thermoMINX

Cranberry Granola Bars - NUT FREE!

2011-09-26T17:29:00.001+08:00

Crannie Grannies

Or as I like to call them...the Cranny Grannies!

I used the same recipe for Cherry Grannies but swap the nuts for the same amount of mixed seeds. I added a whole pack of "Freshlife" brand Triple Fruit Treat - mango, cranberries and blueberries (150g). I also had half a pack of glace ginger that I had finely chopped and added. I think these were a little more interesting for the fruity combo. I will definitely buy the Triple Fruit Treat again. Not too dry...nothing worse than dry dried fruit!

These were in lunch boxes today and I find them filling, not too sweet, not too crunchy - just right. I find it really hard to get nut free bars or recipes for them. It's a dilemma for us as we all work in schools and of course Lil is a little kiddie still in need of semi healthy lunch box materials.

Yours in nut-free, lunch box goodness,
ThermoMINX

Thermo Star Meets Thermo Star

2011-09-25T20:03:00.000+08:00

Watch what happens when Thermo Stars collide! Just kidding. Sorry Tenina, I think I caught you blinking...

Have a look at this first clip of Helene's interview with Tenina and then the second part...

And then you are bound to be itching - as I am to see Part 3 when Tenina makes some sort of announcement.

Your nerdy Thermo viewer,
ThermoMINX

Piri Piri Chicken Sauce

2011-09-25T19:55:00.000+08:00

Yes it looks like the inside of a nappy. No it doesn't taste or smell anything like it. It's really flavoursome and tasty. I am itching to try this again on a big tray of chicken pieces, wings, legs etc. However, for eye candy scroll down to the next story and it's all cupcakey loveliness.

You will find the recipe for Piri Piri Sauce on page 122 of Jamie's 30 Minute Meals, you can make the sauce entirely in Thermie. To convert it put the lemon zest in first and mill for 5 seconds on speed 10, then add all the other ingredients and blast for 10 seconds on speed 10 - check, add a little water and go again until its a nice paste. I am not rewriting the ingredients here because I don't want to get smacked for copyright. You need to buy this book if you are looking for dinner ideas to make in your Thermie - yes Dani I am talking to you!

One of the other great and easily converted recipes is on page 42 Trapani Style Rigatoni. Basically it's an almond and basil pesto. Funny story, my ungrateful children won't eat pesto, they accused me "Is that pesto?" I replied "No, it's Trapani style rigatoni..." They ate it all. Mwah, ha ha! The 17 year old did say it reminded her of pesto but was a bit different...FOOL!

Yours in pucker tucker,
ThermoMinx

Cupcake Decorating

2011-09-24T19:12:00.002+08:00

My Wild Sugar Rose cupcakes...

I went to a fabulous class this morning at Wild Sugar Rose to learn how to decorate cupcakes with "Stunning Swirls." I think I may have been the Ed Support kid of the group as I seemed to struggle with wielding an icing bag, not to mention my stuff up using the coffee machine, ah hem.

I even learned to make the little molded purple rose...eeek!

The classes are run by Meredith who makes it all look easy and has a great set up in her studio. I feel the $95 class fee was money well spent as I now know how to ice five different ways and do some simple molding with gum paste/fondant icing. You also take home a beautiful box of 6 cupcakes hand decorated by yourself. The class ran for three hours and went by in a very enjoyable flash. If you go take an extra $20-30 as you will want to purchase some the ingredients and equipment. The green iced cakes are some of the cakes I made at class. My auntie and my eldest daughter came along and we all enjoyed it immensely and left with a feeling of accomplishment and pride.

Cupcake masterpiece by Lily...

I would love to go to college classes and do cake decorating and learn how to apply smooth icing and make sugar roses. I think that might fall into next year's New Year's resolutions as this year is jam packed and fast running out.

Made by my child genius...

Beauty and the nerd...

I came home all inspired and Lily and I set to work. Can I say with no hint of parental pride...the child has talent! Cupcake talent. We knocked up a double batch of frosting and cakes and used some of the fondant left over from her birthday cake to make our own creations. I was really just the kitchen lacky shuttling cakes across the bench and refilling her piping bag.

I used my trusty ole' Kitchen Aid stand mixer for the cupcakes but can see no real difference in the outcome when I throw all the ingredients into Thermie for 40 secs on speed 4/5. However, I tried to make the professional butter-cream frosting in Thermie and it wasn't the best - I swapped to ole' trusty with better results. So, cake batter in Thermie, frosting in KA.

I used a modified cupcake recipe of my own. Preheat your oven to 180c and lines to cupcake trays with cupcake papers.

Do this in Thermie;

230g soft unsalted butter (room temp)
230g raw organic sugar
230g sr flour
4 free range eggs - room temp
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 pinch of salt (if you're posh use Tahitian Vanilla Salt that you bought in Melbourne)
1 Tblsp of milk (I use hi-lo)

Weigh in sugar and mill for 3 seconds on Speed 10. If you were using a vanilla pod you could scrape in the seeds and mill with the sugar.
Weigh in/ add all other ingredients.
Mix on Speed 4/5 for 40 seconds.

Place tablespoons of mixture into paper cases - this makes about 20.

Bake for 15-20 minutes on 180c depending on your oven.

Cool before decorating. These don't rise much - they are perfect for decorating, you don't want humps people, not even lovely lady humps!

Yours in sticky delights,
ThermoMINX

Cherry Granola Bars "Cherry Grannies"

2011-09-22T16:47:00.001+08:00

Cherry Grannies

These are 'easy peasy lemon squeezy.' I will definitely make these again and they are gluten free too. I think you could make a nut free version by replacing the nuts with puffed brown rice, but then they would have gluten. I'll give it a go - it's good to have nut-free snacks for school lunches.Any suggestions for replacement items for nuts that are gluten free?

Pre-heat oven to 180c and line a baking pan - lamington pan.

You will need:

250g oats - measure only 50g in first
70g almonds
50g pecans
80g sunflower seeds
90g dried cherries
Pinch of salt
350g sweetened condensed milk

Measure in 50g of the oats and blast the living daylights out of them for 10 seconds on speed 10. You will have a very fine meal. I took the TM out and gave it a shake to loosen it.

Measure in the remaining oats and all other dry ingredients then mix on reverse, speed 4 for 2 seconds.

Add sweetened condensed milk and mix on speed 4 for 20 seconds.

Scrape into a square lamington pan or similar squarish tin an press mix down with damp fingers.

Bake for 30 minutes on 180c. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares - it hardens as it cools.

Cherry Grannies for your cuppa...

I think I might drizzle these with melted chocolate next time too so that they are more desirable to smaller people. Or replace the cherries with crannies and add white choc chips. Nom, nom, nom.

Yours in school snackage,
ThermoMINX

Buttermilk Scones

2011-09-22T10:26:00.000+08:00

Buttermilk Scones nestled in their tin fresh from the oven

Lily is off sick and had a hankering for a nice 'Cream Tea.' She reads too much Enid Blyton...next she'll be asking for a bottle of milk and some nice mackerel paste sandwiches.

Anyway, I used the method from the EDC - I didn't have quite enough buttermilk so I topped it up with ordinary milk. I ended up having to use more flour as the mixture was very soft - amoebic even.

They turned out beautifully and I think this may replace my Woman's Weekly recipe favourite from now on. Nothing nicer than a fresh scone jam and cream, except maybe toasted left-over scones with fresh butter and local honey.

If you haven't had a go at these I recommend them. Let me know if you had to top up the flour or if you added some yummy bits and bobs.

Devonshire Tea...mmmmm

Yours in cream/Devonshire tea,
ThermoMINX

Best Chicken Pie Eva

2011-09-21T09:15:00.000+08:00

Remember I mentioned that chicken pie from Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals book? Here is a picture of it in all it's glistening, crispy, puffed deliciousness. And, yes, you just lay the sheet of pastry on the top, no fiddling about. I criss crossed mine with a knife and brushed it twice with egg wash. I let the egg wash dry before I add a second coat - I saw a French pastry chef do this on telly once.

Yours in Pie,

ThermoMINX

Food Nirvana...some people call it Melbourne

2011-09-20T18:04:00.000+08:00

I just got back from 4 amazing days in Melbourne - food mecca of Australia. I love Melbourne! The people are friendly and chatty, the food is cheap and top notch, the atmosphere at night time is electric...I could go on and on.

Pizza's with amazing vegie coloured bases

Here are a few food highlights;

I went on a chocolate tour - through Chocoholics with the very lively Suzie who knows everything about chocolate that there is to know. I did an afternoon tea walk and it was super value at $37 per person. We visited five chocolatiers and my favourite was 'Chokolait,' who sold the most amazing shiny chocolate frogs in bright, raspberry red. The tour ends at the amazing Laurent Patisserie for a cake and cuppa - you won't need to eat until late that evening!

Hand rolled salmon with cream cheese...

I loved the Queen Victoria Markets - the food there was amazing. So much choice and so fresh and so cheap. We have nothing that compares here in Perth...! I love Perth, but come on people, our markets cannot compare! Wahhhhh! I took photos of the beautiful delicatessen foods to remind me of all the ideas I want to pinch and try at home, like the cream cheese salmon rolls and the beetroot pizza bases. Definitely got some food inspiration and ideas.

On Lygon Street I found an amazing little shop called Gewurshaus that sold beautiful kitchen wares and amazing salts and spices. I spent a small fortune and came away with 5 teeny little packages. Tonight I am making Leek and Potato Soup but will be dressing it with some pan fried potatoes made with Bratkartoffel Salz - fried potato salt. Nomminess to the max! I love the idea of having something a little extra with soup to kick it from ordinary to special. I love the idea of the flavoured salts, little crispy fried spuds or croutons. Soup is the ultimate nourishment isn't it? For the tummy and the soul. I steamed my spuds in the Varoma for 8 minutes before frying in duck fat and then dressing with the salt, garlic and freshly cut herbs from my wee vegie garden.

You may have noticed I have 'Monetized' the blog. There are some small ads popping up now - you are under no obligation to hit the buttons but by all means do if they interest you. I do this for love! Love of FOOD and the Thermie!

Yours in market jealousy,

ThermoMINX

Jamie's 30 Minute Meals

2011-09-11T20:23:00.000+08:00

Some of my cook book collection now topping out at about 120...ooops!

I received this from my middle gal for my birthday - as you will know if you read this regularly I LOVE Jamie and Nigella. No criticisms shall be entered into or borne! So I was delighted to get this book as I had been slavering over it in the shops for some time.

I love it. It's my next favourite after Ministry of Food. I love the layout in menus. I love the cheat tips like boiling the kettle and using processors etc. In fact, this book is a perfect partner to the Thermie as most dishes use a blender or processor. What more could you ask from a cook book? So far the big winner here is the Chicken Pie with Carrot Mash. It's utterly delicious - I've made it twice. I have also made the broccoli orichetti, which is a fab use of Thermie = you make your sauce by blitzing the stalks of the broccoli and broccolini. I have tried the dark cherry brownie - also using Thermie. I have tried the Jerk Chicken. What else? A bunch of stuff! Very usable!

However, a word to the wise, you need your own herb garden as all the recipes call for lots of herbs and I am very happy to say I can pop out my back door for all but coriander (which runs straight to seed when I attempt to grow it). I think it would be pricey here in Aus to be buying bunches of herbs for every meal. I also battle to make some of the meals in 30 minutes...I think it may be because I am stopping to tie laces, listen to reading, sign reading diaries, fish out pocket money for school banking, charging my laptop (after finding the cable), playing Words With Friends and trying to keep a handle on my burgeoning paper-work mountain. All whilst trying to have that 'How was your day dear' convo with the hubster. Anyway...

I will endeavour to photograph some of the meals I make from this book soon, I have a new camera at long last.

Yours in positive Jamie reviews,
ThermoMINX

Meatballs and Spaghetti

2011-09-11T20:10:00.001+08:00

What better a meal for a Sunday evening supper? I'm sorry for my absence from Blogland...I really am. I would love to have had the spare time to blog but alas, alack, life has been crazy busy. I had all the best of intentions this month re this here bloggy, I was all set to launch into Facebook stardom (ba ha ha) but it was not to be.

So to make these delicious little morsels here is what you need:

1 sprig of rosemary, thyme and a handful of parsley
2 garlic cloves
1 spring onion topped, tailed and chopped into chunks
1/2 tsp salt (flavoured if you're posh like me)
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

1 egg
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 squirt of Heinz ketchup
1 package of really good free range pork mince (500g)

Throw the first 5 items into your TM and blast for 3 seconds or so on speed 6.
Scrape down. Add all other ingredients and pulse on turbo with the lid locked until you can see things are well amalgamated through the viewing hole.

Now scoop out teaspoons of mixture and form into wee balls with wet hands. Pop in fridge while you muck about with the sauce stuff.

Sauce:
1 red chilli deseeded and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion, topped, tailed and quartered
1 or 2 sprigs each of rosemary, thyme and parsley
1 carrot, topped tailed and roughly chopped

1 can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt
pinch of cracked black pepper
1/2 the tomato can of water

Oil for saucepan

Now swill out the TM and add the first 5 ingredients - blast on speed 6 for a few seconds.
Add all other ingredients and cook on 100c for 6 minutes speed 2.

Meanwhile start to brown your meatballs in a saucepan that you have heated a slug of oil in. I like to cook mine on a low heat and gently toss about with a wooden spatula thingy.

When all your meatballs are browned add the sauce from Thermie and allow to bubble away on a low heat. Slug of red wine doesn't hurt here.

Now rinse the TM bowl out but don't be precious. Fill to the litre mark with kettle water and add 250g of Angle Hair pasta setting the Thermie for 8 minutes on 100c, reverse, sp 2.

When the pasta is cooked I strain and hurl the lot in with the meatballs and sauce. I mix it all gently and shave over some parmesan. Nice fork dish to slurp through on the couch while watching re-runs of "The Vicar of Dibley."

I just want to mention that I use free range eggs - I love Ella's Eggs for the funky packaging and lovely story of the hot young thing with her own chook farm. I also buy whatever free range pork mince I can get - this is Plantagenet and very good - very lean.

Nom, nom, nom.

Yours in little free form balls of nomminess,
ThermoMINX

Chocolate Limes Cheesecake Sorta...Inspired by Nigella

2011-08-18T21:41:00.004+08:00

You can see I am in the mood to cook...Nigella Bites - my fav - Trash Chapter - buy it now! I have made so many recipes from this book. The Chocolate pots are just THE BEST.

