Posted on

Simple Easy Stuffed Courgette / Zucchini Flowers

I love Courgette Flowers (Zucchini Flowers). There’s something about them that just makes me think of long summer days in Italy… maybe because the first time we ate them was in Varazze Italy and a few days later on a long lazy afternoon in Rome. Some years ago we were camping in Switzerland but the nearest market was in a small town in Italy, so we drove there for fresh vegetables a few times, and picked up a big bag of courgettes attached to the flower. We took it back to the camp site and prepared our own stuffed courgettes. They are so delicious, I’m sharing the recipe with you as now is the time for them!

Courgette

We have two courgette plants, two pumpkins and a marrow. Between them they make loads of flowers, but not enough for us to have a family meal off one crop, so I recently discovered that we can actually freeze the flowers. Just pick them, wash them and lay them on a tray without touching anything else. Pop them in the freezer for an hour or so, then transfer into a sealed container.

When you’re ready to eat them, take them out the freezer about 10 minutes before you need them. They’re so thin the defrost in minutes.

You can stuff courgette flowers with pretty much anything you like. We love mozzarella and anchovy, even if you don’t like anchovy, it’s great… it really just adds a bit of saltiness, which is delicious.

The secret with frying your courgette flowers is in having the tempura batter really cold. Once it’s mixed, split the batter between two bowl. Put one in the freezer, and use other to dip one round of courgette flowers. Swap bowls, and use the next bowl for the next round, then swap back. It may seem a faff, but having the batter ice cold makes it crispy and light, which is really what you want for this summer delicacy.

Simple Easy Stuffed Courgette / Zucchini Flowers
Recipe Type: Main, Starter
Cuisine: Foraged, Italian
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 15 – 20 Flowers
  • Batter
  • 1 egg
  • 250g very very cold water
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 100g all-purpose flour
  • Filling
  • 100g mozzarella
  • 5 anchovies
Instructions
  1. Hold each flower under a cold running tap. This helps open it up while washing it.
  2. Set aside to dry.
  3. In your food processor, add the egg, water, baking soda and flour.
  4. Mix until it’s all blended (10 seconds, speed 5)
  5. Put it in the freezer
  6. Mix your filling and scoop into a piping bag
  7. Gently fill each flower from the piping bag, and ever so gently twist the top of the flower to contain the filling.
  8. Heat the oil
  9. Pour half of the batter into a different bowl and return it to the freezer.
  10. Take two – four flowers (depending on the size of your pot of oil) and dip in the cold batter, before putting in the oil.
  11. Fry the flowers until they are golden.
  12. Return the batter to the freezer and swap.
  13. Dip the flowers, remove the cooked flowers and put them aside to drain.
  14. Repeat until all the flowers are done. Remember the colder the batter the better and each batch of flowers should cook in 3 – 4 minutes.
Posted on

4 Minute No Bake Lemon/Lime Fridge Cake Recipe

4 minute, no bake, creamy lemon/lime fridge cake

Inspired by a recipe in the Thermomix Owners UK group on Facebook, and blending the idea with one of my favourite deserts, South African Peppermint Crisp Pie, I came up with this idea for a citrus-summer desert that can be made ahead of time – the day before is ideal, but you could technically eat it straight out the bowl too.

If you eat it immediately it’ll be lighter, but the next day it’s more of a creamy ‘set’ desert. It’s fantastic, quite frankly.

In this recipe I’ve used lime juice, which is what I have, but you could use lemon too. In the South African version there’s also a ridiculous amount of chocolate added, but really this recipe doesn’t need it.

For biscuits I’ve used NICE biscuits, but really, any kind of digestive, shortcake or butter biscuits will do. NICE biscuits are a bit coconutty though, which adds a nice flavour.

I don’t think there’s a ‘wrong’ way to do this desert. Add more condensed milk if you want it sweeter, add more lemon or lime juice if you want it more tart. Either way, it’s delicious, it’s light, it’s summery, and it is oh.so.simple. I’ve whipped the cream in my Thermomix, but of course,  you can whip it any way you like.

