{san choy bao in hermie}

Oh no, I've been neglecting this blog for so long that guilt is creeping in. I have been inspired in the last few months by lots of different things but finding the time to write up my latest experiments in the kitchen has been lacking. But, now I think I have my mojo back. Why? Well, in case you haven't heard, here in Australia the launch of the new TM5 has occurred just over a week ago. Having Hermie 2.0 in the kitchen is very exciting as there are some great new features... but this is not what this post is about. That will be in a separate one in the near future.

Isn't this supposed  to be how to make san choy bao using Hermie? Yes it is and I think it fits in very well with all the different ways that people are eating these days. What I'm referring to is the latest diet craze or food allergy/intolerance. Although I have never been on any dieting bandwagon, I have experienced food intolerance and allergies myself and within my little family. These include lactose intolerance, dairy allergies, nut allergies, following the FAILSAFE diet and FODMAP. I think we've pretty much got all bases covered.

So, san choy bao is one of those dishes which is Asian flavour based (which is my favourite) and ticks lots of categories including:

- gluten free

- wheat free (check the sauces you're using)

- dairy free

- grain free

- carb free

- high protein

- and most importantly delicious.

It is easily made from the staple ingredients from an Asian Pantry as well as some fresh food items. A bonus is that it is very quick to make and the kids have fun 'making' their own little lettuce cups. Enjoy!

3-4 dried shitake mushrooms

15 grams ginger, peeled, roughly chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 small-medium carrot, peeled, roughly chopped 3-4cm

450-500 grams pork mince

20 grams vegetable oil (canola, rice bran, peanut etc)

12 baby cos lettuce leaves (your cups)

big handful of beansprouts (or to taste)

1-2 spring onions, chopped to 1cm lengths

20 grams Shao XsIng wine

10 gram light soy sauce

15 grams dark soy sauce

10 grams oyster sauce

40 grams hoisin sauce

1. Place mushrooms into bowl and pour over hot water to cover and soften mushrooms

2. Place ginger, garlic & carrot into TM bowl and chop 5secs/ speed5. Scrape down sides of bowl.

3. Add pork mince and oil to TM bowl and saute 6mins/ varoma (TM5=110C)/ speed1/ reverse. 

4. Meanwhile, drain water from mushrooms and dice (using a knife) into 0.5cm pieces and wash the 12 lettuce leaves and beansprouts and set aside for later.

5. Scrape down sides of bowl and with spatula, stir the bottom around.

6. Add wine, soy sauce, reserved mushrooms and spring onions into TM bowl and cook 4mins/ varoma (TM5=110C)/ stir speed/ reverse. 

7. Scrape down sides and add in dark soy, oyster sauce and hoisin sauce. Cook 2mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse.

8. Once complete, pour into thermoserver and serve by scooping into reserved lettuce cups and topped with bean sprouts.

Bon Appetit xx

Serves 2-3 depending on appetite

Note: Great for finger food. Just need to use the tiny baby cos lettuce leaves and a teaspoon of filling.

{chicken nuggets in hermie}

I was looking around the internet and social media trying to gain a little inspiration for something new Miss A could try eating. Everywhere you see, children love eating with their hands to feel what a new food is like and nuggets fit perfectly into this category. The trouble is, is that nearly every recipe I have found, contains a bit of parmesan cheese and uses an egg wash before crumbing. These are 2 things that Miss A cannot eat. 

Therefore, the below recipe is my take on the classic Chicken Nugget albeit a bit healthier and full of those ‘hidden’ vegetables that all parents like to sneak in. I find by adding a good amount of veggies means that the chicken breast does not dry out too much and the nuggets are still moist to eat. Enjoy xx

6 weet-bix

500-600 grams chicken breast, cut into ~4cm chunks
drizzle of garlic oil

1 small zucchini

1 leek, white part only, cut into 2 

300 grams sweet potato, cut into ~1 cm slices
5 turns of the ”Chef’s Choice” Sicilian style seafood seasoning or to taste (optional) - See note

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C.