I made this today for the sheer heck of it. I may or may not take it into work for the poor schleps who have to work a Friday...

Blitz 200g of organic raw sugar with the zest of two limes, set aside.

I used 200g chocolate biscuits (Arnott's) and whizzed them on speed 9 for about 6 seconds - I like a fine crumb. I added 80g of chopped butter (soft, room temp, home made) and pulsed on turbo about 6 times. Check and see if it is damp without yellow blobs. I mixed a handful of white choc chips through this too. Why? Why not?

Tip this into a 20 cm spring-form pan and press down. I use the bottom of a very flat drinking glass - I think it used to have Nutella in it. Pop in the fridge to set while you mess about with the filling.

Now dear Thermo addicts - you could do this in Thermie but I had dinner cooking in it so I used my almost as beloved Kitchen Aid mixer.

Cream two packs of Philly cream cheese until and white and softly fluffy.

With the paddle still mixing on low, add 200g of raw organic sugar/lime zest and keep mixing.

Then add four eggs and two yolks - I used 'real eggs' from a friend and they are an amazing colour.

Use the juice of really good juicy limes - 4 of them. Also from some 'random at work' - who were you? I also added a tbs of Triple Sec...1 for me, 1 for the cake.

*Thermie instructions (play about but this what I would do) - mix cheese on speed 5 for about 20 seconds, scrape down, check and go again. Add lime/sugar and go again, check after 15 secs. Insert butterfly and mix on speed 2 adding eggs through the hole then juice for about 20-30 seconds more. You may need to scrape and fiddle about. Add your thoughts in comments. I would have juice, Triple Sec and eggs ready in little bowls.

Pour this amazing, golden custard into the spring-form pan over the chocolate base. I double wrap the outside of the pan in two layers of alfoil. Put the pan in a baking dish and then pour boiling water into the baking dish until it comes about half way up the side. See my new kettle in the photo above - beaut isn't it?

Bake on 180c for 1 hour. It's quite wibbly when you take it out but nicely golden. Pop in the fridge to set and cool. I dust mine with actual chocolate lime sweets from an international lolly shop that I have pulverised on speed 10 in thermie. It adds a nice glinty, sugary yumminess. The beauty of them being a little stale from shipping is that they blitz well. I may - drizzle with melted dark choc...hmmm...

Thoughts?

I HEART Nigella,
ThermoMINX

Put a betta bitta butta on yur bread...

2011-08-18T21:21:00.000+08:00

Tenina's citrus butter...you can see it makes a generous amount.

I made this amazing citrus butter tonight using Tenina's recipe and it is like lime velvet. I had lemons from my Aunty and limes from work and eggs from a friend - it was a perfect storm!

I strained mine after cooking cause I don't like bits...I can feel some tarts coming on...

I sterilised my jars in the rice basket, Varoma, 15 mins speed 4. I had to do one at a time cause they are quite big jars.

Yours in delicious butter,
ThermoMINX

Parmy Chook!

2011-08-18T21:14:00.000+08:00

Yes, this is my own variation of that Aussie Pub classic, Chicken Parmigiana. Something I have never actually eaten in a pub...

Anyway, this is something I threw together based on the premise that children will eat - chicken, anything crumbed and tomato sauce. I was right.

Pre-heat your oven to 200c. Line a baking tray with non-stick paper.

The measurements are approximate, fiddle at will.

Crumbs:

250g of sour dough bread crumbs (yes, left-over cheat's sourdough)
100g Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon flavoured salt ( I used the olive salt as before made with lemon, olives and thyme from my garden)
1 small handful of thyme leaves
1 clove of garlic

I make my breadcrumbs from stale bread and have them in 250g lots in the freezer.

Cube the Parmesan, add leaves and garlic and grate for 8 seconds on speed 8/9 - you want fine crumbs so that they stick better. This smells awesome BTW.

Add bread crumbs and salt and blast a couple of times on turbo.

Tip out onto a flat plate.

On another plate put a couple of handfuls of plain flour.

And on yet another plate a beaten egg.

This was enough to coat 4 chicken schnitzel pieces with crumb left over - which I would give to your dogs not reuse after flapping raw chicken about in it. Better too much than too little.

Then dip your chook in flour, egg then crumbs making sure you coat both sides evenly. Place on a lined baking sheet.

For Sauce:

1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 handful of thyme
1 onion
1 carrot
1 clove of garlic
1 tbs EVOO
1/2 a wine glass of red
Flavoured or boring normal salt to taste...

*If you don't have red wine add a tbs of balsamic vinegar.

Place onion, garlic, carrot and thyme into TM and chop on speed 6 for 3 seconds, scrape down.
Add EVOO and saute for 3 minutes.
Add all other ingredients and cook for 20 minutes, 100c on speed 2.

As soon as you set the times on the TM to cook the sauce spray the chicken schnitzels with a light coat of EVOO oil spray and pop into the oven.

The chook and sauce are ready at the same time - check your chook - I can't guarantee cooking times without knowing your chook thickness and oven.

Plate up the chook and pour some sauce on top. Dress it up with shavings of parmesan. I have used grated cheese and then popped it under the grill before.

Serve with a handful of dressed leaves of some sort or good ole oven chips.

Nom, nom, nom. I use thyme cause I grow it by the truck load - its beaut this time of year too. You could use dried basil, oregano or whatever rings your bell though.

Chicken Parmigiana Thermomix Style

Yours in crumby chicken,
ThermoMINX

Tupperware Sushi Nigiri Maker

2011-08-13T13:18:00.000+08:00

Mini salmon and avocado sushi and smoked trout nigiri...

We love sushi here and have been hand rolling our own for about 11 years now. I saw this recently and fell in love with the YouTube - Tupperware should pay me kick-backs for this as I have since ordered a bunch more for friends and family after forcing them to watch. It's hypnotizing! Be warned!

I use my Thermie to cook my sushi rice and find it needs about 17 minutes following the usual method. The most important step is the 'massaging' of the rice in cold water to get all the glug out - no starch needed. When it's cooked I empty my rice into a massive mixing bowl with sushi seasoning - I buy this ready made and add a teaspoon of salt and one of sugar. I usually enlist a small slave to fan the rice...she usually accepts and fans with overt enthusiasm.

I was disappointed that the sushi and nigiri kit didn't come with the brush and spatula in the video - boo, hiss. Nor did the stuff come with written instructions, boo hiss! So it was fiddly and I had to employ some trial and error the first time I used them.

The product...Tupperware Sushi and Nigiri maker/molds

When I used the nigiri maker I had to really firmly pack the molds so that they were firm enough to handle when you popped them out. I had to trim the edges too - bit messier than the video. Also, when you cut out your salmon press really hard and you may need a wee paring knife to free up some bits that are stuck. On the up side - they look awesome. I like the idea of using these to mold other things like rissoles, falafel or croquets. I like this little mold a lot - may use for fresh butter too.

The sushi roller was as fiddly as a bamboo mat but it won out for me with consistency of size - mine are usually not at all uniform. This makes beautiful little mini sushi that were the perfect mouthful.

I was annoyed I couldn't find instructions on the net and ended up watching the video about 7 times! Shame on you Tupperware. However, I can see this product will get a lot of use here - we make it for the big girls lunches and often when entertaining. Sushi is my 'go to' food for quiz nights too.

Hope you find this useful Thermie lovers. I paid $25 for it here in Aus...anyone else got a review? Tell me (and the readers) what you thought in comments.

Yours in product review and Tupperware P*rn!

ThermoMINX

Green Goddess Pizza

2011-08-13T12:56:00.001+08:00

For those of you who love making pizza thanks to the fabulous Thermomix dough this is something a little different. The salty Kalamata olives and the sweet creaminess of the avocado are a great combo.

I used 1/2 a quantity of pizza dough (EDC recipe) we used the other half the day before.

1 avocado
1 garlic clove
1 handful of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
10-12 Kalamata Olives
100-150g cheddar cheese

Grate cheese and garlic clove on speed 7 for around 4 seconds, set aside.

Mash avocado with salt and pepper - I did this in a small bowl.

Roll out the dough and spread with the avocado mixture - you could add a tablespoon of pesto too.

Smash up the olives and dot around evenly. Sprinkle with cheese and garlic mix and top with thyme leaves.

Bake for 12 minutes on a baking paper lined tray. I put this on top of my pizza stone in a well pre-heated, very hot oven. I have tried transfering pizza to stone with much phaff and find this works just as well. I intend to buy one of those wooden paddles very soon.

This was a hit with the small tomato hater...ironically the same tomato hater that loves ketchup...

Good little lunch or quickie dinner on a Friday night with a cold beer. You could throw a handful of baby spinach or rocket over it when you take it out to posh it up a little.

Enjoy,

ThermoMINX

'Cheat's Sourdough'

2011-07-31T11:04:00.002+08:00

Cheat's Sourdough with Malt

One of the fabby dishes at Tenina's advanced class was her 'Cheat's Sourdough.' The recipe calls for powdered malt and Tenina has included the instructions for that too. However, being an impatient sort of a gal in the middle of a typhoon of school work I decided to have a go at this using Malt Extract, which I happened to have bought about a fortnight ago with intentions of making the kiddies malted shakes.

So, I followed Tenina's instructions and replaced the powdered malt with the gooey Malt Extract and I used some left-over buttermilk with the water. I used my very hot pizza stone and steamed the bread dough in the Varoma after the first rise and had really terrific results. I made two loaves and neither are here to tell the tale. They were devoured I tell ya! I think this is some of the best bread I have ever made in my Thermie and that says a lot because I make some pretty good bread in that there machine. Better than my old bread machine. These loaves were right up there with Nico's foccacia for popularity with my family. I am particularly enamored with the shiny, chewy crust. They look and smell fabulous, I think I will definitely be pulling this one out for Soup Roster at work.

I was on a Thermomix roll yesterday...all the inspiration of Tenina's Souper Bowl had well and truly kicked in. I made; butter, butter scented with lemon and lemon oil, chili and lime salt, Margarita Ice-cream, Apple Sorbet, Tomato Soup and the malted sour-dough. Can you tell I had time alone in the house? No children, no husband....4 hours of quiet. pleasurable cooking.

Profile...

I have a post and recipe planned for the ice-cream so stay tuned.

Guinea Grove Farm Lemon EVOO - available at the Poynter PS Farmer's Market

A note about the butter with lemon - I added 20g of Lemon Oil (Farmer's Market this coming Saturday) and the zest of 1 fresh lemon (picked that very morning) after I had rinsed and man-handled the butter. I whipped this altogether for about 20 seconds sp4. This is awesome on rye bread with smoked salmon or a little dawb melted over fish or prawns. My mum used to make lemon scented butter at Christmas to have with our salmon...I miss her like crazy. Anyhoo, I set the butter in little silicone molds - again - inspired by Tenina.

1.8.11 Edit: Just before I collapse into bed - made some more of this tonight - after promising myself I wouldn't because then I eat too much of it. I used the starter I made Saturday and already you can see a 'sour-dough' change in the texture and colour. I love this recipe. I even did some of those little 'bum' loaves of Tenina's - very cute! Lily was so excited she flashed her bum so we could compare...any excuse.

Yours in Tenina-inspired cooking,
ThermoMINX

Cooking with Tenina

2011-07-29T20:07:00.000+08:00

The Mexican Layered Soup

Grab your bowling shoes and your poodle skirts readers and get ready to be bowled over. I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the first of Tenina's cooking classes last Wednesday - the Souper Bowl!

And I did this after a day of work...where's my medal people?

The recipes were amazing! I have made three of the items so far - and I worked yesterday and today. The menu included yellow curry paste, flavoured salts, infused oil, three soups and cauliflower cream but to mention a few.

The big hit here at Thermominx HQ was the Mexican style chicken soup - think I got that title wrong. Anyhoo - you make this amazing tomato and chicken broth which you then pour over a chopped salad and dress with sour cream, corn chips and tortillas. If your children like tacos they will love this. Lil and GG cleaned their bowls and raved. I love that this was one of those Varoma meals that you cook in a stack; soup steaming chicken and corn on the top and because of that and the trimmings and salad this could feed a huge crowd.

Salt, zest and dried olives - before blasting!

I made the olive and orange salt. Very easy and very effective. I used Celtic Sea salt that I sourced at the Weigh n' Pay shop. The olives took me longer to dehydrate than the instructions stated but I am sure it depends on the sort of olives you buy. Don't be tempted to leave the peel in too long - mine lost it's nice orange colour - I will be adding some less dehydrated peel later. I think this would make an excellent gift as Tenina suggested paired with the flavoured oils. Oh, yes, the flavoured oil! Also in the class. The smell of the salt when you take the lid off the TM bowl is absolutely divine. I can't wait to share this with my friends. I am going to use some of my herbs from out the back and some lemon zest to create some of my own combinations.

After in my little pewter salt dish..

This evening I made the dessert soup. Well, it is Friday, you need a dessert on a Friday. A rhubarb and strawberry warm soup served with seriously awesome gelati - at the class we got to preview Azzura's latest offering Nougat Blossom. Will definitely be buying some of that when it's officially released.

Strawberry Slooop in a retro champagne glass..

Tenina is a great presenter with TV good looks (bitch) and a great sense of style - I am loving the look of her recipe booklet and branding so far - retro 50's kitchen. Fabulous dahhhlings! She delivered the class with humour and personality and I feel the value in the class was in this and the superb recipes. I was a little disappointed in the format, Thermomix cooking class, plastic chairs in a semi-circle, but have a feeling this will be improved on really soon as the first class was planned in a rush. This will not deter me from attending more classes and some of the up-coming themes sound really good, particularly if you love to cook for friends.

If you want to have a closer look at what Tenina is all about you can have a look at her blog or her facebook page. You all know her work as she was the recipe developer for Thermomix here in Aus - she has been inventing your dinners and demos all along.

Good luck, Tenina I will be waiting with bated breath for the next installment. I am itching for the cook book too!

ThermoMinx
PS. I am the chubby one in the grey cargo's in her Facebook pics...

Basic Waffles

2011-07-24T10:45:00.001+08:00

The Chorus Line of Waddles

When you make these you need to declare to your whole family..."It's Sunday morning and I'm makin' wafflessss!" In your best donkey voice from Shrek. I was first inspired to make waffles, not by watching Shrek, but by reading the Posie Gets Cozy blog, back in 2007. I love her blog and the minute I read this post I was on the search for a heart shaped waffle iron.

Anyway, back story complete here is how I make waffles. This made 3 large hearts and 5 'Waddles.' I would double the amounts if you have children sleeping over, teenagers or a greedy family. Left-overs freeze well and make a fabulous dessert with some icecream and Nutella.

