Thermomix recipes

Hidden Bean Brownies (or Hidden Brown Beanies)

This recipe was given to me by one of my clients, the amazingly culinarily talented Tamar. My son Mitchell, on finding they contained, of all things, BEANS, thought we should call them Hidden Bean Brownies. But in my crazy house, that quickly morphed into Hidden Brown Beanies. You can call them whatever you like.
 
I made one addition to Tamar's recipe - raw beetroot. Beetroot is rich in an antioxidant called anthocyanidin, which has powerful anti-cancer activity. And it makes these brownies very rich and more-ish. I use cacao powder (raw chocolate, available in health food shops) rather than ordinary cocoa because

it has 3 times the antioxidant capacity of cocoa plus it's not bitter, which means you don't have to use sweeteners. You could use carob powder instead if you prefer.

These brownies have a dense, satisfying texture, rich but not cloyingly sweet.
 
Ingredients:
1 cup/110 g walnuts or macadamias (optional)
2 cup/250 g dates
1 small beetroot - mine weighed 80 g when peeled
1 cup/180 g unsweetened applesauce (IXL brand has no added sugar and is available in larger supermarkets; I made my own by blitzing cored apples - I left the skin on for added antioxidants - with a few tablespoons of water for 10 seconds at speed 8, then cooking at 90º for 8 minutes at speed 4 with the measuring cup off, then blitzing on speed 8 for another 10 seconds)
2 tablespoons/15 g ground flaxseed/linseed - ground fresh in your Thermomix, of course!
400 g cooked or canned beans (any variety - I used pinto)
2 tsp natural vanilla extract
1/2 cup/30 g cacao powder
3/4 cup/100 g flour (I used wholemeal spelt)
1 tsp bicarb soda
 
Instructions:
Roughly chop the nuts for 3 seconds at speed 4, then set aside. Blend dates with peeled, halved beetroot for 30 seconds at speed 10. Scrape down the bowl and lid, then add applesauce, flaxseed, beans, vanilla and cacao. Blend for 30 seconds at speed 8, using the spatula to scrape the bowl while processing. Remove the lid and scrape it and the bowl again, then blend for another 20 seconds at speed 8. Mixture should be thoroughly homogenised. Add the flour and baking soda, and mix on Reverse at speed 3 for 20 seconds, using the spatula to push the mixture down into the blades. Remove the lid and scrape it and the bowl again, then mix for another 10 seconds at speed 3. Repeat as necessary until all the flour is mixed in. Add the chopped nuts and mix for 10 seconds on Reverse at speed 3.
Spoon the mixture into a 30 cm x 25 cm slice tin and bake at 180º for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Slice while still warm. Best when chilled before eating - if you can keep your kids away from them for that long!

Hint:
If you're weaning your children (or yourself) off sweet junk food, you may want to substitute 1 cup of a relatively unprocessed sweetener such as palm sugar or date sugar (dehydrated, pulverised dates) for 1 cup of the dates. Date sugar is sold in better health food shops; palm sugar is available in the Asian food section of larger supermarkets, and Asian groceries.

Kim's Tempting Truffles

This recipe was given to me by my dear friend Kim. Kim is slowly but surely converting her children to wholesome food. Luckily, kids don't need much encouragement to try these delicious, nutrient-rich concoctions!
 
Seeds and nuts are packed with minerals, protein, 'good' fats, cholesterol-lowering phytosterols, artery-protecting arginine and powerful anti-cancer substances. The US Physicians' Health Study found that men who ate nuts 2 or more times per week had a 50% lower risk of sudden cardiac death!
 
So give into healthy temptation and try this easy, delicious recipe today.

Ingredients:

5 Brazil nuts
60 g walnuts
40 g sunflower seeds
1 tbsp/10 g chia seeds
225 g dates
dessicated coconut

Instructions:
Chop the Brazil nuts on speed 5 for 5 seconds. Add other ingredients except coconut and whiz on speed 5 for 10 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and lid, and repeat until it reaches your preferred texture. Roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture into balls, then roll in coconut.

Hint:
Kim's tip: get your kids to do the rolling by offering them 1 ball to eat for every 5 they roll!
My tip: you can vary the flavour, and give them a calcium boost, by using dried figs to replace some or all of the dates.

Power Pack Smoothie

Did you know that green, leafy vegetables are, kilojoule for kilojoule, the most nutritious foods you can eat? They're absolutely jam-packed with protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, antioxidants, cancer-fighting phytochemicals and other goodies.
 
But how do you get enough of them into your diet to reap the reward of these nutritional treasure-troves? Try a green smoothie! OK, the idea of combining fruit and green leafy vegies in a drink might seem a little weird to you if you haven't tried it before, but trust me - they taste absolutely fantastic!

The Thermomix makes smooth, creamy green smoothies in seconds. If you've ever tried making a green smoothie in a regular blender, and found yourself gnawing stringy bits of unblended greens, you are in for a real treat when you use your Thermomix to make them instead.
 
There are as many variations on green smoothies as days in the year, but here's one of my favourite combos to get you started: