Basil Pesto

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Basil PestoThis Basil Pesto is delicious!!!!! I developed this one back when I was studying as a chef.

I’ve always added Italian Parsley to my pesto as it oxides quite a lot slower than basil and keeps for a really brilliant vibrant green pesto. And plus I really love the flavour dimension that the parsley adds.

Basil Pesto 3

Basil & Parsley are really high in Vitamin K along with many other vitamins. Through their unique anti-oxidants, essential-oils, vitamins, phyto-sterols and other nutrient substances, they help equip our body to fight against germs, toxins and help to boost immunity level.

So what better way than to pack them into a super dense nutrient spread/sauce!

I choose macadamias and pine nuts! They mix gives a really delicious flavour. You could use brazil or cashew nuts too.

bAsil Pesto 2

To make it dairy free and completely paleo just omit the parmesan. You will still have a beautiful pesto.

Basil Pesto
Yields 500
Delicious moreish pesto that has endless uses in my kitchen!
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Prep Time
5 min
Total Time
7 min
Prep Time
5 min
Total Time
7 min
Ingredients
  1. 60g Parmesan Cheese
  2. 1 Clove Garlic
  3. 2 Large Bunches (100g) Basil
  4. 1 Bunch (20g) Italian Parsley
  5. 150g Pine Nuts
  6. 50g Macadamias
  7. 1 1/2 tsp Celtic Salt
  8. 100g Olive Oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and roast the pine nuts and macadamias for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Place the parmesan into the Thermomix and mill 5 Sec/Speed 7.
  3. Add all the remaining ingredients and blend 8 Sec/Speed 7.
  4. Serve.
Notes
  1. This pesto will keep nicely in the fridge for up to a week. Just make sure you cover the top with extra olive oil.
  2. You can freeze this pesto too. I often make a batch and freeze the leftover into ice cube trays ready to pull out for different meals.
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Roast Pumpkin & Dukkah Spiced Quinoa Salad w Garlic Yoghurt Dressing

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Roast Pumpkin Quinoa Salad

Let me just paint a picture for a moment of life as a mummy blogger!!….

You have a toilet training toddler and a newly walking baby that are both into everything!!!…albeit, cute and as adorable as anything!…Well, after 3 hours of working on the same thing, you finally get to finish it and EAT!….If any of you out there relate, this salad is worth waiting for!

The weather is heating up and this salad makes the perfect addition to a lunchbox with some boiled eggs, to a BBQ, a picnic or to dinner! Beautiful with Roast Lamb or Grilled Chicken, I’m sure you will enjoy it!

I use my delicious Hazelnut & Macadamia Dukkah. I love how easy it is to make in my Thermomix, including dry roasting the spices first in the same machine! So handy!

Roast Pumpkin Quinoa Salad 2

Quinoa is such a nutritious pseudo-grain! It’s high protein content makes it a really healthy option for kids and adults alike. Its yummy nutty flavour, really makes it so suitable for fresh salads, especially this dukkah spiced one!

The salad ingredients are honestly quite flexible. If you don’t have cucumber, try snowpeas. If you don’t have pumpkin, both carrot or sweet potato will be nice. Radishes would also go beautifully!

To make it completely Dairy Free, use Coconut Yoghurt in the dressing instead of Greek yoghurt.

I’m sure many of you are beginning to pencil ideas for outdoor and festive season entertaining, so add this one to list, it won’t disappoint!