1 egg separeted

45g softened butter
160g self raising flour
80g milk
50g water
1 egg yolk

Blitz in the Thermie for 20 seconds on speed 5.

Then:

1 egg white
1 Tbsp castor sugar (superfine)

In a separate bowl whisk up the egg white until it is forming stiff peaks. Then hold the bowl over your head to show off to your children. Add 1 tablespoon of castor sugar and whisk, whisk, whisk until the sugar has dissolved. I do this by hand - it is the work of mere minutes. If I were making a HUGE amount of meringue mix I would use my Kitchen Aide. I don't like the Thermie for egg whites - you need a huge amount of egg white to have any success.

Waffles with berry maple syrup...mmmmm!

Then add a tablespoon of the whites to the batter in Thermie and gently fold around using the spatula. This step helps the mixtures amalgamate without killing the air in the meringue. Then add the batter to the whites and fold in with a metal spoon. The batter is heavy and elastic.

I butter my waffle irons with paper towel and softened butter or marge. I have two waffle irons...not quite sure how that happened... I am a ho' for a kitchen gadget. Anyway, thought I would do a wee product review on them.

Firstly, I have the 'Waddles' electric waffle iron by Sunbeam, that produces gorgeous little penguins. Naturally, this is extremely popular with all the small people I know. Actually, the big people love them too. His little bowl-shaped belly is perfect for a variety of fillings; jam, maple syrup, whipped cream, honey, icecream, Nutella, chocolate mousse... You just plug in and when it is hot it's light goes off. I add a good tablespoon of batter. If you are particular about his feet and wing tips add a little extra in those spots because sometimes the batter doesn't spread into them. I think I have had this for about 3 and half years and it is going strong. The plates are easy to clean and haven't become at all tacky. I give it 5 out of 5 Minxy points.

The second waffle iron I have is the Breville Waffle Creations. James bought me this for Christmas 2008. I was determined to use it for Chrissy Breakfast! This is also electric and came with a great little recipe guide in the instructions, I wish I cold find where I put it! This iron has a setting dial on the top that you can adjust for light or dark waffles and has a red and green light on the top that goes on/off when the iron is hot and the waffles are done. Like the Waddles the plates have retained their non-stick surface with no tackiness. This one needs about a tablespoon and a third for the mixture to spread out to the edges. These are nice thin waffles and they freeze well too. I think this is worthy of 5 out of 5 Minxy points.

Now, an important aspect of 'Waffling' is the topping. I base our waffle syrup on Nigella's Blueberry Maple syrup. I don't usually measure my ingredients but for you...anything. I added 110g of frozen berries (all that was left in the bag) and 70g of maple syrup. I cooked these together for 4 and half minutes on reverse speed soft 100c. This syrup is sensational! I have made it with every type of summer berry and have never been disappointed.

So there you have it. The waffle review.

Happy breakfasting,
ThermoMINX

Mad Hatter's Tea Party

2011-07-17T08:14:00.002+08:00

Can I tell you how glad I am to have my Thermomix? When it comes to catering any event larger than our family's usual number it is worth it's weight in solid chocolate! ~~Lily~~ Alice had her birthday party last week and I made all but a few of the food items in Thermie.

Some of the Mad-Hatter's Treats...

The Mad-Hatter's Menu

Shortbread and butterflies: I used my modified shortbread recipe and cut them into butterfly shapes adding an iced rose or daisy to the centre of each biscuit/cookie.

Cup cakes: Nigella Lawson's recipe (How To Be a Domestic Goddess) measured into and then blitzed in Thermie. So easy you could laugh! I used Vanilla Bean Paste...of course.

Jam Tarts for the Queen of Hearts: Pastry from the EDC. Blind baked then added the jam and popped back in the oven for 10 minutes - these were a huge hit!

Sausage Rolls (Rolly Polly's): Filling blitzed in Thermie. I pulverised; 1 carrot, 2 onions, a large piece of zucchini (approx 200g), 1 egg, a good handful of sourdough crumbs (made in Thermie in batches and frozen),1 tbsp organic tomato sauce and 1/4 tsp of white pepper. Then I added 500g of really good organic pork sausages skins off, closed lid, Turbo button about three times. I generally watch through the hole until it becomes the consistency I like. Similarly, an early version here.

The birthday cake was a "Too Easy Chocolate Cake" and an "Orange Butter Cake" both from the EDC.

I used my Kitchen Aide Mixer for the butter-cream icing - the recipe for which I take from The Woman's Weekly "Cupcakes by Colour" book - one of Lily's favourite reads. I think the Kitchen Aide cannot be beaten for this or for meringues of for Macarons. Just saying!

The Table Cake...

It was my first time using Satin Ice and it was fabulous to work with. I am so pleased with how Lily's cake came out that I am considering going to a cake decorating class.

I will leave you with all that and as the Red Queen says "I love an execution early in the morning..." Random, I know!

Yours in festivities,
ThermoMINX

Luigi's 40 Second Biscuits

2011-06-24T12:37:00.000+08:00

Almond Shortbread Biscuits

The recipe for these is in the EDC on page 125. I have made some changes to this recipe by; replacing the vanilla essence for almond essence; increasing the interval time until the dough starts to form, pressing in an almond before baking and sprinkling with organic raw sugar while they are hot just out of the oven. What changes have you made to the EDC recipes?

If you made these crescent shaped and dusted them with icing sugar (powdered sugar) they would be an excellent imitation of those yummy little Greek gourmet biscuits.

I love these. Sadly, I am taking them around to a friend who has lost her brother. It's been a year of loss.

At least there is still cooking, knitting, friends and family...and good books.

Thermominx

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

2011-06-10T16:57:00.002+08:00

This pie does not actually contain any shepherds, not a single one. It is deceptively savoury and has a very similar texture to ground meat. Two of the kids didn't even know it was vegie until I told them! Ha!

You'll need:

1 tin of brown/puy lentils rinsed
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 handful of fresh thyme, parsley, chives and rosemary
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 Tbs Lea & Perrins
1 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsp beef flavoured stock powder
salt & pepper
120g water

1kl spuds
250g milk
salt & pepper

*small handful of shitake mushrooms, chopped and soaked in a teacup of boiling water for ten minutes

Steps:

Place garlic, onion and herbs in TM and chop on speed 6 for 2 seconds.
Add 20g oil and saute on speed 1 for 3 minutes at 100c.
Add sliced celery and carrots and saute for a further 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, sauces and stock dissolved in water. Cook for a further 5 minutes in speed 1, reverse and 100c. If you are using shitake mushrooms add them with their soaking liquid at this point.
Add rinsed brown lentils and cook on Speed1, reverse, 100c for another 5 minutes.

Decant all of this delicious savoury goodness into a lasagne dish.

Follow the usual steps in the EDC to make mash omitting parmesan.

Spread over savoury base and then sprinkle with more fresh thyme.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 200c. Serves 4 with enough for left overs for lunch.

Nom!

Yours in meat-free meals,
ThermoMINX

Coffee Cake

2011-06-06T14:28:00.001+08:00

I found a great little Thermomix blog here. I have just pulled this Coffee Cake out of the oven, sans chocolate chips cause some small person has eaten them all, but it still looks and smells divine. I made two small changes. I added 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Bean Paste, naturally... and I sprinkled the top with granulated raw sugar before baking. I love the top of this cake - it's all cracked and earth-quakey interesting.

The one in the front isn't REAL!

Have a look and see what you think. Leave me a comment if you have used this blog before and you think it's good or if there was a great recipe. I want to try this one next.

Thank you, Flavia!

Yours in Thermomix Blogs,
ThermoMINX

Pumpkin, Cinnamon Wholemeal Bread

2011-06-05T10:10:00.000+08:00

Pumpkin, cinnamon wholemeal loaf

This is one of those loafy cakes that is delicious toasted with lashings of butter and a steaming cup of tea. It was also really good as a brekky with a coffee. Mmmm! The smell of this baking was pretty awesome too..

I think this bread/loaf/cake fits nicely into the 'processor cake' category. You can do the whole thing in the Thermie.

Pre-heat oven at 180c and line a large loaf pan with non-stick paper.

Ingredients:

185g melted butter
1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup (I forgot to weigh this in)
1 egg, lightly beaten
375g of pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
150g raw organic sugar
1 Tbs of cinnamon
420g wholemeal sr flour (whole wheat)
1 tsp of vanilla essence/paste/extract

Weigh chunks of pumpkin into TM and grate on speed 7 for 3 seconds. Tip into a spare bowl.
Weigh butter into TM bowl and melt on 60c for 2 and half minutes on speed 4.
Weigh in all other ingredients and tip pumpkin back in.
Mix on speed 6 for 20 seconds. This is a heavy batter so check and scrape and blitz a little more until all the ingredients are combined.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before turning out. Slices best when completely cool. Keeps for 3 days.

I think a pinch of ground cloves would be good in this - would make it kind of Christmassy.

Yours in noms,
ThermoMINX

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2011-06-05T09:55:00.001+08:00

Fruit then cake children!

I have been thinking a lot about food processor cakes and how well they translate to the Thermomix. I made two this weekend - long weekend here in WA...yay! I should be writing school reports...I will! I will! Later...

Anyway, I made this cake that a friend of mine gave me the recipe for a while back. This makes an enormous cake that you bake in your largest lasagne dish. Perfect for lots of visitors, pic-nics, boys and chocolate lovers.

Also, I really like cakes with vegies in them. Not just because it gives me a chance to evil laugh every time my children take a bite but because they are so moist.

So, preheat your oven to 180c and line your baking dish with non-stick paper.

Here's what you need:

1 large zucchini, topped, tailed and roughly chopped
40g Dutch processed cocoa (it's the best)
190g rice bran oil or other flavourless oil
1/4 tsp baking powder
120g milk
360g self raising flour
350g raw organic sugar
3 free range eggs
1 tsp bi-carb soda
3 tsp of vanilla bean paste or essence
pinch of salt

Place zucchini in TM bowl and blitz on speed 7 for about 2-3 seconds.
Measure in all other ingredients and blitz for 1 minute on speed 4-5 stopping half-way to scrape down the sides with the spatula.

How easy was that?

Pour into lasagne dish and bake for 50 mins in the centre of the oven.

After the savages attacked!

Store in fridge or cute tin. Give large slabs to everyone you know.

I knitted this for Jayne, how cute is it?

Yours in choco-vegie goodness!
Thermominx

Compost Puree Anyone?

2011-05-08T14:54:00.000+08:00

Pre-mulching in the Therminator

For the last month I have been excitedly tipping our garden scraps into a compost bin in my backyard. I started this because I have a little kitchen garden that I wanted to make my own compost for. I also wanted to reduce the waste going into our council bin, therefore reducing what my family contributes to landfill. I have been reading about becoming a little greener in lifestyle and there are some small things I have been doing to achieve this.

I recycle as part of my council waste strategy - we have yellow top bins here that we put all our paper, aluminium and recyclable containers in. I try and purchase things with less packaging, mostly through supporting businesses like Weigh n' Pay and buying in bulk. I try to use Earth friendly cleaning products to clean my house. I grow my own herbs and leafy green vegies so reduce carbon kilometres used to transport and to refrigerate herbs and greens. I'm not a hippy nor am I a mung bean but I have three children and a real desire to keep our planet clean and healthy. I started with recycling and moved on from there slowly adding to my Earth friendlier regime in baby steps.

If you are interested in this way of life and much, much more have a look at some of these blogs and websites;

Living a Little Greener
The Greening of Gavin
Towards Sustainability
Down To Earth
CityHippyFarmGirl

Post Thermonating! Goodbye egg shells!

Anyway, by using a Thermomix you are using less electricity to cook your food than normal because it is so efficient and cooking times are radically reduced. It is designed to run power efficiently, well done designers.

Then I read on Helene's amazing website about using the Thermie to refine your scraps for faster composting. If you have a Thermie and a compost bin or worm farm have a look at her post. It is excellent!

Yours in reducing, re-using and recycling,
ThermoMINX

Leek and Potato Soup

2011-05-04T08:53:00.001+08:00

Very opaque and creamy looking.

This is not your average Leek and Potato Soup...it's so much more... (pictures to come - having technical issues).

It's creamy, cheesy, rich, white - OMG, I just described Donald Trump! It even has a chive comb over!

I radically adapted it from the first Philly Book I was talking about previously. I did my usual and used what I had and modified to suit our tastes. You could easily adapt this to Vegan by omitting the cheese and milk and swapping the butter for olive oil.

So here 'tis the end result:

2 cloves of garlic
1 large leek
20g butter
3 cups of chicken stock - I used a vegetarian brand of chicken style stock
3 spuds - peeled and cubed (420g)
125g Philly Cream Cheese
50g milk
A few chives - picked from my own garden - very satisfying!

Salt and pepper to taste.

Okey-dokey...cut the top and bottom off the leek and throw the scraps in the compost.
Cut the leek in half and then lengthwise and soak in cold water to get rid of any grit.

Measure the butter into the TM, add the garlic and then add the leek - roughly sliced after soaking.

Set Thermie for 5 mins, 100c on speed 1.

Add stock and spuds and cook on 100c for 20 mins speed 1.

Add Philly and milk and blitz from 1-10 over the course of a minute.

Serve with a sprinkling of chives. This is seriously delicious! You could serve this with some posh toasted cheese - baguettes and Swiss cheese.

If I can just jump on my soap box - I love growing my own vegies and herbs. I have so much satisfaction popping into the back yard to pick ingredients for lunch and dinner - like tonight. I only needed a small amount of chives - I have a lot growing - I didn't need to get in my car, get out my money, discard packaging. Happy!

Make this fast and highly flavoured soup, I dare you!

ThermoMINX

Orange Poppame Seed Biscuits

2011-05-03T09:19:00.000+08:00

Ha! I mean poppy seeds but it's so much cuter in Jayne and Georgia language.

Little orange poppy seed cookies for tea time.

I converted this recipe from Simply Recipes to make these biscuits. The recipe was contributed to that site by a guest author Garrett McCord. If you haven't stopped by the Simply Recipes blog it's fabulous with lots of very 'do-able' recipes and by 'do-able' I mean - ingredients you have on hand and easily converted to Thermomix. Their recipe said you get 3 and 1/2 dozen from this batch, I made 4 dozen.

So pre-heat your oven to 180c and line two baking trays with your non-stick paper/silpat of choice (I used the same two trays and liners twice).

