Rocket Pesto

I had a serious hankering for basil today and the supermarket had fully sold out!! Thought I would try rocket instead and its a ripper!

Thermomix Rocket Pesto

150g rocket (arugula)
80g Parmesan cut into a few pieces
100g roasted cashews
squeeze of lemon juice
1 tsp honey or agave
1 clove garlic
100g really good olive oil

Chop garlic and cheese for 10 secs on speed 9
Add the rest and turbo twice
Scrape down sides and repeat twice more

Chillax with Cherries

This green smoothie has the potential to cause serious relaxation and great mood!
Interesting all ingredients begin with a "C"

1.5 cup cherries
2 Tbs raw cacao
2 Tbs chia
2 cups cashew milk
1-2 handfuls of leafy greens

Cashews, chia and cacao are great sources of magnesium, a mineral easily depleted by stress and insomnia. We need it to help our muscles relax and its an important  mineral for our brain.

Cherries contain the tryptamine ‘melatonin’ which aids relaxation and sleep. Cacao subsequently activates tryptamines. What a partnership!



Cashew Milk
Soak 1/3 cup raw cashews for 4 hours till plump with water
Discard soak water and blend soaked cashews with 1.5 cups of water and 1 Tbs agave or maple syrup
Makes 2 cups of cashew milk for recipe above

For more green smoothie recipes please visit www.greensmoothiecommunity.com

Almost Salad Nicoise

I wanted to make my Mum a beautiful salad for her birthday today lunch today and I know how she loves potatoes. Potatoes can get a pretty bad rap these days as high protein mania overtakes sensible eating patterns which can and should include some 'carb'. Who can resist the humble potato?

Almost Salad Nicoise - for my Mum's Birthday!

Ingredients
3 medium beetroot - trimmed, whole
1 kg chat potatoes (Nicola, with their firm yellow flesh is the best) - peeled, whole
300g green beans - topped and tailed
1 punnet cherry tomatoes - halved
150g rocket leaves
Whole green or kalamata olives
4 eggs - hard boiled
Mayonnaise - 1 egg, 1Tbs apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp English mustard, 1 Tbs agave or honey, 300ml sunflower oil, salt and pepper

Condiments
Olive oil
Tamari
Toasted sesame oil
Salt and pepper


Step One
Cook the beetroot in the basket in the TM bowl with 1 litre of water for 45 mins, varoma speed 2. Top up water above blades and cook a further 30 mins. Set aside to cool. Once cool rub skins off wearing rubber gloves and slice into wedges. This can be done the day before to save time.

Step Two
Place prepared potatoes in the basket in the TM bowl with 1 litre of water. Varoma speed 2 for 30 mins
Add beans to varoma tray and place on top for the last 10 mins of the potato cooking time.

Step Three
Toss beans in a light coating of olive oil, tamari and toasted sesame oil
Slice potatoes into bite size pieces and while still warm, lightly coat in olive oil, salt and pepper. Be gentle so you don't break the potatoes
Set beans and potatoes aside to cool

Step Four
To make mayonnaise place 1 raw egg yolk, vinegar, honey and mustard in the TM bowl, insert butterfly, mix on speed 4 for 10 seconds. With the blades still spinning, drizzle oil on the top of the TM lid so it falls gradually into the hole in the middle, Add 50 ml of oil every 30 secs or so till all oil used. You know you have mayo when it looks like mayo! It thickens as the ingredients emulsify together. When thick, stop the blades, open the lid, scrape down the sides, add salt and pepper to taste and if you have no use for the egg white, put it in and mix for another 30 secs on speed 4. Put in a clean glass jar in the fridge and use within two weeks.

Step Five - Putting the salad together
Cover a large platter with rocket leaves
Place cooled potatoes, then the beans and beetroot wedges over the leaves
Garnish with the halved cherry tomatoes, halved boiled eggs and olives
Serve drizzled with Mayonannise - Yummo!


Alternative to mayo for vegans is my classic salad dressing.
I make a Tupperware shaker of it and its always available in the fridge on demand!

Juice of 1 orange and three lemons
1/3 volume of golden flax seed oil to juice
Generous dollop of hulled tahini
Medium dollop agave nectar or honey
Small splash of braggs seasoning or salt
Freshly cracked pepper
Shake it like a Polaroid picture

This dressing is not an exact science - taste and add more of anything as needed
If too runny - add more tahini
If too think - add more juice
If too tart or too bitter add more agave/honey

This will be good for 4-5 days in the fridge if it lasts that long!

Mandarin Mania Green Smoothie

I love how mandarins have such a distinct flavour and compared to tangelos and oranges, whose flavour can get lost in a smoothie, this green smoothie tastes like mandarin and is wickedly creamy. Try and get mandarins with little to no pips otherwise, cut each in half and remove the pips as they are very bitter and unpleasant blended in a smoothie.

4 medium mandarins peeled
1 small apple quartered
1.5 cups water
2 Tbs hemp seeds
1 Tbs chia seeds
2 cups mild greens e.g. chard, spinach, radish leaves

Blend till smooth and creamy. Serves two.

For more Green smoothie recipes visit www.greensmoothiecommunity.com

Spicy Broccoli Pasta

Spicy broccoli Pasta

For some reason Monday night becomes pasta night in our house. Monday is when we get our organic veggie mystery box delivered and if it has broccoli in it, I like to use it as soon as possible. There are variations of this classic Italian pasta dish and this is mine.







