Raspberry Jelly

Here's a thermo version of Bill Grangers fruit jelly from his new book 'Every Day'. I had the great pleasure of attending his book launch at Beaufort Street Books this morning and he proved to be a warm and genuine character! For this I used frozen raspberries as I had them at hand and fresh are too expensive in Perth. Add 150g each of frozen raspberries and raw sugar into the Thermomix along with 200g water and cook at 100 degrees speed 2 for 10 minutes with the measuring cup lid on. Blitz for 5 seconds at speed 5 then pass through a fine sieve to separate the syrup. Add back to the Thermomix weighing as you go, then top up with water to 500g in total. Add 2 tsp powdered gelatine and cook at 90 degrees for 5 minutes speed 3. Cool for a few minutes then pour into dessert glasses (or paper cups for picnic fodder) and chill at least 3 hours to set. I plan to top with vanilla icecream, a drizzle of rosewater syrup and sliced strawberries.

Cheats Hainan Chicken Rice

It's nowhere near as good as Singapore but for a weeknight dinner that's pretty healthy, give this a go! First make green sauce by blitzing a whole peeled ginger root (about the size of your hand) with a the green parts bunch of spring onions. Add enough oil (I use rice bran) just to wet the mix, a generous pinch of salt and sauté at varoma for 10 mins. This makes a big batch of the sauce so freeze some for later use, or share it with friends! Next chop 1 shallot (the brown onion variety) with 3 gloves of garlic and a peeled thumb size price of fresh ginger for 5 seconds at speed 5. Scrape the sides, add 30ml oil and sauté at varoma for 5 mins. Then weigh and wash 200g of jasmine or basmati rice in the basket and into the bowl add 2 tbs of chicken stock powder (yes Tenina's recipe it's amazing!) and 900ml of water. Insert the basket, and on the top lay 2 skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthways to make 4 pieces. Don't overcrowd the basket so if the pieces are big just use 3. Cook for 20 minutes at varoma temperature speed 4 and leave the measuring cup lid in. About half way through turn the chicken pieces and stir up the rice a little. After the 20 mins take the chicken out, scrape any rice stuck to it away and set aside in your thermo server or a covered bowl. It might look a bit under cooked but should finish off while resting. Just check before you eventually slice to serve. Give the rice another 5 minutes varoma temp, speed 4 but be sure to see if the water needs a top up first. Check to see that it's cooked and if so leave it to stand for 5 minutes, before also removing to the thermo server with the chicken for a further 15 minutes. Hainan Chicken Rice is all about the condiments so here's how we have it- thinly slice chicken and serve with sliced continental cucumber dressed with a few drops of sesame oil. Then have a bowl filled with the seasoned rice, and top with chicken and cucumber as you go along, with liberal dressings of the 'green sauce' and kecap manis (sweet soy) and sriracha chilli sauce to taste. YUM! This would serve 2-3 adults.

Dip Dip Dip

I know we all love our Thermomixes as a last minute entertaining life saver- here's a couple of dips I tried recently! This curried lentil dip is a converted version of a recipe from 'Our Family Kitchen'- contributed by Virginia Rowland and Peter Casserly. First, finely chop 140g sundried tomatoes and a large handful of flat leaf parsley at speed 5 for 10 seconds, scraping sides half way through in need. Set aside. No need to rinse the bowl, just chop 1 brown onion at speed 5 for 5 seconds, add 50 of oil and cook at varoma speed 1 for 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp curry powder, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 2 tsp ground cumin, 3 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder and sauté at varoma for a further 2 minutes. Add back the tomatoes and parsley with 2 tbsp each of sugar and red wine vinegar and a rinsed 400g can of brown lentils and stir reverse until combined. Serve warm with crusty bread or crackers. Smoked Salmon Dip is super easy too. Chop 3/4 of a red onion and a large handful (around 1 cup) of flat leaf parsley at speed 5 for 5 seconds. Scrape sides and repeat for 3 seconds. Add a 150 g fillet of hot smoked salmon, a 220g tub of extra light spreadable cream cheese, the juice of one lemon and 6-8 caper berries with stalks removed (or 2tbs rinsed capers). Mix for 20 seconds at speed 3. Yummy served with crackers or toast and a dollop of caviar!

Chocolate Beetroot Cake

I did a cooking class for the Thermomix at The Cooking Professor this week, so I am feeling renewed and inspired to play with the Thermomix some more. I particularly liked Fred's idea to use it to Sous Vide Salmon Fillets, they were really lovely. What I did today was make up a Chocolate Beetroot cake, as hidden veggies are always a favorite for me. After a bit of research here's what I came up with- super easy and kids and husband all ate a piece and declared it delicious. It's moist and rich, but still a nice light texture.