Ingredients:

Orange peel from one orange - use a potato peeler and peel straight into Thermie bowl
100g raw organic sugar
110g butter (soft)
1 free range egg
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
1 heaped tbsp poppy seeds
180g plain flour (I use Baker's Flour for just about everything)

Steps:

1. Zest orange peel for 10 seconds on speed 9. Scrape down and go again on speed 9 for about 3 seconds.
2. Measure in sugar and butter and cream on speed 4 for a minute. I scrape down about half way through.
3. Run blades on speed 4 and drop in egg - mix for a minute.
4. Measure in flour, poppy seeds, pinch of salt and bicarb.
5. Mix on speed 4 for 1 minute.
6. Evenly space 1 tsp of mixture on lined baking sheets - I got 12 per sheet.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 180c.
8. Cool on baking tray for a couple of minutes before transfering to a wire wrack.

I am trying to make littler biscuits - watching my portions with my treats...watching them disappear into my mouth. I used the teaspoon measure on my measuring spoons instead of the tablespoon when I was scooping out the dough, these are a perfect size to accompany tea - particularly Lady Grey. I think these would be a good fit for the little snack containers for recess too.

On the left the unsquished cookies, on the right the fork squished cookies.

I think this would also be a soft enough dough to use with a Spritz cookie contraption too. When you put them on the tray squish them a little to flatten - I used a fork and my fingers.

Little lunch box treats.

They are squishy and have a little crunch at the same time - the poppy seeds add that.

Incidentally, how easy is it in Thermie? Making cookies and biscuits? So easy...orange you glad you made them in it? Get it? Orange you???

Yours in nibbly yumminess,
ThermoMINX

Thermomix Meets Philly

2011-05-02T08:46:00.002+08:00

Simply Heaven 2 and underneath the first edition

In my opinion Philadelphia Cream Cheese and the Thermomix are very good friends. Anything you make in Thermie with cream cheese is a success - just look at the demo's - they use Philly for the garlic and herb dip.

Here in Australia at the moment you can receive a free Philly cookbook when you purchase three Philly products at Woolworth's Supermarkets. If you haven't grabbed a copy yet it is well worth it. I have a copy of the first book which I talked about here. But the second book is awesome - even better than the first. So many of the recipes translate to Thermomix cooking with absolute ease.

The second book is called "Simply Heaven 2" and it has 75 recipes all using some Philly product or other. I find that books and recipes made by a company to promote a product tend to be very good - their product is riding on the results after all. This is no exception. This recipe book has been put together by Trish MacKenzie of Kraft Kitchens and she has done an awesome job, along with Shurey Designs who have styled it beautifully.

Orange Poppy Seed Tart...mmm!

The instructions are clear and easy to follow, the pictures are beautifully styled on white with pale green accents. This book makes me want to cook! And to buy Philly! I'd say the marketing team have kicked a goal right there then, haven't they?

Anyhoo, I am so in love with this book I should probably buy more Philly and give one away on the blog, hey? It has a huge variety of really nice vegetarian dishes including; Vegetable and Sourdough Strata, Roast Vegetable Frittata, Pumpkin and Pesto Turkish Breads, Pan Bagna, Potato and Blue Cheese Pizza but to name a few.

The desserts look absolutely tantalizing, real diet busters! I am itching to try the Orange Poppy Seed Tart. I love the look of the poppy seeds in the pastry and quite frankly, I can't believe I hadn't thought of this myself. My kids call them Poppame seeds - so confused.

Have any of you tried any of these recipes yet - in the traditional or Thermomix sense? Let us know in comments how it all turned out.

Kraft have a website with heaps of free recipes, check it out.

Yours in reviews dahlings!
ThermoMINX

Carrot, Pumpkin and Potato Mash

2011-05-01T18:21:00.000+08:00

Carrot, Potato and Pumpkin Mash

I could have made that title all the longer...Carrot, Pumpkin, Potato, Spice and Harissa Mash.
But that would be a list of ingredients! Well, just about.

So, in my never ending search to use up the glut of carrots and apples I purchase I have come up with two simple side dishes. One is a tweaked version of Nico's Moroccan Mash and the other is a simple stewed apple.

The stewed apples were stupidly simple and I have so far used them on; muesli, porridge and pancakes. I think you could use this in cake, muffins and mini pies too. If you have any other ideas add them in the comments my lurky friends.

Stewed Apples

You need;

6 apples, cored and peeled
2 pears, cored and peeled
juice of half a lemon
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ground ginger
40g raw organic sugar
1 Tbsp honey (locally sourced is best)

Place apples and pears in the Thermster and chop on speed 3/4 for about 2 seconds. Take the lid off and mix the bigger pieces through. Then chop for a further 2 seconds on 3/4.

Throw in sugar, honey and spices and cook for 8 minutes at 100c, speed 1, reverse.

This creates a mix somewhere between apple sauce and pie filling.

I have mine in a jar in the fridge for using at brekky time.

Carrot, Pumpkin and Potato Mash

Now for the mash. I am being lazy and can't be bothered to fill a pan and boil the veg conventionally. Ya hear me on that, don't cha?

So I peeled:

4 small carrots,
2 spuds,
1/4 a small Kent Pumpkin - about 120g (peeled and cored)

Place in rice basket. Fill the Thermie jug just over the 1 litre mark.

Cook on Speed 3, 100c for 20 minutes.

Strain vegies - by removing with spatula and sitting in an empty sink for 5 mins.

In the meanwhile, toast 1 tsp of fennel seeds and 1 tsp of carraway seeds - these are my fav's - in a small dry fry pan. Should only take a minute - you will smell the heady aromas and hear the seeds pop a little.

Put the butterfly in the empty TM bowl. Add the vegies, toasted seeds, 20g of olive oil and 2 tsp of Harissa paste. Season to taste. Excellent accompaniment to Nico's Tagine - go immediately to his website and book yourself into a class. I insist! The Moroccan class was even better than the Thermomix Passions 1 class. And, you all know how much I loved that!

You could eat it by yourself with a spoon. You know, if it was one of those days...

You could snip up some coriander over the top. Toasted flaked almonds...

I'm wondering if it would be even better with lemon pressed olive oil? Hmmm.

You could also top a pie with this - what would be a good base? Any thoughts? Spiced minced lamb and instead of calling it Shepherd's Pie you could call it Sook's Pie? Shiek's Pie? Thoughts? Ideas? Comments?

Yours in delish side-dish!
ThermoMINX

Garden Fresh Fillings

2011-04-22T13:46:00.000+08:00

One of the things that really delights me is my little vegie/herb patch in the back garden. It is my goal to produce all our leafy greens and herbs here. I experiment every season with something new and I have just added composting to that list. I am ridiculously excited about my own compost tub - my environmental conscience has taken a big sigh of relief...less landfill.

Parsley and Silver beet

Think of how good it would feel not to throw out a slimy bag of spinach leaves again, but to just pop into the back garden and pick what you need as you need it. I would love to make my patch bigger and add to my repertoire but I can just about manage this when work gets busy, busy, busy. So bigger is for my dreams for now! However, you should have a go at growing some of your own herbs - easy and so much fresher and cheaper than the shops.

I use the greens and herbs that I grow in my cooking a lot and quiche is the perfect foil for this. Today I used one of my Jamie Oliver pastry shells to make a quiche for lunch. I added some bits and bobs from the fridge too but most of the ingredients in this pie is home grown spinach, parsley, thyme and chives. I added a slowly cooked onion, cherry tomatoes and some pine nuts, seeds and a whole heap of cheese.

For the egg part I use the quantities in Nico's recipes. I was a little short today but we like the pastry shell here very much so it's not so much of an issue.

Yours in home-grown filling,
ThermoMINX

Pastry...how I love thee!

2011-04-21T18:17:00.001+08:00

Yoinked from freezer and thrown on top of today's paper for photo shoot!

I saw Jamie make this the other evening on the Food channel and, sadly, I haven't been able to concentrate for thinking about how easy, peasy this would be converted in the Thermster. I was right! And, it makes heaps!

Blind baking is a fiddle! So I have been making a double batch of pastry and make a few quiche shells at a time. It's like a gift to yourself later, knowing you have a baked shell in the freezer ready to go. Jamie's quantity makes 2 generous quiche shells and a few individual ones too.

So - here it is converted to Thermie - with full credit to my all time food hero Jamie Oliver. I have been watching him for 11 years and have all his books - my two favourites are; Ministry of Food and Jamie's Dinners. God bless 'im for what he did to school dinners. If you don't know what he did, get out from under your rock and watch this...TED talks. Sensational! Pucker even!

You need to:

Measure 50g of cubed tasty cheddar and a sprig of each rosemary and thyme into thermie and blitz on speed 8 for about 5 seconds until the cheese and herbs are grated and incorporated.

Then weigh in 500g of baker's flour, 200g of cubed cold butter. Closed lid and turbo/pulse while keeping half an eye on the mix - it took about 3 blasts for it to resemble bread crumbs.

Add 2 large free range eggies and about 1/4 MC of cold milk and turbo/pulse again until it starts to come together. Turn out dough onto cling wrap in two balls and just squeeze into flat discs. Rest in fridge for half an hour then roll out and drape into quiche tins. Trim off excess and prick with a fork over base. Freeze for half an hour more and blind bake for about 20 minutes on 200c.

Fill with anything quiche-ish! Savoury and short and divine! I love you, Mr Oliver!
And now for your viewing pleasure...

ThermoMINX

Pizza Soup

2011-04-21T17:56:00.000+08:00

This is my mum's recipe and everyone who has eaten it has raved about it because it is creamy and delicious and zesty and flavourful. Kids LOVE it! They wanna eat it every time you say "What soup shall we have for dinner?" PIZZA SOUP!

So here it is converted to Thermie and full of soupy fresh goodness.

2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 medium sized brown onion, peeled and quartered (approx. 100g)
20g EVOO
500g pumpkin skinned and cubed roughly
1 large zuchini
700g water
2 chicken flavoured stock cubes
1 tub of pizza sauce (Leggo's 140g tub)
A few sprigs of thyme if you have it.

The secret ingredient! Good ole Leggo's!!

*If you don't live in Aus and you can't get Leggo's Pizza Sauce use 140g of tomato paste with a clove of garlic and a tsp each of dried oregano and basil.

Chop the garlic and onion in the TM bowl for 3 seconds on speed 6. If you are adding your own herbs do it now.
Add EVOO and saute on 100c for 2.30 mins, speed 1.
Add zucchini and pumpkin and pulverise to mush on speed 7 for 5 seconds.
Add water, stock cubes and pizza sauce and cook for 20 minutes at 100c on speed 1.
Blitz soup from speed 1-10 taking a minute to reach 10.
Serve with sprigs of thyme.

NOM! Nom, nom, nom. Kids love this with pizza buns.

Cheap, hearty and easy.

Yours in pizza flavoured soup.

Thermominx

Carrot and Bean Soup

2011-04-10T10:21:00.000+08:00

I have a serious glut of carrots. I have made carrot muffins and carrot soup and I still have about 12 carrots left not including the heirloom ones I have in a separate Tupperware. Yikes!

So I made a tasty wee bowl of soup that we had for lunch and dinner yesterday accompanied by simple pizzas from the night-before's dough left overs. I told Lil it was Easter Soup - because there isn't a bunny out there who would pass it up.

Here's what you need;

2 red onions
2 garlic cloves
4 carrots
1 tin of drained cannelini beans
1 Tbsp vegetable stock paste
1 Tbsp EVOO
800g water
salt and white pepper to taste
dress with parsley

Place onions and garlic in TM bowl and blast for 3 secs on speed 7.
Scrape down, add oil and saute for 4 minutes on 100c speed 2.
Add carrots - just cut into chunks and blast on speed 7 for about 5 seconds. Scrape down and saute for 4 minutes on speed 2 100c.
Add drained beans, water, stock and white pepper and cook for 35 minutes, 100c, speed 1. I like to cook this longer otherwise you get those thready bits of carrot fibre.
Blend for 1 minute turning the speed up to 10 slowly over the minute.
Check seasoning.
Serve with sprigs of parley.

This is really tasty! It is light and creamy and doesn't catch in the back of your throat like some carrot soups. Also, high in fibre, no fat to speak of and CHEAP!

Ticks all the right boxes.

Yours in steamy soups,
ThermoMINX

Saturday Cake

2011-04-09T10:22:00.000+08:00

My mum had this little Saturday tradition, whereby she would make a cake for my dad/Saturday. Initially, she would make the 'Saturday cake' in her much loved Kitchen Aid mixer but eventually as she became sicker she would buy one.

Anyway, to try and keep things a little bit 'normal' I have made my dad a 'Saturday' cake the last three Saturday mornings. The first two weeks I made the delicious Torta Caprese from the EDC. I think it is the best flourless cake recipe I have - and I have many! I like the fact that the Torta Caprese has 6 eggs, which you just throw in as opposed to the other recipes I have which use 8 eggs that you have to separate and whip the whites, blah, blah, blah. Not a bad idea if you have a surplus of time and eggs but as I seem to have neither these days the TC from the EDC is more than OK.

Anyhoo, to break the monotony to two really tasty chocolate cakes in a row I just had a play around with some muffins this morning.

Carrot Spice Muffins

This is just a variation of the EDC muffin recipe so grab your copy of that and make the following changes.

2 carrots - topped and tailed
2 apples - cored

Roughly chop the carrots and apples and throw them in the TM blast the living daylights out of them on speed 7 for about 3 seconds. Scrape down.

Measure in all other ingredients reducing milk and oil by 20g each. Add a teaspoon each of mixed spice and cinnamon to this mix.

After you have mixed these in the TM as per the recipe instructions add 100g of walnut crumbs and mix on reverse, speed 3-4 for 8 seconds.

This made 14 muffins which I cooked for 20 minutes at 180c.

Then Lily decided to 'pimp' some of the muffins using a basic batch of frosting and nearly all the sprinkles I own.

The 'M' is for mum!

So dad will get his Saturday cakes - but they are a little healthier than usual. I know he will whine if I tell him there is carrot so I am going to tell him they are apple and cinnamon - what he doesn't know won't hurt him. He tells us he doesn't eat coriander, ha! We've been putting it in his food for years - we tell him it's flat leaf parsley... muh ha ha ha (evil laughter).

These are a moist tasty little brekky muffin that should please most children and adults. Not as scrummy as the cakes we made yesterday - which makes about 12 standard sized cupcakes, by the way.

Yours in Saturday Cakes,
ThermoMINX

Wee Coffee Buns

2011-04-08T11:40:00.000+08:00

Coffee, spices and walnuts...mmmm!

