Sunday, January 30, 2011

Baked Spice and Rosemary Drumsticks

Baked Spice and Rosemary Drumsticks

This recipe is tasty, both hot and cold. It is low calorie.(2 drumsticks 365 calories ) It is also easy and baked in the oven, so even on a hot day it doesn't heat the kitchen up too much. The inspiration is from CalorieKing.com.au Set oven to 200oc 8 chicken drumsticks, skinned 2 egg whites 1 cup of fresh wholemeal breadbcrumbs 1/4 cup of almonds 1/4 cup of fresh rosemary 1 1/2 teaspoons of KFC spice coating mix, or other spicy mix powder. Place almonds and rosemary in bowl of TMX and zap to form fine crumb. Add fresh bread crumbs and spice mix and zap to mix. Remove and save in large bowl. Add egg whites to bowl,(no need to wash out), and mix on speed 7 for 5 seconds. Tip into a bowl. Dip drumsticks first into egg white and then into breadcrumb mix. Make sure they are well coated. Line a baking dish with foil or silicon sheet and place coated drumsticks on it Spray lightly with Rice bran oil and cover with foil. Bake covered for 30 mins. Remove foil and bake for another 30 mins. Turn 1/2 way through. Bake until cooked. Serve with salad or steamed vegies.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Baked Chicken and Vegetable Lavash Rolls




I have been looking for lunch dishes with less than 300 calories. I also wanted low fat, plenty of vegies and tasty. This recipe that I have adapted to TMX, ticks all the boxes. It is from 'Simply Healthy ' by Sally James. Although I used Mountain Bread, you could use TMX'ed batter for crepes. Also could use other left over meat or cheese . The finished rolls cost a little over $1 each.

Spread to use on the 6 breads

3 Tablespoons of no-added-salt Peanut butter
3 Tablespoons of tomato paste
3 Tablespoons of Sweet Chilli Sauce, or to taste.
6 slices of mountain bread or similar.

Chicken and Vegetable filling

180g. chopped cooked chicken.
125g. pumpkin, large cubes
135g. zucchini
75g. shredded cabbage or spinach,( I used Chinese Cabbage)
90g. mushrooms
1 rounded teaspoon of cumin, coriander and cardamon.
2 Tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped.
1 Tablespoon of sesame seeds roasted.
Rice Bran oil spray.

Yogurt and Cucumber sauce

1 large clove of garlic.
200g of low fat yogurt
1/2 a medium cucumber, chopped fine by hand.

Mix all spread ingredients together and set aside.

Add cubes of pumpkin to TMX bowl and zap until small pieces are formed. Speed 7 for 5 seconds. Do not form mash. Add to chicken in large bowl
Chop zucchini, cabbage and mushrooms by hand. This can be done in the TMX but don't form mash. Add to bowl with chicken and pumpkin.
Add rest of ingredients and stir with spoon

Place the 6 mountain breads on bench and spread the paste over leaving a 2 cm. edge
Divide the filling evenly between breads, forming a mound along the edge closest to you.
Fold in the sides and roll up. Do this to form 6 rolls
Place in a baking dish with the fold down
Spray lightly with Rice Bran oil.
Bake at 190o for 30 mins.

The rolls can be prepared and then baked later.
Serve warm with Yogurt sauce.
.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Apple Jelly

Straining apple pulp


Bottled Apple Jelly


With all the rain we have had in the last week, (9 inches in 4 days) the apples are either on the ground or covered in black spots. So it is time to make Apple Jelly. This is the first time I have made it in the TMX. As with all jams and jellies , you need to adjust the recipe according to the fruit. You can use windfalls,(as I did), or peel and cores or crab apples or a mix of all.


5oog of apple
500g water, or to cover
Additional 500g water.
Sugar

Place apples and 500g of water in TMX and cook for 30 mins., speed 1, at 100o.
Zap on speed 5, 10 seconds and cook for a further 20 mins.
Line a large strainer with Chux and place over a large bowl, tip in apple pulp.
Don't stir or press pulp as this will make it cloudy. Let drip several hours or over night.
Return pulp to TMX and add additional 500 g of water, cook on 100 for 20 mins, speed 1.Let drip for a couple of hours. You should have about 700 to 800g. of liquid in TMX bowl.
Add 3/4 of the volume of liquid in sugar to bowl.(800g of liquid , 600g sugar.)
Set temp to Varoma and bring to the boil, speed 1.
The jelly needs to boil for 30 mins. If you can watch it and let the mixture boil onto the lid and then quickly turn the temp down to 100, the foam that stays on the lid can be removed with a paper towel. This means that you will have a clear jelly.
Test to see if the jelly is cooked by placing a small flat dish in the freezer with a dessertspoon of jelly on it.
If it is not set, that is it should wrinkle when pushed with your finger and leave a path through the jelly, give it another 20 mins. Cook on varoma temp as much as possible. You may have to stand and switch backwards and forwards between varoma and 100.
If it is not set at this time add 25g of jamsetta.
When it sets will depend on the amount of pectin in the apples.
You could add the juice of 1 lemon, but this is a very delicate flavored jelly and I feel that lemon juice over powers the flavor.
Bottle into sterilized jars.