2. Place weet-bix into TM bowl and crush 3secs/ speed 6. Set 2/3’s aside in a small shallow bowl. Place the rest of the weet-bix in a large bowl that will be used to combine all ingredients.

3. Place chicken into TM bowl. Mince 2-3 times/ 1-2secs/ closed lid position/ turbo. Set aside in the large bowl. 

4. Place zucchini, leek & sweet potato into TM bowl and chop 3secs/ speed6. Add garlic oil over the chicken. You don’t have to add the garlic infused oil however, I find it adds another layer of flavour to the nuggets. Saute 3mins/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse. Add to chicken in bowl & add seasoning or salt if using.

5. Mix with your hands and form either nugget style shapes or balls. Coat in the reserved weet-bix crumb and place on a lined oven tray. (This mixture is quite wet but works well if you use one gloved hand to make the nugget and one ‘naked’ hand to crumb the nugget.)

6. Once all nuggets/balls are complete, give them a quick spray of olive oil over the top.

7. Place in a pre-heated oven for 15minutes. Take the nuggets out and flip them over. Increase the temperature of the oven to 220C and bake another 10 minutes or until golden.

8. Take out of the oven when done and cool slightly before serving with your favourite tomato sauce.

Makes 40-45 nuggets.

Tips: These can be cooked in a frypan instead of oven baked however, they might end up a bit oilier. Also, I have used weet-bix to absorb a bit of the moisture in the mix however, a good batch of bread crumbs thrown in would do the trick too. Finally, I like to use a white zucchini because my Miss A loves to scrutinize her food before eating and it does not stand out as much in the mixture as the more common green zucchini.

Note: This seasoning looks like this:

{muesli bars in hermie}

One of the classic lunch box snacks that we all know is a muesli bar. However, these days when you visit the local supermarket and pick up a box, they are fill with who knows what; many an ingredient that is either a number or hard to pronounce. They are often very sugary and filled with not much. These ones below are great because although quite sweet with dried fruit, you can control what and how much you like to add and most of the other ingredients are easily substituted for an alternative. Having said that, I make these as a dairy free muesli bar for Miss A and the rest of the family loves them too. The use of coconut butter gives them a lovely aroma and fills the house when baking with a beautiful scent. Feel free to use nuts instead of seeds however, we also have a nut allergy in the house and make do without.

120 grams dried (sulphite free) apricots
140 grams butter (or substitute.... I use half nuttelex, half coconut butter to keep it dairy free)
70 gram rapadura sugar (or brown)
160 grams rolled oats
80 grams plain flour
30 grams sultanas
30 grams currants
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons pepitas

1. Pre-heat oven to 190C and line a 20cm square tin.
2. Place apricots into TM bowl and chop 10-15secs/ speed 5. The time will depend on how dry your fruit is and how large the apricots are. Set aside.
3. Add butter and sugar into TM bowl and melt 2.5mins/ 80C/ speed 1.
4. All the remaining ingredients and mix 15 secs/ speed 2/ reverse.
5. Pour into prepared tin and press down with the back of the MC.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Cool in tin and then cut into squares.

Makes 20 squares.

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: This muesli bar mix is also great just as a morning muesli served with your choice of milk (e.g. cows, rice, oat, soy etc). Instead of pressing into a cake tin to make a slice, just spread thinly over a baking tray and bake to about 15 minutes instead.

{cream puffs (profiteroles) in hermie}

On my husband's side of the family, there are some great bakers who make numerous traditional Country Women's Association style sweet treats such as jelly cakes and the like during those festive times of the year. One of these yummy morsels of food is a cream puff otherwise known as Profiteroles using Choux pastry. Although I had asked Aunty B for the recipe, I never actually attempted to make these before because I could not be bothered standing at the stovetop and using my non-existent muscles to stir the pastry in a pot until the correct consistency was achieved. However, with Hermie, I don't have to do this anymore and have proved to be very easy to make.

