Saturday, March 31, 2012

Butternut Pumpkin Pie, no added sugar.





Photo also of Bread and butter Pudding , made with fruit buns.

This recipe was developed for friends who are reducing the sugar content in what they eat. I have used a little sugar substitute in both the crust and the filling. The spice I used was the French Quatre Epices which I also use in my Hot Cross Buns. I made the spice mix in the TMX and have posted the recipe.

Base

1 cup SR flour
1/2 cup of sugar or substitute. ( I used Splenda )
60g butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon of spice mix, see above. Could use Mixed spices.

1 extra Tablespoon of flour

Filling.

2 eggs
1/4 cup of Splenda
rind of 1 lemon
125g. Philly cheese or sour cream.
200g, cooked weight, roasted Butternut Pumpkin.
1 teaspoon of vanilla paste
1 teaspoon spice mix.

DO
While pumpkin is roasting, make crust.
Zap sugar and butter until incorporated.
Add egg, zap
Add 1 cup of flour and spice and knead until it looks like bread crumbs.
Press 2/3 of the mixture into a shallow, oiled baking dish.
Add extra flour to 1/3 remaining mix and zap. Set aside.

Make filling and turn oven back to 180 o C

In unwashed bowl , add all filling ingredients and mix on speed 7/30 seconds or until smooth.
Pour onto base and sprinkle over remaining base mix.
Lightly dust with more spice mix and spray lightly with oil.
Bake for 35 mins or until set in center.

Can be eaten hot or cold or warmed again in oven.

Butternut Pumpkin is sweeter and dryer than other pumpkins, so if another pumpkin is used you may have to adjust the sugar and the liquid.

Filling is pretty runny but sets up when baked.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Beetroot Hummus Dip


This is easy, tasty and everyone likes it.

2 medium size beetroots, steamed or roasted.
1 420g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon of Tahini paste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tablespoons of Greek Yoghurt , or enough to bring the mixture together.
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 Tablespoon of ground Cumin.

Place all in TMX and zap until of desired consistency.

Can garnish with Dakka.

Sourdough loaf, activated in the fridge over night.


This recipe is based on the book, "Bread Revolution" by Duncan Glendinning and Patrick Ryan. The dough is mixed in the TMX for 4 minutes, poured into the lined tin and left on the kitchen bench for 3/4 hours and then refrigerated over night. The following morning, it is left for 1 hour to come back to room temperature and then baked in a preheated oven for 50 mins. The bread tin used was 27 x 10 x 10 cm.

500g. bread flour, (I used Laucke Bread Mix which has sugar and salt added).
2 teaspoon of salt and sugar.
400g of sourdough starter. ( consistency of pancake batter )
250g warm filtered water.

Knead all in TMX for 4 mins.
Pour into lined bread tin.
Stand on bench for 3 to 4 hours. Covered with plastic.
Refrigerate overnight.
Bring back to room temp.( About 1 hour.)
Bake in preheated oven 200 o C. with water in dish on floor of oven
Bake for 50 mins,or until cooked. turning tin 1/2 way through..
Cook on wire rack.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Cooking with Tenina

Last night I was lucky enough to attend Tenina's cooking class. I didn't count, but there were probably well over 20 people attending.Three 'girls' had driven from Bendigo ,(through a storm), and 2 from way up north , from Wangaratta. No one regretted attending. Tenina could have filled 2 classes from our area.
I am a bit of a cooking class junkie and by now know what I need to look for. I want to find out new information and I want to be entertained.
On arrival we were all provided with a small drink/sample of Aztec Hot Chocolate Shot. The ingredients were described in a booklet that was most professionally presented. This booklet contained the 9 recipes that Tenina was going to make and we were going to taste.
Throughout the evening, Tenina's generosity of spirit was evident as she shared tips with us about how to get the most out of our TMX.
The tips that i found most valuable were.......
1.Always use the very best ingredients that are available
2.Use Couverture chocolate for best results
3.Cook onions on Varoma temp for 5 mins.
4.To make icing sugar, grind/cool/grind/ cool. Do this 10 times so that it is not gritty. This is how commercial icing sugar is made.
5,Bread is best kneaded for 4 mins. ( but we already knew this) Tenina said that this develops a better texture.
6.Most things can be chopped at speed 5., however herbs need speed 6 or 7 to prevent the herbs wrapping around blade.
7.To chop nuts, best to add to a wet mix so that they don't turn to paste.
8. place small ball of dough into a jug of luke warm water. When it rises to the surface of the water , the main ball of dough should be ready to be shaped.
9.Melt chocolate at 37/ speed 1. Chocolate ganache at 50.
10. Tenina uses raw sugar in all her recipes, unless otherwise stated.
11. Soak and drain Quinoa before cooking.
12. Most Australian ovens are not accurate in Temp. test your oven.

