Christmas Brunch

Here is my menu for Christmas Brunch this year.....

We have recently moved house - been here 1 and a half weeks and wanted to host something for Christmas, but not the 'main event.'  Christmas brunch was decided upon at our house for 16 of us and we will all then go to my parents house on the river for a very late lunch at 3.30.

Here is what I plan to serve: - click on links below for some of the recipes...

Croissants filled with various toppings - I plan to fill some of them with EDC Nutella  and some of them with my nan's TMX Apricot Jam.

Brioche from EDC - I will put a big bowl of Honeycomb Butter with it.
Recipe is Thermomix Butter - but with no oil/water added....so just straight EDC butter really.  Once butter is made add 100g honeycomb (no chocolate on the outside) and 2 Tbsp honey and combine on speed 6 for 15 seconds or until well combined.  It is AMAZING....A friend Bek told me about it and is a converted Bill Granger recipe.

Shop bought Croissants filled with Ham and Cheese - pop in oven for 10min or so until warm and toasted

Pina Colada Fruity Dream - Basic EDC fruity dream but no egg or butterfly needed.
Recipe is 150g Frozen Banana, 300g Frozen Pineapple, 1 ice cube tray of frozen coconut Milk.
Pull out of freezer half hour or so beforehand - just so it's not rock solid frozen. 
First crush coconut milk on Speed 9 for 10 seconds.  Then add fruit, combine on speed 9 for 1 minute.  You may have to move it around a bit with the spatula, feel free to add half MC of water if it's too frozen.

Fruit Christmas Tree  - No recipe needed....how easy and don't even need the amazing TMX. 

Non Alcoholic Wine - yet to decide what brand - served with Orange Juice if people wish

Christmassy Punch - Also got this from a friend who served it last year....said it was delish. 
Recipe is 1L lemonade, 2 cups cranberry juice, 1 lime, thinly sliced, 1/2 cup raspberries, 6 mints leaves - combine either just in jug or in TMX and combine on Reverse, Speed 2. 

Burritos

360 grams plain flour 
1 tsp salt
180g warm water
60g olive oil
1 tsp baking powder (optional) 

Combine all ingredients in Thermomix for 5 seconds on Speed 5. 
Then, 3 minutes, closed lid position, Interval Speed
Using either rolling pin or pasta machine - grab a small ball of dough and roll out into circle as thin as you can. 
Cook in dry hot pan on both sides.  
Keep damp in between wet paper towel. (every layer is best) 
Warm again before using. 

If you want hard baskets, lay rolled out dough on top of upside down muffin tray cups, let edges fall around sides, bake in oven for 5 - 10 minutes, till crisp.

ENJOY filled with taco meat, salads, cheese and sour cream. 

Taco Seasoning Mix

TACO SEASONING MIX

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

4 tsp Oregano

4 tsp Sweet Paprika

3 tsp Sugar or Rapadura

4 tsp Rock Salt - river murray rock salt is great

4 Tbsp Ground Cumin

4 Tbsp Onion flakes (dried)

4 Tbsp Garlic Powder/Granules

Mix in Thermomix on Speed 10 for 20-30 seconds. 

Store in airtight container!  

If you want to double or triple the recipe, it works great and gives you a whole lot for many, many future uses.  

Recipe compliments of this great blog - Natural New Age Mum
You can find this one here: http://naturalnewagemum.com/make-your-own-additive-free-taco-seasoning/ and many more great recipes on her blog.  

Thermomix Testimonial..........14th August, 2012

Here is a great testimony from one of my happy customers, thanks for sharing a small snippet of your journey so far!  I'm thrilled the Thermomix has been such an asset to your household......

The Thermomix has changed the way we cook and shop. 

To my surprise we have not bought a loaf of bread since it arrived. 

We also have cut down on take-away food and eating out (including my husband buying his lunch everyday) because the food we cook at home is just as tasty and easy to make than buying it prepared. 

We eat healthier and fresher than we ever have! 

Our favorite dish in our Thermomix is butter chicken and homemade naan! 