So cute you could eat the lot! But don't do that cause then you will hate yourself! Not a bread bun - a bun the way they talk about cupcakes in the North of England.

130g butter (softened to room temp)
130g raw caster sugar
130g sr flour
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
2 tbsp of coffee powder/granules
3 tbsp milk
100g walnut crumbs

Cupcake papers or a buttered mini pie baking tray.

Preheat oven to 180c.

Butter tray.

Measure first three ingredients into TM bowl. Add all other ingredients except milk, coffee and a
walnuts. Mix for 1 minute on speed 4-5.

In a coffee mug mix milk and coffee granules. I nuked this mix for 15 seconds to help it along.

Turn thermie on to speed 3 and pour liquid in through hole - about 10 seconds.

Measure in 100g of walnuts (I buy walnut crumbs - all the broken bits) into Thermie and mix for 10 seconds on reverse speed 3.

Spoon mix into cases or little pie moulds and bake for 12 minutes. Bake longer if you make bigger cupcakes.

These are delicious with a cuppa coffee straight out of the oven.

I wouldn't bother icing - they are lovely and moist and have lots of flavour.

Yours in treats,
Thermominx

I love Fridays

2011-04-01T22:03:00.000+08:00

I particularly love them when I am NOT working as I was today...but there are bills to be paid so working I was. Also, nothing is as good as that "Friday Feeling" when you've been at work all day.

Potato, zucchini and thyme pizza...