185 grams water

55 grams butter

115 grams flour

3 large eggs

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C.

2. Place water and butter into TM bowl and melt 5mins/ 100C/ speed 2.

3. Add flour and mix 30secs/ speed4 with the MC removed.

4. Let the mixture cool down for about 20 minutes or until it reaches about 37C. You can see this when the bowl is inserted into the base and a temperature light should be 'on' above the 37 mark. If it is too hot, just leave it to cool a bit longer.

5. Then, while the blades are turning at speed 5, add eggs through the MC hole over about 30 seconds.

6. Using a piping bag with a 1-1.5 cm tip or 2 teaspoons, spoon onto prepared baking tray.

7. Bake for about 25-30mins until golden. Do NOT open the oven door while they are baking. 

8. When baked, prick the puffs to let out the steam and retain the crunch.

9. Cool on a rack and then fill as desired. I personally love them filled with a sweet vanilla cream and dipped in chocolate.

Makes about 50 bite-sized balls.

Tips: These puffs are best served on the day made but are suitable to freeze. When defrosted, place in a 200C oven for about 5 minutes. 

{beef 'with hidden vegetables" meatballs in hermie}

Our family has just returned from a holiday in Singapore and on this holiday I discovered something very important. Miss A does not eat any food that is pre-processed. In fact, she spits it out and pulls a funny face.

On one hand, I should be happy and delighted that she likes my home made food. However, there are those times in your day when you're really tired and you look in your fridge and freezer and there is nothing already cooked to feed your family and you just wish you could feed them 'takeaway'.

Having said that, I also like to feed a variety of foods to Miss A and am always on the hunt for something new for her to try in her repertoire of weekly foods. This week, I had some beef mince in the fridge which I was originally going to make spaghetti bolognese with (one of the families favourites) but thought, lets try and make this mince more versatile. I looked at the rest of my fridge contents, and have come up with the following recipe.

2 slices wholemeal bread, torn roughly
170 grams zuchinni (about 1), chopped 4cm lengths
1 leek, chopped 4 cm lengths
20 grams olive oil
500 grams beef mince
salt to taste
Good shake of paprika
Garlic oil for frying (or vegetable oil)

1. Place bread into TM bowl and chop 5-10 secs/ speed 7. Remove and set aside.
2. Add zucchini and leek into bowl and chop 3 secs/ speed 6.
3. Add oil and saute 2 mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse. Add to bowl containing bread crumbs.
4. Add mince, paprika and salt to rest of ingredients in bowl. Mix through thoroughly.
5. Form 3-4cm size balls and set aside on a tray ready for frying.

6. Using garlic oil, fry the meatballs until golden brown. I like to use garlic oil to add a bit of extra flavour. Serve with your favourite tomato based sauce with pasta or as is for your little one with some mashed potato.

Makes 25-30 meatballs.

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: If you run out of bread like I did for the bread crumbs, you can use a crushed up weet-bix as a substitute. Also, if you don't want to use garlic oil (or cannot find it) but still want the extra flavour, just add 1 or 2 garlic cloves at step 2. For a healthier version, you can bake these in the oven but you will have to turn them half way through.

{spiral curry puff in hermie}

I like puff pastry. What's not to like? It's crispy, flakey and can be used in so many different ways that the ideas are endless. One of these ways is the cheat's way to an easy curry puff. Up until recently, I always used puff pastry for a curry puff because I thought that making them the traditional way was too hard and time consuming. Also, because you could just bake them in the oven and that was it. However, with my sister's kitchen tea looming, I thought I'd give these babies a go and surprisingly, they're not that hard.

These spiral curry puffs are found all over Malaysia and Singapore and I love devouring them when we visit. The fillings are always similar yet different so everyone has their favourite 'best' place to go. Now that I have made my own, I have a lot more respect to the people that make them day in and day out. Another thing to note is that they are deep fried hence the crispiness of the pastry but probably not so good for those thinking about their health. Also, I'm not sure that they store well (frozen or not) when making a double batch, so for me there will always be a place for the puff pastry curry puffs in my freezer. Enjoy!