4 Minute No Bake Lemon/Lime Fridge Cake Recipe
Recipe Type: Desert, Pudding, Sweet
Author: Luschka van Onselen
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 9
Light, summery, and superbly easy, this no bake fridge cake won’t add to the summer heat but will bowl you over with it’s simplicity.
Ingredients
  • 500g of double cream (you can use whipping, but adapt the whipping time!)
  • 120g condensed milk
  • 80g lime juice
  • 1 packet of biscuits
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, lay a layer of biscuits side by side, loosely covering the surface.
  2. In a food processor, whip the cream until it stands at stiff peaks (Thermomix: about 40 seconds/speed 4 with a butterfly whisk) Don’t over-whip
  3. Add the condensed milk and lime (or lemon) juice, whisk briefly to mix. Again, don’t over whip
  4. Scoop half the cream mixture on top of the biscuits
  5. Lay another layer of biscuits on the cream mixture
  6. Top off with the rest of the cream.
  7. Spread the mixture so that it is flat, then cover and refrigerate.
  8. The longer you can leave it the better. I like to make it a day in advance, but a couple of hours is sufficient
  9. Decorate with fruit

I hope you love this recipe!

 

Posted on

Strawberries in Cardamom or Vanilla Syrup

Strawberries in syrupWhile I use frozen fruit, it’s not a favourite as I don’t always like the consistency once it defrosts. A great way to save fruit for the winter months is by freezing it though, so rather than just saving as is, I’ve made strawberries to freeze in a syrup, so that when they are defrosted, you have a ready made desert to have on yoghurt, as is, on a cheesecake or on ice cream if you’re so inclined.

Add a flavouring of your choice to infuse for a whole flavour sensation.

You can use them later in the summer on ice cream, or eat them as is. Or save them for the festive season to fill up a glass of fizz – or to bring a sweet pleasant surprise to lemonade in the summer. I’m sure you’ll find a way to enjoy the strawberries in flavoured syrup.

Strawberries in Cardamom or Vanilla Syrup
Recipe Type: Desert, Snack
Cuisine: Foraged, Make Ahead, Freezer
Author: Luschka
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 700ml
The amount of strawberries depend on the size of your container and the strawberries themselves. I used two 500ml kilner jars, and didn’t overfill them although I could probably have put a few more strawberries in each jar. You need to put enough syrup in that the strawberries are covered. I have chosen cardamom pods and vanilla pods for the two jars, but you can use anything you like – orange peel, liquer, whatever takes your fancy.
Ingredients
  • 700g water
  • 140g sugar
  • Flavouring: cardamom/vanilla etc
  • 1 punnet of strawberries
Instructions
In the thermomix
  1. Add the water and sugar
  2. Boil Veroma/Speed 1/ 10 mins
  3. Leave to cool completely
  4. Fill containers with fresh strawberries and pour the cool syrup over it and add the flavours.
  5. Place in the freezer, giving it time to naturally defrost when you want to use it.
Regular cooking
  1. Add the water and sugar
  2. Bring to the boil for 10 mins
  3. Leave to cool completely
  4. Fill containers with fresh strawberries and pour the cool syrup over it and add the flavours.
  5. Place in the freezer, giving it time to naturally defrost when you want to use it.

 

Posted on

Strawberry Elderflower Jam Recipe

Strawberries in Syrup

Strawberry and Elderflower JamI took the children fruit picking and foraging this week and we had a fantastic haul, certainly more than we could eat, so I made beautiful fresh Strawberry and Elderflower jam. In the Thermomix it’s such a simple recipe too – no thermometer required. I love this recipe!

 

Strawberry Elderflower Jam Recipe
Recipe Type: Jam, Condiments
Cuisine: Foraged
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 400ml
If you’re not using jam sugar you need to cut a grannysmith apple in quarters and add it to the mixtures. I use jamming sugar for this recipe. If you don’t use Elderflower, add an extra 10g strawberries
Ingredients
  • 250g jam sugar
  • 440g strawberries
  • 10g Elderflower
  • 2 tbs lemon juice (or 1/2 fresh lemon juice)
Instructions
In the Thermomix
  1. Put the jam sugar in the bowl and turbo two or three times to make it finer.
  2. Add the strawberries and elderflowers, if using, and mix Speed 4/10 Seconds
  3. Add the lemon juice.
  4. Boil Veroma/ Spoon Speed/18 Minutes
  5. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

 

Posted on

Wild Garlic And Cashew Dip

Wild Garlic DipWild garlic fills my head with romantic images of rolling hills, blue skies and sparkling oceans  – probably because of the two places I’ve found it growing in the wild. It’s a beautiful herb or plant or whatever it is. It is pungent, and fills the air with the smell of delicious food, but sweet… it’s hard to explain – a non-offensive garlic. Truly beautiful.

