Dabbling in Freezer Cooking

After a visit to my favourite butcher who sells bulk meat, I dreaded the prospect of breaking the meat up into batches and vacuum sealing  it to be frozen.  I did however, feel slightly more enthusiastic about cooking.  So I set out to make some freezer meals.

I have at various times dabbled in freezer cooking.  I certainly loved the convenience of having ready-made meals when I was busy at work or when I was a new mum.  I didn’t hate the cooking days, in fact I quite liked them. So I wondered why I never really stuck to it and made an art of it.

I think in my case it came down to not having enough of a freezer meal catalogue.  In the old days I made the same things ….spaghetti sauce, lasagne, cottage pie, a curry or two and soups. Boring. If only I had looked to the internet for inspiration!

There are hundred of sites and bloggers out there praising freezer cooking.  Many have it down to a fine art – menu plans, recipes, shopping lists, cooking days, even providing sticker templates to print and  attach to your made meal.  There are thousands of amazing recipes out there to suit every taste and even cooking preference.  It really is an eye opener.

As it is coming into winter here in the Southern hemisphere, I am keen to get the slow cooker working.  I found whole sites devoted to creating frozen baggies of ingredients, that you defrost and pop into the crock pot to cook.  Really, who thought you could make crock pot cooking even easier than it already was?

The more I traversed the sites, the more I was beginning to be sold on the idea of freezer cooking.  I don’t know that I would have the majority of meals out of the freezer as I like to eat a fresh, clean and raw as possible, but it definitely has benefits.  It undoubtably saves money as you can shop the sale items and use seasonal produce.  You are less likely to resort to expensive take out on the days when you don’t feel like cooking.  I can see there would be less washing up and probably less food waste.

So if you are keen to dabble in freezer cooking like me, here are some sites that are worth a visit.

Money Saving Mom - Huge recipe selection and some great printables for those organising freaks, like me.

One a Month Mom – Everything you need to be a freezer cooking genius.  Menu plans for all sorts of dietary needs including paleo, vegetarian and baby. Heaps available for free on the site or become a member to receive ongoing menus and recipes.

Who Needs a Cape? – Make 40 meals in 4 hours! Lots of crock pot freezer recipes here.

Life as Mom – Lots of tips on how to freezer cook and every month a new cooking plan to follow.

I have also started to pin some of my favourite freezer meals.  You are welcome to follow along here.

So what did I cook and freeze the other day, you ask?

Healthy Butter Chicken – I used a fantastic spice mix from this company

lasagne

Chicken enchiladas

Slow cooker braised lamb

Pear and raspberry coconut bread.  Yummo! I will share this recipe with you soon.

If you are interested in freezer cooking, be sure to follow along.  I intend to do a lot more freezer cooking and I will share what I make on here.

Have a great day.

 

Weekend Cooking

It is not often that we are about the house on the weekend so I don’t do a lot of cooking.  However, this weekend I made a bit of an effort and ended up making some lovely things.  When I say ‘effort’, it wasn’t that great as most of the recipes were done in the Thermomix. I really can’t explain just how much of a marvel the Thermomix is.  If you don’t have one, don’t let that put you off clicking on the links to the recipes as most could be done without it, or perhaps completed with another appliance that you have.

Have a look at my creations, I am more than a little proud of some of them…..

Apple Porridge made in the Thermomix while I got ready for the morning.  It can’t get much easier than that!  The boys LOVED it.  Recipe is here.

Banana and Coconut Bread.  We all loved this.  The recipe is one for the Thermomix but easy and well worth adapting if you don’t have one.  I also had my first attempt at scrolls.  These were spinach and feta.  Yummo. A fantastic brunch or lunchbox food.  You can find the recipe here.

Healthy Banana Ice Cream.  This is made with just a little sugar (or in our case dextrose), frozen skim milk and frozen banana.  It is just like soft serve ice cream without the guilt. I will post more about easy ice creams made in the Thermomix soon.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Mocha.  This recipe calls for cocoa, but I have been right into using raw cacao and I am convinced of  the health benefits.  Hubby and I love this rich drink.

Mango, Banana and Apple Green Smoothie.  This was my own concoction but you can read about my green smoothies here. This one was demolished by my boys in seconds, despite them watching two big handfuls of spinach going into the mix.