First add 100g butter and 100g dark chocolate to the Thermomix bowl and first blitz at speed 4 for 30 seconds to chop, then melt at 60 degrees speed 2 for a further 3 minutes.

Then add all of the following ingredients together to the bowl;

150g tinned whole beetroot- I used whole baby beets
2tsp baking powder
120g self raising flour
30g cocoa
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g raw sugar
3 whole eggs

Blitz at speed 5 for 30 seconds, scrape the sides down and blitz again for a further 15 seconds. Pour into a lined cake tin and bake at 175 degrees (not fan forced) for 35 to 40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. We ate it warm with no additions, but I think a dusting of icing sugar, or a dollop of greek yoghurt or marscapone cream and fresh sliced berries would be yummy!

Chicken Pot Pie

This was a nice easy mid week dinner..... Chop 1 clove garlic, 1 brown onion, 1 carrot, 1/4 fennel bulb, 1 stick celery (all roughly cut) for 1 second at speed 5. Add 50g olive oil and sauté for 5 minutes varoma speed 2. Add 200g cream, 200g water and 2 tbs tenina's chicken stock powder and cook for 10 minutes 100 degrees speed 2. Dice up 650g chicken breast and add to the bowl along with 2 tbsp of sundried tomato pesto and cook for 5 mins at 100 degrees reverse speed 1. Add 100g corn kernels, 50g peas (I used frozen) and 100g plain flour and cook for a further 5 minutes at 100 degrees reverse speed 1. Pour the cooked filling into a shallow ovenproof dish and allow to cool for 30 mins. In the meantime roll out a 375g block of puff pastry to around 0.5cm thickness. When filling has cooled then cover with the rolled pastry, trim edges and press the edges to seal. Brush with beaten egg and cook in a pre warmed oven at 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Yum! You could use a different pesto for flavoring, or add different veggies to taste.

Kitchen Hands Scrub

For a scrub to use when you have garlicky or fishy hands in the kitchen try this- using a potato peeler peel the skin from two whole lemons and blitz using the thermomix for 3 seconds at speed 8. Next add 500g rock salt and blitz again at speed 8 for 1 second. Scrape the sides down and add 100g of olive oil and mix at speed 2 for 20 seconds or until well combined. Keep in a jar near the sink so it's easy to get to with stinky hands, just rub hands together with about 1 tsp and then wash off with soap and water. Nice smelling and smooths the skin. I'm going to experiment with some other flavours and oils for a shower scrub for feet and body next... perhaps mint and lime, or lavender, maybe almond oil?? I think raw sugar would work for this too, as long as you use oil rather than water so it doesn't dissolve.

Porcini Polenta

Perfect for winter, I served this warm with steak and veggies. You could also set it by chilling overnight and grill wedges as a side dish. First pour in 500g freshly boiled water from the kettle (faster than waiting for the Thermomix to boil it!) then add 100g polenta and crumble in 3 or 4 dried porcini mushrooms. You can add more or less according to your tatse. Then add 2 tsp Tenina's delicious chicken stock powder, or 1/2 stock cube and set to cook for 30 minutes, 100 degrees speed 2. After about 10 minutes add 1/4 cup milk and continue cooking. Pour into your thermo server until needed, or chill in a lined container overnight then cut into slices and fry/grill before serving.

Sponge cake in 8 minutes!

I saw a recent episode of Masterchef Australia where they made a sponge cake in the microwave after aerating the mix with a whipped cream gun.... curious.... I thought I'd try a version in the thermomix. This quantity makes enough for large size (around 300ml) coffee cup. Choose a paper cup, and slash the bottom a few times to allow steam to vent. Into the thermomix add 1 egg and 35g caster sugar. Mix for 1 minutes speed 6, then add the butterfly and give it 5 minutes on speed 4. Sift into the bowl 15g corn flour, 15g of plain flour and 15g self raising flour. Add a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp vanilla essence then stir for 1 minute. Finally pour into the paper coffee cup (it should fill it about 1/3) and microwave for 60 seconds. My microwave is 750 watt power at the max setting.

For a choc version I substituted cocoa powder for the plain flour

It was a bouncy sort of texture, so I'll tinker with the cooking time but the kids pronounced it most delish! If you want something quick to have with a bit of fruit and custard for dessert, it's perfect. I think you could play with it in recipes too- ie base layer for individual bombe alaska's or in a trifle?

