Chicken stock made from scraps

Yes you read right, I pretty much make my chicken stock from any leftovers & peels, skins veggie cuts.

Whenever we have any chicken if it contains bones I collect them and stick them in a zip lock bag and chuck in the freezer. Sounds gross I know but they are going to be re cooked for that long I figure nothing can survive ;) also I have a bag in the freezer that I put all left over onion peels, garlic skins and off cuts of vegetables. If I notice something in the fridge is on its way out and if I cant use it in a recipe in the freezer bag it goes ! I can't bear to throw anything out and always try to make sure I use everything up! I even freeze egg shells , they are full if calcium when cooked in the stock. 

You wouldn't believe that all this makes the best chicken stock! Obviously I strain all the bones and veg cuts so your left with super nutritious rich liquid stock that's perfect for using as a base in recipes or making soup.

Tonight my vegetable freezer bag contained :

Onion peel (both red and brown )

Garlic skin

Broccolini stems

Off cuts from spring onion 

Red capsicum tops / core 

Pumpkin seeds / skin 

Carrot peel 

Sweet potato peel 

Celery leaves 

Zucchini skin / ends 

Tomato leaves 

 

I had some plastic containers in the freezer too with about 4kilos of chicken bones I'd been saving.

I cook the stock up in my slow cooker ! Such a fantastic $22 spent at good ol big w! 

I put all the left over veg and bones in the pot then add a additional brown onion with skin and 4 unpeeled and squashed garlic cloves , 2 celery stalks with leaves roughly chopped , 2 bay leaves , 1 carrot unpeeled roughly chopped. I then pour about 4-5 litres of cold pura tap water till its all covered and water reaches the max level. Measure in 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Put the lid on the slow cooker and let sit for about 20 minutes. 

This allows the apple cider vinegar draw all the flavour and nutrients out from the egg shells and chicken bones. 

Give the stock and quick stir and I add a bunch of parsley lightly chopped, flick the power on the slow cooker and set on high. Once it starts bubbling a bit if there is any scummy impurities that have risen to the surface I then scrape off with a slotted spoon. I give the stock one more good stir then turn it down to low heat pop the lid back on and go to bed ;) ( I usually make stock at night ) 

Cook on low for minimum 9 hours , I have left it for 24 hours before and I find the longer it cooks for the more rich the stock and more "jellyish" 

Strain the stock through I fine sieve , making sure to capture all that nutritious liquid in another pot . I'm only now happy to discard the left over bones and veggies! They have done their job. But trust me if I could think of something to use the scraps up in again I would ! Haha. 

I separate the liquid stock into small plastic containers and store in the freezer. 

So so so much better for you than bought packaged stock and not to mention the taste is by far amazing :) 

Thermomix mixed grains bread.

It's taken me a while and countless amounts of research and "dud bread" that I've had to use for breadcrumbs , but I've finally created a mixed grain bread that works and is edible ;) 

It makes about 20 slices of thinly sliced bread and I recommend for it all to be eaten with in 2 days , as the lack if preservatives makes it go stale quickly. Or as I do slice it up and store 2 slices in zip lock bags in the freezer and toast as needed. 

I get all my grains and flours from a great wholesaler that public can purchase from called suntrails foods south of adelaide ,they also sell a huge range of nuts , organic foods and snacks. http://mobile.yellow.com.au/sa/lonsdale/suntralis-foods-12348003-listing.html?ref=onlineRedirect

So first up I mill the buckwheat groats in the thermo bowl on speed 9 for 1 minute, put aside and rinse bowl 

Then add 300g water 

3 teaspoons of instant yeast 

1 tablespoon of honey 

1 teaspoon sea salt 

Heat in bowl on 37 degrees speed 2 for 1 minute 

Then measure and add into bowl 

100 g milled buckwheat 

50 g dark rye flour 

150 g white spelt flour 

200 g wholemeal spelt flour 

20g chia seeds 

1 tablespoon extra Virgin olive oil 

Mix on speed 6 for 10 seconds, then set dial to closed lid position and knead for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Dont over knead as spelt flour does not cope well at all with over kneading and it will make the bread too dense. 

The dough will be very sticky and will feel that it's hard to manage but it is better to be sticky texture as it will make a softer loaf ;) 

Spray a Thermomix mat with spray oil and tip the bowl upside down and twist the blades from underneath to release the dough , pick out any left overs with your fingers and roll into a ball and gently wrap up in mat. 

I then go pop it in the car on the dash board if its a nice warm day to let it rise. Usually about 30 minutes. 

After the dough has risen , unwrap the Mat and the dough will be all sticky and bubbly on the mat , but that's ok just roll around the dough using your hands till all the bits of dough have been picked up off the mat and you have a ball again. 

Shape into a loaf and place into a bread tin

Then using a sharp knife score the top and sprinkle with water and olive oil. 

Pop it In a cold oven then set to 200 degrees for 30 minutes. 

The dough will get its second rise in the cold oven as it heats up. 

Once time Is up and the bread has risen and baked. Remove from tin and place on wire rack to cool.