Chinese Combination Short Long Soup.  I did freestyle with this recipe and added things I knew we would like.  It was a hit all round.  Master C loved the dumplings.

Another dish that I stupidly didn’t photograph, despite the fact it was the stand out dish of the weekend, was Singapore Noodles.  Oh. So. Yummy. Instead of making it with vermicelli noodles, I used angel hair slim noodles which have less than 7 calories per serve.  The meal had next to no calories and was so filling.  I can see this appearing regularly on my meal plans.

I’d love to hear whether you get up to cooking or baking on the weekends or is that your ‘time off’?  Have a great week.

Thermomixing: Naturally Sweetened Jam

Like most kiddies, my children love jam.  I mean, why wouldn’t they?  It is sticky and beautifully sweet and there in lies the problem.  Jam is a no-no when you are trying to cut down on sugar and eliminate refined sugar.

Since the addition of the Thermomix into the household, I have wanted to have a go a making my own healthy jam.  So when I picked up two huge punnets of strawberries, the mission to find the right recipe was underway.

One of my favourite blogs for healthy Thermomix recipes is Quirky Cooking.  Not surprisingly, Jo had the perfect recipe for a naturally sweetened jam recipe.  To my great joy, it was super easy (isn’t everything with a Thermomix anyway?) and within seconds I was in the kitchen making jam.

Naturally Sweetened Jam

Ingredients

• 500 g of your chosen fruit (I used strawberries)
• 150 g rapadura sugar (or use another sweetener like honey,  stevia etc)
• 1 level teaspoon agar-agar

Method

1. Place a saucer, for testing the jam, in the freezer to cool.
2. Place fruit in the Thermomix and chop for 3-5 seconds on speed 4, depending on how chunky you like your jam
3. Add sugar and agar-agar and cook for 8 minutes/100 degrees/ reverse/ Speed 2.  If you prefer a smooth jam like we do, don’t put the machine in reverse and give the whole mix a blitz at speed 8 for a few seconds once the cooking is done.
4.  To test the jam, take 1/2 teaspoon of jam and place it on the chilled saucer.  Once the jam has cooled, push it with your finger.  If the mixture ‘wrinkles’ it is ready.  If your jam requires a little more setting, add a pinch more agar-agar, cook for a further 2 minutes and test again.
5. Pour the jam into sterilised jars and keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Everyone loved this jam. Unlike the store-bought jams, it was not sickly sweet and tasted like strawberries.

It is possible to omit all sweeteners from this recipe and I am keen to try that when strawberries are at their sweetest.

I definitely recommend giving this recipe a go.

Super Easy and Healthier Pancakes

Happy Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day!

A few weeks ago I wrote about some of the ways I organise myself for a streamlined breakfast time.  It was then that I promised that I would share with you a great pancake recipe.  Today seems like the perfect day to live up to that promise.

I love this recipe as it is super easy to remember, always produces fluffy pancakes, has only 3 ingredients and no sugar.

Basic Pancakes – Serves 2+ (from here)

Ingredients

1 cup self-raising flour

1 cup milk (full cream, skim, soy)

1 egg

Method

1. Whisk egg into milk

2. Place flour into a bowl and incorporate the milk and egg mixture

3. Lightly grease a fry pan with butter or spray oil

4. Cook large spoonfuls of mixture until bubble appear on the surface and the edges firm

5. Turn pancakes and cook until the other side is golden brown

There is no need to add sugar to this recipe if you are serving with sweet toppings.  You could choose to add a few tablespoons of sugar if you prefer a sweeter cake.  Sometimes I add vanilla to this recipe for a change.

One tip I swear by is letting the batter rest for a little while before cooking.  If you are ravenous and must jump right in, you are still going to end up with fantastic pancakes, but if you can wait 10-20 minutes, the pancakes will be fluffier.

When I make extras to freeze for breakfasts or morning teas, I layer grease proof paper between the cakes before freezing in ziplock bags.  30 seconds in the microwave, they are warm and ready for topping.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Thermomix Passionfruit Curd

Last year I wrote about my parents bumper crop of passionfruit and shared with you a great microwave recipe for making passionfruit curd.  You can find this recipe here.