Sundried Tomato Pesto

I recently splurged at the Simon Johnson sale (love a sale!) and arrived home with loads of goodies, including 2kg of beautiful sundried tomatoes. They were a bargain.... Here's a recipe I tried today. First toast 100g of pine nuts in a dry pan over low heat on the stove until golden and fragrant. Then in the Thermomix blitz 100 Parmesan cheese at speed 10 for 10 seconds and set aside. Into your Thermomix bowl measure in 360g of sundried tomatoes, the toasted pine nuts and 4 cloves of garlic and blitz at speed 6 for 10 seconds. Scrape the sides down, add 20g of fresh basil leaves and mix again at speed 6 for 10 seconds. Pour 1/2 cup of good olive oil onto the lid with the measuring cup in place and run machine on speed 4 until all the oil is combined. Scrape again, add the Parmesan and 1/2 tsp sea salt and mix at speed 4 for a further 20 seconds. This made 2 cups of pesto for the fridge plus two big dessert spoon dollops we mixed with cooked penne pasta, cream, white wine, chicken, mushrooms and baby spinach for dinner tonight.

Quick Apple Pie

Tam shared this recipe with me recently and it was super easy and yum so I have converted it for the Thermomix. Take 125g chopped butter and melt at 90 degrees 3 mins speed 2. Into the bowl add 280g self raising flour, 35g custard powder, 160g sugar and 1 egg and mix at speed 7 for 30 seconds. Scrape sides and give it another 30 seconds until you get a dough. Take about 2/3 of the mix and using your fingers press it into a lined pie tin, or as I did with these ones into a large greased muffin tin. Fill with pie apples then a sprinkle each of caster sugar and cinnamon. For the lid roll out the remaining dough between two layers of baking paper and then remove one side of paper, invert onto the pie and peel the rest of the paper away. If you are doing smaller pies then you can just roll out and cut to shape. Slit the tops a few times, then brush with milk and bake at 175 degrees for 35-40 mins or golden brown. We included a few sultanas on top of the apples, and you could also add berries, or rhubarb. For the 6 muffin tin sized pies I needed about 2/3 of a 800g tin of pie apples or for one large pie I used a whole 800g can. If you have the time you could of course stew the filling yourself. I am going to try a savory version of that crust next, it's a nice texture and I think it would be good with quiche/savory tarts.

30 Second Asian Coleslaw

I was browsing the fridge at lunchtime today, and came up with this slaw with an asian twist. To make the dressing add a small (thumbnail size) peeled peice of fresh ginger, 30 g mirin, 30g rice vinegar, 20g light soy sauce, 1 tsp palm sugar (I used coconut sugar instead) and a few drops of sesame oil. Blitz at speed 8 for 10 seconds or until the ginger is nearly invisible as it's been chopped so small. Leave the dressing in the bowl and add 1/4 small red cabbage chopped roughly, 1/2 cup of fresh beanshoots and 1 peeled carrot also roughly chopped. I also added 50g of leftover BBQ chicken meat but this would be optional. Blitz at speed 5 just 1 or 2 seconds at a time until you get the size of dice that suits you. 30 seconds to make a healthy and yummy lunch time salad! You could easily add any other hard veg you fancy, like broccoli, celery or cauliflower for example. This recipe served two for lunch, or as a side could have easily been enough for the whole family.

Pomegranate Cordial

I'm sure those with kids will understand the love they have for a 'fizzy drink' so I have decided to try and create some of my own. My first effort was a pomegranate cordial, as usual inspired by what was on special and in season at the local fruit and veg market. I used a normal manual citrus juicer to juice 3 pomegranates as I had read pulping them could create bitterness. Nice for grown ups but wouldn't get past our kids! I weighed the juice in at 260g and topped it up to 320g with fresh lime juice. I then added 160 g rapadura sugar (raw would be fine as well), and 1 tsp tartaric acid and cooked at varoma temperature for 15 minutes speed 1. I ended up with around the same amount of liquid as the original pomegranate juice quantity. Mixed with a little soda water and served to the panel, it was given a thumbs up! The tartaric acid was in the interests of preserving it but in small batches like this I won't bother next time. Myself, I'd like to try it with soda and gin

Some other flavour combo's I plan to try..... Apple, Lime and Mint..... Raspberry and Lemon..... Black Carrot, Apple and Ginger..... Orange and Blueberry..... The possibilities are endless!

