Sesame in Candy Corn? Who Knew?

I wouldn't want my child eating this scary list of chemicals as is.  But look at the last ingredient: Sesame Oil.  I wonder why?

Spelt Oat Scones

Love the shape!

These are super easy to make.  My little guy and I make them on Saturday afternoons while Baby naps. We have them for breakfast on Sunday mornings before heading to the pool.  I love that we share this time together.  He likes to press the Thermomix buttons and to spread out the dough into a giant circle and then cut into triangles.  We sometimes use honey as the sweetener.  Today we used Sucanat.  We use whatever milk we have lots of in the fridge.  I like that you can easily adapt the recipe to fit allergic needs:  coconut oil instead of butter and coconut milk instead of dairy.  No matter which way we make them, a little sprinkle of sugar on top is always nice. For original recipe, go to Tebasiles Kitchen.

What you need:

175 g spelt
75 g rolled oats
60 g sucanat or honey
1/2 tsp glutenfree baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
90 g chilled butter or coconut oil
160 g milk, Rice Milk or cream/water


What to do:

Heat oven to 220 °C / 450 °F

Mill spelt for 1 min 30 sec / speed 10

Add oats, sweetener, baking powder, baking soda and salt and pulse with closed lid function 3 x Turbo

Add butter or coconut oil and pulse 7-8 x Turbo

Add liquid and pulse 5-6 x Turbo

Soak dough in the bowl until oven reaches the required temperature

Place the dough in a circle on cookie sheet, greased or lined with parchment paper

Cut the dough with a spatula in 6-8 wedges and separate them slightly, or use a scone pan
Brush with liquid and sprinkle with some sugar (opt.)

Bake for 13-17 minutes

Watermelon Ice

I cut up a giant watermelon at least once a week during the summer.  Sometimes, on day three, I freeze what is left and then pull for watermelon ice on a hot day. Well, every day is hot here! Simple directions: Put frozen watermelon with mint and basil in Thermomix bowl. Turn dial up until you get desired texture.

Splendid Table Explores Eggless Mayonnaise

I love cooking along to the weekly Splendid Table podcast.  

Listen to today's segment on eggless mayonnaise: 

http://www.splendidtable.org/story/new-milk-mayonnaise-sidesteps-egg-allergies-contamination

Splendid Table one of my simple Sunday pleasures along with sipping tea and reading Weekend Meditation: http://www.thekitchn.com/listening-to-the-basil-weekend-meditation-192417.  

I am reminded that I have yet to post a favorite avocado mayo that uses milk.  

Salmorejo: A Favorite Hot-Day Lunch

I store in reused glass yogurt jar
fun entertaining in small glass

Nothing takes me back to Spain on a hot summer day more than Salmorejo.  We just love this tomato and bread based puree from Andalusia.  Salmorejo is not to be confused with Gazpacho, another wonderful cold Spanish soup.  Unlike Gazpacho, Samorejo does not have any chunks of vegetables.  It is smooth and creamy with a nice kick from the garlic and sherry vinegar. The texture is added on top: croutons, bits of jamón, pieces of hardboiled egg.  We leave out the egg and switch it up with some tuna.  Our little one is still not so sure he wants to give it a try. He thinks it is tomato sauce! What kind of bread should a sesame-allergic family use?  We feel safe with baguettes from most bakeries.  I always form a relationship with the bakers at my local Whole Foods.  I have discovered that the baguettes are often baked off separate from the seeded bread and then go right into the brown bag. Of course, this is not true if the bakery has seeded baguettes!  We purchase our jamón serrano from Central Market here in Houston.  In Toronto, we enjoyed the local Niagara prociutto-style ham from St. Lawerence Market.  On another allergy note, vinegar has sulfites so use caution if you have sensitivity or allergy.  

For recipe in Spanish: http://www.mithermomix.com/recetario/primerplato_salmorejo.htm

          

ready for fridge, serve cold!

What you need:

2 garlic cloves

1 kilo of tomatoes (no need to remove seeds since Thermomix takes care of this!)

1 teaspoon of salt

100 grams of bread chunks, we use baguette (great use of stale bread)

150 grams of best Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 1/2 MC)

20-30 grams Sherry Vinegar

Toppings: ham, croutons, tuna

What to do:

Let the peeled garlic fall through the top to be chopped by the blades while machine is running at Speed 7

Stop the machine and add the tomatoes with the salt.  Program 2 minutes, progressing speed 5-7-9

Add the bread and vinegar and mix 20 seconds, speed 6-8.  

