Rizogalo with Baklava Crumb from A Little Taste of Greece. A comforting, delicious and extremely budget friendly dessert that can be dressed up or down and enjoyed chilled. I think this is a perfect finish to a Greek dinner party; prepared ahead of time and served in glassware, topped with fresh figs, honey and Baklava Crumb.
A Little Taste of Greece pre-sale starts Friday the 22nd of May, 8pm SA time.
This Greek Rice Pudding is comforting, delicious and budget friendly. Serve with the Baklava Crumb on top or serve the crumb on yoghurt, fresh fruit, custard or even ice-cream.
This Saganaki Prawns Thermomix recipe is exclusive to A Little Taste of Greece Cookbook. Saganaki refers to a small dish that things are cooked in, but don’t stress if you don’t have one —a medium sized baking dish will work just as well! This flavour packed, 30 minute prawn dish will tempt and impress. Serve with crusty bread or Spanakorizo for a complete meal.
This Saganaki Prawns Thermomix recipe is or has variations to be:
This recipe can be made with prawns or chicken. For a more traditional take on the recipe make sure you pop the prawns in the sauce under the grill to melt the feta.
This Stifado Thermomix recipe is exclusive to the cookbook A Little Taste of Greece. I grew up eating Stifado with wild caught rabbit, and have fond memories of my dad simmering it for hours in the shed because mum wouldn’t let him cook it in the house. Because rabbit isn’t a popular protein choice, I have opted to write this recipe with beef—but see the slow cooker tip if you would like to give it a go with rabbit!
This Souvlaki is exclusive to the Thermomix Cookbook A Little Taste of Greece. It doesn’t get more Greek than Souvlaki, and while it is a very basic recipe, getting the balance of everything just right is important. I love how versatile this marinade is—it works well with chicken, pork, lamb, beef and fish and you can marinate your meat to BBQ, smoke, bake or fry.
Serve your Souvlaki on Pita Bread Wraps with Tzatziki and the delicious Lemon Oregano Potatoes.
Spanakorizo is a humble spinach and rice dish that is full of nutrients and flavour. You can enjoy it either hot or cold, and as a side dish or main. I love it with Danish feta crumbled over it and a generous squeeze of lemon juice.
This Thermomix rice recipe is exclusive to the A Little Taste of Greece Cookbook – available from the Skinnymixers Shop.
It pairs perfectly with the Saganaki Prawns or even on a Pita with Souvlaki & Tzatziki.
Any time there is a family function or a big group of us to feed, my Mum is guaranteed to cook her famous Pastitsio… and while this recipe is far from “skinny”, it would not be “A Little Taste of Greece” without it. I hope you can forgive me for this 😉
My Pita Bread Wraps Thermomix recipe has been a popular for a few years now in the Skinnymixers Community, and it was a happy mistake when I tried to create a pizza dough recipe and instead these came out. My mum makes these regularly because they freeze well and can be used for yiros, pizzas, wraps and platters.
With your Thermomix or Bimby, you can easily make your own Pita Bread Wraps at home and avoid all of the preservatives of shop bought wraps. This wrap recipe is sugar-free and dairy-free.
In this order add salt, flour, yeast, olive oil and water to mixer bowl, mix for 10 sec/speed 4/MC on.
Knead dough for 3 min/kneading function/MC on.
Leave the dough rest in the mixer bowl for 15 min.
Knead dough for 1 min/kneading function/MC on.
Remove dough from mixer bowl to a glass bowl or silicone mat. Yes the dough is sticky, its meant to be!
Flour considerably and roll out individual pita breads. Do them thinner than you think, as the yeast makes them rise on cooking.
Cook on medium heat on a dry frying pan for 2-3 min each side or until slightly browned.
Keep in a thermal server or wrap in a tea towel to keep warm.
Notes
Makes 10-12 wraps.Yes this dough is sticky! Its meant to be! Use extra flour while rolling and this will perfect them.I have successfully used whole meal, atta and spelt flour for these wraps.They freeze and defrost very well.Bellini UsersUse your blunt blade for this recipe.At step 1 mix on speed 6 for 10 seconds.At step 2 knead on speed 2/3 for 1 minute and then rest, 1 minute and then rest, then the final 1 minute knead.At step 4 knead on speed 2/3 for 1 minute.
