REAL MEALS

The most exciting thing since Real Deli Chicken.

This is a brining method I hadn't yet tried.  Or even heard of for that matter.  But I felt like 'EVEN MORE FLAVOUR' should be something we could achieve.

I found the instructions on 'Enjoy How to Cook' and just worked roughly on that.   So,  if you haven't yet discovered Real Deli Chicken then click to have a look. It replaces deli meats for your sandwiches, salads and even wherever you used to use bacon.  No! Really!  FAILSAFE bacon!! Go and check it out.

Now, starting with that brine recipe, I have added garlic and citric acid and am doing a whole family roast.  I may as well chuck in some chicken breasts as well, to flavour-up some Real Deli Chicken.

This recipe takes some forethought because you're going to boil the brine and then allow it to cool completely.  All the way to COLD people.  DO NOT try to brine your chicken in warm, lukewarm, just warm, only a bit warm water unless you want to start your…

I recently asked again on my Real Meals Facebook page if anyone had a special request.  Something they wanted me to try and convert to 'FAILSAFE' and Thermomix-ese.    Vee asked for Panettone which is an Italian sweet bread usually made for Christmas.  It's normally filled with many dried fruits and peels,  like currants, raisins and citrus peel.  Stuff we can't eat while FAILSAFE.

So,  I googled.  And I came up with quite a few recipes,  most of them claiming to be "the authentic" one.  :)  Reading these recipes I realised that every Italian family has their own idea of what is 'authentic'...  the main criterion being "it came from Nonni".   

I am not going to claim this to be 'authentic',  but I think the intention is clear.  This is "Failsafe Panettone" and these can sit proudly at any Christmas table.  Or pre-Christmas get-together.  Or end-of-year gathering.  Or...  crikey...  a birthdayparty!!  (Waves to the Decembe…

I got the basis of this recipe from Cinnamon N Chillies blog.  (Read there for non-thermy instructions)   The original is spiced,  so of course we can't do that.... but it doesn't matter!  These are actually a very yummy,  high-protein bikkie.  The kids will munch them all so I just make a double batch to start with.  I made 2 double batches last week,  after a break of a few months... and I have to stash some so I don't miss out.  I store them in the freezer to dissuade secret munchers.... the frillypantii are onto me.  I'm not even going to bother giving you the single batch measurements.  Pointless.  You'll make them, eat them and have to start all over.  I like to have my bikkies and eat them. 

INGREDIENTS:
400g Dried Chickpeas  (or buy Besan Flour) 120g Sugar  (or Caster Sugar)250g Butter - room temperature1tsp Vanilla Extract ½ tsp salt½ tsp Baking Powder 1/2 cup choc chips (optional)
METHOD:
Preheat oven 150ºCProcess Chickpeas,  Speed 9, until completely mille…

Good old,  English Muffins.  Split them with your fingers, pop them in the toaster then butter and spread with jam; grill them with savoury toppings; mini-pizzas; for morning tea, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea... and yes... even the evening meal when you're having a something simple like eggs and baked beans.  (Oh my!  Saturday brunch,  "egg and bicken muffin".)  The uses for little palm-sized 'rolls' are endless but unfortunately the ones you buy in the shops always have nasty preservatives. 

Making these is easy,  but set aside some time to stand at the stove.  You're going to be flipping these  over every few minutes several times.  You might like to have a couple of frypans going at once. 

I googled around and this is almost exactly this recipe at The Opies: Family Food  I've just tweeked it ever so slightly.  You might tweek it to suit yourself as well.  This recipe makes about 34 muffins using my 7.5cm scone cutter.

Ingredients:
240g Milk25g Suga…

You can buy this stuff.... and it is expensive!!!  OR... you can make it in the saucepan or TMX at home and it is cheap cheap cheap.  You might like to save a pretty bottle or jar to store this.  Maybe a Maple Syrup jug thingy would work.

I yoinked this recipe from Sandra at "Cooking For Oscar".  Here's the Link:  Carob Syrup saucepan.
You can use it on ice-cream and it goes a bit like Ice Magic.  Crispy.  cool!
Add it to sweet stuff like cakes (see Sandra's recipes) and savoury stuff like Trish's Sauce of Wonder. Today, I added it to a stock while making gravy for pasties.   

Ingredients:
1 cup Carob Powder  (I bought mine from Allergy Train)2 cups waterMethod:
All into the TMX, cook on 100ºC, speed 4 for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool before putting into a clean jar/bottle and store in fridge.   Give it a good shake before using 

Left-over roast beef.  It haunts me!  To minimise amine build up,  it needs to go straight to the freezer.  But once there... it refuses to be eaten.  Pulling out a chunk of frosty meat for a sandwich doesn't inspire me much...  that's assuming I remember it's even there.  I often find the plastic container with 'roast beef' written on it when I'm playing Freezer Tetris, making room for my school lunchbox baking... and then I slot it in somewhere again and remind myself I really ought to do something with it.   What a waste!

Now,  you can do all this chopping in the Thermomix but today I have a head cold and I felt like just standing there,  chopping.  I did the finest dicing I have ever done in my life.  Teeny tiny little cubes of veg.   If you do use the TMX,  I'm going to suggest popping the roughly chopped vegetables in and chopping them on Speed 5 for about 3-4 seconds.  No faster.  Or you'll create a mush.  (Which, you could still use of course. …