Roast Pumpkin & Dukkah Spiced Quinoa Salad w Garlic Yoghurt Dressing
Serves 6
Beautiful middle eastern flavours combined to make one yummy salad! Make my delicious Hazelnut & Macadamia Dukkah for this salad!
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 170g White Quinoa (500g cooked)
  2. 800g Water
  3. 350g Pumpkin, peeled & diced into 1cm cubes
  4. 2 Tbsp Hazelnut & Macadamia Dukkah
  5. 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  6. 1 Medium Red Onion, cut into thin wedges
  7. 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled & crushed
  8. 100g Cherry Tomatoes, halved
  9. 2 Lebanese Cucumbers, halved lengthways and sliced diagonally
  10. 1/2 Bunch Watercress
  11. 1/4 Bunch Coriander, leaves
  12. 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  13. 1 1/2 tsp Celtic Salt
  14. 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  15. 30g Roasted Almonds, halved
  16. Extra Hazelnut & Macadamia Dukkah for sprinkling
  17. Black Pepper, for grinding
Garlic Yoghurt Dressing
  1. 1 Clove Garlic, peeled
  2. 150g Greek Yoghurt
  3. 1/4 tsp Celtic Salt
Instructions
  1. Soak the quinoa 30 minutes prior to cooking this recipe.
  2. Place the soaked quinoa into the simmering basket. Place the water into the mixing bowl and insert the basket. Cook for 20-25 Mins/Varoma/Speed 2. Remove the simmering basket and set aside to drain. Place the quinoa into a large mixing bowl.
  3. Line a medium baking tray with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the pumpkin on the tray and add the dukkah and 1 Tbsp of the olive oil. Toss with your hands to coat the pumpkin thoroughly. Place into the oven to roast for 15 minutes or until just tender with a knife. Place into the mixing bowl with the quinoa.
  4. Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a medium frypan over medium heat. Cook the onion & garlic, stirring for 3 minutes. Add to the large mixing bowl.
  5. Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, watercress & coriander. Add the olive oil, salt and lemon and toss well to combine all the ingredients.
  6. For the yoghurt dressing, place the garlic into the Thermomix and chop 3 Sec/Speed 7. Scrape down the sides, add the yoghurt and salt and mix 5 Sec/Speed 3.
  7. Serve the salad on a large platter, topped with the roasted almonds, the yoghurt dressing, extra dukkah if you desire and a generous grind of black pepper.
Notes
  1. You'll need to make a batch of my delicious Hazelnut & Macadamia Dukkah for this recipe!
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Strawberry Tart

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Strawberry Tart 3

This gorgeous tart came about recently as I had a lonely tub of creme fraiche in the fridge along with oodles of strawberries! I pretty quickly came up with this delicious tart of goodness! It’s really really easy to make. The most complicated part would be the pastry, but the filling is literally a 15 sec whiz together!

Crème fraiche is quite similar to sour cream, however it has a higher fat content than sour cream and doesn’t split like sour cream when boiled. It has a lovely nutty type flavour and is also good for whipping.

Together the creme fraiche with a block of cream cheese really does make the perfect filling!

I make my spelt shortcrust for this tart, and it really is delightful.
Strawberry Tart

I just love the look of the candied lemon zest on the top! It really looks so yummy! And it takes 5 minutes! Terrific! Just one of the reasons why I love my Thermomix! You could opt for lime zest on the top too!

Strawberry Tart 4

You could use strawberries interchangeably with raspberries and or blueberries! Yum!

To make it dairy free you could even use coconut yoghurt or whipped coconut cream perhaps too.

Strawberry Tart
Serves 8
This delicious tart is the perfect recipe for lapping up the strawberry season!
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SHORTCRUST PASTRY
  1. 50g Raw or Rapadura Sugar
  2. 1/4 Lemon rind
  3. 100g Wholemeal Spelt Flour
  4. 100g White Spelt Flour
  5. 100g Organic Butter, cubed & chilled
  6. 1 Egg
  7. 1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
FILLING
  1. 250g Cream Cheese
  2. 200g Crème Fraiche
  3. 60ml Maple Syrup or Honey
  4. 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
  5. 1/2 Lemon, zested
  6. 500g Fresh Strawberries, hulled
CANDIED LEMON ZEST
  1. 1/2 Lemon
  2. 2 Tbsp Honey
  3. 1 Tbsp Water
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
  1. Place the sugar and the lemon rind into the Thermomix bowl. Mill 10 sec/Speed 9. Add the flour and butter and process for 10 sec/speed 6 or until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and vanilla and knead 10-20 seconds or until the dough just comes together.
  2. Using the Thermomat or a lightly floured surface bring the dough together to form a ball. Flatten & wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 mins to rest. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  3. Roll pastry, using a rolling pin, on a lightly floured surface, to be 3mm thick and use to line the base and sides of a large rectangular tart shell.
  4. Prick the base with a fork then place back into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
  5. Line the tart case with a rectangular shaped piece of baking paper and fill the case with pie weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and bake for another 5-10 minutes until pale golden.
  6. Allow to cool before taking the pie weights out of the case. Set aside until ready to use.
FILLING
  1. Place all the ingredients into the Thermomix and mix 15 Sec/Speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix a further 10 Sec/Speed 4 or until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
  2. Pour into the prepared tart case and top with the whole strawberries.
CANDIED LEMON ZEST
  1. Remove zest from lemons with a vegetable peeler, keeping pieces long. Remove any white pith using a paring knife then cut into a fine julienne using a very sharp knife.
  2. Place the honey, water and lemon peel into the Thermomix and cook 5 Mins/100°/Speed 2.
  3. Take the candied lemon zest out of the syrup and set aside.
  4. Using a pastry brush, brush the strawberries on the top of the tart with the syrup to glaze them nicely, then top with the candied lemon zest.
  5. Cut into pieces and serve!
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Cranberry & Almond Muesli Bars