Great savings in not buying lunch every day.....and wow, never having bought a loaf of bread since....it's been a few months now!  Well done!  

Eating healthier and fresher is always the BEST part about selling Thermomix, I love that my customers can see and experience this change!  

Mr Bean's Chocolate Cake

Got this from a friend and tried it out today, it was great!  Kids would not even know it was made with no flour and stacked full of beans.....I still think it's quite funny really.....I mean i've done the good old beetroot cake and could understand that, but this one, with no flour and a whole can of beans.....CLASSIC!  Will be making it again for sure. 

400g/420g kidney beans, canned drained
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
70 g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon GF baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
125 g Butter
5 eggs
180 g sugar

Puree beans with the water, 1 egg and vanilla on Speed 5 for 20 seconds (scrape and redo a bit longer if necessary) You want a nice smooth consistency.  SET ASIDE

Add the butter and sugar, Speed 4 for 30 seconds 

Add the remaining eggs, Speed 4 for 20 seconds 

Add bean mixture, Speed 5 for 10 seconds

Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and  mix a bit by hand to help incorporate anything stuck on the sides then - Speed 4 for 10 seconds.

Pour batter into greased ring tin pan and bake 180 degree oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.   

If you like cover with icing......I will be packing it for school lunches so don't ever do icing....but if you're serving at home, icing would go beautifully!  

ENJOY YOUR MR BEAN CAKE!!!!!

Maple Syrup Roast Pumpkin Risotto

Ingredients

• 100g parmesan cheese
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• 100g semi-sundried tomato
• 30g oil
• 400g pumpkin cubed
• Maple Syrup
• 350g Arborio rice
• 120g white wine
• 950g water
• 2 Tbspn TM vegetable stock
• Handful or 2 of pine nuts (lightly roasted first if desired)
• Handful of baby spinach

Method

Cut pumpkin into cubes and drizzle with maple syrup.  Place in hot oven for 20 minutes or so (unitl just cooked)

Place spinach in the ThermoServer and set aside

Grate parmesan 10 sec speed 9, set aside in a small bowl

Place onion and garlic, chop 5 sec speed 7

Add oil and cook 3 min 100C speed 1

Add semi-dried tomato, Speed 7 for 5 seconds.

Add wine, rice. Cook 2 min 100C, reverse, speed 1

Add water, half the pumpkin, half the pine nuts and stock concentrate. Cook 16 min, 100C, reverse speed 1

Pour risotto on top of baby spinach in ThermoServer, add the remaining pumpkin and pine nuts, gently stir and leave to stand for few minutes.

Sprinkle with Parmesan as serving.

I love the sweetness in this risotto - the maple syrup is just a 'great' touch!  

Macadamia and Lemon Cookies

Have just made these delicious cookies.....now my cookies never seem to be great because - well who know's why - I always blame my oven....but these cookies have actually turned out great - i'm pumped and everyone loves them.....we've eaten far too many today already....

The recipe is from the new Devil of a Cookbook - I have altered it slightly.  I know macadamias are expensive but a treat sometimes is worth the expense.

100g raw macadamias 
60g sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (avoid as much white pith as you can)
170g Self Raising Flour
120g butter
1 egg

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line baking tray with mat or baking paper
Place macadamias in bowl and chop for 15 seconds on speed 4/5 - you want some texture, so not too long. (SET ASIDE)
Place sugar, zest and 1 Tbs of flour into bowl and mill for 10 seconds, speed 9 (I didn't bother to clean my bowl)
Insert butterfly and add butter, beat for 1 minute, speed 3
Add egg and beat for a further minute on speed 3
Remove butterfly and add flour and reserved macadamias and mix for 30 seconds on speed 3 or until well combined (I did push it all down half way through)
Form into small balls and place onto tray at least 5cm apart, bake in oven for 10 minutes or until firm on the bottom.....

Mine didn't go golden on the top, whether it is because of my oven or the recipe - but they taste DIVINE....definitely a must.  Next time might try with some other flavours too!

* Recipe taken and slightly adapted from "Devil of a cookbook"