Salty Caramel Sauce.

This is an adaption of Alistair and Tenna Wise's recipe.  It is taken from their amazing book, Sweet Envy.  I have Made  it 3 time in the last couple of weeks and it just disappears. What I like about the recipe is that it is  a true caramel that is first made in a pan on the stove.  So you can control the color and therefore the depth of Flavour. Each time I have made it I have ended up with sticky lumps of caramel in the bottom of the pan.   Not to worry,  just 1 minute, speed 7 in TMX and it is perfect. I am sure that this is my problem and not the recipe.

400g caster sugar
160 liquid glucose
60g butter
10 g sea salt flakes
600 most thin pouring cream. ( I used 400g of thickened great and 200g milk. )

Place sugar and glucose in a large thick based saucepan, over medium heat and heat and stir until sugar is de solved.
Up heat to caramalise the sugar to a nice rich brown.
Add butter and salt and stir until incorporated.  Careful , it may spit.
Remove from stove and add cream and milk in 3 additions.  Stir well.
Tip into TMX bowl and mix for 1 minute at speed 7.
Pour into sterile jars and cool.

Notes
When cold stir through ice cream and with extra on the side.
Good over waffles with ice cream.
Make ideal Xmas gift.

Peppermint Crisp Ice Cream

---

Peppermint Crisp Ice Cream
500 mls of thickened cream
200 mls milk
200 g sugar
100 mls of mint liquor, like Creme de Menthe.
2 Peppermint Crisp Bars, chopped with knife into shards

Method
Place sugar into TMX bowl and grind Speed 10 for 10 seconds. Scrape down.
Add cream, milk and mint liquor.
Mix speed 3 until sugar is incorporated. About 30 seconds.
Churn in Ice Cream machine until soft frozen, adding Peppermint Crisp in last minute of churning.
Freeze.

This will not freeze hard because of the liquor.

For Children, leave out the Creme de Menthe and add a drop of green colour

---

Carrot, nut and dried fruit balls

Wow,  these were posted in today's Age Newspaper,  recipe by Nicole Avery. .  I have adapted them to the TMX and changed the ingredients to suit our taste and to what I had available.  made 30 , 4 cm balls.

Ingredients
 3/4 cup chopped carrot
2 cups almonds
2 cups dates, cut in half to see that there were no stones.
3/4 flaked coconut
3/4 cup if dried fruit,  I used a mix of Apple, Apricot and pear.  The original recipe calls for dried Pineapple.
1 dessertspoon of Cinnamon powder. ( original recipe used double this amount )
1/2 cup of desiccated coconut extra to roll balls.

Method
Place carrot into TMX bowl and cut 2 seconds/ speed 5.
Place remaining ingredients into TMX bowl, except extra coconut, and Turbo for 4 seconds 3 times.
Continue to mix on speed 7 until the mixture easily clumps when pressed in your hand.  Keep mixing and testing.  Don't mix until you have a paste.   There should be some texture. 

I used a 4 cm Ice cream scoop to form balls, then roll into coconut. 
Place in container in fridge to firm up. 
Can be frozen. 

Besan Flat Breads

The original recipe was published in Gourmet Traveller as Chickpea, Cumin and Rosemary Flatbread. I have adapted the recipe to TMX and changed the cooking method.
This will make 8 to 10 flat breads. It is quick to make and very easy and quick to cook in a heavy based frying pan.  Very little oil is used in the cooking process.  They can be reheated until crisp and used as 'chips'.

Ingredients
130g Besan flour. ( chickpea flour)
1 Tablespoon of Rosemary , stripped from stalk
Pinch of Chilli powder
1 teaspoon of ground Cumin
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of Baking powder
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
20 mls of olive oil
250 mls of cold water
Salt and pepper.

Method

Place flour, Rosemary, chilli, Cumin, garlic, and baking powder into TMX bowl and mix on speed 7 / 15 seconds.
Add lemon juice, oil, cold water and S and P, mix speed 7 / 15 seconds.

Stand for 30 minutes before using.

Heat a heavy flat pan and brush lightly with oil.
Pour a small amount of batter into pan and tip to form a thin circle.
Cook until brown underneath,  just a few seconds.  Bubbles will form."
Turn and cook other side.
Place on a dish and cover with a tea towel.

Notes
These can be cooked on the flat plate of a BBQ.
Curry paste can replace the Rosemary, and served with a curry.
The original recipe served them with olive Tapenade and Goats Cheese.