What was most popular?

Several people mentioned the Baked Camembert en Croute. I was pleasantly surprised at the Quinoa filling in the roasted peppers, What I really enjoyed was the Pecan Dacquoise.

If you can possibly attend one of Tenina's classes, do so, as you will get to use your TMX to greater advantage.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Fruit Buns


These are made with , mostly dried apricots and cardamon. Cooked in individual paper cups and using Nic Polelaert's method for Olive bread , as described in ,In The Mix.

PLACE DISH WITH WATER IN BOTTOM OF OVEN.

SET OVEN WITH LIGHT ON, TEMPERATURE 35 TO 50 0C ,FAN FORCE.

300 g. mixed dried fruit, mostly apricots
500g bread flour. ( I used Laucke Crusty White Mix, and therefore didn't add additional salt or sugar. )
1 teaspoon of each salt and sugar in NOT using Mix.
2 teaspoons of ground cardamon
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
300g warm milk
1 egg , beaten
3 teaspoons of dried yeast.
1 egg mixed with cold water, for wash

Zap apricots with turbo until chopped but not paste, set aside.
Add flour, yeast,milk, egg to TMX bowl, and knead for 3 mins.
Add fruit and spices and knead for 1 min.
Tip mixture on to bench/mat , knead lightly.
Divide into 10 balls.
Place each ball into a large muffin tin, (lined or well greased) or into individual paper cases. (the stiff ones)
Brush with egg wash
Place on oven tray , if patty cases and place into oven at 'light ' temperature for 45 mins.
Increase temperature to 220 O C and bake for a further 20 to 30 mins. Until brown on top.
Test one by removing it from case to see if it is brown on the bottom. This should indicate that it is cooked.
Cool on wire rack.

Notes.

Any mixture of fruit or spice may be used.
Sugar or honey may be added
Savory buns may be made by replacing the fruit and spice with cheese, cooked onion, bacon, roasted red pepper, etc.
Because the proofing process is done in the oven, the buns will not rise quite as much as bun with 2 rises.
20 small buns could be made, adjust time for final baking.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Creole Pork and Rice.


I was looking for a Pork recipe that I could adapt to the TMX, and was under 300 Cals. per serve . I found this one on www.food.com. I can't believe how simple and tasty it is. I would serve it to visitors, tarted up a bit. Probably with veggies and a yoghurt and cucumber sauce. The length of time to cook will depend on the cut of pork used. I had a tray of pieces from the supermarket.

1 onion, quartered.
2 cloves of garlic
1 glug of oil
750g of cubed pork
1/2 cup of thinly sliced red capsicum pepper
1/2 cup of uncooked white rice.3/4 teaspoon chicken powder, or similar.
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
420g tin of diced tomatoes, undrained. ( I used 3 large home grown toms, quartered)
1 dessertspoon of Tomato paste or semi dried tomatoes.
1/3 teaspoon of chilli flakes
12 fresh Okra , tops removed, (optional)
1/3 cup of water, you may not need this.

