Camping Fritatta

Now that was a great camping holiday!
Great location, fantastic weather, fun and friendly fellow campers, and we even felt relaxed after a few days of settling on our first family camping trip. We stayed at Boathaven Resort on Lake Hume in north western Victoria but with gorgeous weather and a rather tropical styled camping resort we felt it was like Queensland yet closer to home. 

Highlights included Oddies Creek Adventure Playspace...










and the Childrens Garden in the Botanical Gardens...

and a venture to historical Beechworth with the fairy tree and lunch at the Bridge Road Brewers. 

We found a nice routine of heading out in the morning before the heat hit, letting the kids snooze on the way home then playing in the resort pool most of the afternoon.

The best part was the quality time as family and with friends.  Enjoying special moments with kids, watching them learn, interact and enjoy being outdoors for a week. Its hard to find time for that in the normal routine of home but this trip has reminded us to enjoy the little things and be in the moment, in the now...

I had great intentions of writing some blog posts, and the books never made it out of the car, but the trip was filled with fun times, plenty of activity and some great conversations.  So I'm writing this on the drive home, on reflection that we all had a great holiday ( even veggie daddy who was once not a happy camper but now appears converted)!

Communal dinners were simple yet delicious (no thermomix this trip and we survived!)  One quick and easy meal was a frypan frittata.  This can be whipped up with any ingredients you had, perhaps even tinned peas and corn or some leftover veggies.  To feed the ravenous kids we pan fried a batch of potato and sweet potato slices first so give the kids some "chips" as an entree. 



Camping Frittata

Then we simply fried another batch, added a few veggies including zucchini, broccoli and capsicum, popped the lid on and let them cook for about 5 minutes on a medium heat. When almost done we  poured in a mix of 6 eggs with about half a cup of milk and a little salt and pepper. With the lid on for another 5 minutes or until almost set we added some cheese slices and a few minutes later, voila, some happy and much less hungry campers! (Blueberry pancakes for dessert was the next treat!)

We're so looking froward to our next trip, the kids were ready to go back the next day.  I guess it's back to reality for a little while while we plan it...




Chocolate and Zucchini Cake

A close cousin of mine has changed her cooking completely since her Thermomix purchase all in aid of better nutrition of her 3 gorgeous children.  We visited them today (much to my kids delight) and  when I saw her children who are often a little veggie phobic asking for more Chocolate and Zucchini Cake I giggled inside with glee!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This cake is based on the Zucchini Loaf in “A Taste of Vegetarian” Thermomix book and makes 2 loaves which are quiet moist, keep well and can even be frozen.  They are handy when you have a busy social calendar (like us this weekend!) as they’re quick, easy and somewhat healthy for the kids.  The first time we made half as per the book then added good quality cocoa to the other half.  A winner by far as everyone thinks they’re eating a delicious, moist chocolate cake with little idea of the green goodness that’s packed inside them.

The original Zucchini Cake and the Chocolate version

While the original recipe used 350g of raw sugar I find that 200g and a little honey is plenty for the 2 loaves.  You could leave the walnuts a little coarser but I find when you’re trying to disguise the goodies a little finer helps.  Anyway, just grab some in season zucchini, from the garden if you can and bake it!

Chocolate and Zucchini Cake

100g walnuts

300g zucchini cut into 3cm chuncks
3 free range eggs
200g raw sugar
20g honey
250g grapeseed oil
2 tsp vanilla
370g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
3 tbls good quality cocoa powder

• Preheat oven to 180° and grease and line 2 loaf pans with baking paper

• Place walnuts into Thermomix bowl and set dial to closed lid position and pulse by pressing Turbo button 3 times for 1 second each then set aside

• Place zucchini in bowl and chop for 4 seconds on speed 4 and set aside

• Place eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla into bowl and blend for 20 seconds on speed 4

• Add all remaining ingredients including zucchini and walnuts and mix for 10 seconds on speed 3 in Reverse

• Pour into loaf tins and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean

Enjoy!