These Zucchini & Feta Fritters from A Little Taste of Greece are beautifully fresh and a classic addition to your meze platter, or a light lunch, and can be enjoyed either hot or cold. This makes roughly 8 fritters, in fact our development team have taken to doing a double batch because of how delicious they are!
Exclusive to the cookbook A Little Taste of Greece these Thermomix fritters are or can be made:
These saucy Lemon Oregano Potatoes are no ordinary roasted potato—with the delicious lemon, garlic and stock flavours permeating the potatoes perfectly. I grew up eating these with roast lamb and I have attempted to create a healthier, quicker version than the way it is traditionally done.
This Moussaka Thermomix recipe is exclusive to A Little Taste of Greece. Growing up on a market garden farm, my parents spent many years growing eggplants for a living and subsequently we ate a lot of Moussaka.
This Sweet Potato Skordalia Thermomix recipe is exclusive to A Little Taste of Greece. Skordalia is traditionally made with white potato, but being Skinnymixers, I thought that I would put a healthier spin on this yummy garlic dip. Sweet potato is great because it has more fibre and a lower GI rating when compared with white potato, and I love the way the natural sweetness cuts through some of the raw garlic power of this dip.
These sweet, chewy almond biscuits are a great way to use up excess egg whites from the Avgolemono found in A Little Taste of Greece. They are naturally gluten free, and go exceptionally well with a frappé coffee.
When whipping egg whites in the Thermomix, you need to make sure your mixer bowl is super clean. If you are worried you can always do a vinegar wash to clean the mixer bowl in preparation.
100ggranulated sugar of choiceincrease to 150 g for sweeter
1tspvanilla extractor vanilla paste
1pinchsaltdecent size
50gnatural sliced almonds
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 170°C fan-forced and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Insert butterfly and whip egg whites for 40 sec/speed 4/MC on. Remove butterfly.
Add remaining ingredients except for almond flakes and combine for 30 sec/speed 4/MC on.
Put the sliced almonds on a plate. Take 1 tbsp of mixture and roll in to a ball. Press slightly in to almonds on plate, to achieve a thick round cookie shape. Put on baking tray. Repeat for remaining mixture. These won't spread or rise, so it’s ok to place them close to each other on the tray.
Bake for 13-15 min, until golden brown. Allow to cool completely before serving.
When I published my Greek book – A Little Taste of Greece – I knew I had to include a Tzatziki recipe, except it was always going to be my quick version done in my Thermomix versus the traditional way. In my blurb, I wrote about how I still love my big sister Kasias more – and lots of people have since asked to have a copy of her recipe too! So here it is… Love Nik xx
1kgFull Fat Yoghurt (Farmers Union Natural Pot Set or Jalna Pot Set)
1Continental Cucumber
¼Lemon
1clovegarlic
1tspolive oil
2tspsalt
Instructions
Put the yoghurt in muslin cloth, in a colander and then a bowl to catch the strained water. The aim is that the yoghurt doesn’t sit in the water so you may need an upside down cup or like between the colander and bowl
Leave for 2 days in the fridge emptying water regularly. You’ll be surprised how much comes out!
The day before serving wash cucumber and grate then squeeze out all the juice and sandwich with absorbent paper towel to suck out even more juice.
Add strained yoghurt and cucumber to large bowl.
Add crushed garlic, salt, and oil lemon juice. Give it a good strong stir mixing it well.
Cover with glad wrap and stick in the fridge over night.
Have a taste... like any Greek person when you ask for a recipe they’ll say... about this much... taste can change depending on seasons so if it doesn’t taste balanced you may need a bit more salt and/or a bit more lemon. When you’re happy pop it in your serving bowl and drizzle with the best extra virgin olive oil you can get your hands on
The results are in! The Skinnymixers Facebook Community have voted these 10 recipes as their favourite Skinnymixers Thermomix Soups.