The flower itself is a pretty white, delicate little thing, hard to miss, and it brightens my day whenever I see it. You can eat the leaves as is – they are delicious with deli meats on fresh bread, and you can also add a bit more oil and turn it into a pesto for pasta, or even in omelettes or scones.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful plant as much as I do!

Wild Garlic And Cashew Dip
Recipe Type: Dip
Cuisine: Foraged
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
I love wild garlic. It’s a plant that actually excites me, and I’ve only seen it in the wild in Somerset and on the Isle of Wight. I’m sure it grows in other places – I know it does, since I transplanted some into my back yard! This dip takes less than a minute to prepare once you have your ingredients together. Eat it with crackers, or, ahem… just eat it!
Ingredients
  • 10g Wild Garlic & Flowers
  • 40g Cashew
  • 30g Hard Cheese
  • 20g Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Add the wild garlic, cashew, cheese and olive oil to your food processor.
  2. Blend until it’s the consistency you like. Blitz for 15 – 30 seconds depending on your preferred consistency. (Thermomix: Speed 4/ 20 – 30 Seconds)
  3. Season with salt and pepper
  4. Decorate with Ransom Flowers

 

Posted on

Ginger, Garlic, Lemongrass and Pecorino Stuffed Mushrooms

Mushrooms, Ginger, Garlic, Lemongrass, PicorinoI’ve been having major problems with my gall bladder recently, which is why these pages have been a little like tumbleweed, with nothing going on – I haven’t been able to eat much of anything, so I haven’t really been cooking.

Now that I’m able to eat again, I’ve been trying to focus a lot of my eating energy on gallbladder-friendly and cleansing foods, including a lot of ginger, garlic and lemongrass.

One thing I’m really missing at the moment is a good bit of meat though – so I decided a good meaty mushroom would have to do. Cheese is really high in fat, which with having to avoid animal fats at the moment is another thing I miss, but I decided to top these with Picorino cheese – less than half the fat of cheddar, a strong taste like Parmesan, but slightly more melty.

Garlic, Ginger, Lemongrass and Pecorino Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe Type: Gallbladder Friendly
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
The amounts for ginger, garlic and lemongrass here are suggestions. Add more or less as you prefer. I like them as strong flavours especially as part of a cleanse.
Ingredients
  • 2cm ginger
  • 2 peeled cloves garlic
  • 1 stem lemongrass
  • 5g olive oil
  • 35g Pecorino or other hard cheese
  • 2 large Portobello mushrooms
Instructions
In the Thermomix:
  1. Put the grill on in your oven.
  2. Place ginger, garlic and lemongrass in the Thermomix and whizz for 15 seconds on speed 8.
  3. Scrape down the sides, drop 5g olive oil through the lid, and cook 4 min/ 100C
  4. Add the cheese, 7 secs/speed 10
  5. Scoop half the mixture into one mushroom, then the rest into the other
  6. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, but watch from 10 minutes so that the cheese doesn’t burn.
  7. Your mushroom should still be firm and meaty but soft and juicy enough to eat.
Regular way:
  1. Put the grill on in your oven
  2. Place ginger, garlic and lemongrass in a blender or chop finely
  3. Add olive oil and cheese, grated or blended too.
  4. Scoop half the mixture into one mushroom, then the rest into the other
  5. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, but watch from 10 minutes so that the cheese doesn’t burn.
  6. Your mushroom should still be firm and meaty but soft and juicy enough to eat.

I hope you like it!

Posted on

DIY Homemade Chai Rooibos / Redbush Tea

A few weeks ago I made a spur of the moment decision to enter a competition in my local blogging network. The competition requires us to come up with a recipe in one of five categories, featuring Schwartz spices and blog them.

Redbush Chai TeaWell, I didn’t read the fine print, and as it turns out, not one of the five categories falls into a strong area for me: I don’t like beans, so don’t eat a lot of Mexican or Brazilian food, I don’t really drink tea, am not a big curry eater and for compact spaces problem of modern living? Well, I use a Thermomix!

As a result I’ve had to dig deep and learn about a few spices and flavours that are completely new to me. So over the next few weeks, you’ll see a little something different from me.

