Mock Rice with Italian dressing.

Thanks to Helene, people can reduce their carbs to a quarter if they substitute this Mock Rice for the real thing. I have experimented with the Mock Rice and have come up with this tasty salad. Warm or cold.

Serves 4/6 as a side dish.

2 cups of Mock rice.

270 Cauliflorets, zapped at speed5/4 seconds,produced 2 cups.
Steam in basket for 5 mins. (If 500mls of tap water is placed in bowl and set at Varoma, when it boils, place basket in and then steam for 5 mins. at speed 2) Set aside.

Wash out bowl, and place into bowl...
50g pitted black olives
45g. semi dried tomatoes
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Dessertspoon of EVOO
Turbo until chopped fine but not paste. (2 presses of 2 seconds ?)

Using 2 forks fold this mix through 'rice' and add hand chopped parsley and S and P to taste.

Can be garnished with Roasted almonds, cashews. roasted red capsicum strips, 1/4 preserved artichokes.

Steamed Eggplant Salad.

This recipe is based on one by Kylie Kwong. She describes it as velvety and sloppy.and is a dream to make in the TMX.

Serves 4/6.


1 large Eggplant, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes.
2 teaspoons of sea salt.

1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons of shao hsing wine or dry sherry
3 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 Tablespoon of light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon of Sesame oil

1 Tablespoon of finely sliced spring onions
ground white pepper.

Place cubed Eggplant on Varoma tray and sprinkle with salt.
Stand for 10 minutes and the rinse well under running water.
place 500mls of cold water into TMX bowl and steam eggplant on tray, for 10 minutes/Varoma/speed 2. Set aside to cool slightly.

EMPTY bowl.
Drop garlic onto blades, speed 5 for 5 seconds. Scrape down.
Add vinegar, wine, sugar,soy sauce amd sesame oil.
Cook 5 minutes/100/speed 3.With CUP OUT.
Pour over Eggplant which has been placed in serving dish.

Garnish with sliced spring onion and white pepper.

This is equally nice served warm or at room temperature.

Orange Peel for Hot Cross Buns

Orange Peel for Hot Cross Buns

This peel can be used in Cakes ,Christmas Puddings, Steamed Puddings and of course Hot Cross Buns. It is fairly time consuming to make, but then I only make it once a year and freeze it. It could be placed in sterile jars, like jam, and kept in the pantry.
Because of the sugar content, it scoops out easily when required.

Save Orange peel in plastic bag in fridge. (any amount, but I usually work with 6 or more.
Cut peel into 1/4.
Place in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer until you can easily press you finger nail into the rind. ( It is important that the rind is very soft)
Drain off all the water and when cool enough to handle, scoop out the membrane with a spoon.
Place 2 cups of white sugar into a large flat pan , add 2 cups of water and boil to dissolve the sugar.
Place the peel into the TMX bowl and Turbo once . Look in bowl to see how fine the peel has been cut. You do not want mush. I had 700g of peel and it took 4 presses of the Turbo button. The number of times will depend on how much peel is in the bowl.
When sugar has dissolved into water, tip in peel.
Stand by stove and gently stir peel into liquid.
Boil rapidly and stir when required so that peel doesn't catch and burn.
When most of the water has evaporated, take off stove and cool.
I store in small zip lock plastic bags, and freeze.

Chocolate covered Orange straws.

After removing the Orange membrane from the peel, cut the peel into long thin strips.
Boil in sugar syrup being gentle not to break the strips.
Evaporate most of the liquid and set aside to cool.
At this stage I freeze them in a plastic container.
When required I coat with Chocolate.

Spicy Coriander Chicken.

This can be as spicy as you like. We like it mild so I have added Sweet Chilli Sauce, but for more spice add some red chilli. This will feed 6/8 people, and can be cooked on a BBQ, stove top or in the oven. Make 1/2 the recipe if you wish, but it is equally nice cold.

Into TMX bowl place 4 sprigs of fresh Coriander, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 Tablespoon of Sweet Chilli Sauce nd 4 Tablespoons of water. Zap until the Coriander is finely chopped.

Slice 1 Kilo of chicken Breasts, (or Thighs) into long flat slabs and lay in a large plastic container with lid.
Pour mixture over, scraping any that is sticking to sides of bowl. Stir to mix in until all chicken is coated. Cover with lid and keep in fridge for up to 1 day.

Cook, using which ever method chosen.

Serve with salad, or Fried Rice , or Alyce Alexandra's ,"Corn Pancetta and Chives".
Alyce's recipe is in her book "Quick Fix in the Thermomix".

The chicken recipe is inspired by ,"a cookbook for Diabetics".

Orange Mousse

This light and refreshing dessert can be served in Orange cups or in small dishes. To serve in the Orange cups takes longer to prepare but is a spectacular dessert , with very few calories.

Inspiration for the dish was from 'a cookbook for Diabetics"

This is best made day before required. 6/8 ORANGES REQUIRED FOR THIS DISH.

ORANGES, 4 for the cups with tops sliced off, these will form lids.
Slice small disk off base, to allow cups to sit upright.
Remove the orange flesh inside each cup and place in TMX bowl , Zap to a pulp.
Push through strainer. Make up to 300mls. with extra orange juice.