This dough recipe is from the "Taste of Asia" Thermomix cookbook with some tweaks.

Water Dough:
210 grams plain flour (plus extra to get the right texture. I found my dough was too wet & sticky so needed more to be able to work with it)
pinch of salt
100 grams warm water
1 egg
60 grams butter

1. Place all ingredients into TM bowl. Mix 4secs/ speed 6.
2. Knead the dough 1min/ closed lid position/ knead button.
3. Wrap in cling wrap and set aside in the fridge.

Oil Dough:
150 grams plain flour
100 grams butter

1. Place all ingredients into TM bowl. Mix 4secs/ speed 6.
2. Knead the dough 1min/ closed lid position/ knead button.
3. Wrap in cling wrap and set aside in the fridge. Meanwhile, make the filling.

Filling:
500 grams beef / chicken mince
half an onion, peeled
1 small potato, peeled & cubed 1cm
20grams vegetable oil
2-3 heaped tablespoons curry powder
50 grams water
salt to taste

vegetable oil for deep frying (e.g. rice bran, canola)

1. Chop onion, 3secs/ speed 6. Scrape down the sides.
2. Add cubed potato and oil. Saute 8mins/varoma/ stir speed/ reverse.
3. Add beef mince, curry powder, salt and water to TM bowl. Cook 8mins/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse. Cool entirely in fridge before filling curry puffs.

NOTE: when you taste the filling with the salt already added and it is just right, add just a bit more. This is so that the filling of the curry puff will be delicious and flavoursome when only a small amount is used in each curry puff.

Curry Puff Assembly:
1. Get doughs out ready for rolling. Separate each ball into 4 lots. Lightly flour rolling surface. Place oil dough in water dough and wrap water dough around oil dough.

2. Working with one portion, roll water dough piece into a large circle. Place oil dough in the middle and wrap up.

3. Roll this into a long flat rectangle and then roll this into a 'swiss roll' style starting from the short end.

4. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll into a thin long rectangular shape again. Roll up into a 'swiss roll' again.
5. Cut across the roll in slices so you see the cross sectional layers

6. Flatten each piece into a round disc and place filling in the centre.

7. Fold over pastry to cover filling and pleat the edges. If you need help with this, I learnt from this youtube video.
8. Put aside and complete all other puffs.

9. After curry puffs have been made, heat oil in deep fryer or wok to about 190 degrees. Fry a few (I can do about 6) at a time until golden brown.

Makes about 30.

Bon Appetit xx

Notes: Store these in a dry air tight container. If you want to reheat, place them in the oven on about 180 for 10-15 minutes.

{seremban siew pau/pow in hermie}

The Nonya Lady. The Nonya who? My family knows a woman through my Aunty that happens to make and sell a large variety of yummy Nonya or Peranakan treats throughout the year. This is where I first came across the Seremban Siew Pau. Most people in Australia know the Char Siew Pau that you can eat at nearly every yum cha restaurant that is a steamed white bun that is filled with a pork or chicken filling. This is similar but different. This Pau is not steamed and is in fact baked so that the outside is a crispy pastry. The filling is similar however, in Malaysia it often has peas included. The Nonya Lady's does not have peas and this is actually how I like them.

Anyway, because I like these Pau quite a lot, I thought to myself "what if for some reason the Nonya Lady can't or won't make these anymore?" What was I going to do? Here in Adelaide I really don't think there is anywhere commercial to buy these yummy savoury snacks (correct me if I'm wrong readers). So, I have scoured my recipe books and the web to see what was out there and below is my recipe. It is based on Elin's version with a filling and sauce made from Gourmet Traveller's Char Siew Pau recipe.