Now some of these Soups are free recipes available on the blog & some of them are featured in the Skinnymixers Cookbooks.
Why not add one of these Winter warming classics to your meal plan and judge for yourself!
#10 Sopa de Lima (Lime Chicken Soup) from A Little Taste of Mexico
Sopa de Lima – A Little Taste of Mexico
This is one of Nikalene’s favourite recipes of all time… Sopa de Lima. She had never heard of it until a trip to Mexico where she fell in love with the tangy, salty rich broth. The soup has the added goodness of bone-in chicken broth & good fats from the avocados.
Crisp up some chicken skins to make chicken crackle, if you are low carb and can’t have the crunchy tortilla strips.
The Skinnymixers Pea & Ham Soup uses bacon bones that fits in the simmering basket, instead of the traditional ham hock. This results in the smoothest, perfectly seasoned Pea & Ham Soup that doesn’t take all day to make.
The Chicken & Vegetable Soup is definitely a family favourite Thermomix soup, I don’t even understand how you can get so much flavour from chicken & veggies ! This soup is seriously like a big warm hug in a bowl and perfect if you are feeling a bit under the weather.
The Curry Mee Laksa from A Little Taste of Asia has a cult following with its own obsessed subset of Skinnies.
I happen to think it’s as good as the Laksa I had in Malaysia & has been compared to the Parap Markets Laksa 😋 The low carb option with wombok noodles is my favourite!
The Creamy Chicken Cauliflower Soup is another cult classic, loved by many. It is soooo creamy without using any cream! Super low in fat and calories, this soup is filling and the addition of the shredded chicken makes it a complete meal.
#2 Chicken & Sweet Corn Soup from The Healthy Mix IV
Chicken & Sweet corn Soup from The Healthy Mix IV
The Chicken & Sweet Corn Soup recipe is exclusive to The Healthy Mix IV – but the number of times that I have cooked this recipe… it is totally worth the cost of buying the book for this recipe alone.
Chicken & Sweet Corn Soup has always been my go-to recipe to make me feel better when sick and after years of nagging, Nik finally blessed us with this recipe. I love to chuck it all in the slow cooker with creamed corn and extra chicken thigh and then shred the chicken when cooked. You can also use the whole eggs, if you aren’t watching your calorie intake and don’t want to waste the yolks. My kids absolutely love this soup.
This soup is so simple, low calorie and can be on the table in under 30 minutes. Extremely budget friendly and perfect for clearing out the sad looking vegetables in the bottom of the fridge. This tasty Bacon & Vegetable Soup in free on the website and also features in The Healthy Mix.
You can’t write a Greek recipe book without including the staple garlic yoghurt sauce, Tzatziki. There are many different ways to make this famous sauce. While I prefer the way my sister Kasia makes it, mine is a very simple cheat’s way.
Put garlic in to mixer bowl, chop for 3 sec/speed 9/MC on.
Add cucumber to mixer bowl, chop for 4 sec/speed 4/MC on.
Remove cucumber and garlic mixture to a chux, teatowel or muslin bag and squeeze excess water out.
Put cucumber and garlic mixture back in to mixer bowl. Add remaining ingredients and blend for 5 sec/speed 4/MC on.
Desirable to refrigerate for 1 hour before serving, sprinkle with paprika.
Notes
You can add a pinch of fresh chopped mint to the mixture if you wish.I use Jalna greek yoghurt with the dark blue lid.Bellini UsersUse blunt blade for this recipeAt step 4 blend for longer if necessary
This was the most amazing brisket I’ve ever eaten or cooked – thanks to the one and only Wolf Creek of The Smoking Joint for schooling me in offset smoking.
Smoked it with ironbark & cherry wood from Natural Smoke BBQ Woodsin the Rustic Soul then served with the delicious dick bun🤣 a whole community contributed to this cook as you can see!
First up for the Brisket leftovers
I chopped some of the insanely delicious Wagyu Beef Brisket leftovers and made my Chilli Con Carne recipe from the cookbook A Little Taste of Mexico.
Now my Chilli Con Carne recipe is for the Thermomix, however I ended up cooking this stovetop with half a can of Guinness.