I’m a huge coffee drinker, and not much into tea at all, but I do have a fair supply of Redbush tea – Rooibos, as we call it – in the cupboard, because it’s good for a number of things, including colic in babies, so the children have it too.

I have had chai in the past, but always bought, so when I looked at some of the spices I was sent, I thought I’d try a spiced tea, using some flavours I do love – cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. I added nutmeg and cloves, two more beautiful spices when used correctly, and hey presto! Beautiful aromatic, sweet chai that even my children enjoyed.

I hope you enjoy our foray into incorporating more spices into our cooking!

*This is not my official entry… that’s coming!

Spiced Redbush Chai Tea
Recipe Type: Drinks
Cuisine: Asian, South African
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 cups
You can use any teabags, but I use Redbush for it’s healing properties, and the lack of caffeine or tannins, which I don’t enjoy. You can use whole spices or ground. You can also make up a larger amount, and keep them for making a cup or two of Chai Tea at a time. Keep them in an airtight container so they don’t lose flavour though!
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • Up to 170g honey (1/2 cup)
  • 500g boiling water (2 cups)
  • 500g cups milk (2 cups)
  • 2 Redbush tea bags (or your favourite)
Instructions
  1. Place the cardamom in the Thermomix bowl reverse speed 8/3 seconds. Remove the shells.
  2. Add the rest of the spices in the Thermomix bowl and whizz on speed 10/4 seconds
  3. Add honey, water and milk, and boil on reverse speed 2/2mins/Varoma
  4. Add tea bags boil for 5 minutes 100C/reverse speed 2.
  5. Pour through a sieve or into a caffetier and serve.
Without a Thermomix
  1. Place the spices in a pot, add the honey, water and milk. Bring to the boil, add the teabags and simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Strain and serve.

 

Posted on

Winter Spices Sugar Scrub Recipe

winter spice sugar scrubI made this and a peppermint scrub for my friends for Christmas, and while that season is now long gone, I’ve been meaning to share the recipe and I think leading up to Valentine’s Day a no-bake, no fuss, incredibly cost-effective but luxurious and creamy sugar spice recipe is just the ticket. A couple of the recipients of these gifts have come back to me saying that they loved them, so I’m more than happy to share the recipe with you.

As it’s no bake, no boil, no anything, it’s a great recipe for children to help out with, and if you add something or take away something else, it’s not going to cause you any harm.

While you can, of course, use the generic supermarket versions of these products, to really gain the benefits from it, you should use the organic versions.

While sugar isn’t great for anyone’s body, there are actually benefits to using a sugar scrub. (Brown sugar is softer than white, so can be used on the face. White sugar is okay for a body scrub. Always wear moisturiser if going out in the sun after a scrub, as it removes a layer of dead skin.)

Sugar is a natural source of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) which penetrates the skin and breaks down the “glue” that bonds skin cells, encouraging cell turnover and generating fresher, younger-looking skin. It is a natural humectant, so it  draws moisture from the environment into the skin and make an excellent topical exfoliant, removing dead skin cells.

Winter Spices Sugar Scrub Recipe
Recipe Type: Beauty Products
Cuisine: Non-food
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 cup
This is a body scrub. It’s probably a bit rough for the face, although with a soft brown sugar, you should be able to use it on your face. Do not use on broken skin – it will burn! If you’re going out in a harsh sun after your body scrub, be sure to use sun block.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground dry ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
Instructions
  1. Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl.
  2. Add the coconut oil and mix well.
  3. This will probably set, unless you’re in very warm weather, so just soak in warm water to get it to liquid form again.
  4. Store in a glass container.
For the Thermomix:
  1. Add all the ingredients into the bowl.
  2. Mix on reverse/speed 2/30 seconds
  3. Store in a glass container.

 

Posted on

Tabouleh Plus Recipe

Tabbouleh, Tabouleh

I love Tabouleh, Tabbouleh, Tabbouli or Tabouli. Whichever way you spell it, it’s a bulgar wheat warm salad, often made (incorrectly) with couscous. It’s still good though, so don’t be put off using couscous or even quinoa if that’s what you have on hand. I’ve made it with all three and love it still.

If you Google for a recipe you’ll be hard pressed to find two recipes exactly the same, and now I’m throwing another into the fray. But I stand by it. It’s really good.