Wash bowl, add ORANGE JUICE, 2 EGGS, artificial sweetener, (equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar)Place Butterfly in bowl and whisk at speed 4 for 20 seconds.
Add 200g. plain low fat YOGHURT, whisk at speed 3 for 10 seconds

Dissolve 2 teaspoons of GELATINE POWDER in 3 Tablespoons of HOT WATER.
Add to TMX bowl and zap to incorporate.

1 additional orange segmented and cut into cubes. Zest by hand and chop until fine. Add to bowl with orange yoghurt mix. DON'T ZAP.
Pour into Orange cups, 3/4 fill. (any remaining mix can be set in small dishes)

TOPPING.

Squeeze juice from 1 ORANGE and make into 1 cup of liquid with water.
Dissolve 1 packet of low/no sugar ORANGE JELLY CRYSTALS in 1 cup of boiling WATER.
Add orange / water mix to jelly crystal mix. set aside to set.

When Mousse and Jelly are set, using a fork, scrape up jelly and place on top of cups.
Place lids on to serve.

Baguettes with Nori and Sunflower seeds.

Baguettes with Nori and Sunflower seeds.

This healthy bread has the goodness of Seaweed and Sunflower Seeds. In Carbohydrate value, one slice has the same content as a slice of commercially produced white bread.

Place a dish with water in bottom of oven. Set oven to 210 C

300g. Bread Flour,( I used Laucke White Mix)
150g. Plain Flour (all purpose Flour)
2 teaspoons of instant yeast
290 mls. of warm water
! teaspoon of both sugar and salt.( I didn't add these as the Laucke Flour has these added)
85g. Sunflower seeds
Nori (Seaweed)

Combine Flours, yeast, water in TMX bowl and knead for 2 mins.
Add 1/2 Sunflower seeds, and salt and sugar if using. Knead for 1 min.
Leave in bowl in warm place until doubled. (Ideal temp. between 20/25 C )
Turn out onto Silmat and divide in two.
With rolling pin, roll to the size of a Nori sheet.
Roll up like a Swiss Roll, pinch seam and place seam underneath.
Spray with water and sprinkle 1/2 remaining seeds along roll.
Place in Baguette tin, and do the same with other 1/2 of dough.

Cover with plastic and place in warm spot until doubled.

Bake in preheated oven, 210 for 35 minutes. or until brown.
Cool on wire rack. Cut when cold.

Low Fat Satay Sauce

This is different to the usually unctuous Satay sauce, but i have to say, equally flavorsome. It is suitable for both satays and Gado Gado. The basic recipe is made in the TMX, the divided in 1/2. The first 1/2 is used to marinade the Satay and the 2/2 is added to with Peanut butter and additional fresh Lime Juice and used as a sauce.

1 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar and 1 Tablespoon of Splenda
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce and 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Sushi vinegar.
2 cloves of Garlic
1 teaspoon of fresh green ginger
1 Tablespoon of Bottled Lime juice, ( if you have plenty of fresh Limes available use these.)

EXTRAS
2 Tablespoons of fresh Lime juice,( 1 large or 2 small)
2 Tablespoons of Peanut butter.

Place all ingredients, (EXCEPT EXTRAS) into TMX bowl and zap until all is minced fine.
Remove 1/2, ( about 1/4 cup and add to meat or vegetables to be marinated.
Add fresh Lime juice and peanut butter to TMX bowl, with remaining mix and zap to incorporate. This is the sauce.

I served this over Helene's Mock Rice.

Tasmanian Salmon in Lemon and Caper Sauce

This is so simple. Cooked in a Glass Oven Proof dish, in Varoma. The sauce is just poured over and steamed until cooked.

This is for 2 serves.

2 x 170g pieces of Salmon or Trout.
Juice of 1/2 large lemon.
1 large clove of garlic, sliced.
2 teaspoons of Baby Capers
Sprigs of Thyme.
Salt and Pepper.

Place fish in dish and add rest of ingredients.
Cover with lid and place in Varoma.
Pour boiling water, up to 1 liter mark and place Varoma on top of lid.
Varoma temp/speed 3/ 20 mins, or until cooked to your liking.

Serve with salad and rice.

Pear, Lemon and Cardamon Chutney.

For people who grow their own pears, or for those who can buy cheap pears in season, this is a very easy and economical Chutney. The Cardamon provides an exotic touch and dresses up an otherwise sweet but bland fruit. Serve with cold cuts, add to gravy and serve with sausages. Great with a BBQ. It needs to sit in the jars for 2 months to mellow.

900g Pears, after peeling and coring
220g Onions, peeled and cut in 1/2
170g seeded raisins or sultanas
50g stem ginger, fresh
1 medium lemon, rind removed with a vegetable peeler, Juiced
230g soft brown sugar
1 level teaspoon of salt
500g of Apple Cider Vinegar
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons of chilli flakes
3 dessertspoons of (15g.) of Cardamon powder


Add lemon rind , with ginger and garlic to TMX bowl, Press Turbo twice.
Add onion and Zap 5 seconds/ speed 5. Scrape down.
Add rest of ingredients, cook 40 mins/Varoma/soft/ reverse. Cap out WITH BASKET ON TOP.To prevent splashing.
Put cap in and Zap 5 seconds/ speed 5.

Taste to see that mix is not too tart. It will mellow with keeping, but you can add more sugar and mix on reverse / speed 3 for 20 seconds.

Bottle in sterile jars and add lids when cold.

Store for 2 months to mellow.