Mushroom Soup

You'll be jumping out of your skin with energy after eating this yummy soup! I have adapted a recipe from the Power of Mushrooms website for the Thermomix The Power of Mushrooms. Take 60g butter cubed and melt it at speed 2, varoma temperature for 5 minutes. Add 2 washed, trimmed down to the white section and roughly chopped leeks and 2 cloves of garlic and mix again at varoma temperature speed 2 for a further 6 minutes. Then add 700g of roughly chopped mushrooms- I used a mix of portobello, field and button mushrooms but you can get creative here! Cook at varoma temperature speed 2 for 15 minutes with the measuring cup lid in so they become tender. Add 1/3 cup flour and 1 lt chicken stock (or 4 tablespoons of Tenina's Chicken Stock powder and 1 lt water) and Cook at varoma speed 3 for 10 minutes, then a further 10 minutes at 100 degrees still speed 3. Rest the basket on top the lid while cooking to avoid mushroom splashes in your kitchen, Finish by blending at speed 9 for a minute, the add 1/4 cup pure cream and blend again for 30 seconds at speed 9 and you are done! If you prefer a chunkier texture just blend for less time at the final stage, but I like a smooth creamy soup. Serve with fresh chopped parsley.

Quick Apple Crumble

We all fancied a warm dessert so I dreamed up this version of an old fashioned classic! Into an ovenproof dish I mixed a large tin of pie apples (I think around 800g) with half a cup of sultanas and 1 tsp cinnamon. Into my Thermomix I weighed in 75g rolled oats, 50g roasted almonds and 50g raw sugar and then blitzed for 5 seconds speed 4. I then added 75 g cold chopped unsalted butter, 50g plain flour and 30g special K cereal. I had some that needed using up but you could substitute weetbix, cornflakes, puffed wheat or just experiment with other breakfast cereal you have in the pantry! Adjust the lid to closed and use the turbo setting to pulse all ingredients together 1 second at a time until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Cover the apples evenly with the crumble topping and bake at 170 degrees for 20-25 mins until golden brown. Delicious served with custard or vanilla icecream.

Banana and Blueberry Bread

I have adapted a recipe out of the Woman's Day ABC of Kids Cooking for this- thanks for the inspiration! First melt 125 g of unsalted butter at 70g for 3 mins speed 3. Add to that 3 mashed bananas, 3 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix at speed 4 for 30 seconds (note if you are short on a banana you can successfully substitute 1/2 cup of other soft/stewed fruit). In a separate bowl sift together 1 cup plain flour, 1 cup wholemeal self raising flour and 2 tsp baking powder. Add 1 cup brown sugar (I have also substituted 1/2 cup rapadura sugar for half of the brown sugar) and stir until combined, breaking up any brown sugar lumps in need. Stir in 3/4 cup frozen blueberries then using a fork mix in the butter/egg mix until combined. Spoon into a lightly greased or non stick loaf tin and bake at 175 degrees fan forced oven for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer stabbed through emerges clean. This should freeze well for lunch boxes and is very nice served warm with butter!

Tenina's Chicken Stock Powder

I recently attended a Tenina Holder Thermomix cooking class (well worth it!) and she passed around a jar of her chicken stock powder for us to smell- amazing flavour so I had to give it a go. For the recipe you'll need to buy/borrow her book For Foods Sake. I did as usual adapt to what I had on hand and it looks and smells similar. I added some extra veg I found wilting in the fridge- pumpkin, capsicum and some herbs. I then substituted fried shallots in for onion flakes, then celery salt in lieu of celery seed and adjusted the extra salt accordingly. I also transferred my ingredients to a dehydrator after the first baking stage but a 50 degree oven overnight would achieve the same result. The dog has been starving after a house smelling of roast chook for 24 hours! I used a tablespoon instead of a stock cube in chicken chilli con carne tonight and it was yummy. What a great way to use leftover roast scraps and bones instead of wasting them. Thanks Tenina!

Ice Magic a la Thermomix

I received a 1kg bag of Valrhona milk chocolate from my lovely cousin Kerry whilst recently in Sydney, so I've been looking for chocolate inspiration.... What better than to pour it on icecream? Put 125g milk chocolate, 25g 100% cacao bar (I use Willies Cacao) and 75g virgin coconut oil in altogether and melt at 50 degrees speed 3 for 4 minutes. Check to make sure it's all blended and give it another minute if needed. Allow to cool, then pour over icecream and watch it magically turn into a hard chocolate shell! Delish! Keep it in the pantry or it will set hard. I'm not sure of the shelf life but this treat won't last long enough to spoil I guarantee it.

And this picture also has salted caramel suace peeking out from under the chocolate.....