DO

Drop onion and garlic on to rotating blades, speed 5 , until chopped.
Scrape down and add oil. Cook 5 mins / 100 / speed 2.
Add pork and cook for 10 mins./ 100 / REVERSE /speed 1
Then add every thing except water.
Cook 10 mins, (check Pork after 5 mins ),100 /REVERSE /speed 1.
Check water, if too dry add.
Stand for 10 mins. in the TMX bowl. This will finish cooking rice if not fully cooked.

The original recipe had cheese grilled on top. So could place cooked dish in oven proof serving platter and sprinkle with grated cheddar and grill.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Baked Ricotta and Grapes


This is not really a recipe. The idea came from the Age newspaper's food writer, Briditte Hafner. You can make the Ricotta in the TMX or buy some. Cut a wedge for each person and place on a heat proof serving plate. Arrange a small bunch of grapes for each person , over the Ricotta. Drizzle good EVOO over the grapes and Ricotta. Bake in a hot oven until the Ricotta is brown around the edges and the grapes singed.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Orange, Mango and Lemon Myrtle Sorbet

This was demonstrated by Andrew Fielke at his TMX demo. It was generally felt that there was too much orange zest in the mix, so I have reduced it in this recipe. This could be prepared the previous day, up to the final zap.

100 g sugar,,,, zest from 1 orange and flesh from 2.
1 1/2 teaspoons of Tuckeroo Lemon Myrtle
600g frozen Mango cheeks
2 to 3 cups of ice cubes.

Process the zest with the sugar
Add orange flesh, (with seeds removed ), and lemon Myrtle
Process all for 10 sec./ speed 7.
Cook varoma/5 mins./speed 2
Allow to cool and chill in refrigerator.

When ready to serve

Place all in TMX on speed 10 for 40/60 seconds, use spatula to assist.

Beetroot and Barley Risotto with Goat Curd.


This recipe is kindly supplied by Andrew Fielke, and was demonstrated at his TMX class His special Australian ingredients are available through his web site, www.andrewfielke.com
This was one of the most popular recipes demonstrated .

1 bunch of baby beetroots

1 onion, quartered
2 cloves of garlic
1 med. carrot
4/5 fresh thyme sprigs
2 Tablespoons of Olive oil
1 Tablespoon of butter
300g of pearl barley, (can be pre soaked for faster cooking)
250 mls. red wine
1 Lt. chicken or veg stock. (may not use all )
S and P to taste

1 bunch of asparagus
1/2 cup of toasted walnuts
1 cup fresh goat curd
1 generous handful rocket
1 dessertspoon of Walnut or olive oil
1 dessertspoon of Tuckeroo Bush Tomato Balsamic. ( a must for this recipe)
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan

DO
Trim beets ,scrub and cut into 1/4. Place on lined oven tray and spray with oil.
Roast at 200 C for 15 mins.

Zap onion, carrot,garlic,and thyme on speed 7 until fine.
Add butter and oil and saute for 5 mins/100/speed 1
Add wine barley and 1/2 stock, cook, 10 mins /100 / speed 1/ REVERSE
CHECK REGULARLY AND TOP UP WITH MORE STOCK AS NEEDED.
Cook a further 10/15 mins until barley is tender.(probably 40 mins all together)
Season to taste.
Stir in the beets when ready to serve.

Grill the Asparagus
Toss the leaves and walnuts with the oil and balsamic

Stir the parmesan into the risotto and serve on plates garnished with asparagus , salad and goat curd.

Prawn Salad with Desert Lime sesame dressing




Photo of Finger Limes

This dressing was demonstrated at a cooking demo by Andrew Fielke. It is a fantastic Asian type dressing, and very easy to make in the TMX.

15g ginger
10g garlic
110 Rice Vinegar
125g sugar
20g sesame oil
75g Soy sauce
100g Sunflower oil ( I used 70g Rice Bran oil and 30g EVOO)
50g Desert limes.( I used Finger Limes)

Zap ginger and garlic on speed 7
Add all other ingredients except Finger limes flesh, if using.
Puree to an emulsion.

This is absolutely delicious.