M is for Matcha

This delicious icecream is semi guilt free, and great on its own or in smoothies!

Matcha Avocado Ice Cream

(from gastronomy)

Serves: 6 scoops

Ingredients

⅓ cup coconut cream
3 Tbsp Japanese green tea powder (matcha), sifted
1 medium-sized ripe avocado, seed removed and peeled
140g maple syrup or agave

1½ cup coconut or almond milk

In the Thermomix (Sp 8 5 sec) or similar food processor, blend the avocado and green tea powder together with the coconut cream to form a smooth, liquidy paste.
Add maple syrup or agave to the TMX bowl or processor and blend until well combined (TMX Sp 6 10 sec).
Scrape down any of the mixture and add the coconut or almond milk. Blend until well combined (TMX Sp 4 10 sec).
If using an ice cream maker, transfer ice cream mixture to a covered container and chill for at least 12 hours. The mixture improves in flavor the longer you can leave it chilled. When the mixture has been chilled enough, prepare ice cream as per your ice cream maker's instructions.
If you do not have an ice cream maker, transfer ice cream mixture to a freezer safe container and freeze for one hour or until mixture has partially frozen. Scrape out mixture and blitz for a few seconds in the TMX or food processor until smooth, then return mixture to container and freeze again for another hour. Repeat the process once more before allowing to remain in freezer to set.

L is for Lemongrass, Lychees and Lembongan!

I have just got back from a beautiful trip to Bali with my two of my girlfriends, we had a fab time with many wonderful foods and drinks. Highlights were definitely 3 nights on Nusa Lembongan, which is a less inhabited island about 25 minutes ferry ride away - great sunsets, snorkelling and relaxation time. Another highlight was the Village Burger at Bali Ayu Hotel - the idea of banana, pineapple and avocado in your beef burger may sound weird but trust me its life changing. Also many other authentic Balinese dishes in between cocktails and pool time made for an amazing adventure. Take me back to Bali any day!

Here are a couple of recipes that I love that take me back there

Balinese seafood skewers 
(thanks Gourmet Traveller)

300 gm skinless snapper or flathead fillet, boned, coarsely chopped  

300 gm uncooked medium prawns, peeled  

80 gm (1 cup) desiccated coconut, moistened with 60ml coconut milk or water  

5 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced  

1 tbsp dark palm sugar (see note)  

10 thin lemongrass stalks, cut into 15cm lengths, for skewers (see note)  

Pinch of brown sugar mixed with 60ml vegetable oil, for brushing    

 

Spice paste  

1 vine-ripened tomato, coarsely chopped  

25 gm (5cm piece) each ginger and fresh turmeric, coarsely chopped  

4 each long red chillies and red birdseye chillies, coarsely chopped  

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped  

3 small golden shallots, coarsely chopped 

5 candlenuts (see note)  

2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped 

 2 tsp coriander seeds  

1 tsp shrimp paste (see note) 

 ½ tsp black peppercorns, finely crushed  

80 gm (¼ cup) tamarind pulp, mixed with 60ml water, strained, solids discarded  

50 ml vegetable oil

Method

For spice paste, process ingredients (except tamarind paste and oil) in a food processor until a fine paste forms, adding a little water if necessary. Add oil and spice paste to a frying pan over medium heat and stir-fry until fragrant (5-6 minutes). Add tamarind and stir frequently until paste is golden (3 minutes), then set aside to cool.

Process fish and prawns in a food processor until just blended, then transfer to a bowl and mix with coconut, lime leaves, palm sugar and spice paste. To test the flavour, fry a little mixture in oil until cooked through. Adjust seasoning to taste if required, then mould heaped tablespoons of mixture onto one end of lemongrass stalks.

Heat a char-grill pan over high heat. Grill satay, turning and brushing occasionally with brown sugar and oil mixture, until golden and cooked through (5-6 minutes each side). Serve hot.

Note Dark palm sugar is made from the coconut palm; in Indonesia it’s called gula Jawa. If lemongrass is unavailable, you can use bamboo paddles or wooden chopsticks as skewers. Soak them in water for 20 minutes then dry them before using. Candlenuts are available from Asian grocers. Shrimp paste, known as terasi in Indonesia, is available from Asian grocers. It requires roasting before use: preheat oven to 200C, wrap shrimp paste in foil and roast until fragrant (5 minutes).

