Thermomix Menu Plans - 2nd January and a GIVEAWAY!!

Happy New Year!

Well, we're starting the New Year off with a bang! And no, I don't mean fireworks, (they're kind of rare in this neck of the woods), I mean we're straight back into life going 'full steam ahead'! I shouldn't complain, I've had a quiet month (workwise), and a much needed rest (partly enforced by the flu)... now it's time to get stuck back into it. This week there's lots of social stuff going on, as well as a couple of demos (lots more of those planned this month), and I really need to do a spring clean and catch up on paperwork and school preparation and do some work on my cookbook... phew! Getting tired just thinking about it all. But hey, I'd rather jump into the New Year with both feet than be sitting around bored. I always tell my kids, 'Only boring people get bored!' Don't you agree? :)

So with all that's going on this week, I'm going to need to keep my energy up with healthy, wholesome meals, green smoothies and Crio Brü! Have you heard of Crio Brü? It's made of ground up, roasted cocoa beans which you brew like ground coffee - no additives or junk - full of healthy, energy-boosting minerals and antioxidants, and it tastes great! Because the beans are roasted and brewed, it has 'the consistency, roasted flavor and complexity of a fine coffee, yet because it is made with cocoa beans, its primary flavors are chocolatey.' You can drink it just like you would brewed coffee, with milk and sugar if you like (or in my case, rapadura and coconut cream), but my favourite way to drink it is actually just black, as the flavour is more intense. Without milk and sugar, it smells like chocolate but the flavour is very similar to coffee. With milk and sugar it's more like drinking cocoa. 

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to cut down on sugar (of any kind, even rapadura - help!), and black tea, and the occasional coffee. So I'm really pleased I've found Crio Brü as it's a delicious and healthy alternative to tea and coffee. I started drinking Crio Brü when I was sick, (I drank it black and unsweetened), and I was amazed that it seemed to help settle my tummy. With brewed coffee, I find it bothers my tummy if I have very much, as the caffeine and chlorogenic acid in coffee affect the stomach lining, and cause an increase in gastric juices. I don't get an upset stomach with Crio Brü, or the shakiness which I get if I have a cup of strong coffee, so I'm loving it!

I'm really wanting to share the love with you all, because you've all been so wonderful this past year, supporting my blog and passing it on to friends, coming to have a chat both here and on my Facebook page - you guys are great! And as you may have noticed, last week was my blog's third birthday... So as a big THANK YOU for all your support, and because the Crio Brü team have been so kind in donating it, I have a special gift to give away this week! YIPPEE!! Who doesn't like presents - especially one as cool as this one?! Check it out... I love my Bodum travel mug. It's all stainless steel inside, no plastic lining.

Win a super cool, stainless steel
Bodum travel mug

and a 340g bag of Crio Brü Cavalla!

 

It's really easy to enter - all you have to do is:

1. ‘Like’ the Crio Brü facebook page

2. Then, post on their wall ‘Quirky Jo sent me!’

Too easy, huh! So go on, do it now... you've only got three days!! The prize will be randomly drawn on Thursday, so don't miss out. Pass it on to your friends, share it on Facebook, and if you don't win, make sure you order some Crio Brü to try for yourself - I'm sure you'll love it too. :)

(By the way, the chocolate covered cocoa beans are AWESOME - and there's no nasty additives in the chocolate - just a little sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla beans. No dairy, soy, gluten, nuts, etc, either.)

Okay, so on to my menu plan for this week... I'm continuing with the Varoma recipes theme, as there's so, so many good ones to choose from, and I really want to encourage you all to use your Thermomix to it's full potential. So if you haven't used your Varoma for a while, dust it off and try one of these. Don't forget to check out the other menus linked to this page - you're sure to find lots of inspiration. And feel free to link yours up too - for instructions on what to do, see this post about Thermomix Menu Plans. If you just want to know where to start in planning your own menu, see How to Menu Plan. And please don't forget to leave a comment if you link up, so I know you're there and can pop over and have a look at your page. :) Have a great week, and all the best for the New Year!

Sunny Scalloped Eggs & Silverbeet or Broccoli

Monday:
(lunch) With friends - taking Breudher and Thermie (to make whatever they want to make - her Thermomix is on it's way!) The Breudher is prepared and frozen, but uncooked - I'll thaw it out and cook it this morning. It's always nicest hot from the oven.
(dinner) Sunny Scalloped Eggs & Silverbeet - silverbeet (or broccoli) steams in the Varoma while eggs 'boil' (steam) in the basket in the bowl, then it's layered with a white or mushroom sauce and veges, and topped with buttered crumbs and baked.

Tuesday:
(lunch) Varoma demo here - if you've never been to a Varoma demo, the menu is: Fruity dream; pizza bianca; sun-dried tomato & red capsicum dip; dressing made from some of the dip; creamy chickpea and vegetable soup which cooks in the bowl while pumpkin, chicken & couscous (or quinoa) steam on top in the Varoma; warm chicken, pumpkin & couscous (or quinoa) salad, either Italian style or Moroccan style; and steamed lemon & coconut puddings with citrus syrup... deeeelicious!!
(dinner) Leftovers (plus more salad if needed) and steak.

Wednesday:
(lunch) Baked potatoes & salad
(dinner) Spaghetti & meatballs - pasta sauce cooks in bowl with meatballs steaming in Varoma; raw pasta is added to sauce towards end of cooking time to cook in bowl while meatballs finish cooking. I add lots of veges to the sauce, and just a little meat.

Thursday:
(lunch) Fish with tomato and potatoes (based on Salt Cod with Tomato and Potatoes on pg. 82 of Full Steam Ahead - the Thermomix Varoma cookbook) - the red sauce cooks in the bowl while the fish steams in the Varoma, you cook potato & capsicum slices in the bowl next (or in a pan at the same time if in a hurry!), then layer the sauce, veges and fish in a baking dish and top with homemade aoli and grill for 5 minutes to brown. Really yummy!
(dinner) Out

Steamed potato salad

Friday:
(lunch) Chicken & potato salad with sun-dried tomato mayonnaise - an old favourite!
(dinner) Risotto with whatever's in the fridge

Saturday:
(lunch) Vege pasta - tomato-vege pasta sauce cooking in bowl with spiralized vege 'pasta' steaming in Varoma - a grain free pasta - cutting down on grains is another one of my New Year's Resolutions! (Check out the Benriner if you haven't seen them - make your own 'pasta' from fresh vegetables)
(dinner) Beef Rendang with sticky rice - curry cooking in bowl, sticky rice steaming in Varoma. (See method here)

Sunday:
(lunch) Roast lamb & veges with steamed bread rolls (Varoma) - To steam your bread rolls, just make the dough as usual, rise once, then form into small rolls and place on pieces of baking paper in the Varoma, leaving spaces for the steam to get through. Sprinkle them with sesame seeds if you like. Let them rise for 10 minutes or so, then steam at Varoma temp for 20 minutes, speed 1. You can have a soup or sauce cooking underneath at the same time if you like, or just cover the blades with water. (May take 25 minutes, depending on size.)
(dinner) Leftovers

Oh, and here's another steamed bread option that we love - I'm going to fit this into the menu somewhere this week too: Chocolate Filled Steamed Buns with Cherry Sauce (my version of the one in the Thermomix Full Steam Ahead cookbook).

So what's on your menu this week? Link up with Mr Linky below, and don't forget to leave a comment! Or if you don't have a site to link to, just add your menu in the comments below. Thanks, and have a great week.