Zucchini, Lentil and Haloumi Fritters

How good are home grown zucchini’s?!?!

The new vege patch is proving very worthwhile as we’re picking on average a zucchini a day and don't they taste amazing!  The kids eat them like cucumbers and the list of recipes to use them in is endless.  I’ve made Baked Zucchini Flowers, Zucchini Cake, delicious Sautéed Zucchini with Pinenuts and Figs as a side, but the family’s favourite is my Zucchini, Lentil and Haloumi Fritters.

Zucchini's grown happily in the new vege patch!

They’re quick, easy and super tasty.  They're great served warm with some yoghurt and salad or cold the next day for the kids as fingerfood.  You can add whatever herbs you have in the garden but I find a little bit of mint gives them a lovely kick and a bit of a Greek flavour alongside the haloumi cheese. On that note, the haloumi can easily be substituted for feta.  I add the lentils not only for added protein but also for little colour and texture flecks which works well.

Mint and chives

And I may need to apologise in advance as I cannot find my written recipe for these fritters so am going by memory.  Here goes...

Zucchini, Lentil and Haloumi Fritters

100g Puy Lentils
180g haloumi
2 medium zucchinis
5-6 mint leaves
A few chive sprigs or spring onions

1 free range egg
80g plain flour (more if needed)
Freshly ground pepper
A little olive oil for pan frying

 

• Place Puy lentils in a saucepan with plenty of water and boil for approximately 20-25 minutes or until tender and set aside in a colander to drain well.  Alternatively use a tin of lentils but Puy lentils have a much nicer texture for this recipe
• Place herbs in Thermomix bowl and chop for 4 seconds on speed 4
• Add roughly chopped haloumi and chop for 5 seconds on speed 5 then set aside
• Place roughly chopped zucchini in Thermomix bowl and chop for 2 seconds on speed 4.  Avoid over chopping as this releases extra moisture
• Add all other ingredients including haloumi and herbs and mix on Reverse for 20 seconds on Speed 2
• Set aside for 10 minutes for moisture to absorb a little while you heat a frying pan with a little olive oil to medium heat
• Place large spoonfuls of mixture int frying pan and cook on 2 minutes each side until golden and the fritters hold together
• Drain on paper towel

Serve with Greek Yoghurt and a side salad and enjoy!

Rhubarb and Custard Cake

Sugar and spice and all things nice... that’s what little girls are made of.

Pretty cakes for pretty girls...

And what better cake to celebrate a gorgeous little girl’s first birthday (and another slightly older gorgeous lady) than a Rhubarb and Custard Cake.  Plenty  of pink fresh rhubarb, a cinnamon spiced cake with a layer of homemade custard.  Delicious.  I knew the type of flavours I wanted then came across a very pretty version on Eat LittleBird.   With the usual tweak of reducing the sugar, I also added more rhubarb, some cinnamon and in my 2^nd attempt added almond meal which added more interest to the cake component.

A layer of homemade custard....

With rhubarb still growing in abundance and custard so easy to whip up in the Thermomix how could I resist.   And most importantly it looks pretty!

Rhubarb and Custard Cake

Custard

50g  cornflour

50 raw caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 free range eggs

500g whole milk

Cake

Approx 4 stalks of rhubarb (choose pink young stalks for the top)

2 tbls rapadura sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

180g unsalted butter

100g rapadura or raw sugar (milled in Thermomix for 10 seconds on speed 8 then set aside)

2 free range eggs

1 tsp vanilla

180g SR flour

60g almond meal (made in Thermomix or store bought)

Cake

• Preheat oven to 180°
• Line a 20cm springform tin with baking paper
• Cut 8 pieces of rhubarb to fit in a star formation in your cake tin and set aside
• Chop remaining rhubarb into 1cm pieces, place in a baking dish and sprinkle with 1 tbl sugar and bake for approx 20 minutes while making the cake and custard

Custard

• Place sugar and flour in Thermomix bowl and pulverise for 10 seconds on speed 8
• Add remaining ingredients and cook for 8 minutes at 90° on speed 4
• Transfer to smaller bowl and allow to thicken on cooling (I placed in the freezer as I was continuing the cake immediately)