Lychee sorbet (mix with vodka and its an instant margarita...)

60 grams sugar

300 grams lychees (canned, frozen in ice cube trays with juice)

1 egg white

350 grams ice cubes

Place the sugar into the TM bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 

Add the lychee ice followed by the 350 grams of ice and egg white. Slowly turn the speed dial to speed 10. Use the spatula to assist in the incorporation of the lychee with the ice.

This, like all thermie sorbets, is best eaten the day you make it!

I scream for icecream!

I know I have already done "I" in my posts, but I read an article once about the top ten foods you should not eat, along with soft drinks and potato chips, and other junk was ice cream - sad but true! BUT here is a recipe that one of my longest time friends Kate introduced me to that I love that is not only healthy but actually tastes awesome too.

Some tips - if its too healthy for you, add a handful of dark choc drops for extra yum. Peel, quarter and freeze your bananas the night before to make life easier. If your dinner guests are not in to healthy, see if they can guess what its made of...

"Chocolate Ice Cream"

3 medium bananas – frozen, peeled, chopped
1 ripe avocado
1 pinch sea salt
1/4 cup cacao powder

Add all ingredients to Thermomix, blender or food processor and blend (TMX Sp 9 approx 1 min) until thick and smooth. Stir through choc drops if you are adding. Serve instantly. Sharing optional.

K is for Kale

Kale is the latest buzz with all those crazy hipsters out there who seem to think they invented eating clean and raw foods, but if you are not the sort that wants your smoothie green there are plenty of other ways to get the benefits of kale. Research shows it contains all the goodness you need for things such as lowering cholesterol, lowering cancer risks, detoxing, and many more.

If you dont mind a kale smoothie, my favorite is
1 banana
3 large kale leaves (no stalk)
1 cup peppermint tea (cooled)
2 tbsps plain yogurt
1/2 cup ice

If you are just trying kale for the first time, or prefer it mixed with other flavors then this recipe is delicious

Kale salad with roast cauliflower and chickpeas

• Olive oil spray 
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 small head cauliflower
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 tbsps olive oil
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 bunch roughly chopped kale
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 can chickpeas, drained

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Lightly spray a frypan with olive oil and toss pinenuts until golden. Set aside. On a baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with the cayenne pepper, 2 tbsp of olive oil, salt and black pepper. Roast 20-25 minutes until golden around edges. Meanwhile, blend (TMX, 1 min/Sp 7) tahini, lemon juice, 2 tbsp of oil, 3/4 cup water, salt and black pepper, until thick and creamy. On a baking sheet place the kale, chickpeas and red onion and bake for 10 mins. Top with cauliflower, sprinkle with pinenuts, and pour over tahini dressing. Serve warm with roast chicken, steak or just by itself even is delicious!

J is for Jerusalem Artichoke

Well overdue blog post! So much has happened since my last post in November, I have just got back from a trip to New Zealand for Rippon (Fat Freddy's was definitely a highlight), Wellington 7's (dressed as Amy Winehouse - how appropriate), and many merry catch ups with family and friends. I got to visit some of my favorite food spots again including Kai Whaka Pai in Wanaka, Fidel's in Wellington and good old Fergburger in Queenstown. Huge thanks to Maria for putting PVC and I up in Wanaka - though I am pretty sure she wasn't complaining about the number of platters made without even having to ask!

Back here in Melbourne - the puppy is growing (and teething - I found a tooth on the bedroom floor today), work is hectic, and most importantly our touch rugby team "Can't Touch This" just took out the C grade grand final for Royal Park Touch, WOOHOO GO TEAM! I have also been thermomixing up a storm, with a variation on my Grainy Awesome Bread (check the comments section), a delicious white bean dip, and cookies that were supposed to be gluten and dairy free until I added white choc chips... ooops!


For J I have picked a Jerusalem Artichoke - these root veg are high in minerals including iron, magnesium, and potassium, and B vitamins, and they are tasty too. They look kind of like ginger or a white yam. We used them in a Spanish cooking class at Raw Materials, which I have now done twice and would highly recommend if you have a day to fill in Melbourne - great fun and value, you get an awesome feed and learn to make a paella too.