I was tired when I got in and was not in the mood for cooking until I started to make this and then I rather enjoyed it. I went straight from work to buy groceries and then home to impatient sausage dogs and a tired and demanding 7 year old.
~~~
Anyhoo, I saw a picture somewhere recently of a pizza with thinly layered potato and creamy sauce and I thought..."That's for me!" So I made a batch of dough in Thermie and while I waited for it to rise I got out my mandolin and did some super thin, super fast slicing. I am newly in love with my mandolin...when I first bought it I cut my finger and then was too frightened to touch it for ages. Recently though I have found it very good for pizza topping and for thin slithers of red onion on foccacia.

I made a creamy white sauce as per Theo and Co but popped that in the fridge with half the dough for Saturday lunch - the sauce would've been too hot to use on tonight's pizza.

Instead I used a very thin layer of organic tomato paste which worked nicely too. I thinly sliced a spud with the skin on and some zucchini and had some grated cheese left over from earlier in the week. I ducked out the back door and picked some delicious thyme for sprinkling in amongst the layers of topping.

I placed the zucchini and potato in circles on the top of the pizza just lightly over lapping. Then I drizzled with garlic oil, the cheese and some of the thyme.

I popped this in the oven on a well oiled pizza pan for 15 minutes until the top was browned and bubbling away. Very tasty indeed and the perfect accompaniment for a glass of chilled white wine. Ahhhh, Friday I love thee so!

If you are looking for delicious organic fruit and vegies at very reasonable prices, try the Poynter PS Farmer's Market. There is on this Saturday morning between 9-12 in the middle of the school. It is a fledgling market but already popular with so many delicious foods on offer. Go check it out! I think it's worth going to for the olive oil and eggs alone.

Here's the pizza recipe:

1 batch of pizza dough from the EDC - divided in half.
1/3 of a large zucchini very thinly sliced
1 medium ordinary spud very thinly sliced
1 dessert spoon of tomato paste
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
2/3 cup of grated cheese
garlic olive oil

Spread a thin layer of the tomato paste over the pizza base.

Layer the zucchini and potato over the paste in overlapping circles.

Sprinkle the cheese, herbs and oil over the top.

Bake at 220c for 15 minutes - middle shelf.

Chomp, chomp, chomp!

See you at the Farmer's Market.
ThermoMINX

Nico's Thermomix Passions Class

2011-03-28T07:33:00.000+08:00

I just noticed today that there are 4 places left for Nico Moretti's next Thermomix Passions class. Have a look at the link for dates and cost etc. I think it is worth every penny, I have made the quiche and the focaccia so many times now - they are an entrenched favourite here and everyone always raves.

It's an investment in your "host/ess" skills!

Yours in class(y) cooking,
Thermominx

Fig and Fennel Bread

2011-03-26T20:45:00.003+08:00

Fig and Fennel Weekend Bread

This is seriously delicious...I would count this as a weekend bread or a 'show-off' bread. I was inspired to make this after eating the super delicious fig and fennel sour-dough bread toast at the Wild Fig Cafe. It's made by the monks at the New Norcia Bakery and it is a work of art. I love it.

So, being that I know very little about sour dough, I made this up quite quickly using the basic bread recipe as a guide.

Here's what I did:

Into the TM bowl throw 4 dried figs for about 4 seconds on speed 6. Set aside in a wee bowl.

Then...

Into the TM bowl;
300g warm water.
20g lemon pressed olive oil (or EVOO)
1 Tbsp of local honey
3 tsp of dried yeast

Wizz about on number 5 for about 3 seconds to combine.

Add 500g baker's flour
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp of Fennel seeds
The figs

Mix on speed 6 for 5 seconds.
Knead on interval for 3 minutes.

Tip onto Thermomat and cozy up for an hour in a warm spot (anywhere in WA right now).

Knead into 2 smooth lumps and shape. Place in the oven on a lined baking sheet on 200c for around 30 minutes (remove when it sounds hollow when you tap it).

Leave to cool - the smell in the house is something else!

Makes two medium loaves...

This is delicious plain but makes amazing toast. I would like to pair it with a nice sharp cheddar...mmm. Or...make it into thinner baguette style loaves to use as part of a cheese platter - big runny wodge of brie and some muscatel grapes...

Food, I love thee so...

Yours in scrummy bread,
ThermoMINX

PS. I will be blogging about an amazing savoury, vegetarian dish I made last week soon. It was so quick and nutritious. Stay tuned!

Enchanted Woods Pie

2011-02-19T10:33:00.000+08:00

I know I have been away from here for a while. My family is going through a difficult time, which I don't want to write about here, but I still love blogging and cooking and I will hopefully return soon.

That said, I have made a delicious quiche that I am very pleased with. I loosely based it on Nico's delicious recipe for pumpkin quiche but played around with the filling.

I made the mistake of making my pastry too thin, I will console myself with it's taste...absolutely delicious. Very short and crumbly. I used Nico's tip of resting my pastry shell in the freezer for an hour before baking - this reduces shrinking.

You could make this by using the pastry recipe in the EDC or use Nico's if you have it.

I filled mine with pumpkin, field mushrooms, baby spinach, fresh thyme, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. I used cheddar cheese but feta would have been my first choice had I had any in.

I can't really give exact measurements but this is a rough guide;

3 large field mushrooms roughly chopped,
knob of butter for cooking,
150g of diced kent pumpkin,
2 large handfuls of baby spinach,
5 sprigs of fresh thyme,
2 tbsp of mixed seeds and pine nuts
150g cheddar

I sauteed my pumpkin and mushrooms in lots of butter and thyme. Then set this aside while I wilted the spinach in the same pan, set aside. I then toasted the seed/nut mix for a few minutes until golden. I used my Jamie Oliver frypan for these tasks as I wanted to keep an eye on it and have some nice golden edges to the pumpkin.

I cooled the fillings in the fridge overnight and baked my pastry shell the same evening. Then I made the egg custard, yes custard in the morning before filling the shell and cooking. Nico's instructions are to cook the egg and cream mixture for 3 minutes at 90c on speed 4. This way your quiche sets faster in the oven and the shell isn't overcooked. Genius isn't it?

The egg mix is a combination of 4 eggs and 200g cream plus seasoning.

Then I added the cooled filling ingredients, grated the cheddar and added that, then the seed mix and finally the custard (which is runny). I baked it for 25 minutes at 190c. Perfectamundo!

Quiche is an excellent food to have in the fridge for lunch or dinner. We are on the run at the moment here and I needed something that could be eaten for either meal with some light salad and crusty bread. It is a bit of a faff to make as you need to do it in stages but once done a joy to behold.

I've called it Enchanted Woods Pie because that's where I'd like to be at the moment, back in my childhood reading Enid Blyton and eating green apples on wet towel by the pool. That and the ingredients are suitably woodsy.

Yours in melancholy posts,
ThermoMINX

So many things to tell you!

2011-01-24T09:23:00.000+08:00

and this was after a night in the fridge, you should've seen them fresh!

Well...where should I start?

I have been Thermying up a storm here at ThermoMINX HQ, it has been crazy busy here for the whole school holidays. You know what they say...no rest for the wicked.

On Friday, I attended Nico Moretti's "Thermomix Passions 1" class in Leederville. Nico enigmatically hosts the classes in his home, the kitchen looking onto a Balinese inspired garden, champagne cocktails as the kick off. I ask you, what's not to love about that? He ran us through; focaccia, quiche, steamed Asian fish, green curry paste and the curry itself and then a lovely nougat semifreddo with berry coulis. I thoroughly enjoyed all the tips and wrote on my class notes like a crazy woman. The food was exquisite and I came home so very inspired that I immediately made the focaccia for dinner and then again the following night for friends as well as the cocktail. Then last night I was catering again and made more Nico food from his fabulous cookbook "Food For Friends," the delicious and super easy coconut cake and the citrus berry stacks. I cannot believe how professional these looked and how gorgeous they tasted, I was so proud of myself! Wow factor at full force my friends!

Nico's book is very cleverly designed as it caters for those poor, poor people devoid of a Thermomix but has the Thermomix conversions in the back for those of us lucky enough to have one. He lists the suppliers he uses in the back of the book and the book itself is beautifully laid out. I think Thermomix could take a leaf out of Nico's book for presentation - it's chock full of inspiring, cleanly designed photo layouts of all the recipes. If you are a Perth person this book is essential. If you are an Aussie this book is essential. If you are looking for a beautiful gift to send over-seas, again, this book is essential and frankly it's a steal at $20.

I will take some pics very soon and post them here but you can use the link above to have a look on Nico's website.

The very first thing I did when I came home was book myself in for another class with Nico, I can't wait!

Yours in excitement,

ThermoMINX

Another from Nigella

2011-01-08T14:27:00.001+08:00

Nestled in the fridge to set...

I have made a Key Lime Pie to take to a BBQ this evening. The recipe is from Nigella Kitchen and again, translates to Thermomix very well.

You need;

1 packet of granita biscuits (digestives)
50g butter See note below
50g dark choc chips
1 Tbsp of Dutch cocoa

1 tin sweetened condensed milk
4 limes
lime juice extra
300g cream

I deviated from the recipe slightly based on what I had in the cupboard. I think in the book it's called Chocolate Limes Pie - like the sweet in England - my mum loves those!

To make the base place the biscuits, choc chips, butter and cocoa into Thermie and pulse on locked lid using the Turbo button until you have the right 'cheese cake' base consistency - it starts to clump together. Press into fluted quiche pan and rinse out TM bowl. Put base in fridge to firm up.

Then put the sweetened condensed milk in (395g) and 175g of lime juice - I juiced four limes and topped up using one of those squeezy bottles of lime juice - into TM bowl and mix on Speed 3 for 5 seconds. Add the 300g of cream and the butterfly and mix on speed 3 for 30 seconds. I added the grated zest of the limes into this mix - Nigella uses it to top the pie.

Pour the soft, delicious filling into the pie shell and leave in the fridge for 4 hours to set. You can make this a day ahead.

My plan for serving this is on my cake stand and then give it a good dust with drinking cocoa (sweeter and better for dusting in my opinion than normal cocoa).

I had a recipe very similar to this years ago from Tupperware. You used Scotch Finger Biscuits on the base of their slice container (shallow rectangle) and then you made the filling in exactly the same way but with lemon juice. You let it set in the Tupperware overnight. It was great for taking out to BBQ's and morning teas because the container kept it altogether for easy transportation. You could slice it nicely too being a rectangle. I like the fact that you don't have to muck around making a base.

The lime and chocolate pie is very quick to make in Thermie. I think this whole thing took about 15 minutes from start to finish.

Edit: I would add an extra 20g of butter to the base, I found the base a little crumbly.

Yours in desserts,

ThermoMINX

Coffee Granita

2011-01-08T13:35:00.000+08:00

This is a grown-ups drink...be warned!

150g milk
6-8 large ice-cubes
20g Kahlua or coffee liqueur
1 shot of espresso
1 small scoop of vanilla ice-cream (homemade in Thermie)

All in, blast on 9 for about 40 seconds. Pour into waiting glass and pretend you aren't worried about the calories.

Nom!

Yours in naughty beverage consumption,

ThermoMINX

Macaroni Cheese Deluxe

2011-01-08T13:30:00.000+08:00

I love mac n' cheese and I try not to make it too often because I can't stop at one serve, I have to have seconds! This is more suggestion than recipe...

I made Macaroni Cheese in Thermie for the first time last night and it was so much better than my usual, which I thought was pretty good, I was wrong. Thermie mac n' cheese is divine. These pictures really don't do this justice.

I used the instructions in the basics section of the EDC to cook the pasta, much easier and faster. I used 250g of macaroni and I heated the water on Varoma rather than 100c as the book had specified.

I poured the pasta into a lightly buttered pie dish and put a few dots of butter through the pasta to stop in sticking together.

I made one quantity of Bechamel sauce and added 50g grated parmesan and 80g grated mature cheddar. I sprinkled some of these cheese over the top too. Then I popped the pie dish under a hot grill for 5 minutes and viola, cheesey heaven!

Low cost and quick - gotta love that. It would serve four adults more than adequately with side salad and crusty bread.

Yours in mac n' cheese,

ThermoMINX

Christmas Cake

2011-01-02T10:08:00.001+08:00

About 8 years ago I made my very first Christmas Cake and it was utterly divine. It was a Whiskey and Ginger cake and I made it three days before Christmas. We ate the whole lot and I swore I would never have a Christmas without it. I got the recipe from one of those little Woman's Weekly cookbooks that is purely dedicated to Cakes and Puddings and is worth it's weight in gold. I also tried an Orange and Cointreau Cake from the same book with similar delicious results.

Since then I have tried Nigella's chocolate Christmas cake, very dense, very delicious, everyone loved it. I should have stuck to one of these three cakes but I did not. I was lured away when I tasted the cake of a girl at work that was the best I had ever had, ever. And here in-lies a tale of woe...it is a tale of three crappy Christmas Cakes...

The first year I asked her for the recipe and she said all she had done was cook an ordinary Christmas Cake adding choc chips and using port. So I tried that and it was so-so. Then I asked her again what she put in her cake and I added dried crannies, prunes and dried cherries and it was ho-hum. So finally, this year she gave me a photocopy of the recipe with lots of added notes and explanations in the margin. Here we go...the real deal! Nuh! This cake is NOTHING like the one I tasted... N O T H I N G! I think I have the wrong recipe or I am doing something very wrong...

This cake is strong, dense and a heavy as a brick! Nay, three bricks. I am going back to ginger and whiskey next year so help me! However, something I wanted to point out here is that you can use Thermie to make the batter before you tip into a massive bowl and stir through the soaked fruits. Also, I made very nice Christmas puds - from the afore mentioned WW book and used Thermie until the final stir in a massive bowl. I then had; two large Chrissy puds and 10 cupcake sized, which I steamed in the Varoma very, very successfully and served with Cinnamon Icecream. The Varoma was way easier than fiddling about with steamer pots etc. I highly recommend it.

It did look pretty though. I used it on New Year's Eve as a decorative centre-piece.

Anyhoo, here endeth the lesson!

Yours in dud cakes,

ThermoMINX

Grown up Cranberry Slushie

2011-01-01T16:34:00.003+08:00

I made this up. It was good. I drank two and tried to lick the bowl.

20 g strawberry liqueur
20g lemon vodka
2 scoops of mixed berry sorbet
6-8 ice-cubes
1 small handful of cranberries - see note below!
100g cranberry juice

All in, speed 9, 30 seconds. Scrape, 10 more seconds on speed 9.

Pour into martini glasses, insert face in glass, feel your post Christmas tension slide away - not too mention a healthy shot of vitamin C!

Oooops! The handful of cranberries were frozen and I put them on cocktail skewers to serve! Apologies!

Yours in booze,

ThermoMINX

Risoni and Dill Salad

2011-01-01T16:29:00.001+08:00

A friend of mine, Belinda, brought this to a lunch at my house and I loved it! I asked what was in it and tried to replicate it a couple of days ago. The original had lemon oil and no lime but I used what I had.

1 500g package of risoni pasta

1 bunch of fresh dill
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
equivalent quantity of extra virgin olive oil
splash of lime infused oil
salt and pepper

Cook the risoni following the directions on the package - I did this the conventional way.

In the mean time put Thermie on speed 7 and drop clumps of the fresh dill through the hole.

Then add the juice with the scales on and then add an equivalent amount of oil and the infused lime oil, salt and pepper.

Wizz for about 5 seconds on speed four.

Drain pasta and run under cool water. Tip pasta into Thermie and mix through dressing, reverse, soft spoon speed for about 12 seconds. Tip into serving dish and try to share with others. I will understand completely if you can't. The pasta soaks up the dressing and is divine!

I served this with the Crunchy Carrot Salad, a small bowl of cherry tomatoes, a small fruit plate and some corn I steamed in the Varoma for 10 minutes. It was a reaction the to the rich food of Christmas.

Yours in dill - icious salads,

Thermominx

I'm Back with Banoffee Goodness

2011-01-01T16:19:00.001+08:00

I didn't intend to have a blog break but December ran away with me.

So here is a really scrumptious cheesecake that I Thermied up yesterday for our New Year's Eve dinner party, just family and we all fell asleep before the bells.

I got this recipe from a book I received for Christmas 'Kitchen - Recipes From the Heart of the Home' by Nigella Lawson - I LOVE HER! I fiddled with the amounts and made the whole she-bang in the Thermie. This is intensely sweet and stodgily dense. If you love bananas and you love toffee, delay your New Year diet because you will want to bury your whole face in this. There are three parts to this recipe - base, filling and sauce. I think you also need whipped cream to cut through the sweetness when you serve it - or good vanilla ice-cream.

Banoffee Cheesecake

1 packet of Granita's
75g softened butter

3 bananas (mine were defrosted from the stash in my freezer)
40g lemon juice
500g of Philly
5 eggs
100g soft brown sugar

100g butter
100g golden syrup
50g brown sugar

Pre-heat oven to 170c and triple wrap a springform pan in alfoil. I also lined the base with non-stick for easier transfer to a serving plate later.

Crush biscuits in Thermie by pulsing with Turbo, lid locked. I just peered through the hole after each pulse until it was all broken up. I tipped the crumbs into a waiting bowl and then melted the butter in Thermie on 50c, speed 2, 2 mins. I tipped the crumbage back in and turbo'd again until it was starting to clump.

Push this into the base of your cake pan and flatten with the base of a drinking glass or your fingers. I put a smear of butter between pan and paper so it doesn't lift during this process. Pop in the fridge and give Thermie a quick wash.

Bananas in and mash on speed 4 for about 5 seconds. Tip into a waiting bowl and then throw all ingredients for filling into Thermie and blast for 20 seconds on speed 4. I then added the bananas back in and popped the butterfly in. I mixed on speed 4 for about 5-8 seconds. Pour into cake pan and set cake pan in a baking dish full of just boiled kettle water. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes and refrigerate for about 5 hours or over night before serving. My Philly was room temp so it came together very quickly.

For the sauce I just measured the butter, golden syrup and brown sugar into Thermie. I reduced the golden syrup and brown sugar because THERE WAS WAY too much! I put this on 100c for 5 minutes at speed 2 and then checked and gave it another 5 and then about another 3 - see what you think. Just keep an eye on it. I think this is tricky because you had to bring to the boil, reduce heat and continue simmering for a while until it thickens. It was the first time I have tried something like this in Thermie but it worked.

To serve I drizzled the top of the cheesecake with the toffee sauce and put the rest in a gravy boat. I used whipped cream too. I unmoulded my cheesecake by running a warmed palatte knife around the edge before unclasping.

Everyone raved about this at dinner. I can tell you it made quite an acceptable hang-over cure too - I had no bacon! What was a girl to do?