It's best to leave the bread to cool as much as possible before slicing as I learnt today from quirky cooking! That's if you can resist the warm yummy bread! 

Om nom nom! 

Pumpkin,chicken & broccolini Quinoa risotto

I only just recently discovered Quinoa, and I have to say I'm loving it! I can't wait to do some more experimenting with this grain and try it in flour form for use in my breads etc.

The only downfall is I have to plan ahead if I want to use it in a recipe as it really needs to be soaked over night to remove the bitterness. I'm not very good at planning ahead meals I usually decide on the day depending on what my belly is craving. But I knew on Sunday that I wanted some risotto so I jumped out of bed that night and measured in some quinoa with water and popped it in the fridge ready for Monday nights meal ;) impulse decisions hit me a day early for once! 

This risotto Is fairly quick and very easy to make especially in the thermie! And what I love most is you can add just about anything in , so I got to use up veggies in the fridge before they got sad :) 

So you will need to soak overnight : 300 g Quinoa. I literally measure it in the bowl add enough water so it's all covered then with the lid on pop it in the fridge. 

Then the next day before I start cooking I drain it in a fine strainer and rinse under cold water. 

To cook : 

Peel and mince in bowl 3 garlic cloves and 3 dried chillies ( chilli optional) on speed 9 , 15 seconds 

Peel and quarter 1 brown onion add and chop. In bowl speed 4 , 5 seconds 

Measure and add 30 g extra virgin olive oil 

Cook for 2 minutes and 30 seconds ,varoma temperature ,reverse speed 2 

While garlic and onion cooking chop up into fairly big chunks 450 g chicken thighs . 

When timer has gone off remove lid and attach butterfly whisk , then add cut up chicken thighs and cook for 5 minutes , varoma temperature , reverse speed soft. 

Inserting the butterfly whisk is essential!! As I've learnt in the past chicken really gets all shredded from the blades if cooked for a longer period of time. 

After 5 minutes then add to the bowl the rinsed and drained 300g quinoa & 70 g white wine ( I used dry white sherry ) 

Cook for another 1 minute , varoma temperature , reverse speed 2 

Then add to the bowl 400 g liquid chicken stock ( I used my own that I make from left over chicken bones and veggies cooked in the slow cooker. Ill post this recipe here soon! Nothing like your own homemade stock!) 

1 teaspoon vegetable stock concentrate 

250g water 

Close the lid and set timer and cook for 20 minutes , varoma temperature , reverse speed soft 

While the risotto is cooking I then begin to chop the veggies. I used 

50 g pumpkin diced into very small pieces 

50 g halved cherry tomatoes 

100 g broccolini heads 

100 g frozen peas 

After the 20 minutes remove lid and check the risotto is not to dry you can add 50 g of extra water at a time if needed. 

Add all the chopped veg , replace the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes , varoma temperature , reverse speed soft. 

Serve into bowls sprinkled with fresh Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper. DELISH ! 

Little Lush Cooks: Saving Money with the Thermomix

Little Lush Cooks: Saving Money with the Thermomix: Making the Thermomix work for you and your wallet                                         Enjoyment i...

Come join and help me through my Thermomix adventures!

Who would have thought that going to a friends for a thermo demo and using it as a excuse as a good chance to " catch up" then end up purchasing one kitchen appliance would give such a exciting new lease on life! I can honestly say ever since my partner and I went to the demo that day it opened up so many new windows and passion I never knew truly existed in me. FOOD! Of course I have always been a huge fan of good ol noms. But I never expected to be able to create and serve up the dishes I now do.  Takeaway is a rarity in our home now as I'd much prefer to just make it myself, knowing exactly what goes into that thermie bowl tatses so much better than any takeaway.
It is by far the best money ever spent , and we save so much money now.
I'm constantly researching how I can create myself the usual pre made fridge & pantry goods/ and nothing is more satisfying in knowing how much money we have saved and let me tell you my belly loves me and the thermie for it!
I have always struggled with tummy upsets , bloating and all the gross things. But since I've started to diminish any pre packaged and eating a more preservative free diet , I've noticed massive changes in my health.
There are so many awesome websites , forums, blogs out there full of support for Thermomix users.
I learn so much and try to take as much in as I can. ( countless amounts of screen shots on my ipad have helped more than you'll ever know)
I often think to myself how much I would love to become a Thermomix consultant and be able to spread the word to everyone just how wonderful and genius this appliance is, but unfortunately time is a massive issue for me and my other passion besides cooking and eating is my hairdressing salon. That's keeps me super busy and motivated and for now I want that to be my number 1 priority and ill keep my Thermomix obsession as my hobbie and relaxation time out ;)
I have never had a blog before so I'm looking forward to seeing what I learn and who I meet from this! I'm still very much a rookie thermie user so I will welcome with wide open arms any recipe advice or ideas anyone has. Please share with me!

Bianca xoxo

Baking Day , just me and my Thermie!

What's better than when it's a miserable day out , then to spend it baking up some luscious treats in the thermomix!

I figure its a win win situation, rather than putting the heater on ,have the oven cranking all day keeps the home somewhat warm and you get food out of it! 