The verdict? Well, they were eaten by the family on the same day so they must have been good. Tips for next time include making double the amount so that I can freeze some for snacks and to use slightly less red fermented bean curd on the char siu. Maybe I was a bit heavy handed with using this ingredient but I felt it overpowered all the other flavours. I would also make the char sui and sauce the day before so that it doesn't feel like you're performing a cooking marathon. Enjoy!

{FILLING}

Char Siu:

250 grams pork neck or I prefer a cut with a bit of fat

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons red fermented beancurd (see note)
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
1 tablespoon honey, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water

1. Cut pork into 3cm-thick, 5cm-wide strips, then combine in a bowl with Shaoxing, sugar, beancurd, hoisin, garlic and five-spice, stir to coat, cover and refrigerate to marinate (at least 2 hours, preferably overnight).

2. Preheat oven to 220C. Drain pork (reserve marinade), place on a rack placed in a roasting pan. Add a little water to pan and roast, basting with marinade and turning occasionally, until cooked and slightly charred (30-35 minutes). (I find that to make cleaning of the rack easier, I wrap the 'bars' of the rack in foil so that I can just peel it off when finished instead of scrubbing caramelised marinade off the metal).

3. Brush with honey mixture while still hot, cool to room temperature.

4. Place 3-4cm cubes of pork into TM bowl and shred 10-15secs/ speed 5 until desired coarseness is achieved and set aside.

Pork in the marinade

Pork ready for roasting

Char siu sauce:
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons spring onion, white part only
1 small golden shallot, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
10 grams vegetable oil
100 ml chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
1½ tablespoons cornflour, mixed with 50ml cold water

1. Place ginger, spring onion, shallot and garlic into TM bowl. Chop 3secs/ speed 6. Scrape down sides of bowl.
2. Add oil and saute 6mins/ varoma/ speed 1/ reverse.
3. Add in other ingredients (except cornflour) and cook 5mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse.
4. Add in cornflour and cook 1min/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse.
5. Finally, add in reserved char siu and mix manually with spatula. Set aside. Note: if you are making this on the same day as the dough, I would put this in the fridge as it is a lot easier to use as a filling later on when cold.

{PASTRY}

Oil Dough:
240 grams plain flour
60 grams butter
60 grams coconut oil (or ghee or shortening)

1. Add all ingredients into TM bowl 4-5 times/ closed lid/ turbo button. It should have a sand like consistency.
2. Pour out onto bench and form into a bowl. Rest for 30 mins.

Water Dough:
240 grams plain flour
60 grams icing sugar (or raw sugar)
30 grams butter
30 grams coconut oil (or ghee)
120 grams water (I found this dough a bit 'wet' so would acutally add in 100 grams and if required, add in the additional 20 later)

1. If using raw sugar, place in TM bowl and mill 10 secs/ speed9. 
2. Put all ingredients into TM bowl. Mix 5 secs/ speed 5.
3. Knead 1 min/ closed lid/ knead button. Rest for 30 mins.

Dough resting for 30mins

Making the Pau:

1 egg for egg wash

sesame seeds to decorate

1. Divide both the water and oil dough into 24 equal pieces . 

2. Wrap 1 piece of water dough around 1 piece of oil dough.

3. Roll it flat into rectangular shape.
4. Roll it from the short end into a swiss roll and then repeat steps 2 & 3 two more times.

5. Flatten and roll into a round. I find that if I do all the rolling and flattening and rolling for all 24 pieces it's easier and less time consuming.

6. Place about 1 big tablespoon of filling in centre, wrap and pleat into a pau shape. I don't really do anything special and just push the bits together. It just works.

7. Place on greaseproof paper or silicone mat and brush the pau with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top for decoration.

8. Bake at 190 ̊C for 20 -25 mins until golden brown.

Makes 24 pieces.

Bon Appetit xx

Notes: Red fermented beancurd is available in all good Asian Grocers. It looks like the picture below. Also, I store extra pau's (if any) in the freezer already baked. To re-heat, just put in the oven for about 15mins at 180C.

