Oaty Chocolate Caramel Rice Bubble Bars

Well by now the kids will have settled back into school.

If you are lucky/unlucky enough to be here in Sydney, the poor kids will have not only had to settle back into the classrooms, but they have had to deal with the extreme heat that we have been experiencing  (I feel like I am melting!!!).

If you are looking for a little something to add to their lunchboxes here is a really easy recipe that they will love to eat.

Oaty Chocolate Caramel Rice Bubble Bars
adapted from a recipe found in Good Taste February edition

Makes 14 bars


Melted butter to grease pan
4 cups rice bubbles
1 cup rolled oats
1 can (395g) condensed mik (skim if you like)
60g butter
80ml (1/3 cup) honey
230g milk chocolate chips

Grease a 20 x 30cm cake pan with the melted butter.  Line the base and both long sides with baking paper, just make one long piece and drape it in!!

Place the rice bubbles and the oats in a large bow, mix to combine.  Make a well in the centre.

Combine the condensed milk, butter and honey in a small saucepan.  Stirring constantly over low heat, cook for 10 minutes, or until the mixture turns pale caramel in colour. (Do not take your eyes off the mixture, or stop stirring - or it will turn on you in an instant!!!!.

Add the caramel mixture to the oat and rice bubble mixture.  Stir until well combined.  Add approximately 1/2 of the packet of chocolate chips to the mixture - they will melt - but that is OK - it makes it kind of chocolately and caramel at the same time!!

Press the mixture into the prepared baking tray, pressing firmly.

Sprinkle over the remaining chocolate chips, pushing them gently into the mixture.

Place in the fridge for several hours to set.

Cut into bars - and voila - you have happy kids!!!!

Store in an airtight container in the fridge!!

PS the big kids like these too!!!

So Dear Readers do you have any tips for surviving the heat - please tell!!!

Spaghetti and Meatballs in the Thermomix

While last night's meal was not particularly gourmet or spectacular I thought I would tell you about it anyway, just to show you how versatile the Thermomix is.

Those of you that live in Sydney will have suffered along with me in the sweltering summer heat yesterday.  At my house it was 42 degrees C at 5 pm (for those of you in the U.S that is over 107 degrees F!!!)  It was HOT!!!!  So I got to thinking what can I make for dinner that is not going to have me slaving away over a hot stove (and much and all as I would like a salad - "The Darlings" ain't never going to go for it - so I will have to cook for them anyway!)  Also we had afternoon sport (oh what joy, now that school is back!!!)

So..... I decided to experiment a little with my "toy" and see how I could "multi task" with the Thermomix and make my life a little simpler/cooler.

My meatball recipe was pretty simple

Meatballs
Serves 5-6

500g lean pork mince
500g chicken breast mince
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 onion, finely diced
1 tbs dried basil leaves
1 tbs dried oregano leaves
1 tbs vegetable stock concentrate
freshly ground black pepper

Place the onion and garlic in the TM bowl and chop for 4 seconds on speed 7.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Chop again if necessary.

Add the minces and seasonings.  This is where I experimented - I used the "knead" function of the TM to combine the mixture - I "kneaded" the mixture for approximately 1 1/2 minutes until all the ingredients were combined.  Perfect - meant I didn't have to get my hands in there!!!

Next I just took small spoonfuls of the mixture and rolled them into balls (I know I still had to get a little dirty!!).  I placed the meatballs on the two levels of the varoma (the tray and the receptacle).  Then put them in the fridge while I got the sauce going.

Now onto the sauce.  I basically used the recipe from the Everyday Cooking for Every Family Cookbook - but made a couple of changes.

Tomato Sauce

1 kg fresh ripe tomatoes
1/2 red capsicum
35g olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch fresh basil
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs vegetable stock concentrate

Place all the ingredients in the TM bowl and pulverise for 1 minute on speed 10.  Make sure that all the ingredients are fully pulverised - repeat if necessary.

Cook for 30 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed soft.  Make sure you leave the measuring cup at an angle to prevent too much "spitting" of the sauce.

After 30 minutes, scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Place the varoma with the meatballs on top, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes.  Place the meatballs and sauce into your thermoserver (it keeps things hot or cool - kind of like a thermos!!)

Rinse out your TM bowl.

Now place water into the the TM bowl (approx 1200g), add a little salt.  Cook for 14 minutes at 100C on speed 1.

Add your required amount of pasta, then cook for an additional 8-10 minutes at 100 degrees on Reverse and speed soft.

Drain, and serve with the meatballs!!!

As I said, nothing fancy or exotic - but look how easy it all was using the Thermomix!!!  No slaving over the stove stirring - Thermie did all the hard work for me!!!

Washing up was a breeze - the TM is so easy to clean.  I should know I had used it several times already yesterday afternoon to make homemade peanut butter and nuttella.  I don't know what I did before I had my little "buddy" to help me in the kitchen!!!

So Dear Readers how did you survive the heat yesterday???  Better batten down the hatches - it's going to be a scorcher again today - what is this day three or day four??  I have lost count - the brain is fried!!!

Keep Cool Dear Readers!!!