Cake

• Place sugar and butter in Thermomix bowl and cream for 20 seconds on speed 5 (no need to wash bowl between)
• Add 2 eggs and vanilla and continue for another 20 seconds on speed 4
• Add flour, ½ tsp cinnamon and almond meal and mix for 10 seconds on speed 4 scraping down if required and repeat for another 5 seconds
•   Spoon ½ mixture into prepared baking tin, sprinkle over cooked rhubard then pour over cooled custard (keep a small bowl or two aside for the kids and they’ll be happy while you continue cooking)
• Carefully spoon remaining cake mix over custard.  This is a little tricky as it’s quite a thick cake mixture but rest assured it will rise and fill the gaps on cooking
• Arrange longer rhubarb pieces into a star formation on top and sprinkle with a mix of remaining 1 tbls rapadura sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon
• Bake for approx 1 hr or until cooked (it’s a little tricky to tell when it’s cooked as an inserted skewer will be moist from the custard but it will be browned and coming away from the edges)

 

Delicious served warm but also great cooled if you can wait that long

Enjoy!

Chocolate Salami

Happy belated New Year everyone!

 

I’m back from a lovely holiday with the family in Echuca.  We stayed a few days on Nan’s farm then a few days camping with Grandma.  The kids had an absolute blast!  It was also a week without my Thermomix and somehow I survived.  But it’s a new year and there’s plenty of recipes to catch up on.

Chocolate Salami as part of our Christmas Gift Hamper

I’d best start with our favourite from the Christmas Gift Hamper... Chocolate Salami!  This rich chocolatey treat is popular in many parts of the northern hemisphere for Christmas but is rarely heard of in our great southern land – until now!   I combined a few recipes variations and added the traditional Christmas ingredients of pistachios and cranberries.  I used a little Tokay as the liqueur (and a small glass for me for quality assurance) so it’s really an adult only treat. 

I also doubled the recipe below and used half gingernut biscuits and half scotch finger which added extra depth of flavour.  The double mix made 6 good sized salamis so with 5 hampers we were lucky to keep one to enjoy in the new year.  There are many versions of this recipe but this one is based on a Nigella Lawson version with a few tweaks.

So whether you’re making it for a gift, a special occasion or just a treat for yourself I guarantee you’ll enjoy it.

Chocolate mix poured over biscuits and nuts

Chocolate Salami

50g almonds

50g hazelnuts

50g pistachios

80g dried cranberries

2 tbls liqueur ( I used Tokay but Amaretto or Port would be nice too)

250g sweet biscuits ( I used half gingernut and half scotch finger)

80g unsalted butter

250g dark quality chocolate

150g icing sugar (milled in Thermomix)

2 egg yolks

80g condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

30g quality cocoa powder

·         Roughly chop nuts (can be done in TM for a 1-2 seconds on speed 4 but I preferred by hand) and cranberries and add to a large bowl and sprinkle liqueur over

·         Place biscuits in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin into small pieces then add to bowl

·         Melt the butter for 2 minutes at 50° on speed 2

·         Add the chocolate and melt for 3 minutes at 50° on speed 2.

·         Add the egg, icing sugar, condensed milk, and vanilla and set the timer for 6 minutes at 50° on speed 2

·         Let the mixture cool for 10-15 minutes then stir through the biscuit and nut mixture

·         Place about 1/3^rd mixture on cling wrap and mould into a salami shape, twisting ends to keep it firm.  Use a sushi mat to further roll for extra firmness and to give a lovely texture

·         Let the chocolate salami set in the fridge for at least 4 hours

·         Remove the cling wrap and then roll the salami in cocoa powder

·         Rewrap the salami in baking paper and tie with string for a gorgeous gift

The Chocolate Salami should be stored in the fridge, lasts for several weeks  and the flavour improves with time.  It’s a great talking point when served on a board with knife for people to slice.  Just try stopping at one piece!