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Muesli Bars 1

I’m finally sharing these with you all! I’ve had a number of friends ask me for my muesli bars recipe recently…and some not so recently!! With school going back it’s a must share right now! They are so quick easy and really take no time to make as they require no baking! They are full of nutritious seeds and nuts, with much lower sugar content than shop bought packaged ones that cost the earth!

They do have oats in them, so they aren’t gluten free. However, they can easily be made gluten free. To do so, omit the oats and replace with 100g of either organic puffed rice, cornflakes, quinoa flakes, extra nuts, seeds or coconut flakes or a mixture of all of them!Muesli Bars 4

You can also make them completely nut free by omitting the almonds if your school is nut free. Just replace with extra seeds or dried fruit. Otherwise you can make my Paleo Lunchbox Squares as another option.

Muesli Bars 2

These bars are sweetened with Honey and Coconut Sugar. You can use just honey if you prefer. I like the flavour of Coconut Palm Sugar with its Caramel tones. Either way, the sweetener in them is still a sugar, so they are definitely a treat, and something to eat in conjunction with a well balanced diet.

This is just one flavour combo that works really well. I also love Macadamia and Peach, or Chocolate Chip & Macadamia! So many options really! Just go to town on your favourite nuts or dried fruits!

Cranberry & Almond Muesli Bars
Yields 16
Nutty, seedy, fruity no bake muesli bars!
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Prep Time
20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 100g Organic Rolled Oats
  2. 80g Sunflower Seeds
  3. 80g Pumpkin Seeds
  4. 50g Sesame Seeds
  5. 80g Desiccated Coconut
  6. 80g Roasted Almonds, halved
  7. 50g Unsweetened Cranberries
  8. 50g Coconut Chips
  9. 30g Chia Seeds
  10. 130g Honey
  11. 50g Coconut Palm Sugar
  12. 130g Organic Butter
  13. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
  1. Line a 27cm x 18cm slice tray with baking paper. Set aside.
  2. Heat a large non stick frying pan over medium heat. Toast the oats until golden brown and then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the sunflower, pumpkin, sesame seeds and desiccated coconut and toast until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to the large mixing bowl.
  4. Add the almonds, cranberries, coconut chips & chia seeds and toss well to combine.
  5. Place the honey, sugar, butter and vanilla into the Thermomix and cook 8 Mins/115°/Speed 2. ( Use Varoma heat on the TM31.)
  6. Pour the hot mix over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a spatula. Pour the mix into the prepared tray and press down firmly and smooth with your hands. Refrigerate until set firm, about 1-2 hours. Once set, cut into bars and place into an airtight container. Store in the fridge.
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Crunchy Asian Salad w. Chilli Macadamia Dressing

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Asian Crunch Salad 2

This is absolutely perfect coming into summer! Fresh, crispy, crunchy, colourful, quick and yummy! You can’t really beat that! Well you can until this dressing is drizzled over the top! Packed with flavour, it’s one of the quickest, yummiest, creamiest dressings to make!

Asian Crunch Salad 3

We love salads in our house! Salads all year around! I pack my husband up with salad everyday for work, its the perfect meal of the day to eat salad! My toddler also loves salad too, and I love that!

Salads are such a great way of getting fresh raw nutrition into you! However, salads on their own are pretty boring without dressing! So a good dressing is key! Whether you go creamy or a classic style vinaigrette, you will be amazed at how much more appealing that bowl of rabbit food can become!
I have lots of salads and dressings to put up on the blog, and I’m realising I must have a real love for creamy dressings, because so many of them are creamy! Of course too I love a beautiful classic olive oil, lemon and salt, which just about goes with any salad!….That’s always there as the backup plan!

You could increase the chilli content (or just keep the membrane and seeds in) of this dressing if you want that real kick, however I make it quite mild to suit the little people palettes in my house!