Honey Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes, Pear and Ricotta salad

(Note this recipe serves a big crowd, you may want to halve)

1kg Jerusalem artichokes
3 brown pears
2tbs Honey
300g Fresh ricotta cheese
100g Pistachio nuts (roasted)
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Olive oil


Pre-heat oven to 180 C. Wash artichokes and trim off any dark bits. Cut into wedges. Place into a bowl and drizzle a little oil, salt and pepper. Add honey and mix well. Place on an oven tray and into the oven for 35 minutes. Wash the pears and cut into wedges, removing core, leaving the skin on. Coat in olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a second oven tray and into the oven for 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Mix pears with artichokes. Crush pistachios and sprinkle over with roughly chopped parsley. Gently break up ricotta cheese over the mixture, add salt, pepper and a dash of honey. Drizzle with some olive oil and serve.

I is for Improvisation!

I was having trouble coming up with ingredients that start with 'I' so instead I thought I would have a go at trying to improvise with what I could find in my pantry and see if I could come up with something tasty... I had just been on the phone to my awesome Nana who asked me what I had been baking lately - the answer to which is not much lately! Between my new job, moving house, and getting a puppy I barely get a chance to sleep. We have had the puppy, Tyrone, for a week now, he has settled in ok but he is one crazy little dude!

Needless to say he needs lots of my time, but he naps for a couple of hours at a time too so I got the chance to raid my cupboards and see what I could do! I haven't given up on the whole 12WBT philosophy, even that says we can have treats every now and then - and this fudge is definitely a sometimes and less is better kind of food ;)

I fudge

200g condensed milk

3 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp golden syrup

100g dark choc

1 tbsp cacao powder (optional)

1/2 cup oats

1 handful crushed walnuts

Combine condensed milk, coconut oil, golden syrup and dark choc over a low heat in a saucepan. Once melted and combined, stir through oats and cacao powder. Pour into small lined tin (I used a loaf tin) and sprinkle with crushed walnuts. 

Refrigerate. Score after about an hour if you want to make it easier to cut. Serve when set.

H is for Harissa, Halloumi, and HOMETIME

The last couple of months have been super busy, with lots of trips away, including two weeks at home in New Zealand for fun times in the snow and visiting friends. We were lucky enough to house sit for a good friend in Wanaka for the first week, which included their beautiful cat and dog Coco and Harlow, then a couple of nights staying with some more friends in Dunedin, then five nights in Queenstown with more snow and good times. We ate our way through way too much good food, platters and drank wine and cc CC and dry to wash it down. Highlights included Florence's cafe and Red Star Burgers (hands down better than Fergburger) in Wanaka, Mexican in Dunedin at Del Sol, and breakfast at Vudu in Queenstown (even if the food did take ages, it tasted pretty good). The whole trip made us think seriously about whether it might be worth investing in a holiday house back home in NZ, as the snow in particular is definitely somewhere we will keep going back to, but we will just have to wait and see how many pennies we manage to save now we are lucky enough to no longer be paying much rent (a whole other story). 

Anyway, I got back to Melbourne from New Zealand and realised I am well overdue for the letter H - this is one I had saved up for awhile, and it was well worth it - Halloumi aubergine burgers with homemade Harissa relish.

Harissa Paste
(adapted from taste.com.au)
 
6 fresh chillies
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbs olive oil

Halve the chillies, remove the seeds and discard. Chop chilli and garlic cloves. Using a mortar and pestle, crush all the ingredients together to make a smooth paste.

Halloumi Aubergine Burgers

(adapted from BBC good food)

Serves 2

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion finely sliced

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

4 round slices of fresh aubergine

4 slices halloumi cheese
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 roasted red pepper chopped
2 tsp harissa paste
2 rolls with the bread in teh middle pulled out (it's just a filler!)

4 tbsp hummus (you can use the basic TMX recipe or buy some)

Add half of the oil to a pan and cook onions until soft. Set aside. Heat remaining oil and add aubergine. Pour over soy sauce. Fry for a few mins on each side until tender. Set aside. Fry halloumi until golden. Set aside. Add the onions, pepper and harissa into the hot pan. Cook until the sugar has melted. While the relish is cooking, spread the rolls with hummus, laying halloumi and aubergine slices on top. Spread relish and serve. You should have some extra relish left over to put in your lunch the next day :)