{raspberry & coconut slice in hermie}

To be honest, this recipe is pretty easy and simple without a Thermomix. Today was my first time converting it and I have to say, it's even easier! Don't even bother to rinse the bowl in between making the base and the topping and it can be made in 10 minutes. Only the oven gets in the way because it's too slow. I often make this raspberry slice for family events, especially birthday parties and it's a hit. This time, I'm making it for my sister's kitchen tea and just cutting it into smaller bite size pieces so that everyone can try all the other yummy morsels of food available.

220 + 60 grams plain flour
3 tablespoons ground almonds (optional)
110 + 350 grams castor sugar
250 grams butter
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
300 grams raspberries (fresh / frozen)
90grams desiccated coconut

icing sugar to serve

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C
2. Grease and line a 20x30cm lamington tray.
3. Add 220grams flour, almonds, 125 grams sugar & butter into TM bowl. Mix 5secs/ speed5. Pour into prepared tray and flatten to make a base.

4. Bake for 20-25mins.
5. Meanwhile, add nutmeg, baking powder, remaining flour and sugar, eggs and vanilla into TM bowl. Mix 10secs / speed 6.
6. Add in raspberries, lemon juice and coconut. Mix 4-5 times/ closed lid/ turbo pulse/ reverse.

7. Remove base from oven. Drop temperature to 150C.
8. Add raspberry mixture to top of base and bake 60 minutes until golden and firm.

9. Cool in the tin and cut into pieces. Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Bon Appetit xx

Tips & Notes: This makes quite a lot of slice and is a great option for parties. I also store this in the freezer and defrost a few hours before serving. The ground almonds above are optional and I personally don't put them in due to family nut allergies. Finally, if you want to reduce the sugar, the recipe should still be quite nice as the slice is pretty sweet.

{thai inspired chicken sausage rolls in hermie}

There are some foods at parties that are always a winner and this is one of them. I first stumbled upon the original Thai inspired Sausage Rolls in one of my recipe books and since trying out the recipe have tweaked it slightly. They are super delicious and have been a staple for most birthday parties at home. They are popular with both the little and big ones and have evolved into an easy lunch for little Miss 3 and a half. 

1/2 bunch coriander, chopped in half

2 slices of day old bread

500 grams chicken meat (thigh or breast), cut into 3cm chunks, frozen for 2 hours

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce (optional)

12 Asparagus spears from a tin (or if using fresh, blanch until they are nearly soft)

3 sheets puff pastry

1 egg, lightly beaten

sesame seeds for sprinkling on top

sweet chilli sauce for serving

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Get puff pastry out of freezer as it will be easier to work with later.

2. Put coriander and bread into TM bowl and chop 15 sec / speed 5-6. This will make your bread crumbs. If they are still too chunky, blitz in 3 sec intervals until it looks ok. Put aside in a large bowl.

3. Place 1/2 the chicken in the TM bowl and mince 10sec / speed 7. Place in bowl with bread crumbs and coriander. Repeat with remaining chicken.

4. Add cumin, coriander and sweet chilli sauce to chicken in bowl. Mix all together with a spoon or your hand.

5. Place 1 sheet of the puff pastry onto a clean surface. Cut in half. Divide the chicken mince into 6 portions. Use 1 portion and spread in a long sausage shape down the middle of half the pastry sheet. Put 2 asparagus spears along the mince. Fold the pastry over the mince and seal tightly. Cut into 6 portions (or 4) and put on a baking tray. Brush with egg and sprinkle over sesame seeds. Repeat with remaining pastry and chicken mix.

6. Place trays in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and chicken is cooked inside. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Makes 36 bite sized sausage rolls.

Bon appetit xx

Tips: This can easily be made with store bought chicken mince. If you don't have a Thermomix, use a stick mixer or food processor to make the crumb mix and proceed from there. Also, these rolls are suitable to freeze either uncooked or cooked. If uncooked, then complete up to step 5 but leave the egg wash and sesame seeds until you are ready to cook straight from the freezer.