Asian Crunch Salad

Crunchy Asian Salad w Chilli Macadamia Dressing
Serves 6
A super crispy crunchy Asian Salad with the yummiest dressing! Perfect topped with grilled meats, tofu or just some boiled eggs!
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Prep Time
20 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Total Time
20 min
Chilli Macadamia Dressing
  1. 80g Macadamias, roasted
  2. 100ml Olive Oil
  3. 1 Red Cayenne Chilli, seeds removed
  4. 2cm Knob Ginger
  5. 1-2 Cloves Garlic
  6. 2 tsp Honey
  7. 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  8. 2 tsp Tamari
  9. 1/2 Lime, juiced
  10. 1 tsp Celtic Salt
Salad
  1. 300g White or Wombok Cabbage, shredded
  2. 200g Red Cabbage, shredded
  3. 1 Bunch Choy Sum, shredded
  4. 2 Lebanese Cucumbers, seeds removed & sliced diagonally
  5. 1 Carrot, shredded
  6. 1/2 Red Capsicum, sliced thinly
  7. 4 Shallots, sliced thinly
  8. 125g Snow Peas, cut into 3rds diagonally
  9. 1 Fresh Corn Cob, kernels removed
  10. 6 Red Radishes, thinly sliced
  11. 1/2 Bunch Fresh Coriander Leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the macadamias onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and roast until golden brown.
  2. Place a small jug onto the Thermomix lid and weigh 100ml oil into the jug. Set aside.
  3. Place the nuts, chilli, ginger & garlic into the Thermomix and chop 3 Sec/Speed 7.
  4. Add the honey, vinegar, tamari, lime juice and salt and process 1 Min/Speed 3. Whilst the Thermomix is running, slowly pour the reserved olive oil onto the lid, letting it drizzle into mixing bowl to emulsify. Set aside.
  5. Place all the salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss well to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving, to avoid making the salad soggy.
Notes
  1. You can use a variety of whichever crispy salad vegetables you have in your fridge, so don't be too particular about getting exactly what my recipe says.
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Mulberry Pie

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Mulb Pie 9MULBERRY PIE!!! Oh I mean how could one not really love a good ol mulberry pie!! This seriously delightful treat brings back many memories as a child of making Mulberry Pie with mum! One of the properties we lived on had MASSIVE gardens on it! Up the back of the garden lived 2 HUGE Mulberry trees! I’m pretty sure we all ate ourselves sick on Mulberries at one point or another! My Mum used to love making the most of this gorgeous season! And I also remember my brothers whipping up some heart-warming, beautiful pies too! You will see that I’ve used Organic Unbleached White Spelt Flour as opposed to Wholemeal. You are more than welcome to use the latter but I wanted the real McCoy! So I’ve of course opted for spelt over white wheat flour, but still giving it a real treat feel and taste. I’ve used Organic Raw Sugar to keep the pastry white, however you can use Rapadura or Coconut Sugar if you prefer. Mulb Pie 4 So since this gorgeous purple berry, well technically a fruit, is in season from late Spring to Summer, I figure you may as well go ahead and make the most of the short season and the treat that it is! Make pie, make crumble, make cake, make jam, make cupcakes, make tart, make everything Mulberry! Mulb Pie 10 Just look above at that oozy juicy yummy jammy filling! If you can’t be bothered doing the lattice crust on top, just roll out the leftover pastry to 5mm thick to fit the top of your pie and continue as per the recipe. If you are Gluten Intolerant you could substitute with a gluten free crust and lattice (perhaps like the one from my Lemon Tart). Mulb Pie 11 So go on and get into the kitchen and make this beautiful treat! It is an absolute winner with my husband so it might just be for yours too!! The Cashew Macadamia Cream will be up on the blog soon! xx

