BBQ Steak in the Varoma!

Thanks to dj for this recipe - the Thermomix really can do everything!

Marinade:
2 cloves garlic
2cm fresh ginger
1 small red chilli
2 tbsp Hoi Sin sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tblsp sugar
1 tblsp rice wine or dry sherry
2tblsp oyster sauce
2 tblsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp Parisian essence ( to give colour to meat - this is just burnt sugar and available in supermarkets)
2 tsp cornflour

2-4 good quality steaks eg Porterhouse or Scotch fillet

Method:
Place garlic, ginger and chilli in TM bowl and chop for 6 seconds on speed 9. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Add all other marinade ingredients and mix for 8-10 seconds on speed 7
Place steaks in bowl and pour marinade over and leave for 1 hour, turning to coat as necessary.
Dran and arrage steaks in Varoma tray - if cooking 4 steaks, place 2 on bottom of Varoma and 2 on tray.  Allow space for steam to rise in between. Place 500ml of water in TM bowl or make a sauce in the bowl (see below) and cook for 20 minutes at Varoma on speed 1 (or according to taste)

Sauce to pour over steak when cooked:
Use leftover marinade with 4-6 mushrooms, 1 onion cut in quarters and 1 cup wine.  Reduce water to make mixture up to 500ml.  You can add potatoes or rice to basket and cook with the meat - if so, use speed 4 instead of speed 1.

Enjoy!

Sweet and sour pork

Follow the link below for a really tasty sweet and sour pork recipe (this recipe is for chicken, I replaced the chicken with 500g cubed pork steak).  I cooked this dish first and poured it in the Thermoserver to keep hot whilst cooking 400g of brown rice in the TM.

http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=4683.msg58861#msg58861

Chicken and Pumpkin Risotto

A pretty good risotto made by tweaking the mushroom risotto recipe from the EDC a bit.  This was enjoyed by all recently.

Follow the  mushroom risotto recipe, replacing mushrooms with about 200g cubed chicken thigh (or breast) and about 200g cubed pumpkin.  Reduce the rice to about 300g.

Follow the EDC directions, putting in the pumpkin in place of the mushrooms.  Cook for 10 minutes on 100 degrees, reverse and speed 1.  After 10 minutes is up, add the chicken and cook further 7 minutes, 100 degrees, reverse and speed 1.  Can stir through some chopped chives if desired. 

Pour into Thermoserver, leave to stand for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy!

Thermomix in Rotto!

For weeks I had been saying I was taking TM to Rotto - the kids were more interested in telling anyone who would listen about this than in talking about taking their bikes or sand gear!

But, as we were packing, I decided I'd leave it/him/her (haven't quite decided which one yet) at home, to have a well-earned rest for a week, then literally just as we were walking out the door, I couldn't do it, I couldn't leave it on the bench, home alone, so grabbed it to take with us.  And, so glad I did.

We made fun stuff - strawberry sorbet and smoothies for the kids, Bellini cocktails for the adults, iced coffees, chai masala tea and chicken korma from the Indian cookbook for a group curry night, almond biscuits (Luigi's 40 second biscuits from EDC), pikelets, I even cooked the scrambled egg in it one morning.

Gotta say, it's fantastic, especially on holiday. 

Rewards for October

There is a double incentive to purchase a Thermomix in October - you receive the 2L stainless steel, double walled, insulated Thermoserver AND a Thermomix Indian Cookbook which contains loads of fabulous recipes for you to enjoy. 

So purchase a Thermomix in October and either have your delivery demo in October or November to take advantage of this special offer!

smoothies

The TM makes fantastic quick, healthy smoothies -
Try this delicious one:

1 orange, peeled and halved
1 apple, quartered (leave skin and core on)
2 slices pineapple
30ml pineapple juice
1 tray ice cubes

Put all in TM and blend for 1 minute on speed 8-9
Pour into tall glasses and enjoy.  The kids loved it!