The basics, the essentials, are the garlic, parsley, mint, lemon juice, onion and tomatoes, but saying that, in the picture you’ll notice no red flecks. I didn’t have tomatoes, so went without.

Anything else is optional though. My guests are big meat eaters, so I added bacon. We’re all halloumi lovers, so I added two blocks, rather than one.  It’s pretty flexible.

Tabouleh Plus
Recipe Type: Main, Side
Cuisine: Turkish
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
A lovely filling main course warm salad, or a side dish, this adds to a traditional tabouleh. There are a plethora of recipes for tabouleh, but this is how we make it.
Ingredients
  • 1 Red onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 large or six small tomatoes
  • Bunch parsley
  • Bunch mint
  • 30g (60ml) lemon juice
  • 30g olive oil
  • Optional:
  • Pack bacon
  • 2 avocado
  • 2 packs Halloumi
  • 450g Bulgar wheat
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the thermomix:
  1. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, mint, lemon juice and olive oil (and cooked bacon and halloumi, if using) to the bowl. 30 Seconds/Speed 4 – check to see that it’s fine enough for your liking.
  2. Add the avocado, mix 10 Seconds/ Speed 3.
  3. Set aside.
  4. Cook bulgar wheat to manufacturers instructions – around 17 minutes, Veroma speed.
  5. Stir together, and sprinkle parsley roughly chopped before serving.
Traditional cooking:
  1. Cook Bulgar wheat according to package instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, garlic, tomatoes, parsley and mint and add bacon, halloumi and avocado, if using. Mix in with lemon juice and oil.
  3. Mix in the warm bulgar wheat and serve, sprinkled with parsley.

A Very Thermie Christmas This recipe features in A Very Thermie Christmas, where you can find it and 50 other recipes perfect for a Thermomix assisted Christmas. Read more about it here.

Posted on

Squash and Spinach Soup With Goat’s Cheese And Bacon Recipe

Squash & Spinach Soup with goat's cheese and baconConsidering how often I make soup these days, you’d be forgiven for thinking that I actually enjoy it! I’m not really a lover of soup, but with two children, a job and a home to run, it’s certainly an easy to prepare food, and easy to eat.

In the Thermomix soup is a 15-minute (non)effort, but of course you can adapt it to cook on the stove top or however you usually make your soup.

We have a further problem in our home, because I don’t like any kind of chunkiness in my soup, but my hubby prefers a chewable soup. If I’m feeling generous I’ll cook everything, remove his portion and then blits up mine. Otherwise, we have smooth soup. He’s coming round to it!

In this particular soup I used a Turkish Squash, which had a grey-ish colour, which no one was going to eat so I added some spinach to at least give it colour, additional nutrition and great flavour.

I particularly wanted a luxurious soup here, so we added goat’s cheese and bacon. These are optional extras, but totally worth it.

Also, because I was blending it with the Thermomix, I used almost all of the squash, seeds and all. This is best with a young squash so the skin is still soft. You don’t have to do that though!

 

Squash and Spinach Soup With Goat’s Cheese And Bacon Recipe
Recipe Type: Soup
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
You can use any squash for this recipe.
Ingredients
  • 400 – 700 g squash
  • 1 onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 200g bone broth or stock
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 6 rashers bacon
  • 50g spinach
  • 250g goats cheese
  • add cream/stock to preference
  • add salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Cut squash into easy to bake portions – a pumpkin or large squash could go in 8 pieces, for example. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 45 minutes at 190C
  2. Cut an onion in half, add garlic, then blitz for 3 seconds on speed 5.
  3. Sweat the onions for 3 minutes, speed 1, 90C
  4. Add the squash, skin and seeds too, if you like.
  5. Add the stock or bone broth, rosemary, and salt and pepper.
  6. Cook for 15 mins/speed 2/100C
  7. Meanwhile fry bacon to make it crispy, and set aside.
  8. When the soup is finished, add the spinach and goat’s cheese and blits for 5 seconds on speed 7. (or as bitty or smooth as you like it).
  9. Add cream or extra stock to make the soup as thick or thin as you prefer.
  10. Serve with crusty bread or [url href=”https://www.keeperofthekitchen.com/2013/11/22/thermomix-brioche/” target=”_blank”]brioche [/url](without the chocolate!) and enjoy!