Mulberry Pie
Serves 8
Delectable plate licking Mulberry pie that brings back many a childhood memory for me!
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
45 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
45 min
Pastry
  1. 100g Organic Raw Sugar
  2. 400g Unbleached White Spelt Flour
  3. 200g Organic Butter, cubed & frozen
  4. 1 Organic Egg
  5. 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
  6. 1/2 Lemon, zested
Filling
  1. 750g Mulberries, washed & stems removed
  2. 2 Tbsp (30g) Cornflour
  3. 4 Tbsp Maple Syrup
  4. 1 Tbsp (20ml) Lemon Juice
  5. 2 tsp Vanilla Essence
  6. Extra egg for brushing
Instructions
  1. Place the raw sugar into the Thermomix and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9.
  2. Add the flour and butter and process 10 Sec/Speed 6 or until it resembles very fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest and knead 20-30 Sec until the mixture is combined. Take out of the Thermomix and place onto a Thermomat or lightly floured surface and bring the dough together with your hands. You need to bring it together enough to form a disc, but being careful not to overwork the dough and strengthen the glutens. The key to a good shortcrust is to not overwork it. Wrap in plastic wrap and flatten, then chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
  4. Reserve 1/3 of the pastry in the fridge for the top, rolling out the remaining 2/3 on a Thermomat or lightly floured surface until 5mm thick, then use to line a large deep sided pie dish.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  6. Prick the base with a fork, then freeze for 15 minutes until firm.
  7. Line with baking paper and pastry weights, then bake for 15-20 minutes until pale golden.
  8. To make the filling, place all the ingredients into the Thermomix and cook 20-25 Mins/100°/Speed 1 or until the mixture is becoming thick and jammy.
  9. Remove weights and baking paper and bake for a further 3-5 minutes or until the base is cooked and turning pale golden.
  10. Pour in the mulberry filling. Roll out the reserved pastry into a large rectangle and cut 14 (approx.) 1.5cm x 24cm strips. Brush the edges of the pastry case with water and arrange the strips into a lattice pattern over filling, then press to seal, trimming the excess. (To make a lattice pattern, lay all the horizontal strips first, then fold half of them back on themselves. Working from the middle of the pie out to the edge, you lay a vertical strip down then swap the horizontal strips that are folded and which are flat. Continue until you complete the whole pie.)
  11. Brush pastry with eggwash, then bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden. Cool pie slightly, then slice and serve warm or cold with whipped cream, yoghurt, icecream or Cashew Macadamia Cream! Yummo!!!
Notes
  1. I've used White Spelt Flour and Raw sugar in this because I just felt like making the real mcCoy, with a white looking pastry!! You can sub with Wholemeal Spelt and Rapadura/Coconut Sugar if you would prefer. The thing is Mulberry season only comes around once a year, so I figure lets just make the most of it and enjoy this gorgeous treat!!
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Berry & Coconut Panna Cotta Verrines w Hazelnut Crumb

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Panna Cottas
These little delights went so well on the table for my daughters Vintage Rose 1st Birthday! They looked so pretty and elegant! I think anything with layers, always looks so attractive and inviting!

Here they are on the table! Don’t they just look so pretty as part of the setup! 1 - Table stuff

I love to party plan and come up with cute ideas for decorations and of course food! If you are being careful of sugar on the table, then leave the fairy floss off and top the crumb with pretty little violets or other edible flowers.

The easiest way to get the layers even, especially the panna cotta, in all the cups is to pop a tray securely on top of your TM lid with your verrines or cups on that. Bring up your scales and using a jug that pours easily, pour the filling straight in to the cups for precise measurements.