Whole Orange Cake

This is a citrus take on the Dani Valent basic cake recipe- thanks Dani! First I simmered 2 whole navel oranges in water on the stove for 90 minutes. I allowed them to cool enough to handle and quartered to check for seeds and set aside. Into the Thermomix bowl I put 160g raw sugar and blitzed for 2 seconds at speed 10. Then I added 100g of chopped unsalted butter, the chopped oranges, 3 eggs, 200g self raising flour, 1tsp baking powder, 20g shredded coconut, 30g almond meal and finally 5g orange blossom water (optional). Blend for 50 seconds speed 5, scrape sides and blend again 10 seconds speed 5. Pour batter into a paper lined 20cm round tin and bake at 160 degrees for 1 hr 15 mins. Check with a skewer and if the batter is still sticking give it another 5 or 10 minutes. I did find this cake ended up quite dense so it was nice served warm with ice cream or a dollop of Greek yoghurt and drizzle of honey. I'd be interested in suggestions as to how to lighten the texture if you try it please! I thought of using 1 orange rather than 2 but it did have a lovely zesty orangey flavour that was nice. The kids ate it happily too, so that is always a plus.

Risotto with Prawns and Peas

I'm yet to perfect rissotto in the Thermomix but this was definitely better.... Don't forget to leave the measuring cup lid on the bench or all you'll get is mush! First I chopped 1 carrot, the stalks of 2 spring onions and 1/4 small fennel bulb for 2 secs at speed 5. I added 50g of olive oil and sautéed for 5 mins varoma speed 2. Next I added 300g arborio rice and sautéed again at varoma for 5 mins. Then I inserted the butterfly and added 1 litre chicken stock, 100g sliced mushrooms, 200g frozen peeled prawns and set it for 17 mins, 100 degrees and stir speed. With about 5 minutes left to go I added a handful of frozen peas. Then when the time was up I added 50 g of sugar nap peas cut in half and cooked for a further 5 minutes at 100 degrees and stir. Check the rice if still very white and chalky to bite give it another 2 mins, if it feels cooked even if a little al dente without chalk then its ok. Pour into the thermo server to rest for 5 minutes before serving. If you fancy stir in 20g of butter now. To serve up top with grated Parmesan, and for a spicy hint add sriracha chilli sauce- buy that at your local Asian grocer.

Chackalacka Bean Chocolate Cake

Thanks to Susie for sharing this link with me. Our kids both loved it, and it was also yummy warmed through and served with icecream last night. It's actually "Magic Bean" chocolate cake but George renamed it and it's very appropriate!

Chackalacka Chocolate Cake

Winter Warmer 109- Chocolate Sauce Pudding

Winter is creeping up on us, and my most recent posts are trending to comfort food. This one is no exception. It's called a 109 as that is the page it appears on in my Country Women's Association Cookbook. Thanks to them for the original recipe. This makes a rich chocolate self saucing pudding that uses just pantry basics making it great for a mid week dessert for the family. First blitz 100g raw sugar and 20g cocoa for 5 seconds on speed 8 and set aside. No need to rinse the jug, just press on by adding another 100g raw sugar and again blitz 5 seconds speed 8. Add 60g softened butter and mix speed 8 for 10 seconds. Scrape sides and mix again for 10 seconds. Next add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 egg and mix at speed 5 for 20 seconds. Finally weigh in 150g self raising flour, 20g cocoa and 120g milk and mix again for 20 seconds speed 5. Scrape sides and mix this time at speed 7 for a further 30 seconds. To assemble, spoon batter into a greased ovenproof dish- a narrower but deeper dish is preferable to a wide and shallow one. Then sprinkle with the sugar/cocoa mix you started with and carefully pour over 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Bake at 170 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the pudding has risen and is springy to touch. Great served with vanilla icecream or a dollop of double cream.

***Warning- May be addictive*** Caramel sauce

Ok sorry Susie- I had to record this so I can make it again. Into the TM jug add 60g butter, 250g dark brown sugar, 250 pure cream and 1/2 teaspoon good sea salt. Cook at 90 degrees speed 2 for 10 minutes, then simmer at 100 degrees on stir speed for 7 minutes. It will thicken slightly. Pour over icecream or desserts, create a banana split or even swirl through custard and freeze for a semifreddo with a caramel hit.

Travel Mixes!

I have to apologise, it's been a few weeks. We went away to Bali (sans children!) and enjoyed some delicious meals so I haven't been cooking for a bit.... and it's hard to get back into it. We tried out a few spots in Seminyak for eating, including Sea Circus, Chandi, Sarong, Grocer and Grind and Potato Head Beach Club. Sea Circus had a groovy vibe, and served yummy mexican with an asian twist. Sarong is delicious asian/thai flavours. The ladies swore the Pad Thai they tried at Grocer and Grind was the best ever and you couldn't beat sunset drinks at Potato Head for atmosphere and a fabbo view. A special mention to our in-house chef's at Cicada townhouses too, their Gado Gado was delicious and we didn't have a bad meal to eat for our entire stay. The sooner I can get back there the better............

