!

spaghetti with vegetable and bean sauce
Originally uploaded by brazen20au

spaghetti with vegetable and bean sauce

serves 6

1 packet spaghetti (cook and drain according to directions)

around 1 tspn olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
several garlic cloves, chopped as desired
1 red and 1 green capsicum
1-2 sticks celery, finely diced (we have a lot of celery leftover from teh party lol it wasn't a very nice bunch :()
4 baby zucchinis, diced into 1cm pieces
several mushrooms, sliced (i use my tupperware egg slicer, done in seconds ;))
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 2cm dice
1 jar pasta sauce (i was going to use more tomatoes but they weren't ripe enough to make a nice sauce)
few tablespoons tomato paste
around 1/3 cup white wine
1 stock cube (chicken or vege)
1/2 tspn italian herbs
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

heat oil over medium heat and cook onion and garlic til starting to soften
add vegies except mushrooms and gently fry for 5 or so minutes
add the rest of the ingredients and simmer covered until the vegies are softened but not soggy (about 15 mins).
serve spaghetti topped with sauce and a little cheese (tasty or parmesan)

Simple Vegetable Curry, yoghurt and Butterscotch Almond Cake

i forgot to say that for some bizarre reason our new increased download limit started today - but then it restarts for the new month again tomorrow! how bizarre lol. i need to remember to go find a program to download some stuff as we have 10MB to use today LOL!

Vegie Curry
anyway, last night G was making himself and the kids sausages & vegies for dinner but i wasn't really in the mood for it so i asked him just to leave me soem of the cut vegies and i'd make something. i decided i was in the mood for a curry so i pulled out some books and had a play.

the curry i ended up with wasn't the greatest but it was quick and easy and you could substitute just about anything into it, so perfect for after work dinner. i think if you added lentils or chickpea or paneer it would be a great meal on its own, or as i made it as a side dish.

the original recipe was vendakka vazhuthananga masala (okra & eggplant spicy masala) from my new curry cookbook.

this is just a rough draft of a recipe

oil
around 1/2 tspn each of
fenugreek seeds
fennel seeds
2-3 cardamom pods
cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1-2 onions, finely chopped
heat oil and add the rest above. cook over medium heat, stirring until onions are golden brown

1/2 tspn each of
turmeric
ground coriander
chilli powder (i didn't have any chilli left in the house so had to go without :()
salt
around 2 cups of chopped mixed vegies (i had potatoes, carrots, beans and corn off the cob)
stir and cook for a few minutes

2 tomatoes chopped or some leftover pasta sauce ;)
add, bring to a simmer, partially cover and simmer until vegies are done.

around 1/3 cup natural yoghurt
fresh coriander leaves
turn heat off, add and stir through. serve with rice, pappadums or a bread of some sort

Yoghurt
i finally remembered to save some yoghurt to try making my own yoghurt from the old batch. i used (probably out of date) skim milk powder and it worked perfectly! i thought 1/4 cup sugar was way too much but the final product tastes ok. i think i'll still try to get it as low as possible though.

here is the previous post about it

Butterscotch Almond Cake
over on eb someone requested testers for a new cake for a fete stall. i needed to cook a cake to share with friends so i made it. it didn't quite go according to plan though lol. now i have more of an idea of what i'm doing i will try it again in a smaller quantity and see how i go next time.

the thermomix made making it an absolute breeze, with it taking only seconds to make the ground almonds from whole ones and to mix the batter. and then only seconds more to pour it all back in and add the forgotten butter lol

Zucchini Slice (Vegetarian)

sorry for the vagueness but i'm writing up for geoff ;p

* 4-5 zucchini
* 1 large carrot
* 1 large onion

chop speed 4 - few seconds at a time, scrape down with spatula and chop again until fine enough.

add in:
* 5 eggs
* 150g self-raising flour, sifted
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 60ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
* cracked black pepper

mix on Reverse speed 3-4 for 15-20 seconds? or until mixed well.

bake in 160-180'c oven for 30-40 minutes until cooked

serve with TM31 bread