Ingredients
2 large heads of broccoli
4 cloves if garlic
70-80g of black or kalamata olives (pitted)
1 tsp of chilli flakes
1 tbs tomato paste
salt
olive oil
Penne or spiral pasta 200g dry weight (I use gluten free pasta)
50g Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 a small lemon

Requires
Varoma
Wok or large frypan

Step One
Place Parmesan and zest peeled from half a lemon in Thermomix bowl
Chop on speed 9 for 15 seconds and set aside, don't rinse the bowl

Step Two
Chop garlic on speed 7 for 2 secs
Add olives and chop on speed 5 for 2 secs
Set garlic & olive mix aside, don't rinse the bowl

Step Three

Broccoli florets in varoma - still steamy!

Heat 1.5 lites of water in TM bowl to varoma temp on speed 1 (from cold this will take 10-11 mins, quicker of you add water boiled from the kettle)
Chop broccoli into small florets and and finely slice the stem (remove woody end), add to varoma dish

Step Four
Once water is at temperature, add pasta to TM bowl with a heaped tsp of salt, add varoma with broccoli and cook on speed 1 reverse for the 8 mins (or whatever the pasta time says on the packet).
Heat 4 Tbs olive oil in a wok/large fry-pan, add chilli flakes for 1 min, then add garlic/olive mix and tomato paste. Saute on a low heat till pasta and broccoli finished.

Step Five
Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta and don't rinse the pasta

Step Six
Gently toss the broccoli in the olive/garlic mix, add salt to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice
Add the drained pasta and the 1/2 cup of pasta water and toss till combined
If the pasta is dry, add olive oil till its well coated

Serve immediately (optionally topped with Parmesan/lemon zest mix)
Serves 2-4 depending on appetite!

Options - if short pasta is used, cook in the thermomix bowl as above. If using noodles like spaghetti I recommend cooking them in a big saucepan on the stove.

Herby Thermomix Omelette

Herby thermomix omelette with green salad

I love an eggy brunch or lunch on a weekend. I usually make scrambled eggs and occasionally fried. I find poaching a disaster and ultimately a waste of my good organic free range eggs.

Omelettes I like, however made in a fry pan I tend to burn them, even on low heat so when i found out I could do an omelette using the thermomix I was intrigued. Not only can't you burn it, you don't need any oil! Bonus!




 What to do?

Put a handful of your fave herbs like coriander, parsley or basil in the thermomix bowl and chop on speed 7 till they stop hitting the sides

If adding cheese (optional) put approx 25g per person in the bowl and chop of speed 5 for a few secs or till a grated texture.

omelette mix in varoma tray

Add 4 eggs per person to the bowl (don't crack the eggs on the side of the TM bowl)

Add a some salt and pepper and mix on speed 4 till combined.

Line the varoma tray with baking paper and pour the omelette mix onto it

Cooked omelette

Rinse the TM bowl, cover the blades with water, bring water up to varoma temperature then add the varoma on top. Steam for approx 6-7 mins. Check the centre isn't wobbly before removing. If it is, give it another 1-2 mins.

Lift the omelette out of the varoma using the edges of the paper, slice in half and serve with a beautiful salad for two people.

Raw Ravioli

Raw beetroot & daikon ravioli with a pea puree dressing

For the ravioli casings use thin circular slices of turnip, daikon radish or beetroot. Use a mandolin to slice on its thinnest setting. Brush slices lightly with olive oil and leave a few hours if time is available.

Filling:

1 clove garlic

200g of raw nuts e.g. walnuts, pine nuts, macadamias or a mixture

A good handful of fresh herbs e.g. parsley, tarragon, coriander, basil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp Braggs/Tamari or 1 tsp salt

Chop garlic on speed 7 for 2-3 secs

Chop the herbs on speed 7 for 2-3 secs

Process the nuts and seasonings speed 6-7 till well combined and holding together

You may need to open the TM and move with a spatula a few times to help it along

Sauce examples

To each add a generous splash or two of olive oil, agave or honey as needed to balance sweetness, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend on speed 8 till smooth and creamy.

Tomato - 4 fresh tomatoes, 6 sun dried tomatoes

Pepper -1-2 red or yellow peppers

Beetroot - 1 medium beetroot, enough water to create right consistency

Pea - Handful of pea greens, 200g fresh shelled peas

Presentation:

• Layer veggie slices on a platter, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place some filling on the centres of each, top with another slice and press down.
• Either press the veggie edges together or let the filling squish out to the edges.
• To make softer ravioli, place filled raviolis on plate/platter and cover completely with chosen sauce and let it sit for awhile before serving topped with salt and pepper and a sprig of herbs
• To make a prettier looking dish, place the sauce on the bottom of the plate/platter then carefully place the filled raviolis on top and serve immediately topped with salt and pepper and a sprig of herbs.

This amount of filling is usually enough for two people eating the ravioli with leftovers. How many raviolis depend on the size of the veggie slices, 4 large or 8 small is a rough guide per person. This left over filling is great in mushroom caps the following night or two, warmed up in a very low oven or food dehydrator for as long as you can before eating. Great served with a big green salad.