The finished results was the most amazing Chilli Con Carne I have ever tasted!
I had left over brisket from mine and @thesmokingjoint brisket cook – so I thought I’d do a spin on my Chilli Con Carne with left over smoked @westholme brisket… I also added half a can of @guinness 🤭 this is hands down the best Chilli Con Carne I have ever made 🤭
Now onto the Pies !
I think turning your leftovers into pies is one of the most versatile options. First up I made a Chilli Con Carne Pie with pickled Jalapeños, but honestly you could use any of my pie filling recipes to create a sauce/ flavour base.
And when you have tonnes of Smoked Brisket Chilli Con Carne… you make pies with pickled jalapeño 🤤 @westholme wagyu brisket cooked with @thesmokingjoint
And if you still have enough Smoked @westholme brisket left over that you could feed a small army… you make your famous Mac & Cheese with a Twist and put that in to a pie with the left over Chilli Con Carne 🤤🤤🤤🤤@thesmokingjoint is to blame for any weight I gain this week.
Chile Con Queso + Brisket
With so much meat leftover I thought I had better give the latest Smoked Chile Con Queso trend a go on my Traeger Timberline 850.
Using my Chile Con Queso recipe from my cookbook A Little Taste of Mexico, I popped the ingredients into my cast iron dish with some chopped brisket leftovers. Then into the Traeger Timberline 850 until the cheese melted and combined when stirred.
It is super important to watch this dish, to avoid the cheese splitting. Let’s just say the end result was amazing but definitely NOT Skinny.
How can all of that cheese, brisket & spices not be delicious?!?And when you still have tonnes of beautiful smoked @westholme brisket left over you make Smoked Chile Con Queso on your @traegergrills Timberline 850 ! Ummm adding the brisket took my already amazing Chile Con Queso to a whole other level. @thesmokingjoint
Still have Beef Brisket Leftovers ?
These are some of my Thermomix recipes that lend themselves to the addition of BBQ Beef Brisket leftovers.
I miss traveling so much! I thought it might be fun to take a little Skinnymixers Trip to France to celebrate Bastille Day this year with a menu plan full of French Thermomix Recipes. On the menu is…
Appetiser: Apricot & Almond Warm Brie, Entree: French Onion Soup, Main: Pork Fillet Dinner with Béarnaise Sauce & Dessert: Mousse au Chocolate.
I think I’ve always been in love with France and French cuisine. France will always hold a special place in my heart & not just for the amazing wine! This is footage from my research trip to France in 2017, where I found the inspiration for my cookbook A Little Taste of France.
There are so many favourites in A Little Taste of France, with most recipes being quite budget friendly and family friendly.
Appetiser:
If you haven’t made the Apricot & Almond Warm Brie, you are truly missing out. In the cookbook we also have a couple of different fruit & nut variations plus a very popular Low Carb friendly Pistou version.
This French Onion Soup Thermomix recipe is gluten free, nut free, egg free and freezer friendly. In the book in true Skinnymixers style we also have variations to make it dairy free, low carb, super skinny (low calorie, Paleo and vegetarian.
There is also a slow cooker variation that you can take advantage of to have dinner nearly ready when you return home from work!
Main:
The Pork Fillet Dinner with Béarnaise Sauce is truly restaurant quality and you may want to drink that sauce! You can increase the vegetable in the steaming trays if you have a few mouths to feed. We don’t recommend increasing the potato though, if you need more mash you may like to consider doing it on the stovetop.
Dessert:
Prepare your Mousse au Chocolat ahead of schedule and take the dessert out of the fridge 20 minutes prior to serving to allow it to soften if it has hardened slightly.
Just thinking of all this French food takes me back to France, I hope this Skinnymixers trip to France has inspired you to treat your tastebuds for Bastille Day!
Love Nik xx
P.S. Below are some of the pastries I had in Dijon & the La Grande Epicerie …
Gosh I miss Paris !
P.P.S. How could I not share the most adorable throwback to my daughter Lani enjoying some escargot at a local French restaurant in Adelaide!