Fresh Bread

I apologise for a loooooong post but it's two variations on a theme! I've always tinkered with fresh bread using my Kitchenaide and dough hook, so have enjoyed having a play with the Thermomix too. There are two recipes here, kneaded and no knead 'fridge bread'. I would use the lighter 'kneaded' bread for things like cheesy Vegemite and other savory scrolls and perhaps a loaf I might use for sandwiches. The 'fridge bread' lends itself to a crunchy, artisan style chewy loaf with a lovely flavour that is best served warm with lurpak spread like cheese. Ahhhh. I have successfully substituted wholemeal flour (I use Atta) up to half quantities with both recipes, and a decent tablespoon or two of chia seeds works well too. The kneaded bread is a Thermomix version of a Rachel Allen Recipe from Lifestyle.com, and goes as follows; into the Thermomix bowl add 2 teaspoons each of caster sugar and salt, 1 1/2 sachets of instant yeast (10g), 750g bakers flour, 425ml lukewarm water and 4 tsp olive oil. Blitz for 10 secs at speed 7 to combine then knead for 5 mins at internal setting. Set aside in an oiled bowl covered with glad wrap to prove for 2 hours or until doubled. Knock down, put back into the Thermomix and knead again for 2 mins. Allow to rest or a minute or two then shape as required. For cheesy Vegemite scrolls roll to a thin rectangle, spread with Vegemite and grated cheese then roll from the long side to a thick sausage shape. Cut to 1 inch thick slices and place on sides with spiral scroll facing up and top each with more grated cheese. Prove again covered loosely with glad wrap for 30 mins then bake at 200 c until golden brown and if shaped as loaves/rolls hollow to tap. You could easily substitute your kitchenaide with dough hook here too, I do still love mine. Now onto the next! Fridge Bread- can be done by hand too if you can't be bothered washing up the Thermomix. This recipe is at max capacity so don't multipy if you intend to use the TM! Mix 2 sachets instant yeast, 1 1/2 tbsp salt, 950 bakers flour, 650g lukewarm water at speed 7 until combined, around 10-15 seconds. (alternatively mix by hand in fridge container until combined) It will be a quite a wet mix. Transfer to a large container with lid, at least double size of dough and suitable for your fridge. Loosely cover with the lid and allow to rise for at least 2-3 hours. Over proving won't hurt. Knock it down by firmly tapping the whole container on your bench then seal lid and chuck in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. When required tear off your required quantity and allow to come to room temp. Shape to suit, score a few slices across top with a sharp knife to allow for oven rising and spray generously with water before baking at 200 c until golden, crunchy and hollow sounding when tapped. No one is immune to the smell of freshly baked bread however it's achieved....

Toblerone Sauce

Ok this is NOT diet food! Take 100g pure cream and warm at 100 degrees in the Thermomix speed 1 for 1 minute 45 seconds. Add 100g of Toblerone chocolate and warm again at 90 degrees speed 1 for 1 minute. Finally add 5g of unsalted butter and a generous pinch of good sea salt and mix again for 1 minute, at 90 degrees and speed 1. We served it drizzled over good vanilla ice cream and it was delicious, and I also thought it would be great to dip Churros in.

Turkey Bolognese

As Baz doesn't eat red meat, I always make my bolognese with Turkey or Chicken. The Thermomix comes in very handy and makes it super easy to get this family favourite ready. First take 1 quartered brown onion, 2 coarsely chopped carrots, 4 cloves garlic and 1/2 zucchini coarsly chopped. Blitz for 5 seconds at speed 5. Scrape sides and add 50g of olive oil, and saute at varoma temp for 5 minutes speed 1. Next add 500g minced turkey and saute again for 5 minutes, varoma temp this time speed 2. Finally add 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of lentils drained and rinsed, 140g tomato paste, 100g red wine and a good grind of salt and pepper. Cook for 30 mins at 100 degrees on stir, then 15 minutes varoma stir until it's thick and saucy. If you'd like it thicker just add another 5 or 10 minutes on the end to suit. The basket over the lid helps to ensure you don't fill the kitchen with bolognese splatter! This recipe makes a good litre of sauce, so we'll often recyle left overs by adding jalapeno chillies and a can of kidney beans and serving it with rice and mexican trimmings- Chile Con Carne.

Comfort Soup

I'm at home nursing a cold today, so I decided to make a thermomix soup for lunch. I roughly trimmed and chopped a leek, added 2 cloves of garlic, 30g diced pancetta and 1 tsp olive oil and cooked at speed 2, varoma temp for 5 minutes. I then added 1 large, unpeeled diced potato, a generous grind of pepper and 250g of chicken stock and cooked for 25 minutes at 100 degrees speed 1- with the measuring cup lid on so I didn't lose too much liquid. Once finished I blitzed for 30 seconds at speed 9, weighed in 100g chicken stock and blitzed again for 30 seconds speed 9 to make a thick tasty soup. This makes enough for 2 bowls. All that garlic and flovour is sure to make my cold vanish!