Berry & Coconut Panna Cotta w Hazelnut Crumb
Yields 25
Dairy Free smooth and creamy Panna Cottas with Berry Compote and Hazelnut Crumb! Yummo!
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Berry Compote
  1. 250g Strawberries, fresh or frozen
  2. 250g Raspberries, fresh or frozen
  3. 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
  4. 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  5. 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Panna Cotta
  1. 1 Litre Organic Coconut Milk
  2. 1 Tbsp Gelatin (grass fed, unflavoured)
  3. 120g Honey or Maple Syrup
  4. 2 tsp Vanilla Essence
Hazelnut Crumb
  1. 40g Roasted Hazelnuts, roughly chopped
  2. 100g Wholemeal Spelt Flour
  3. 50g Rapadura Sugar
  4. 1/2 tsp Baking Powder (Aluminium Free)
  5. 100g Organic Butter, cubed & chilled
  6. 40g Desiccated Coconut
  7. 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
  8. 50g Pink Persian Fairy Floss
  9. 24 x 75ml Verrines/glasses/containers
Instructions
  1. Place all the compote ingredients into the Thermomix with the simmering basket on top of lid in place of MC and cook 20-25 Mins/100°/Speed 1/Reverse, or until becoming thickened and somewhat jammy. Pour about 2 tsp into each verrine and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
  2. Place a small bowl on top of the TM lid and weigh 125g of the coconut milk into it. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and set aside to soften. (There is no need to stir, just leave it to bloom and absorb the liquid.)
  3. Place the remaining coconut milk, honey and vanilla into the Thermomix bowl and cook 10 Mins/80°/Speed 3.
  4. Add the softened gelatin and stir 3 Mins/80°/Speed 3 to dissolve.
  5. Pour approximately 2 Tbsp (40ml) into each verrine and place back into the fridge to set for 2-3 hours.
  6. To make the crumb, preheat the oven to 180°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  7. Place the hazelnuts into the Thermomix and chop 15 Sec/Speed 4. Set aside.
  8. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and butter into the Thermomix and process 10 sec/speed 6 or until the mixture just resembles breadcrumbs. Add the coconut and cinnamon and the chopped nuts and process 10 sec/speed 4/Reverse or until it just comes together.
  9. Roughly crumble over the prepared baking tray and bake for 25-30 mins or until golden brown.
  10. Remove from the oven and cool before placing into the Thermomix and crumbling 5-10 Sec/Speed 4. ( Don't over crumble it, some nice crunchy bits will add dimension of texture.)
  11. Top the set verrines with 1 Tbsp crumbs and just before serving place fluffy handfuls of Persian fairy floss on top!
Notes
  1. I used 75ml Verrines here, however you could use cups or glasses.
  2. Be careful you don't put the fairy floss on too far out from serving as the moisture in the air will cause it to deflate and go sticky.
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Butter Chicken

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Butter Chicken 3

BUTTER CHICKEN!!!!!!! A nut free version.

Yes it’s finally here!!! My Butter Chicken recipe has made it up onto the blog! I’ve been wanting to share this one with you for a loooooonnnng time! But do you think I could get around to it!!! Let’s just say that I’ve been taking my time perfecting the recipe to which I now think is pretty pretty amazing!!

I don’t use cashews in my butter chicken. Some recipes and restaurants do and many don’t. Rumour has it that nuts started being introduced to Butter Chicken in the 1970’s in New Delhi for one reason or another, but it wasn’t like the traditional curry. I prefer not to because I think it changes the sauce in a number of ways. It makes the sauce thicker, and changes the flavour. It gives it a very thick mouth feel. I myself prefer a more authentic smooth tomato cream sauce….albeit with absolutely no change to the flavour!! I like to leave the nuts for a beautiful Korma curry!

It’s important in a butter chicken and in any curry for that matter, to cook off the aromatics well. So that’s the onion and garlic etc. If not cooked off enough, they will leave a bitter aftertaste and also won’t release all their intended sweetness.

Butter Chicken 1

The spices also need to be thoroughly cooked off too! If not, you can end up with quite a powdery mouth feel, not nice! So whether you’re making a curry in a Thermomix or in a saucepan, make sure you cook off the onions and spices well…please! I try to keep the spices fairly straight forward in this recipe without compromising flavour…so that you don’t have to buy a trillion different packets! You can add more cayenne if you like your curry a little hotter.

I also cook the tomatoes off for a few minutes too. This will help the tomatoes to release their sweetness and cook of any tart element.

You won’t get a butter chicken quite the colour of the one you eat at the Indian restaurant unless you use tandoori food colouring. They also marinate the chicken in the colour before grilling in the Tandor (you can grill the chicken first if you like before adding in to the sauce to finish cooking). I prefer not to use colours in my cooking, so we just have it a little more orange in colour!

I choose to use chicken thigh. I prefer it for its superior flavour and tenderness. You can use breast if you would prefer, just reduce the final cooking stage to about 10-12 minutes.

You can very easily make it completely dairy free by replacing the butter with coconut oil and the cream with coconut cream.

You can serve the curry with my Cauliflower Rice (which I keep plain with no coriander and capsicum etc for this recipe) or Basmati Rice and of course a good dollop of Cucumber Raita. (I’ll definitely put up my recipe for that soon too!)

This recipe feeds 6-8, so more than what my young family needs for 1 meal, so we eat half and freeze the other half for a rainy day or for a friend in need! I love having meals in the freezer for when you get in the door late or have a crazy day at home etc, it makes such a difference in helping the home to run smoothly!

I really hope you love my family favourite curry as much as we do!