My daughter Lani enjoying her escargot in a French restaurant
Recently I went a little crazy with the vegetable specials and have ended up with half a fridge full of Broccoli. I know broccoli is quite cheap at the moment, so I thought I would compile a list of ‘What to do with Broccoli’ Thermomix recipes.
I recently asked the Skinnymixers Facebook Group, what they would make with all the Broccoli that ‘healthy’ me bought when grocery shopping. Here are some of the tips and recipes for Broccoli.
Roasted Broccoli – just cut and place on a tray with some oil. Top with a little grated parmesan or garlic if you like.
Sesame Roasted Broccoli – roast with sesame oil and top with toasted slivered almonds.
Broccoli Salad – small florets, raisins, grated cheese, pine nuts, crispy bacon crumbled, mayonnaise.
Broccoli Rice – to freeze or use.
Bacon & Broccoli Fritters from The Healthy Mix II
The first thing I made was…
Bacon & Broccoli Fritters with Ranch Sauce
Is there a better combination than bacon & broccoli??
This recipe is exclusive to The Healthy Mix II, but is seriously worth the cost of the book for this recipe alone.
The fritter mix will thicken a little on standing and is a bit like a pancake mix – where you spoon the mix into a hot pan to cook.
Alternatively you could also use your pie maker to cook uniform fritters.
Please don’t forget the Ranch sauce… it is the best bit!
There are post after post in the Skinnymixers FB Group of Skinnies forgetting to get cauliflower or not having enough, so they have substituted in some broccoli into the Creamy Chicken & Cauliflower Soup recipe.
Last weekend I spent 3 nights at the stunning Limestone Coast with my good friends The Smoking Joint (TSJ), after we were asked to help take over the The Tasting Room at Mayura Station for a special sold out Low & Slow BBQ event.
This is the first time I have ever catered an event with the “Skinnymixers” name attached to it… but I knew it would be perfection with TSJ involved and Mayura meat.
TSJ put our hand up to do not only one… but two courses… the first course and dessert.
TSJ Takes A Bao!
The Smoking Joint and I had the absolute honour of cooking the entree dish for the Low & Slow BBQ event at the Mayura Station Tasting Room – no pressure being the first dish off the pass eh?
Introducing the TSJ Takes A Bao! – a 9 Hour Cherry Wood Smoked Bulgogi Beef Cheek Bao, seasonal fresh pickle vegetables and gochujang sauce.
TSJ Takes a Bao!
We made everything from scratch (except the bao) for this beautiful dish – the rub for beef cheeks, bulgogi braise, the pickling solution & the gochujang sauce in my Thermomix and the boys smoked the beef cheeks in their big smoker to absolute perfection.
Oh and we can’t forget my hand foraged wild garlic flowers 😜
My only complaint was that I was in the kitchen & not a dining guest!
Bulgogi Beef Cheeks smoked by The Smoking Joint
SM Wood Cheesecake!
But how can we feed such a beautiful crowd of people without including The Smoking Joint’s World Championship winning smoked cheesecake?
For dessert we present the “SM Wood Cheesecake” – Traeger 2hr smoked cheesecake with raspberry lemon coulis, callebaut ganache and crushed honeyed cashew. Skinnymixers or not, I would eat this cheesecake all day every day.
The Smoking Joint and I prettied up their World Championship Cheesecake for the tasting room at @mayurastation ! These gorgeous cheesecakes were smoked over applewood for 2 hours, finished off with a raspberry lemon coulis, ganache & crushed honey cashew crumb. 🤤
What an experience, it certainly gives me even more respect for Chefs and how hard they work… I am EXHAUSTED.
Holly Wood, Wolf Creek & Rhett from The Smoking Joint in for the long night ahead smoking.Mayura Station has some of the most beautiful cattle
We made a mammoth effort to pull this off, and I had the best time doing it – I couldn’t have been more proud of what we created and executed.
Thank you Mayura Station for giving us the honour of cooking in your kitchen, with your world class wagyu.
What makes Mayura Wagyu so unique is this delicious blend of bickies, chocolate & lollies that is fed to the cattle.