Pumpkin Scones

I'm helping out with some baking for a school fundraiser so I converted this recipe for the Thermomix. Thanks to Johanna K for this recipe- they are delicious, and even our veggie hater Jack ate four in a row- knowing they had pumpkin as an ingredient! Mix 45g butter and 125 raw sugar at speed 5 for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides add the butterfly and blend at speed 4 for 15 seconds. Next put in a whole egg and blend again at speed 4 for 20 seconds. Scrape again and give it another 10 seconds at speed 4. Remove the butterfly, add 1 cup of cold steamed pumpkin and 2 cups self raising flour. I used the varoma the day before to steam the pumpkin and kept it ready in the fridge. Blend using turbo button in brief bursts until all ingredients are combined, but don't be tempted to overmix. Place dessertspoon dollops on a tray and bake in a hot oven 200-230 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve warm with lashings of butter!

These look suspiciously similar to the cheese puffs I posted a few days ago rather than a traditional scone shape but I checked with Jo and she assured me that's how they should look. I think this might also be a nice way to use up left over roast pumpkin once we are into the winter roast season.

Lime Passion!

Lime and Passionfruit curd- I was inspired by some cheap passionfruit at the fruit and veg shop and some limes coming close to expiring in the fruit drawer of my fridge. I do love the way the Thermomix gets me using all the bits and pieces left over rather than wasting things, though the butter content of this should really have put me off. Worth it for the taste! Blitz 160g raw sugar for 15 secs at speed 8. Add 6 whole eggs and 3 eggs yolks then mix for 5 seconds at speed 5 to combine. Scrape the side, insert the butterfly then add 230g passionfruit pulp (around 7 fruit), 150 g of cold unsalted butter chopped quite small and the juice of 2 limes. Cook for 10 minutes at 90 degrees, speed 3. I store in sterilised jars in the fridge and expect it will last a week or two. It would be yummy with scones, dolloped onto icecream, filling for a sponge or whipped with a little cream cheese for icing.

Pikelets

An old basic but I wanted to convert to weight measurements instead of cups for the Thermomix. The kids love them with slabs of butter and golden syrup! Into the bowl add 150g self raising flour, 10g caster sugar, 1 egg and 180g of milk. Mix for 15 secs on speed 4, scrape the sides then give it another 15 seconds on speed 5. Cook in a heavy based fry pan with a little squirt of spray oil, flip when bottom starts to colour but the top is still wet so they'll puff. These also freeze well for lunchboxes.

Cheese Puffs

I've adapted a family favorite for the Thermomix (thanks Mum!), these are delicious for morning or afternoon tea, freeze well and only take 10 minutes including preparation and cooking time. I've also hidden many grated veggies in this recipe over the years. First preheat your oven to 250 degrees with your baking tray in it. Blitz 200g of tasty cheddar cheese for 6 seconds at speed 8. Add 2 cups of plain flour, 4 teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch each of salt and cayenne pepper and blitz again for 3 seconds at speed 6 to combine. Next add 2 thermo measuring cup lids of milk and 2 whole eggs and mix at speed 6 for 10 seconds. It will be a stiff sticky dough. If it still looks floury give it another mix 2 seconds at a time but don't over mix or they will be tough. Dollop dessert spoons full onto your hot baking tray and then bake at 250 degrees for 5- 7 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm with butter.

Easy Apple slice

I had some stewed apples to use, so here's a quick slice recipe I made up. The tast testers all gave it 10 out of 10. Melt 130g butter at 100g speed 2 for 3 minutes. The rest is easy! Add one cup each of the following.... Almond meal, rolled oats, s/r flour, brown sugar and stewed apple. Finally 1 tsp each of cinnamon and baking powder. Mix 5 seconds at speed 5 to combine, scrape sides then 10 seconds at speed 8 to mix. I spread this in a lamington tin lined with baking paper and baked at 175 degrees for 15 minutes until springy to touch and cooked through when tested with a skewer. Cool in tray for at least 10 mins then invert onto a rack. Slice into squares. This should freeze well and would be yummy for afternoon tea but a bit fragile for a lunchbox I think. Thermomix gurus would of course stew the apples up and grind almond meal with the thermo too :) I think it might also work as a cake and would also be yummy with cream cheese icing and walnuts on the top!