Butter Chicken
Serves 6
Beautiful tender chicken cooked in a spicy tomato cream sauce.
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Cook Time
35 min
Cook Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 800g-1kg Organic Chicken Thigh, diced into 4-5cm pieces
  2. 1 tsp Cumin
  3. 1 tsp Coriander
  4. 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  5. 15g Olive Oil
  6. 20g Lemon Juice
Sauce
  1. 1 Medium Brown Onion, halved
  2. 3 Cloves Garlic, peeled
  3. 15g (3cm knob) Ginger
  4. 100g Organic Butter
  5. 30g Olive Oil
  6. 2 tsp Garam Masala
  7. 1 tsp Cumin
  8. 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  9. 1 tsp Turmeric
  10. 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
  11. 1/2 tsp Coriander
  12. 1/8-1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  13. 5 Cardamon Pods
  14. pinch chilli powder or cayenne pepper
  15. 200g Crushed Tomatoes
  16. 30g Tomato Paste
  17. 300g Organic Cream
  18. 2 tsp Celtic Salt
  19. 1 tsp Honey
Instructions
  1. Place the chicken, spices, olive oil & lemon into a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Place in the fridge to marinate for 3 hours or overnight.
  2. Place the onion, garlic & ginger into the Thermomix bowl and chop 3 Sec/Speed 7.
  3. Add the butter & olive oil and cook 7 Mins/120°/Speed 1/MC Off.
  4. Add the spices* and cook a further 3 Mins/100°/Speed 1/MC Off.
  5. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and cook 5 Mins/100°/Speed 1, then blend 1 Min/Speed 8.
  6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the lid. Add the pre-marinated chicken, cream, salt & honey and cook 17 Mins/100°/Speed 1/Reverse.
  7. Pour into a Thermoserver and garnish with fresh Coriander. Serve with steamed basmati rice or cauliflower rice and cucumber raita.
Notes
  1. *Once you've cooked the spices off and cooked the tomatoes, you can choose to take out the cardamom pods before blending, or leave them in for an extra punchy spice flavour.
  2. If you're using canned tomatoes, you can use the whole 400g tin, but it will just encourage a little more of a tomato flavour. I choose to freeze the other half for another meal of butter chicken.
  3. This recipe feeds 6-8, so more than what my young family needs for 1 meal, so we eat half and freeze the other half for a rainy day or for a friend in need! I love having meals in the freezer for when you get in the door late or have a crazy day at home etc, it makes such a difference in helping the home to run smoothly!
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Spicy Tomato Relish

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Tomato Relish 4
I don’t really remember when I started making this gorgeous sauce. All I know is that it’s stuck with me and been a real hit in my house, and is one of my secret recipes! So I’m sharing it with you all here….so I guess it’s not a secret anymore! Shhhh, don’t tell anyone!

Back when I was studying, I made it for one of our big functions and it was a real hit! Back then, before I had a Thermomix it used to cook down on the stove for about 3-4 hours! In the Thermomix it takes 2 hours, which is a real time saver for me! Plus I don’t have to watch it as much with the timer set!
Tomato Relish 3

There is some chilli in it, however you can increase this to your tastebuds! The spices are subtle and add a really beautiful depth of flavour to the relish.

I’ve significantly reduced the sugar content from my original recipe, as that has become really important to me as the children are eating more of these foods, (and I don’t want to train their tastebuds for food that’s too sweet), but it still has sweetener, so keep it in moderation for the little ones…and the adults too of course! You can make it completely Paleo if you use Coconut Palm Sugar.

Tomato Relish 1

I do de-skin the tomatoes, however I have made it before without and its ok, but the texture is that much nicer without the skins, and it really is a very quick step!

You can serve it with turkey ham on wraps, with tacos, arancini balls, on eggs for breakfast, with crackers and cheese! So many options, the list goes on and on!