Well the crop looks to be just as bountiful this year and we are already overloaded with the purple gems.  This time round I thought I would try making the passionfruit curd in the Thermomix.

Thermomix Passionfruit Curd (from here)

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten lightly
1/3 cup castor sugar (more of less depending on your taste)
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup passionfruit pulp, (about 3 passionfruit )
60g butter, chopped coarsely

Method

1. Insert the butterfly and add the ingredients

2. Cook for 8 mins/80C/speed 3.  Use the steamer basket on top of lid instead of the measuring cup.

3. If the curd coats the back of a spoon it is ready, if not, continue cooking for a few more minutes.

4. Transfer into a sterilised container and store in the fridge.

This recipe worked quite well.  I did have to cook it for a couple more minutes to make it our preferred consistency.

This afternoon I enjoyed a generous dollop of this on some low-fat Greek yoghurt with a sprinkling of pistachios. YUM!

 

Organising Breakfast

Earlier this month I wrote about my New Year’s Resolution to make my days run more smoothly.  One aspect of my day that could be chaotic was breakfast.  Unlike everyone else in the house, I am not into the whole cereal and toast caper, a pain because they are about as easy and as quick to prepare as breakfasts come.  As I am a little fussier,  it was not unusual for me to miss breakfast, eat late or to end up scoffing my breakfast while completing some overdue task.

I decided that this year I really needed to sort the whole breakfast situation out for myself.  I needed to come up with quick, easy and healthy breakfasts.  After some consideration, here are some of my favourites:

Smoothies

A little while ago I thought it might be beneficial to try a smoothie for breakfast.  I like that it is something that can be taken with me if I am running late.  It is easy to carry around the house while I complete ‘must do’ tasks and is relatively quick to make.

To make the smoothie creation process faster, I went to the farmer’s market and stocked up on lovely fresh fruit.  I got this great box of mangoes for a steal…yum!

After cutting it all up, I popped 1/2 cup portions into little zip lock bags to pop in the freezer.  This way I always have fruit on hand, even out of season, and the frozen fruit makes my smoothies deliciously thick and cold.

I often add some LSA or 1/2 a Weetbix into the blender to help bulk it up and keep me full for longer.

Fruit Salad & Greek Yoghurt

It is not uncommon for us to put together a large fruit salad on the weekend and to pick at it over the course of the next two days . It is a great weekend breakfast, especially if you plan to eat out later in the day, as  it doesn’t keep you feeling as full as other breakfast choices.

Boiled eggs

On a Sunday evening I boil a bunch of eggs to keep in the fridge. If the shells aren’t cracked, they are safe to be stored 2-3 weeks. If I find I am really hungry in the morning, cutting one or two of these up and eating it on toast is a sure hunger-buster.

Keeping boiled eggs on hand is great idea.  They are a terrific snack on their own and a fantastic sandwich filler at lunchtime.  If your evening salad is looking a little ho-hum, pop some egg on top.

Pancakes

These aren’t the healthiest breakfast choice but sometimes they are just what you feel like.  There is no weekday morning when whipping up a batch of pancakes is possible for me.  So, when I make pancakes as an after dinner treat or weekend morning tea, I increase the mix and cook a few extra to freeze.  More often than not, they get consumed by the kids as a quick morning tea option, but they have proved once or twice to be a great ‘grab and go’ breakfast option for me.

To freeze your own pancakes, I suggest letting them cool completely before layering baking paper between each pancake.  I freeze these in individual potions in ziplock bags.

A little while back I found a fool-proof, easy to remember pancake recipe with just 3 ingredients.  It doesn’t add sugar and always yields amazingly fluffy pancakes.  I will share it with you soon.

So there are some quick and easy breakfast ideas that are really helping streamline my morning routine.  I’d love to hear your favourite breakfast ideas, tips, ticks and recipes.

 

 

 

 

Easy (and Tasty) Muesli Slice

With the school year about to start Downunder, I had to share this easy and delicious muesli slice recipe a friend passed on to me last week.  It is ‘no bake’ and can be easily altered to nut-free.

Muesli Slice

• 1 cup  desiccated coconut
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup unsalted peanuts 
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup sesame seeds

Toast these either on a tray in a 200 degree celsius oven, or in a pan over a medium heat.  Stir frequently.