Warm Chicken Salad. A Varoma recipe

Start this recipe 30 minutes before you wish to serve the meal.
It is all prepared in the Varoma except the salad leaves.
This serves 4.
The recipe is adapted to the TMX from Melbourne Age, Good Food .

2 fresh Bay leaves
1 sprig of thyme
2 smashed cloves of garlic
1 full large chicken breast, skin and bone free.  Sliced into flat serving pieces about 6x3 cm.
Chicken stock, enough to cover the chicken, ( I used 1. 1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste.150 mls of best EVOO
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 cup of lightly roasted pine nuts
1/2 cup sultanas
200 g green beans topped and tailed
2 large handfuls of salad greens.

Method

Place 1 liter of cold water in TMX bowl.
Place sliced chicken, bay leaves, thyme , stock ,garlic. and S and P in heat proof dish that will fit into Varoma.  An oven bag can also be used.  Cover dish with lid or plastic wrap.
Place an egg ring or 2 bamboo skewers in Varoma  (to allow steam to circulate)  place dish on top and cover with Vatoma lid.
Place green beans on top of cover on chicken.
Steam 30 minutes, removing beans after 10 minutes and refresh in cold water.
While chicken is steaming, place salad leaves in serving bowl and top with blanched beans.
Mix EVOO and lemon juice in a bowl and add saltanas and pine nuts.
When chicken is Cooke, remove from Varoma and set aside and empty  out water from bowl.
Tip in EVOO mixture and mix on reverse  for 5 seconds.  The residual heat will warm this mixture.
Strain the Chicken and place over salad leaves and tip the mixture from the TMX bowl over the salad.
Serve immediately.

Notes
Slivered almonds can replace the pine nuts.
The poaching liquid can be prepared earlier.
I served this with fresh crusty bread.

Tahini biscuits

Morning Tea in new Cafe in Kyneton.  Piper StreeT Food Store.  Lovely coffee and I enjoyed a Tahini biscuit, made in house .
I thought it was a bit like an Anzac but a bit more substantial and probably no butter.   Could also be made gluten free.  Also no nuts,  so good for school lunches.  How healthy is that!
Ingredients , in order of use.

Set oven at 160o C

120 g of Tahini, mix jar well so oil is incorporated.  For a thinner crisper biscuit,  increase to 150g.
2 generous Tablespoons of Golden Syrup,  increase to 3 T for a crisper biscuit.
125 g brown sugar
3 Tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of Carb Soda
50 g coconut
150g mixture of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.
160 g rolled Oats


Method

Combine Tahini, Golden Syrup and brown sugar in TMX bowl and mix on speed 5 until all comes to form a soft paste.  Scrape down bowl and mix again speed 5 / 10 seconds
Add water and Carb Soda, mix on speed 5/ 10 seconds.
Add coconut and seed, TURBO twice
Scrape down bowl. TURBO once.
Tip mixture into a large bowl and add oats.
Fold oats into mixture,   It will be very stiff.
Use a small ice cream scoop to make balls the size of a walnut.
Place on a lined tray and press firmly with wet fingers.
Bake 20 minutes at 160 oC. Turning trays after 10 minutes.
Leave on trays for 10 minutes to set up and remove to wire rack to cool

If you like your biscuits crunchy on the outside,  after 10 turn them over and pop back in oven until they have dried out, 5 to 10 minutes.

Makes 24 to 30, depending on size of icecream scoop.

Lentil Dip

This recipe is a very tasty variation on "lentil and Sun dried Tomato dip", from"Worlds Best Diet" cook book. I have adapted it to TMX.

1 cup , 200grams, cooked lentils, ( I used brown but any colour could be used.) Well drained and rinsed , canned would also be ok.
35 g of semi dried tomatoes , in oil ok.
Juice of 1 lemon
1 generous Tablespoon of olive oil. 
Pinch of chilli powder
2 teaspoons of ground Cumin
I large clove of garlic.

Place all in TMX and mix , speed 7 until tomatoes are well chopped.
Scrape down and add more oil or Greek Yoghurt and mix again until desired consistency is reached.

Notes.

I used yoghurt as I am watching calories.   But did make a batch with additional oil and it was equally good. ( visitors took this lot home)
Added some to a cheese sandwich, good.
Could add olives.
Could be served with carrot, celery sticks or cucumber slices.
Don't be put off by the look because the taste is amazing.