I made some butter yesterday using a recipe I found on Quirky cooking so I had some buttermilk I needed to use up.
I also noticed this morning a couple of very sad looking bananas sitting in the fruit bowl, I can't bear to chuck anything out so a banana bread using some buttermilk was a must!

So using the EDC cookbook I baked this fabulous Banana , Date & Walnut bread. 

It's amazing served fresh and warm straight from the oven slathered in butter and jam! 

Next was a recipe I have been wanting to try for sometime now. I saw this on my Facebook news feed one day as someone had liked the recipe. 

It was the " no flour , no oil ' no dairy" headline that caught my eye. 

They are called peanut butter chocolate chip dough cookies, which are made basically from chickpeas & peanut butter. They are not as crispy as your usual cookie texture but still taste pretty darn good! 

The recipe calls for " natural peanut butter " so I decided to take the time to make my own peanut butter using this recipe here http://www.food.com/recipe/thermomix-peanut-butter-352346.

It's so simple and quick to make! 

Chickpea & choc chip cookies 

You will need: 

400 g can of chickpeas drained and rinsed well , patted dry with paper towel 

170 g natural peanut butter ( must be all natural otherwise comes out too oily) 

2 teaspoons vanilla essence 

80 g honey 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

A pinch of salt 

90 g chocolate chips ( I used dark choc chips ) 

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees. Place all ingredients apart from the Chocolate chips into the thermomix bowl and turn dial slowly up to speed 9 for 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend again for another 20 seconds or until all completely smooth. 

Then add the chocolate chips and mix on reverse speed 3 for 15 seconds 

This is the messy part but the wetter your hands the easier to handle the dough. It's very sticky and thick consistency. 

Line a oven tray with baking paper and rolling in your wet hands little balls of dough , about a tablespoons worth. Place on the baking paper and gently squishing down with wet finger tips to resemble cookies. These will not rise or spread much at all so no need to worry about if there is enough space in between. Also remembering to keep your hands wet for easier handling of the dough. ;) 

Place in pre warmed oven and bake for 12 minutes. 

When time is up remove cookies onto a wire rack, the will firm up a little more upon cooling. But is a very soft consistency. 

They were a hit in this house hold today as all the boys were over ( just for something different) and of course they all come in to suss out what is causing that delicious smell! I was well surprised at one question asked by one of the boys and just shows how well they are getting to know me. It was " are they gluten free?" My reply "of course !" 

Thermomix Varoma Omelette

On this drizzly cold Sunday morning in Adelaide I was happily lazing in bed with my iPad. No sooner my belly starts to beg me for some tucker and of course the other half is walking in and out the bedroom hinting he is hungry and can not attempt to mow the lawns until he has something in his stomach. So I decided I might attempt a omelette for the first time. 

I admit I didn't follow any recipes and just made from the top if my head, measuring things as i added them into the bowl. Can't wait to try again once I have done a bit more research ,I struggled a bit to remove it from the varoma tray as the omelette did break up a little. But I'm thinking that could be because of the egg white content and lack of yolks? But all in all it was a delicious brekky and went down a treat served with some of my home made spelt,rye and buckwheat bread which we toasted. Ill post the bread recipe on here very soon!

So ingredients I used are as follows:

2 whole eggs 

4 egg whites 

10g light milk 

100g bacon rashers 

30g tasty cheese 

30g mushrooms 

5 cherry tomatoes 

30g red capsicum 

1 garlic clove (optional , I have to add garlic to everything as we love it!) 

Salt & pepper 

1/3 teaspoon dried oregano 

So to start out I added to the thermomix bowl

Eggs and egg whites , milk & salt and pepper to taste. Then whisked on speed 4 for 30 seconds.

Remove egg mixture from bowl and set aside. 

Roughly diced the bacon rashers and chopped the garlic clove , then added to the thermomix bowl and cooked on varoma temperature for 2 minutes on reverse speed 2. While cooking I sprinkled the oregano through the lid. 

While waiting for the bacon to cook i started to boil water in the kettle ,Chopped the mushrooms, capsicum and tomatoes into small pieces and I just added it into the egg mixture that's set aside. 

Once timer is up remove cooked bacon from bowl and set aside.

Then cut out some baking paper so it fits snugly into the top varoma tray. Making sure the side vents are not covered. 

Pour boiling water from kettle up to the 1 litre mark in thermo bowl, place lid and varoma dish on top and set to varoma temperature for 15 minutes speed 3.

Slowly pour the egg and chopped veggies mixture into the tray, carefull not to let it seep through the sides of the baking paper. Then sprinkle the cooked bacon over the top followed by sprinkling grated tasty cheese on top of that too. Place the varoma lid on and let it do its thing. 

 

Looks a bit like a pizza in this pic ;) 

Once the 15 mins is up check it has all cooked and is firm and carefully remove the omelette with the baking paper still attached on the bottom, and move onto a chopping board. 

I then carefully sliced it in half and served up on 2 plates. 

And Viola! Omelette is served! 

Any feedback or suggestions on other omelette recipes would be ever so welcome! As I said I'd love to try this again with a few other ideas ;)