This made 3 jars and a small dish.
The joy of making a small amount is that you can make it with just a little fruit.
I sometimes use this liquid, (before the sugar is added)as a base for berry jams.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Walnut Date Brownies


Each Monday, I restart my diet.!!! Being Sunday I thought I had better prepare for the week ahead. Sally James book 'Simply Healthy", was winking at me from the book shelf. My biggest weakness is morning tea. DH makes a mean coffee but something with it is essential. I thought that if I could have a tasty morsel for 100 calories or less, I might be satisfied. Sally has a recipe for Pecan Date Brownies for 75 calories, and as I love both walnuts and dates I substituted the Pecans with walnuts,and thought I would give it a go. Also it is chocolate based so DH might be satisfied also.

It cuts into 24 squares, easily adapted to TMX, contains no butter or oil.

185g. of pitted dates
60 g. walnuts, chopped by hand
125g. SR flour
1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soada
40g. cocoa powder (Dutch)
125g. apple sauce or cooked stewed apple
125 mls of butter milk or low fat milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
4 egg whites
45g brown sugar.

Set oven to 170o FF. Line a 21 x 28 cm. baking tray with baking paper.

Place dates in bowl and pour boiling water over. Let stand for 20 mins.Drain and press out excess water. Add 1/2 the dates to the chopped walnuts, set aside.
Place remaining dates , with apple sauce, milk and vanilla in TMX bowl and zap on speed 7 for 10 seconds. Scrape down lid and bowl.
Add egg whites and sugar to bowl, INSERT BUTTERFLY. Beat at speed 4 for 1 and 1/2 mins.
Scrape down bowl, add flour cocoa and carb soda. Mix until just incorporated. 10 sec on speed 4.
Pour into prepared tin and spread to cover base.
Cover with reserved mix of walnuts and dates. ( You may have to chop dates if they are in large pieces.)
Bake for 20 to 30 mins, or until cooked when tested with a wooden tooth pick.
Stand for 10 min in tin, and then tip on to a wire rack to cool.

Cut in to 24 squares. Store in air tight tin.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Salmon Pate

Salmon Pate

As the weather heated up, I looked for a cool , tasty and make ahead dish. I noticed a fish mould in the draw , and thought a salmon pate set with gelatine would be just what was called for. Most of the recipes were the same , with very little variation. This one that I adapted to the TMX came from LifeStyle food.

1/2 cup of hot water.
220g can of red salmon
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 Tablespoon (10g.)gelatine
2 spring onions, chopped.
1/2 cup of cream
1 chicken stock cube.( I used 1 teaspoon of chicken stock powder.)
1/2 cup TMX Mayo.
salt/pepper to taste.

Put hot water, gelatine and chicken stock in bowl and zap on 5 for 30 seconds.
Add undrained salmon, onion , mayo. salt and pepper and zap fir 1 min on speed 10.
Add cream and blend for 30 seconds on speed 7.

Pour into dishes, 12 small for entree.
Large mould, as I did .
Or what ever takes your fancy.

This is very easy and can be made the day before.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

MINI MACS

MINI MACS

I have to admit to a guilty pleasure, well about twice a year, to enjoying a Big Mac. I thought that, with the help of the TMX I could create a smaller version, which might also be healthy. My aim is also to make it simple and tasty. Gourmet Traveller says that this is to be the year of the Burger. I wanted to create a finger food burger that could be eaten as a snack.

First the Bun.

Preheat oven to 220o

This should be simple, so decided to use my 'No Fuss' bread recipe.
520g Laucke white flour mix, 3oog warm water and 2 teaspoons of dried yeast.

Mix and let double.
Flatten on bench to 1cm, and using a 6 cm. scone cutter, cut out 24 circles.
Place in well oiled muffin tins, and brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Let rise until double and place in preheated oven, 220o, bake for 10 - 15 mins, or until light brown on top.
If soft tops required, place rolls in a plastic bag, before they are completely cool.
If crisp tops required then let cool on wire rack.
These can be made the day before required.

Hamburger

After a great deal of reading and testing I found that plain fresh mince beef from the supermarket was best. Not the 5 star mince beef that I usually buy, but the cheaper one with more fat. The fat is necessary for the flavor and to stick them together.
DON'T add anything,
Form 60g, small scoops of mince beef into patties. Put on a plate and place in fridge until needed.

Prepare in dishes....

Buy tomatoes that will slice in rounds to the size of the rolls.
Break lettuce into pieces that will fit neatly over hamburger.
Coon Tasty or Bega tasty ,shaved to thin slices to fit hamburger.
Place Mayo. dill pickles. tomato or sweet chilli sauce,onion and mustard in dishes.

Heat 2 grills or pans and brush with oil.
When hot, form the hamburgers into rounds just slightly larger than the rolls. They will shrink a bit.
Place cut rolls, outside down and warm them in pan. Turn them to brown a bit on the cut side.
Turn hamburgers and immediately place a bit of cheese on the cooked surface. It will melt a bit. Don't over cook the hamburgers or they will dry out.

Place bottom of buns on a plate or tray, place a hamburger on top, then tomato then lettuce. Then top. I had to use a tooth pick to hold the top in place as I had made the pattie too large in the first test group. (see Photo)


The little rolls would make ideal dinner rolls, or little rolls for kids lunches. They also could be cooked for just 10 mins, frozen and then reheated in a hot oven.

Feel free to make the hamburger , larger or smaller.
Let everyone then add extras.

I think KFC and a vegetarian variety would be nice.