Thermomix Menu Plans - 7th May

How's the menu planning going, everyone? Anyone want to join in posting your menu plan each week? It's been a bit sparse lately! You can make your plan as detailed or vague as you like - even if it's just a list of the main meals you're thinking of making for the week, that's great. I'm only posting main meals at the moment, basically because I'm flat out and I don't have time for long blog posts... I know you can do it. Even my 8 year old daughter writes out meal plans - see?

Um, yeah. I think I need to re-train her.

Oh well, as long as it's banana 'ice-cream' and natural sprinkles, I won't worry too much. ;) Or maybe I'll just make her this healthy 'Breakfast Sorbet'...

Breakfast Sorbet

This is kind of a nut and muesli sorbet, very filling and healthy -
a great breakfast (or mid-morning snack) during warmer weather!

This week I thought I'd share some breakfast recipe links for those who need breakfast time inspiration. I really don't know how some people can stand to have the same old 'weetbix and toast' for breakfast every day - not my idea of fun. Or good health, either. So here's a few of our favourite breakfasts - I hope these recipes will make you excited to get up in the morning!

Pina Colada Porridge

Cook up some porridge using rice or quinoa flakes, add some coconut cream

and a dash of vanilla extract, top with fresh pineapple, sliced banana,

fresh grated coconut (or dry shredded), chopped macadamia nuts,

and a sprinkle of rapadura (optional). Or for a completely raw, grain free version,

try soaking some chia seeds in coconut cream and water for half an hour to

make a raw porridge, then add remaining ingredients. Yum!

(Pina Colada Porridge is from Cyndi O'Meara's 'Changing Habits, Changing Lives Cookbook' - check it out for heaps of delicious breakfast ideas.)

Quick Quinoa Granola

This really is so quick to make for breakfast - quinoa flakes, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, a little honey or pure maple syrup, a little coconut oil and spices... too easy.

Grain Free Sultana Spice Bread

Make this the day before and enjoy it toasted for breakfast. Contains no

 sugar, only a couple of tablespoons of honey and an apple to sweeten.

Leave out the honey if you can't have it.

Fruit Salad

This is something the kids like to make for breakfast - no need for a

recipe for this. If you've always got plenty of fresh fruit on hand,

 it's easy to whip up a great salad for breakfast.

Sprinkle with some chopped nuts for protein, and shredded coconut

if you like, and even some raw cacao nibs for extra crunch

and an added energy boost!

Berry Nougat

An extra special breakfast! Berries, sultanas, almonds, cacao nibs,

nut butter, and pure maple syrup - so good.

Waffle Iron Brownies

Another special one - chocolate waffles with cashew cream...

and chocolate sauce if you're feeling really decadent!

Brown Rice Waffles (or Pancakes)

This waffle/pancake recipe is very versatile - you can use pretty much any grain (or buckwheat, or quinoa) to make them. I often make them with buckwheat and almonds. The ones in the picture above are made completely from brown rice, ground in the Thermomix. So simple, and very light and crispy. We like them with fruit, pecans and pure maple syrup. Or the pancakes we like to sprinkle with rapadura and drizzle with lemon juice.

Those are a few breakfast ideas... we also eat a lot of eggs for breakfast (scrambled, poached, fried, boiled, omelettes...), meat (with scrambled eggs, or with rice, or stir fried with veges), sometimes toast (spelt or gluten free bread), porridge with fruit in it, and generally a smoothie or fresh juice of some sort. For smoothie and juice ideas, see this post.

Shrek Juice

Now, before I go on to my menu plan, can I just put in a little plug for my blog? If you haven't already voted for the Best Australian Blog for 2012 - People's Choice Award, how about voting for mine! :D All you need to do is click on the button on the right at the top of my blog, and follow the prompts. Hurry, there's only two days left to vote!! Thank you! :)

So what's cooking this week? Here's our plan - I hope a few of you will link up your menu plans below with the Mr. Linky widget too... If you need help knowing what to do, read Thermomix Menu Plans. If you'd like some help getting started with menu planning, read How to Menu Plan.

Monday:
Creamy Chicken & Brown Rice Soup - an old favourite, loved by many! To bulk it out, I cooked it on Varoma temp with zucchini and peas steaming on top, and extra chicken in the soup. You could add all sorts of veges this way, and stretch it to feed a bigger family.

Tuesday:

Steak, steamed veges, and Cauliflower 'Cheese' - veges (including cauliflower) steamed in Varoma; 'cheesey sauce' cooked in Thermomix and poured over cauliflower, then browned quickly under grill.

Wednesday:
Sausage Casserole with Dumplings - sausages are cooked in the Varoma while a red sauce simmers below in the bowl; sauce and sausages are removed to a baking dish, and dumplings made in bowl, then dropped onto casserole and baked in the oven. Comfort food!

Thursday:
Fish with quinoa salad - shallow fried fish (cooked like this); quinoa cooked in Thermomix rice basket then mixed with salad ingredients.

Friday:
Baked sweet potatoes with toppings and leafy green salad - baked beans with mince and/or 'cheesey sauce'.

Saturday:
Split Roasted Chicken with Lemon Sauce, mashed potatoes, leafy green salad - mashed potatoes and lemon sauce prepared in Thermomix.

Sunday:
Chicken & Avocado Omelettes, tomato soup, and leafy green salad - omelettes cooking in Varoma while soup cooks in bowl underneath. (See Varoma cookbook for how to make omelettes in the Varoma. Tomato soup is my tweaked version - will try and post recipe soon.)

Quinoa Salad

Want to share your favourite recipes with us so we can be inspired too? Link up your menu plan below!