Pure spicy love, Gabrielle xx

Spicy Tomato Relish
Yields 1
Delectable spicy relish to serve with meats, rissoles, sandwiches, cheese platters and more!
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 5 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 5 min
Ingredients
  1. 1.5 kg Mixed Tomatoes, peeled & quartered
  2. 250g Red onions, peeled & halved
  3. 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled
  4. 2cm knob Ginger, peeled
  5. 1-2 Red Cayenne Chillies, deseeded
  6. 125ml Red wine vinegar
  7. 180g Rapadura Sugar
  8. 1 1/2 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
  9. 1/4 tsp Pimentos (Allspice), ground
  10. 1/4 tsp Cloves, ground
  11. Few grinds of Black Pepper
  12. Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
  1. Boil the kettle. Cut a small cross into the base of the tomatoes and place them into a large mixing bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 1-2 minutes to soak, before peeling the skins off.
  2. Place the onions, garlic, ginger & chilli into the Thermomix & chop 3 Sec/Speed 7.
  3. Add the peeled tomatoes and chop for another 3 Sec/Speed 5.
  4. Add the red wine vinegar, rapadura, salt, spices, pepper & cayenne and cook 90 Mins/100°/Speed 1.5-2 with the simmering basket on top. Cook for a further 30-60 Mins/100°/Speed 1.5-2. (The timer on the Thermomix goes to 99 mins on the TM5, so you could set it to that and then for set it for a further 50 mins or so.)
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/

Lemon Tart (Gluten Free & Refined Sugar Free, Primal)

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Lemon Tart

Who doesn’t love a good citrus tart?

Such a beautiful French dessert that is the perfect way to end any meal or on any afternoon tea menu!

This beautiful creation of mine is one of my husbands favourite! He is an absolute lover of lemon!

I’ve always made it with my Sweet Spelt Shortcrust, however I’m somewhat trying to lower any gluten content for a few reasons at the moment. So I’ve made a delicious Paleo crust that is a really lovely compromise!
Lemon Tart 2
The filling is delectably smooth! It used to take me a long time over the stove to whisk it so constantly and I love that the Thermomix makes it so much quicker and I don’t have to watch it! If you like a lemon tart with a lot of lemon curd then double the curd to make it thicker.

It’s important to use a mild flavoured honey in this as a strong honey can easily over power that beautiful lemon flavour that we want to hero! 😉

Because I use butter in the curd it isn’t completely Paleo, but you just can’t have a lemon tart without butter!!! I absolutely love good fats, and I can’t bare to cook without them! They have amazing health benefits! More on that in another post though!

I hope you enjoy this is as much as we do!

Lemon Tart
Yields 8
The most perfectly smooth, naturally sweetened, tangy and delectable Lemon Tart ever!
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Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
1 hr 20 min
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
1 hr 20 min
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
  1. 50g Coconut Palm Sugar
  2. 150g Almond Meal
  3. 50g Coconut Flour
  4. 30g Arrowroot
  5. 100g Organic Butter
  6. 1/2 Lemon, zested
  7. 1 Organic Egg, lightly beaten
Filling
  1. 200g Lemon Juice, strained
  2. 200g Organic Butter
  3. 150g Organic Honey
  4. 1 1/2 Lemons, zested
  5. 1 Tbsp Cornflour
  6. 5 Organic Eggs
Pastry
  1. Place the sugar into the Thermomix bowl and mill 10 Sec/Speed 9.
  2. Add the almond meal, coconut flour, arrowroot, butter and lemon zest to the bowl and blend 10 Sec/Speed 6.
  3. Add the egg and Knead 15 Sec.
  4. Wrap in plastic wrap, flatten, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
  5. Preheat the oven to 160°C and spray a 26cm tart case with oil spray.
  6. Once the dough is chilled, roll out to 5mm thickness between 2 sheets of baking paper.
  7. Peel off the top sheet of baking paper, and transfer pastry to prepared tart case and peel the bottom sheet of baking paper off, pushing the pastry down gently to fit the case evenly. If there are any tares, just use a little of the excess dough to carefully patch it, being careful to maintain an even thickness.
  8. Place back into the fridge to chill for 15 minutes before baking for 15 minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven and cool.
Filling
  1. Place the juice, butter, honey and zest into the bowl of the Thermomix and heat 3 Mins/60°/Speed 2.
  2. Mix 50 Sec/Speed 3, adding the cornflour first, then the eggs 1 at a time through the hole in the mixing bowl lid. Once the eggs are completely incorporated, cook for 8 Mins/80°/Speed 3.
  3. Pour into the cooled tart case and gently agitate it the case to even the filling mixture out. Set aside to cool and then place into the fridge to set completely.
  4. Once set, approx. 1 hr, cut into slices and serve with fresh cream or yoghurt.
Notes
  1. Make sure to use a mild flavour honey so that it doesn't over power the flavour!
Kitch'n Thyme https://kitchnthyme.com.au/
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