I think you can see from the pics how yummy this is.

Happy New Year, everyone.

ThermoMINX

Festive Flavour Mini Cook Book

2010-12-06T06:16:00.001+08:00

Ain't that the truth! Keep drinking friends! Anyway...

I feel I should write..."Minxy recommends..." here! I tried a couple of recipes out this week from the 'Festive Flavour' cook book by Thermomix Au. There are some absolute crackers in here...pun intended. Go Tenina!

Firstly, I made the Roasted Pepper Dip on page 6 for my husband's family visiting on his birthday. It was spicy, quick and delicious. I am itching to try the other flavours on this page; Crab Dip, Salmon Dip and Artichoke Dip. The Red Pepper dip comes out a lovely orange colour. The only thing I would do differently is add a little milk for easier dipping.

I made the Christmas Slaw on page 9 for a lunch with the girls on Saturday, it was our annual Scrapbooking wind up. I would reduce the ginger a little here but this was a delicious slaw. For those of you in WA I would reduce the onion in everything right now as they seem particularly strong, must have been the lack of rain. I love the poppy seeds in this, or as we call them here, poppamee seeds.

On page 26 I made the Marzipan Stars - I have never thought to bake marzipan before but this is an inspired idea. These are crunchy little mouthfuls of deliciousness. Perfect for serving with good, strong coffee like biscotti. Also, you get a heck of a lot out of the mixture! I will definitely make these again.

I have saved my favourite until last though, page 43, Cranberry Vanilla Sparklers. These are so yummy you will have a hard time not drinking an entire bottle of champagne all by yourself. They are a lovely pink colour and the vanilla is brilliant in these. The only change I made was to use Vanilla Bean Paste because I was too cheap to buy pods - where does money go at this time of year? I made the vanilla syrup in advance so it was cool enough to throw together when everyone arrived.

I served these in champagne glasses when everyone arrived and then again at lunch time but in martini glasses with a candy cane swizzle stick (maybe I should write a list...101 uses for a candy cane). They were very nice and not as potent as serving a champagne cocktail made with liqueur. I am highly recommending these!

Also, I made a batch of butter and added a teaspoon of white truffle oil then whipped it for about 20 seconds. I served this with those lovely thin wafers that you buy for cheese. This butter is delicious and it will impress all your friends, they'll think you're posh!

Anyone wanting a copy of the book, email me here, jmc23883 at bigpond dot net dot au - and Cat, I still have your book, email me too!

Yours in Christmas Fare,

ThermoMINX

Liquid Christmas

2010-12-01T08:55:00.000+08:00

...cause my 'love handles' aren't lovely enough, right...

This is less recipe and more suggestion. I was craving something Christmas flavoured in liquid form, in my Chrissy mug and this sprang to mind. Although I was mulling over the possibilities of blending up a candy cane or some orange zest into this too...or adding a slug of something alcoholic in the evening...

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons of dark choc chips
300g milk (enough for me and a mini mug for Lil)

Place choc and spices in TM bowl and blast for 10 seconds on speed 10.

Add milk and heat on 80c for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Then slowly turn the speed up to 8 for about 20 seconds to froth it up.

Pour, gulp, go running.

Yours in cinnamon yumminess,
ThermoMINX

Christmastini Anyone?

2010-11-30T11:48:00.000+08:00

Christmastini and Rosemary and Parmesan Shortbread Rounds

I have been messing about with some cocktails and accompaniments and this is what I had for breakfast this morning, ha!

Christmastini

40g Stawberry Liqueur
40g Vodka
350g Cranberry Juice
200g Ice

4 candy canes and some cold water

Grind candy canes for 5 seconds on Speed 9, tip onto a saucer. Wet the rim of four martini glasses with cold water and dip rim of glass in candy cane sugar.

Don't clean the bowl but add all other ingredients and blitz on Speed 9 for 20 seconds.

Pour into glasses and enjoy. You could decorate the glass further by hanging a mini candy cane from the edge of the glass or piercing three frozen cranberries on a toothpick.

I'm goin' in!

Parmesan and Rosemary Shortbread Rounds

2 tsp rosemary needles/leaves
110g parmesan cubed
230g raw sugar
250g butter
450g plain flour
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 150c and line two baking trays with non-stick paper.

Blitz sugar for 10 seconds on speed 9. Set aside.
Blitz parmesan and rosemary for 10 seconds on speed 8.

Add all other ingredients to TM bowl and mix for 5 seconds on speed 6.

Knead on interval for 20 seconds.

Tip into glad wrap and form into 2 flat discs. Rest in fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out to 5mm thickness and cut out circles with MC or a smaller circle cutter.

Bake for 15-17 minutes and allow to cool on tray.

Makes HEAPS!!!!

You can also freeze this dough and defrost when you need it.

Yours in "Cheers!"

ThermoMINX

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2010-11-21T21:14:00.000+08:00

It can't be avoided any longer can it? It's like a red bauble rash has spread itself all over the shops. I have been slowly chipping away at the pressie list and planning for an awesome Christmas Cocktail Party. Well, I hope it will be awesome...any tips? Any recipes I need to make for the nibbles? Leave a comment, I'd love the help.

Really this is Jayne's cooking experiment. Mum and Jayne have had their Thermie for a fortnight now and already Jayne is on the net and looking up other recipes. I think it took me months to get to that point. Lil and I got to go over when the dough was made and rested and do the fun cooking part. This made heaps of dough. One of my bicky rolling tips is to always roll out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, you don't have to add extra flour or prize dough off the bench.

Here is the link to a Ginger Bread recipe for Thermie. We baked the biscuits a little longer than the recipe here states. It is soooo delicious. Beautiful Christmassy flavour and lovely crunch. They are worth making for the nice spicy smell that will fill the house.

Yours in Christmas treats,
ThermoMINX

Crunchy Carrot Salad

2010-11-15T20:52:00.000+08:00

This is a juicy, tasty little number that uses ingredients you will have kicking around. It's in the Taste of Vegetarian Cook Book on page 54. It is sensationally easy, fast, nutritious and just down right yummy to use a 'kid' word. I love these super fast little cole-slaw type recipes and I was inspired to do this one after seeing it at the recent Back to Basics cooking class.

Basically, you throw in the orange zest first, I love that you use so much of the orange. Then add parsley (I ducked out the back and picked this), celery, green apple and carrots - who doesn't have those ingredients kicking around? Finish with walnuts, the juice of the orange, some EVOO and lake salt. This was about 10 seconds worth of prep and for that - awesome on a week night with a grilled steak and a handful of spinach. You could even add a baked spud if you wished to fatten it up a little.

The Taste of Vegetarian has some recipes that are a little too Vegetarian for my family and by that it has some serious looking tofu recipes, but it also has some really, really delicious salads, dips and a macaroni cheese that sounds awesome. I've never met a dish that was topped with cheese and bread crumbs that I didn't love.

Have a good look at the different cookbooks when you are at a demo and don't just write them off based on the over-all theme. One of the most versatile books that I have had lots of success with is the 'Gluten and Wheat Free Cook Book.' The chocolate hazelnut nougat...OMG!

And on that note, I will away!

Yours in crunch,
ThermoMINX

Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies

2010-11-15T07:35:00.001+08:00

Nom, nom, nom! I make these very rarely because they are soooooo goooooood. If you make them often, you will need to start shopping in '1626.' So make them once and once only! If you have self-control make them more regularly.

I have been making these irregularly for about two years. I have tried a couple of recipes and they have all been very good. I am starting a new little 'segment' that I am going to call 'Top of the Pops.' I will convert a recipe each week from a popular TV chef to Thermomix and post about it here.

These are from the Nigella Lawson Christmas book, which is one of my favourite books of all time. For eye-candy factor alone it is worth every dollar. I LOVE this book.

This recipe is on page 208 and the picture is beautiful, I want the plate they are on!

So here are the ingredients minus 50g of pecans so that Lily can take these in her lunch box - we have a nut allergy thing happening at our school. I am always on the lookout for nut-free snacks.

150g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
75g rolled oats
125g of soft butter
75g soft brown sugar
100g castor sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla bean paste/extract
75g dried cranberries
150g of white chocolate chips

*In the future I would slightly reduce the castor sugar as the white choc chips add enough sweetness.

1. Measure butter and sugars into Thermie and mix on speed 6 for 10 seconds. Insert butterfly and mix for another 20 seconds on speed 4.

2. Add vanilla and egg and mix on speed 4 for another 20 seconds.

3. Remove butterfly and add; flour, salt, baking powder and oats. Mix with lid closed on Interval/Kneading watching through the whole until in comes together.

4. Add the crannies and choc chips and give the mix another knead for 10-15 seconds.

5. Use a teaspoon to drop balls of mix onto a lines baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes at 190c.

The longer you bake these the more deliciously caramel they taste - so if you like them brown with a bit of crunch around the edge add a couple of minutes more.

I liked the speed of these in Thermomix - the last time I made these I remember lots of dishes and fiddling about. These were in the oven in jig time and the dishes, ahem, dish self washed and put back together in about 10 minutes all in. This makes between 24-30 depending on the size you make them.

Yours in cookies,
ThermoMINX

And the winner is...

2010-11-14T22:32:00.000+08:00

Hi Everyone,

I will be blogging some very tasty cranberry and white choc chip cookies in the morning, but right now it's way past my bed time.

So our winner is:

Comment number 1 - Sam!

I will be in touch to get your wee prize to you.
Yours in little gifties,

ThermoMINX

Latte Anyone?

2010-11-10T16:39:00.001+08:00

Thermomix Latte's

I was doubtful about making coffee in Thermomix, but I shouldn't have been. When will I learn my lesson? So many things that I have doubted in Thermomix have turned out delicious. I have been grinding my own beans for plunger coffee since I first bought Thermomix too.

This morning I made the Frothy Latte style drink from the EDC halving the ingredients but keeping the heating time the same. This is a nice frothy morning coffee and I would make them again. James asked if I had used 'proper' coffee or instant? I think that's a pretty good indication that the coffee was good.

I did this:

500g milk
1 1/2 tablespoons of good instant coffee (is that an oxy-moron)?
2 teaspoons of sugar

Heat for 7 minutes on speed 4 at 80c, turning up to speed 8 for the last 20 seconds.

Serve in 2 normal sized cups and one weeny little espresso for Lily. Yes we allow small amounts of coffee (generally if has less toxins than your average child's choc milk).

Scroll down and leave a comment on yesterday's post to enter a little prize draw and read about Choice Magazine's review.

Yours in froth,

ThermoMINX

Choice Magazine Thermomix Review

2010-11-09T19:07:00.002+08:00

Have you seen this? It's the Choice Magazine Thermomix Review and it is essential reading if you are hovering on the brink of purchase! It will justify everything you know about buying this wonderful piece of equipment.

So, back to cooking...

Can you cook a steak in Thermomix?

YES....YOU...CAN!

Steak!

I saw this last night at the monthly meeting for consultants (no longer a consultant as of Jan '11) and I was really pleasantly surprised by the outcome. The fab consultant used the Mushroom Sauce from the EDC (the meat loaf one) and steamed some deliciously marinaded porterhouse steaks. They were juicy, beautifully cooked (20 minutes) and best of all - no dirty BBQ, no splatter, no greasy stuff all over the kitchen. Steam ovens are all the rage and we wouldn't question cooking meat in one of those, so why not have a go in Varoma?

Danielle! A one pot meal! Steak, sauce, mushrooms, spuds and asparagus!

The marinade was basically a Chinese style sauce, rich with garlic, ginger, chili, Hoi Sin sauce, soy, sesame oil, Parisian essence, sugar...NOM! I am going to get in touch with the Consultant and ask her if she wouldn't mind me putting her recipe here or featuring her as a guest author. I am so impressed I am making it for tonight's dinner - it was a huge hit at the meeting!

Cute little prize, just for a comment!

To flush you people out of 'lurker' land I am going to pass on some lovely luck I have had. Anyone can enter by leaving a comment. You will win this little oven mit and some silicone cup-cake cases. I won these from my Thermie trainer for being good with my paper-work. As I have lots of cup-cake cases already and a green mit exactly the same I am passing these on. I will enter all comments in the random number generator and pick a winner by Sunday evening 5 pm Perth, WA time. I will post anywhere, including over-seas.

Yours in steak, yes really, steak!

ThermoMINX

PS. Lily just asked for seconds!

Pizza Lovers Check the Eye-Candy...

2010-11-08T07:50:00.000+08:00

My beloved has bought me a wonderful gift that I have been yarping on about for a full month now. I went down south with the book club girls in the October holidays and saw this book but decided just to buy it when I got back to Perth. Whoa Nelly! Bad idea! It's been sold out in Dymocks, Angus and Robertson and just about every where else I tried.

Anyhoo, he found it for me yesterday at New Edition in Fremantle, which is a book store you can always depend on having Western Australian authors stocked. I am so excited by the recipes in this book, they are awesome.

So, if you want to know why this book is such a hot ticket, have a look here, here and here!

Now those of us lucky enough to own a Thermomix will know that the pizza dough is sensational and topping is only an imagination's stretch away. This book has the best fillings, recipes for the best pizza sauce and the best pizza names I have ever heard...the Eskimo Joe, the Mudhoney and the Pisagne but to name a few.

I love all the 'trade secrets' - I feel I should whisper that part. What pans to use, what cheese to use, how hot your oven should be, how to use a pizza oven...and it goes on. There are also delicious looking recipes for traditional Greek foods and mouth watering roasts. Rave! RAVE! RAVE!

Go buy this book!

Yours in hot pizza recommendations,

ThermoMINX

Beautiful Buttery Beastie

2010-11-07T21:03:00.001+08:00

Vegetarians... I urge you look away now...

Everyone else...check this out...

This beautiful beastie was our dinner this evening, will be lunch tomorrow and then a pizza topping tomorrow night. I love to roast something on a Sunday to cover the cooking for Monday, just in case I am suffering from Monday-itis. This is a summery roast though as it is soused with lemon and thyme butter and the steam from a lemon inside the bird moistens and flavours from within.

I used flavoured butter under the skin to flavour and moisten this chicken as it roasted. I made two batches of butter today, a flavoured one for cooking and plain one whipped with extra virgin olive oil for our toast etc during the week.

Whipped butter for eating...

I used the rind of a fresh lemon (thank you, Bill) and pulverised this into zest on speed 10 dropping a handful of freshly picked thyme and a pinch of salt through the hole in the Thermie lid. I think...this all took about 6 seconds. I tend to go by ear on these things now. The smell of this was divine! I scrapped down and added the butter in whipping on speed 4 for about 20 seconds with the butterfly in. I then rolled this gently into a log of cling film and popped in the freezer to harden.

I used 6-7mm thick slices and pushed these under the skin of the breast. I used Jamie Oliver's technique to loosen the skin, I started with my fingers and then used a flexible spatula to open a pocket all the way along the breast on each side. I used other slices wedged in between the legs and wings with the body.

To keep the bird moist and fragrant I cut the peeled lemon in half and popped it in the cavity. I rubbed the whole bird with a wee bit of oil and then sprinkled it liberally with lake salt.

I always add a trivet of vegies under my roasts to improve the gravy. I used a red onion and 2 celery stalks today. I add two mugs full of water and clamp on the lid. The best roasts I have ever made have been in this pot - it's a Le Chasseur - black like a witches' cauldron and I love it!

The chook met it's end in a 220c pre-heated oven, turning down to 200c after the first 10 minutes. I cooked it for a further hour and then 15 minutes more with the lid off. The skin was crisp and golden and there was a lot of delicious juice for gravy.

Gravy/Lemon Thyme Sauce

I spooned off the fat and butter from the juices and lit a roaring flame under the roasting pot on the stove. I added a heaped tablespoon of corn flour and water to make a runny milk mixture pouring this into the hot stock and whisking vigorously until thickened. I leave some of my vegie trivet in and take out any tough bits at the beginning of this process. I added 2 dessert spoons of Philly cream for cooking and seasoned with salt and pepper. This was more sauce than gravy but a super match for the chicken.

Meanwhile I boiled some halved new potatoes in Thermie in the rice basket on Varoma, Speed 4 for 25 minutes. Adding the Varoma for the last 8 minutes with a bunch of asparagus and a bunch of small baby carrots.

Nom! Nom! Nom!

Yours in fattening dinners (from the girl who ate no gravy and no skin...wah),
ThermoMINX

No Waste/Waist

2010-11-07T20:33:00.000+08:00

I had a little left-over custard from the apples last night so I made James and Lil a little trifle each for after dinner tonight. This is less recipe than serving suggestion;

Combine the juice of an orange with a tablespoon of good jam and a couple of handfuls of fresh berries chopped in half. Spoon this mixture over some roughly broken trifle sponges and a few extra berries. Add a layer of custard, I heated mine to get it runny again for easy pouring. Then top with whipped cream - I stole a dessert spoon for each out of the cream I was whipping for butter (stopping Thermie after 20 seconds). Pop in the fridge for a couple of hours to set and for the sponges to soak up the juice. Dust with cocoa powder before serving. We don't like jelly in our trifles so I just use the juice/jam/fruit combo. If you were doing this for grown ups only you could replace the orange juice with sherry.

Mange, mange!

Yours in using what you have,

ThermoMINX

Something I Didn't Know & A Recipe

2010-11-07T10:24:00.000+08:00

Another little tip I picked up at the Cooking Class this week...you can turn Thermomix off! Just hold down the power button for 3 seconds. How did I not know this????

Now don't lecture me Shana! I know this another dessert - albeit a fairly tame one in the fat and calorie department. And Sam...I think I will buy you another pie dish...I've been accidentally using the one I bought as part of your Christmas gift and now it's mine....bad friend!

The inspiration for this dessert came from 'Simply Heaven' the Philly cookbook. I loved the look of the apples all warm, Autumn gold and wrinkly. The syrup for this is a delicious mulled wine and would be awesome in winter (I reserved some with the cinnamon stick for a cocktail). However, as you may have picked up, I have a thing for purchasing many, many apples (it could be a teacher thing).

So, here's how:

4 Pink Lady apples, cut across the way into three sections. When I do this again I will remove the core from the bottom and middle sections, leaving the stalk in the top one.

1 cup of sweet wine, I used Kimberely Mango Wine from Cleanskin Cellars. Fantastic wine and really reasonably priced.

1/4 cup soft brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick

Stir brown sugar and wine together until sugar is mostly dissolved.

Arrange apples and cinnamon stick in a pie dish and pour over the wine and sugar.