With the MC tilted, let the olive oil drizzle in slowly until incorporated.  I'm not certain of what speed, but choose 4-6

Put directly in fridge and serve cold.

Coconut Chicken and Veggies

for our little guy

This is a favorite weekday dinner.  Great flavor, and everyone enjoys it.  I make my version rather tame for our little guy. Dad adds some heat to his own plate. I love how my Thermomix streamlines dinner.  Everything perfectly cooked and served hot.  And I could do all this while nursing and playing Chutes and Ladders.  We were just saying over dinner how wonderful it is to eat dishes at home that we used to eat out of the house.  No need to explain allergies to server and chef.

how did i ever manage with out you, Thermomix!

What you need:
500-750 grams pasture fed chicken thighs, diced
400g can of coconut milk (or make your own, recipe on superkitchenmachine.com) or 250 g coconut milk and 150 Thermomix chicken broth.
knob of ginger
2 cloves garlic
1  onion
zest and juice of 2 limes
Coconut oil (we use Artisana raw, extra virgen)
1 tsp Ground coriander, 1/4 tsp chili powder or some curry powder/curry paste.
250 grams of veggies: broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, zucchini, cabbage)

• fresh cilantro and frozen peas to add in when finished cooking 

What to do:
Place garlic, ginger and onion (can add cilantro stems)in TM bowl and chop on Speed 7 for 3 seconds

Add coconut oil and spices and saute on 100C for 3 minutes on speed slow

Add chicken thighs and brown for 3 minutes on Varoma temperature on reverse

Add coconut milk, chicken broth, lime juice and zest to the chicken mixture. I'm thinking of some kaffir lime leaf for next time

Place veggies on one or both layers of the Varoma and put it in place to steam

Cook everything on Varoma temperature, on speed reverse for 15-17 minutes (I cut big carrot circles and use the broccoli stems so needed more time than originally thought)

Pour chicken mixture into a thermoserver, something I do not have.  So I place in my glass square container with lid. (at this point you may wish to add a thickener such as cornflour or potato starch into the sauce if you prefer it thicker)

Make rice, just don't clean bowl before since there is no need!  The Thermomix is smart and efficient!  Keep Varoma trays on top until cooked to desired doneness.
*Although, if someone at table is allergic to something in the curry, then the rice and veggies will then be dangerous.  This is a good example of cross contamination.  The rice and veggies would have to be cooked separately and with other precautions as well!

I took several recipes and combined to suit my family's taste buds. One good one for reference is:http://hotpinkchilli.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/coconut-lime-chicken/

dinner!

Steamed CSA Veggies

This week I am making Thermomix steamed veggies dressed in a garlic, basil and lemon vinaigrette.  I enjoy them warm or even room-temperature.  A great side to go with some form of protein on the grill.  Or even in a composed salad on a hot day, leaving out the hard-boiled egg from the past and enjoying some tuna or salmon instead.  Tía Pame brought us some ventresca and olive oil from Spain, perfect! For our Fourth of July barbecue, I will combine steamed Yukon Gold Potatoes with chopped scallions, celery and herbs in a mayo-less dressing.  For some mayo-less potato salad ideas: http://everydayallergic.blogspot.com/2011/05/no-mayo-in-these-potato-salads.html
                       

               


What you need: 

750 g potatoes (up to 750g) cut into chunks (skin can be left on)
2-3 carrots cut in rounds
2 handfuls of green beans 
*any veggies will work!
500 g water

What to do: 
Weigh 500 g water into TM bowl

Place potatoes into steamer basket and insert basket into TM bowl

Place all hard vegetables in the bottom part of Varoma

(corn,pumpkin, sweet potato, etc)

Place green beans on Varoma tray, add last 7-10 minutes depending on how cooked you want them.(broccoli,peas, beans,asparagus, etc) 

Place Varoma into position.  Steam Varoma Temp/20 min/Speed 2

For original instructions: http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/recipes/steamed-vegies/84504


** For Mashed Potatoes, once cooked tip potatoes in the TM bowl add Milk, Butter, Salt, Parmesan etc. and follow method from the Every Day Cookbook Page 83.  Do not over process.