Beef ragout

This week has been nephew cake making week. My mum was an amazing cake maker - she even made our wonderful wedding cake. My husband was interested in learning how to decorate cakes and mum taught him. They used to make my niece and nephews birthday cakes together. Husband has continued making the cakes. While he loves doing it and wouldn't stop for the world, each cake takes 3 nights work and a mountain of hours. So during cake week, meals become quick and easy. Often resulting in take away. I wanted home cooked meals this week. It has been a cold and long week. I wanted home comfort. So, for one night I made this Italian Beef Ragu. As normal I added more vegetables than in the recipe, and also some lentils. So easy, so quick. Served with a french breadstick (as I didn't make the piadinas) it was delicious - no leftovers, even the thermoserver was wiped clean with bread. 

Source: http://static.squarespace.com/static/51b56acee4b062dc341158ed/t/53245713e4b0d7985481d6c9/1394890521104/ (accessed 26.7.14)

Brownies

I like brownies but don't know what all the fuss is about. I much prefer my mum's good old fashioned chocolate slice. I made Quirky Cooking's gluten free brownies from her cookbook for my niece who has coeliac. They were good. As they didn't rise as much as I would have hoped, I used the leftover ganache from the cake husband is making for her brother and called it chocolate slice.

Banana and date loaf/cake

Work has been busy. It's hard to believe it's only been 2 weeks since I went back after a holiday. Today is Saturday and I am taking time out this morning for myself. Which seems to have included a bath and baking. I rarely bake. So I seized the moment of inspiration. Husband had bought 5 incredibly under ripe bananas a couple of weeks ago hoping they would ripen. In the meantime I bought some more bananas that we could actually eat. Now we have a surplus. I found this delicious banana and date cake/loaf that also happens to be sugar free. I added a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter too. I recently discovered dates as a sweetener. This cake was moist and fluffy with a real banana taste. I added an extra banana in the mix and cut a banana in half and made 'railway tracks' down the loaf (it's not like the days of banana shortages following Cyclone Larry). Yummo! Next time I might add some walnuts. Now to make a cup of tea, get my book & find a quiet spot for 20 minutes.

Source: http://www.healthyfoodguide.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/recipe_320x295/public/recipeimages/3378.jpg (accessed 26.7.14)

Meat pie

I feed 2 men most nights. They love meat pies. This recipe was absolutely delicious and very simple to make. I also added a heap of mushrooms (I had gone to Costco to get, among other things, mushrooms for last nights pizza. I then had a surplus of mushrooms).

Chicken noodle soup

I woke up feeling low with a sore throat etc. All I felt like was Mum's chicken noodle soup. This is my thermie version of Mum's chicken noodle soup. It makes about 4 servings.

Ingredients
1 garlic clove
1 onion
1 carrot
Handful of baby spinach
Splash of olive oil (or your favourite cooking oil)
1/3 cob corn kernels
Any other vegetables you have (celery, broccoli etc)
750ml water
2T vegetable stock
1 skinless chicken breast chopped into small cubes
Handful of some sort of noodle - pasta, risoni, rice noodle etc

Method using risoni or pasta

1. Chop garlic, onion, carrot & other vegetables in mixing bowl for 4 seconds/Speed 3
2. Add oil, saute 100C/Reverse/Speed 1/2 minutes
3. Add water, vegetable stock, corn and chicken to mixing bowl. If you are using pasta or risoni add now too. Cook 100C/Reverse/Speed 1/16 minutes. Remove the measuring cup at about 4 minutes remaining to reduce the stock
4. Season as wanted
5. Serve on it's own or with bread

Method using rice noodle (gluten free)

1. Chop garlic, onion, carrot & other vegetables in mixing bowl for 4 seconds/Speed 3
2. Add oil, saute 100C/Reverse/Speed 1/2 minutes
3. Add water, vegetable stock, corn and chicken to mixing bowl. Cook 100C/Reverse/Speed 1/12 minutes
4. Add handful of rice noodle. Cook 100C/Reverse/Speed 1/4 minutes. I removed the measuring cup at this point to reduce the stock
5. Season as wanted

Orange cake

Cake week... I also made this light and fluffy orange cake that was absolutely delicious.

'Magic bean' chocolate cake

This chocolate cake is amazing! Nothing more needs to be said.

2 minute noodles

Winter holidays and hot food for lunch is wanted. I found this awesome 2 minute (well, 5 minute) noodles. Delicious! I also added onion, beans, spinach and coriander. It would be nice as a main meal with some chicken.

Cumquat jam/marmalade

As I have said before, we have a mini orchard in our small suburban backyard. It's that time of the year when the citrus trees are going crazy producing an abundance of fruit. We have two cumquat trees that were here when we bought the place that we typically get 3-4kg of fruit a year from. It always seemed a shame to throw the fruit out as neither husband or I like it. Years ago I found a cumquat jam recipe that both our Dad's like. However, it is a laborious full day job & we don't get to take full advantage of the fruit as some will be rotten by the time we make the jam. While perusing the Thermomix recipe community I came upon this cumquat marmalade recipe. It's quick & easy which means we can make small batches as the fruit ripens on the tree. If I want a sweeter jam-type taste I just add a bit more sugar. What an amazing recipe find!

Corned beef with parsley sauce & steamed vegetables

Mum always made the most delicious corned beef/silverside with parsley sauce. The sauce was teaming with parsley, the vegetables just crunchy and the beef tender. It took hours in a pot on the stove. I found this thermomix recipe and have used it a couple of times. It is just as good as Mum's. Tho I still use the parsley sauce recipe she used (quadrupling the amount of parsley).