Monday, September 27, 2010

Packaged Lettuce, Spinach etc (rant)



That's it! I'm not buying spinach or lettuce in one of those damn clamshell plastic containers ever again!

Aside from the fact that the containers are so environmentally unfriendly, the leaves are squished in so tightly they're all mangled and bruised when I go to use them. This is the eleventeenth container of leaves that I've had to throw away and I'm ANGRY! Beautiful Baby Spinach that I was planning to use in my salad tonight and it's all in the bin, slimy and disgusting, purchased only on Friday.

I really wish that all supermarkets would have the leaves loose so you can just pick out what you want, put in in a plastic bag and know that the leaves will keep well in the fridge. IGA in Busselton does and most Coles supermarkets do too, but not Woolies.

Well, that's it for my rant.

Update!
Woolies in Katanning now have loose salad leaves. At about $15 per kilo, they're great value when you don't have any leaves in your garden.
I don't need them now, as my vegie garden is looking wonderful.  

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Delicious Thermomix Chocolate Cake



This recipe has been adapted from one on the Thermomix Forum. It's such a great recipe and so many members have had success with it. Most use it as a base for birthday cakes because it's made in a slab tin.

I've reduced the original sugar content, used less eggs and also make it using the traditional cake making method.
It can easily be made in a Food Processor.

Chocolate Cake

170g butter (I use Dairy Soft for a softer cake texture)
260g sugar (process first if using coarse or raw sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bi-carb
40g cocoa - use the darkest you can find, Woolworths Home Brand is the best, believe it or not...
250g milk

Grease and line a small baking dish. I use the Scanpan one which is 21cm x 29cm.
Preheat oven to 160c fan forced.
Process butter and sugar at speed 5 - 6 for about 30 seconds or until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time. When adding the last egg, add some of the flour and cocoa mix.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients and the milk and process on speed 5 for a few seconds, using the spatula to assist. Scrape down and process again until all incorporated.

Bake for 40 minutes. Leave in tin for 5 to 10 minutes before turning out.

This also makes great muffins. Oven needs to be only a little hotter, around 170C. Bake for 20 -25 minutes.
Makes around 20, depending on size.

Buttercream Icing

125 g butter (real butter, not a dairy mix)
180g pure icing sugar
2 Tbsp cream or milk
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 Tbsp Glucose
2 tsp vanilla

Whizz all together for about 20 seconds. Scrape down and whizz again - about speed 5 or 6.