• 125 g butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey

Melt these ingredients in a saucepan or in the microwave.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together.  Press into a slice tin. Refrigerate, then slice.  Store in fridge.

To make this slice suitable for my son to take to his nut-free childcare centre, I replaced the peanuts with sultanas.  You could replace the nuts with any mixture of dried fruit you wish, or up the quantities of seeds.  I have used rice malt syrup instead of honey to good effect too.

I hope you give this ago. I am sure you will enjoy it.

Shared with The Organised Housewife

Prolonging the Life of Cut Flowers

Who doesn’t like cut flowers? I find great joy in picking out a bunch of beautiful flowers and bringing them home to pretty up the house.  However, flowers can be a bit of a luxury item.  Depending on the time of year and where you buy them, they can be expensive.

I generally buy my flowers from farmer’s markets as they are significantly cheaper than store-bought bouquets.  The flowers are also cut only hours before I buy them, so I know that I am going to get maximum life out of my arrangement.

To prolong the life of my bouquets, I follow some advice my florist gave me many years ago……

Feed and prevent bacteria in the arrangement by using a simple preservative mix.  To a clean vase filled with luke warm water add, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of bleach.

Before adding the flowers, trim the stems on an angle and remove any foliage from the lower end of the stem (no leaves should sit in the water).  Endeavour to change the water every other day, trimming the stems again before returning the flowers to the water.

Keep the arrangement away from hot or sunny positions.

This advice has always worked for me and I am often amazed at how long my arrangements hang in there.  I hope it works for you too.

 

 

Teacup Biscuits

Every Christmas we visit one of our favourite churches.  Every night in December they put on a huge light display and amongst other things, a terrific coffee shop.

Master O stood in awe at the treats in the cabinet and settled on one of these cute teacup biscuits.

They are so easy to make.  If you lay out the ingredients, your kids will certainly be able to knock them up themselves.

You Need:

Tic Toc Biscuits (or really any other biscuit to use as a base)

Marshmallows (cylindrical ones)

Freckles / Jazzles (or large chocolate buttons if you aren’t in Australia or the UK)

Musk flavour Life Savers, cut in half

A small amount of melted white chocolate to ‘glue’ everything together

I showed my 4-year-old how to do one and he completed the rest.

1. Dip each end of a marshmallow into the melted chocolate and place standing up on the biscuit base.

2. Top the marshmallow with a freckle or chocolate button

3. Take a cut Life Saver and dip the cut ends in the chocolate. Attach the Lifesaver to the side of the Marshmallow to look like a  teacup handle

Lots of fun to make and lots of fun to eat!

What’s On My Plate? Tropical Fruit Salad with Organic Yoghurt and Homemade Muesli

After a few weeks of celebrating all sorts of milestones with friends and family and indulging way too much, I was in need of some ‘clean’ and wholesome food.

After a productive trip to the farmer’s markets, my fridge is chock-a-block with the most AMAZING tropical fruit.  I have snapped up some of the sweetest mangoes, pineapple and pawpaws I have ever eaten. Yum!

This morning they were calling out to be put into a fruit salad and eaten for breakfast.

I was recently introduced to this oh so luscious organic yoghurt called Five:am.

If you are in Australia, you can pick it up from Woolworths.  It was a must to dollop on my fruit salad.

To sprinkle on top to add texture, I had my first go at making my own toasted muesli.  After reading a few recipes, I decided on my own concoction.  I chose ingredients I liked and gauged quantities as I went.

In a bowl I mixed together:

Rolled oats with barley grains

Shredded coconut

Sunflower seeds

sesame seeds

Chia seeds

Dried Cranberries

Sultanas

Hazelnuts

Pistachios

Walnuts

To bind these together I poured over rice bran oil and rice malt syrup that I had heated slowly on the stove top.  You could use honey instead of rice malt syrup and butter/margarine instead of rice bran oil.  I didn’t go silly with this, only lightly coating the dry ingredient to cut down on the fat.

I laid these out on baking paper, and popped them into a moderate oven for about 15 minutes.  I pulled them out when they were golden and let them cool before smashing them up and sprinkling them over the fruit and yoghurt.

We all loved this for breakfast.  It made such a nice change from the usual cereal.