Bake in a hot oven for 20-25 minutes on 200c. Next time I would cover the pie dish with foil as the apples were a little chewier than I would have liked.

Now, the recipe had a custard made with Philly and custard powder, I like the idea of the Philly but not the custard powder. Custard powder has Tartrazine - a petrol by-product - I don't want to eat that nor do I want my family eating it. So, I modified the standard EDC recipe and came up with a lovely, pale vanilla dotted pouring custard. I was delighted with the result.

Here's how;

60g raw sugar, zapped for 10 on 10 in Thermie.

500g hi-lo milk

1 egg white and 1 whole egg (less fat and paler)

15g cornflour

2 generous teaspoons of vanilla bean paste

Cook at 90c on speed 4 for 7 minutes. I think you could add some Philly cream for cooking if you were looking for that slightly cheesecakey note. To do that I would replace milk for Philly - 200g Philly to 300g milk? I will attempt and let you know.

Anyway, the custard was fabulous! I was really pleased with the result as I have found the EDC one a little thick for my liking (making me the only person ever not to LOVE it). This was a trendier custard! Thinner and speckled and perfect for the mulled wine apples. Stay tuned for another dessert idea using the left-over custard.

Yours in cinnamon happiness,

ThermoMINX

Salad Days!

2010-11-06T19:01:00.001+08:00

I love summer salads. It's my goal to be experimental and try as many new salads as I can this season and I have no end of good material to choose from...Donna Hay magazine, Simply Heaven (the Philly cookbook that was on special not so long ago) and all my Thermomix books.

Today I tried the Wasabi Mayo from the Seafood Cookbook and I prefer it to the mayo in the EDC. It is delicious and a beautiful, soft avocado green colour. Each of the cookbooks - Seafood, Meat On The Menu and Vegetarian have sections of dressings, sides and dips that are great for summer. I am doing an order this week so leave a comment or email me if you wish to order one.

Prices are as follows:

Fast & Easy Indian Cooking 35.00
Gluten FreeWheat Free 20.00
Healthy Eating - Cyndi O’Meara 12.00
Meat on the Menu 30.00
My Way of Cooking 60.00
Seafood Bounty 20.00
A Taste of Vegetarian 30.00
Thermomats 60.00

Mini Cookbooks:

Budget Busters 7.00
Entertaining with Nico 5.00
Festive Flavour 2009 10.00
Lunch Box After School 5.00
Rawlicious 5.00

Calendar 2011 15.00

For my salad:

2 handfuls of mixed greens (baby spinach, rocket and red coral lettuce)

shaved cucumber (half a normal or a whole Lebanese)

1 softly boiled egg

1 scant table spoon of mixed seeds and pine nuts

1 1/2 tsp of Wasabi mayo.

Assemble and drizzle! This serves one generously for lunch - you could shave the whole cumber and add extra eggs to feed further hungry hoards. I boiled a bunch of eggs in the Thermie this week - very straight forward, if you haven't tried it yet. Great option for summer salads, brekkies and lunches.

Yours in crunchy lunch,

ThermoMINX

Bean gone a while...

2010-11-04T18:56:00.001+08:00

Hi Everyone!

I have 'bean' very busy since getting over my bug. These are the fava beans or broad beans I have grown in my little vegie patch this winter. Freshly picked from the garden they are absolutely delicious! I can't believe the difference in flavour. I managed to grow these, completely by accident, next to my sage plant which means the bees were cross polinating the beans. The result is a lovely sweet flavour when eaten raw. I highly recommend growing these, Lily sat on the vegie garden wall and ate a handful nearly every day.

I made a pesto from them and it was hard not to eat the whole dish. BUT I was strong!

Recipe:

350g shelled broad beans

50g parmesan

juice of half a lemon

40g olive oil

salt and pepper

handful of basil

Steam the shelled beans for 20 minutes on Varoma on Speed 4.

Allow to cool and then squeeze the inners out of each and every one. This takes some time, so sit back and enjoy the process when you have some time.

Grate 50g of parmesan cheese, cubed, speed 7 for about 20 seconds. I like it quite fine.

Add the bean mush, a large handful of fresh basil, juice of half a lemon, 40g of EVOO, salt and pepper. Blitz on Speed 6 for about 10 seconds, scrape down and go again. You can mess around with these times to make the texture that suits you. This turns out like a thick paste - I used a pate knife to spread it.

I served these with good crunchy crackers and vegie crudites. Very tasty! No nuts too - so I could technically take this to school. This would be delicious at Chrissy parties - it's very green!

Yours in dippin' into the beans,

ThermoMINX

Spooktacular Little Banquet

2010-10-31T13:35:00.000+08:00

Tonight we are having an inpromptu little Halloween Supper as I have a pathetically large collection of Halloween decorations and Lily wore me down.

Our menu this evening will be:

Savoury; Sausage rolls, pumpkin and feta pizza, hommus and celery broomsticks.

Sweet; Pumpkin cinnamon muffins, fossil shortbread, gravestone brownies and rice bubble bars with orange sprinkles.

I also have the requisite amount of lollies - I will make a punch in Thermie with mango's and Malibu for the grown ups. The kiddies can have red raspberry slushies.

So the Pumpkin Cinnamon Muffins were made as follows:

310g plain flour

3 teaspoons of home made baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

70g oil

120g raw sugar

1 cup of cooked and cooled pumpkin

180g milk

2 eggs

Extra cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on top.

Throw all ingredients into Thermie and blast on speed 4-5 for 40 seconds. Spoon into muffin cases and top with half a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar each.

Bake for 20-25 minutes on 180c.

I used Halloween coloured cup-cake cases. These are also quite good at Christmas if you add some ground cloves and put them in Christmassy cases. They are very moist!

The Brownies were from this months Master Chef Magazine - I just converted to Thermie, which was very easy. I melted the butter in Thermie first and then inserted the butterfly adding sugar and whipping, then cocoa, then one egg at time down the hatch followed by the remaining ingredients. These are very fudgy and damp - I omitted the nuts cause I am feeding children.

Halloween Fossil Shortbread

I used the EDC recipe adding an extra 20g butter. To make them fossils I pressed a plastic bug in making an impression before removing and baking. Very easy!

Sausage Rolls

1 packet of pork sausages skin removed

80g bread crumbs

1/2 a zucchini

1 carrot

1 red onion

2 cloves garlic

salt and white pepper

a squeeze of tomato sauce

1 egg

4 sheets of puff pastry

1 extra egg for brushing

Place garlic into TM bowl and blast on speed 7 after three seconds add the onion, carrot and zucchini through the hole and turn off when you can hear they have been zapped into oblivion.

Add sauce, salt, pepper, egg, crumbs and sausage meat and hit Turbo with Lid Closed about 4-5 times.

Cut pastry sheet in half. Spread a length of sausage mix along both pieces of pastry. Brush egg along seam and roll up. Brush tops with more egg. Cut into 5 small sausage rolls and place in hot oven (220c) for about 25-30 minutes.

I made the LTM's and added orange sprinkles - I will cut them into thin fingers to serve.

For Halloween eye candy have a look at Martha Stewart's website - great ideas!

Yours in Boooo!

ThermoMINX

Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

2010-10-30T08:45:00.000+08:00

Starting to get back in the saddle today...feeling more like my gluttonous self!

I made these because I have a mass of apples. I could buy less I guess.

Here's how:

3 apples, peeled and cored

2 eggs

350g milk

290g plain flour

2 tsp of baking powder

30g raw sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Place apples in Thermie and chop on Speed 4 for about 3-4 seconds. I checked on these after 2 and then gave them another little blast. These had a little crunchiness when the pancakes were cooked so if you want softer grate a little longer. Set aside.

Place eggs and milk in Thermie and mix for 4 seconds on Speed 4.

Add all other ingredients except apples and mix for 10 seconds on speed 4.

Add apples and mix on reverse, speed 4 for 5 seconds.

When you cook these spread the mixture thinner with the back of a spoon so that they cook through. I cook pancakes on a low heat setting so they are soft and cooked through. This made 10 large breakfast pancakes but you could make small pikelet sized ones and get about 20 out the mix. These would be terrific in lunchboxes.

They are naturally sweet with the apples - so you really could leave the sugar out - especially if you love maple syrup.

Yours in pancakes,

ThermoMINX

Orange Shortbread

2010-10-28T07:15:00.000+08:00

The lack of fresh posts here is down to the fact that I am sick with a cold that has morphed into something else gross and debilitating. So I haven't felt much like cooking as you can well imagine.

I have done a little reading of a deeply pleasurable book "Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delight's," which appeared in my mailbox yesterday morning from Book Depository. So I set myself this tray and sent myself back to bed for some reading and relaxation. I love this book! It is part cookbook, part memoir and a very entertaining read. I can't wait to have a go at her flourless chocolate cake. She jokes in one part about using a blender a lot - not a problem Sophie - I have a Thermie and I love a recipe I can translate it to.

Anyway, you might have spied the shortbread on my tea tray - it's the EDC one with tweaks. I added the orange sugar instead of raw and I also increased the butter by 20g (cause that's what I had). I rolled it in plastic wrap and popped it in the fridge for a while before baking. While it was still hot from the oven I sprinkled it with more of the orange sugar - the heat makes it stick.

Yours in tissue consumption,
ThermoMINX

Muffin Tops

2010-10-25T07:23:00.000+08:00

Good grief! I was sure these were muffins despite the fact that they have turned out looking like souffles. I really should call this post '101 uses for orange sugar.' I made a significantly large quantity for a school fete for making sorbet and then had the graveyard shift bringing it all home again.

How to make orange sugar:

200g raw sugar

4-5 peels of orange zest

Mill the sugar in speed 10 for 10 seconds, add peel and mill for a further 5-8 seconds at the same speed.

Don't make three batches though!

To make these muffins;

300g sr flour

40g Dutch cocoa

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

70g rice bran oil

150g orange sugar

180g milk

Then give it the usual 40 seconds on speed 4-5. Bake for 20 minutes at 180c in the oven.

I had plans to make some icing with the orange sugar, but the dog has fallen asleep on me. Later!

Yours in muffin-baking addiction,

ThermoMINX

Shaping Bread

2010-10-21T21:13:00.000+08:00

I have been looking for different ways to shape bread rolls - seen as I seem to be making so many these days. I found some YouTube video's a while back and thought I would have a go at making rolls in a muffin tray. They all look like little bottoms...

So you too can make 'bottom buns' by following these directions. Although, I am chalking this up to a bit of a disaster (I like to keep it real here at Thermominx). Firstly I split the dough for one roll into three and rolled them into little balls placing three each in my oiled muffin pan. The other was a ball shaped piece of dough with three scissor snips across the top. I used the Basic Bread Recipe on page 112 and yes I made them this morning before school...it can be done...if you go to work in your jarmies with your hair standing on end. Think I will stick to Thermo porridge...until I can master the art of mornings.

Yours in shaping up,

ThermoMINX

Little Thermomix Munchies

2010-10-20T07:36:00.000+08:00

I have made these before but haven't posted them on this blog. They are in the little "Lunch Box and After School Ideas" booklet on page 5. I used puffed brown rice last time and you have to use a lot less rice for them to 'glue' together. This time I used good ole rice bubbles and stuck to the recipe...unusually so! I think you could cut the sugar back a little...and her Majesty Queen Awkward wants chopped up Dime Bars or choc chips next time (no chance).

They have turned out beautifully and Miss Fussy Pants approves despite their lack of chocolate.

Yours in little snack reviews...
ThermoMINX

Delicious Prawns Varoma Style

2010-10-19T08:08:00.001+08:00

I have never steamed prawns before and now that I have tried it I can't think why not - they were so fat and tasty cooked this way. I should have marinaded them but I was out drinking coffee with my big girl, ho hum.

Here's what I did;

1 lemon sliced
400g prawns, tails on
1 green chili finely sliced

Salad:
Mixed leaves
red capsicum sliced
mini cucumbers sliced
little bits of the sliced green chili sprinkled over one end (not Lily's)

Dressing/Marinade:
1 part lime infused oil
1 part good green olive oil
2 parts white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
*I had used my last lemon or else I would have used that in place of the vinegar, I now have 8 lemons due to a late walk! I would also use this as a marinade for the prawns and include some chili next time.

Place prawns in top tray of Varoma in a single layer and sprinkle chili and small wedges of the lemon around them. I think next time I will use some dampened baking paper underneath too.

Fill Thermie with 1 litre of water and the ends of the lemon ( I would maybe throw in a bit more next time). This created a lovely aromatic lemon steam. Set timer for 15 minutes, Varoma, speed 1.

Throw salad together while sipping a light chardy and assemble dressing in an old jam jar - shake vigorously. Do this in front of 'A Current Affair' and then yell at phone "Why aren't you ringing?" like some sort of pyscho-consultant! Did any of you see the Thermster getting very high praise on TV last night?

I had intended to toss the prawns and dressing through the salad (I think this would be an awesome summer lunch dish) but Lily is 7...enough said.

I also made some of Turban Chopsticks coconut fritters. I insist you try them if you live in Perth, go get some of their mix. Have a look here at their Facebook page.

I received my copy of the 'Full Steam Ahead Cook Book' in the mail yesterday. Very exciting. I love the steaming guide in the front of the book, I think that will be awesomely useful.

Anyway, the prawns were plump, juicy and perfectly cooked. I will definitely repeat this exercise.

Yours in little pink plumptious prawns,
ThermoMINX

Weekend Play...

2010-10-16T21:21:00.000+08:00

It's the weekend so it's time to play with Thermie.

To begin with, fresh butter for cooking and spreading on toast.

Secondly, I made this recipe in one large loaf pan - sticky and delicious.

Then I made more of these using the buttermilk from the fresh butter...for morning tea and for mum.

By which time I had woken even the heaviest sleeper and I then experimented with steamed herb and cheese omelettes. I need to play with these a bit more before I post a recipe, I am awaiting my 'Full Steam Ahead Book,' which is on back order.

Tonight after dinner, surprisingly not cooked in Thermie, I made Dime Bar Custard. Oh man!

Here's how:

80g raw sugar
2 bars of Dime (from an Ikea 3 pack) broken up
500g milk
2 eggs
30g corn flour
1 Dime Bar smashed up for decoration and deliciousness

Grind up the sugar and 2 Dime bars for 10 seconds on speed 9.

Add milk, eggs and cornflour and cook on 90c, speed 4 for 7 minutes.

Serve with the crushed Dime bar sprinkled on top. Then start a new diet tomorrow.

Yours in OCD cooking,
ThermoMINX

Get ready to rumble...

2010-10-15T18:01:00.001+08:00

Or at least...get ready to crumble.

I realise that here in Perth we are in Spring now and crumbles conjure up images of winter suppers and steaming custards, however, my apple and pear mass was reaching critical and I was afraid that if the basket over-flowed it could take out Frank!

This little number is one I have modified and increased from the 'Your Way of Cooking' Thermomix cookbook and I have used it a few times now. I find you get these unevenly chopped apples that create great texture when the crumble is cooked.

Here is how I made this one;

Crumble Topping
120g butter, chopped
90g raw sugar
5 peeler peels of lemon rind
170g plain flour
Pinch of salt

Place zest and sugar in Thermie and blitz on Speed 9 for 3 seconds.
Add all other ingredients and blast for about 8 seconds on speed 6.

Tip into another bowl and set aside.

Filling
700g apples peeled, cored and quartered
200g pears peeled, cored and quartered
Juice of 1 lemon
80g raw sugar
*I have also made this adding a handful of mixed berries..mmm!

Place all ingredients into Thermster and blitz for 2 seconds on speed 4. You could scrape down and blitz for another 1 second if you wanted a pulpier mix, as I said I like the chunks so I don't and I don't use the spatula through the whole. Cook on 100c for 5 mins reverse speed soft.

Leave warm apple mixture to cool in a pie dish and then loosely shake crumble mix all over the top - DO NOT squash it down. If you do you will not have lots of lovely crispy bits, you will have British school dinners! Yeuch! Bake for about 25 mins at 180c.

I really play with my crumble toppings. In the past I have added a handful of coconut, ground almonds, LSA and oats. It all depends on mood and pantry contents. The same goes for accompaniments; lemon custard would be great with this, as would lemon cheesecake ice-cream, as would whipped cream or creamy traditional vanilla ice-cream.

Yours in fattening puds,

ThermoMINX

Eat your greens!

2010-10-15T17:54:00.000+08:00

I love a red-spot special! They don't really do this here anymore - used to do it all the time when I was a child. You know, they (Woolies, etc) announce over the PA that they have a trolley full of something or other for $1 a pop. Wellllll, yesterday that happened in my local Woolies with an over supply of vegies. You could fill a bag full of the veg for $1 and it wasn't old gross stuff it was fresh. I got a HUGE leek, a huge zucchini, 2 carrots, a bunch of spring onions, a head of fennel and 2 spuds. FOR A BUCK! I would have been really greedy and squeezed in more but I didn't want the bag to split...and to look like the greedy girl I am in public.

So this evening... green soup!

This is what I have done;

1 LARGE Leek
50g broccoli
1 large zucchini
1 handful of mixed herbs from my garden (parsley, chives, thyme, sage, teeny piece of rosemary)
2 dessert spoons of vegie concentrate paste
650g water
120g cream
1 tsp ground black pepper
20g EVOO
20g Butter

NB: If you chop your leeks and put them in a colander in the sink to soak for a while the sand comes out of them easier. I pop all the rings out too. I like to keep some of the nice green part because it gives the soup/risotto or whatever you are cooking a lovely colour.

Place herbs and leek in the Thermie and blitz on speed 7 for about 4 seconds. Scape down and blits on speed 7 for another 2 seconds.

Add butter and EVOO and saute on 100c for 4 minutes speed 1. I increased the time I usually saute to make sure it cooked the quantity I had in there.

Add zucchini, broccoli, paste and water and cook for 20 minutes on 100c and speed 1.

Add cream and pepper and slowly turn dial up to 9 for 1 minute.

Serve with chopped chives and crusty bread or whatever. Just saying...

Sorry about the unsexy shots - should've posed the model a bit better, it wasn't her best angle.

Yours in sloooop!

ThermoMINX

Just dinner...

2010-10-12T19:02:00.000+08:00

It's a week night, we're back at school and work. I can't justify party food, actually, I couldn't justify the party food I ate all holidays either. Ooops! So what do you make that's fast and nutritious? Why fish of course. I have tweaked a Thermomix recipe that is fabulous before tweaking I just didn't have all the ingredients in. If you have tried the Asian Style Fish Fillets on page 104 of the EDC you will, no doubt, agree with me. I love this dinner.

There was no coriander at Woolies and I have trouble growing it so I have had to omit that. I added a splash of really good naturally brewed soy and a dribble of sesame oil to my paste. I smeared this all over my salmon fillet and put it atop some dampened baking paper in the top layer of my Varoma. In the bottom layer a whole bunch of vegies; celery, capsicum, broccoli and zucchini. In the Thermie jug; brown rice - I need to feel virtuous! I let the rice do it's thing for about 25 minutes and then I put the Varoma in position. Dinner's in this wonderful machine are ridiculously easy. I feel sorry for non-Thermies...Sophia feels the same, don't you?

Yours in healthy dinners,

ThermoMINX