Brown rice pudding - great for breakfast

I have been struggling for a while to find something for breakfast that the whole family would enjoy.  My youngest son is not a breakfast fan and will usually leave a bowlful of whatever I have lovingly prepared for him.  This morning the eldest son, asked for rice pudding for breaky, so I looked around for a healthy version and adapted Jude Blereau's rice cream from 'Wholefood Cooking'.  I didn't prepare an awful lot in case it was a disaster, imagine my suprise when all loved it and even the youngest asked for more!  The apple gives it a sweetness that sweet tooth's enjoy..

Brown rice pudding:
300g brown rice (may pre-soak overnight to reduce cooking time)
900g water
2 apples, peeled and grated or sliced and stewed (can be done in saucepan while rice is cooking)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (grate in TM)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
180g coconut milk
30g cream
2 tsp honey

 Optional - ground almonds (grind in TM first), sultanas, apricots

Rinse rice and place in basket, add water to bowl, insert basket and cook for 30-35mins (less if pre-soaked overnight) at Varoma temp on speed 4.
Remove basket, empty water from bowl and place rice in bowl along with other ingredients.  Mix for 30 seconds on reverse and speed  3.

Serve with plain yoghurt or cream and enjoy!

Mulberry and apple jam

I recently made some delicious Mulberry and Apple jam using mulberry's fresh from the tree and it was so easy!
Simply put 250g of hulled mulberries, 250g of apples (quartered), 1 lemon (peeled and quartered) and 250g of sugar into TM bowl.  Cook for 30-40 minutes at 100 degrees C on speed 1 until desired consistency is achieved. Pour into sterilised jars, label and enjoy on warm, fresh bread with fresh TM butter!

Beetroot salad

Try making the Beetroot salad on page 39 of the Everyday Cookbook, with the addition of a tin of chick peas, some tuna and feta stirred in at the end - delicious and so healthy for lunch!

Butter

Did you know the TM makes butter in just one to three minutes - depending on the freshness of the cream you use? It's so easy, and as a bonus you have buttermilk left over to make some yummy buttermilk bread, scones, or for soaking your grains in overnight.
To make butter, simply put 500-600g of chilled cream (minimum 35% fat content, preferably with no thickeners) in TM and with butterfly in place, blend for 1-3 minutes on speed 4 (maximum speed for butterfly) until it separates - you will hear when this happens.  Strain the buttermilk from the bowl and remove butterfly.  Place 500g of cold water into bowl and mix on speed 4 for 5-10 seconds, strain again and 'voila' - lovely fresh butter!

Cooking classes

Thermomix cooking classes are great for everyone - for those of you who already own a Thermomix, the class is a fantastic way to obtain more ideas and recipes, and for those of you who want to find out more about this amazing machine before buying, you will be able to see the Thermomix in action preparing eight dishes in 2 hours!

From sorbet to soup; salad to steaming-we cover all the basics plus lots of hints and tips for saving time and money in the kitchen!

For those in the hills - there is a class on this Wednesday (22/9/10) at Guildford Landing from 7.30-9.30.

For those who are closer to Melville Guide Hall, there is a class there on Monday 18th October at 7.30.

Let me know if you are interested in coming along, so I can book you a place.

There are other classes at Atwell, Landsdale, Yokine, Mandurah and Manning - if you would like information on dates of these, let me know.

Profiteroles

Recently, I attempted profiteroles for the very first time and what a success!  I thoroughly enjoyed the preparation, (apart from spending an hour painstakingly removing egg shell from the choux pastry after accidentally dropping half of the fourth eggshell into the TM whilst blade was turning! I was unable to start again as that was my last egg!). 


I used the Choux Pastry, Vanilla Custard and Chocolate Ganache recipes from the 'Everyday Cookbook' and would definitely try it again - but this time break the eggs into a separate bowl first!


You must also try making the chocolate custard - delicious!