Must try Parfait

Thanks to Russell Blaikie and the Must Winebar team for inspiring me to try this recipe and adapt to the Thermomix. All who tried it agreed it was delicious and now I'll never be able to buy pâté from the shops again. I was missing a few ingredients and improvised here and there so don't be afraid to vary a bit! First preheat oven to 140 degrees c and prepare a deep-ish baking tray to hold 5 or 6 ramekins 3/4 cup capacity. Then trim and rinse chicken livers and leave to drain in a colander. You'll need to end up with around 550g of liver to use. Start with 25 g peeled brown shallots, 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, 3 sage leaves and 1 clove of garlic and mix for 3 secs at speed 5 to finely dice. Add 200g of sherry (I only had Pedro Ximinez in the pantry how decadent!) and cook for 20 mins varoma speed 2. Check at about 15 min mark to make sure it's not completely dry and add a tbs water in need but it will cook down to a thick glaze. Scrape sides and add drained chicken livers and 2 whole eggs and blitz for 30 seconds at speed 10. Strain through a fine sieve and set aside. Melt 500g unsalted butter at 90 degrees speed 2 for 5 minutes. Add 10 g of ground sea salt and a few good grinds of pepper and then set to speed four and gradually pour the liver mix through the lid taking around 30 seconds. Replace the measuring cup and up the speed to 8 and blend for 2 minutes. The mix will now look paler and slightly thickened. Pour into ramekins and arrange in the baking tray before pouring in enough boiling water to come 2/3 way up the sides. Completely seal the tray with a couple of layers of cling wrap then top with a cople of layers of tin foil. Place in oven, immediately reduce heat to 110 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. They'll feel slightly spongy to touch and look a bit puffy when cooked but still quite a pink colour inside. Drain water from tray, reseal and refrigerate overnight. I topped them with melted clarified butter/ghee with a sprig of thyme for decoration. For variation I'm going to try with champagne instead of sherry, and also a peppercorn version adding the canned peppercorns in with the shallots to see what happens. I might also go a bit Maggie Beer and have a play with adding some different spices like star anise.

Plum Cake

Just a quickie.... I gave Dani Valen's basic cake recipe from 'In the Mix' a run today topped with ripe plums and a little raw sugar to caramelise. I also used s/r flour and only 1 tsp baking powder, as my friend Danielle did the same with a delicious raspberry version yesterday. I didn't add the coconut and was heavy on the orange blossom water at 15g but it paid off with a lovely citrus tone that complimented the tart plums. It was a hit with grown ups and kids alike, and a fine texture. Sweet dreams tonight for sure

No Thermomix Chicken Pie

I didn't use the Thermomix at all for this recipe but I wanted to share it as I enjoyed it so much! First I took a heavy ovenproof dish with a lid, that was suitable to also use on the stove top later. If you don't have one a baking tray you could seal with foil should work. I took a whole chicken (around 1.8kg) and put it right in the middle then surrounded with 2 peeled and roughly chopped carrots, 2 stalks of celery including leaves, 1 brown onion peeled and quartered, a whole bulb of garlic skin and all, 2 small fennel trimmed of leaves and quartered and a dozen whole button mushrooms. Baz doesn't like celery so I left it whole to remove it later but you could chop it if you want to leave it in. Next pour over a glass of white wine, a good grind of salt and pepper and 1 tsp sweet paprika- straight onto the chook. Finally pour over 2 tbs olive oil, and add fresh herbs in this case sage, thyme and rosemary still on stalks. Cover tightly with the lid or foil to seal and bake at 180 degrees for 90 minutes. I then left the oven turned off off with the dish still inside and went out for 3 hours. When I got home I took the chicken and garlic bulb out. I picked all the meat from the bones and added back to the juice and veges, then sliced the end off the garlic and squeezed the gooey insides into the veges too. I simmered for 5 mins then added 1/4 cup thin cream and 1 tsp of cornflour blended with enough water to make it runny and simmered again altogether for around 5 mins until it was thick and saucy. If you need to thicken more added more cornflour/water. I let it cool for 15 minutes, topped it with two layers of ready rolled puff pastry brushed with an egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tsp water) and baked at 200 c for 10 mins then reduced to 170 for a further 15 minutes until it was puffed, crispy and golden. While this did take a long cooking time, the actual hands on minutes were few and only one dish to wash at the end. The house smelt deliciously of roasted goodies too.....

Mozzarella Cheese

I recently attended a Mad Milie cheese making course and took home some great loot ready to make fresh cheese. After a few manual batches I turned to the Thermomix to see if that might take some of the labour away. I've had a big fail on making Haloumi, but I'm not convinced it wasn't to do with the fact I had frozen and defrosted the milk. I did however get a great batch of mozzarella on the weekend! I won't go over the recipe but I have posted the Mad Millie webpage in links- if you are keen to give it a go you'll need supplies and their Italian kit has all the bits. I did a half recipe to suit the volume of the thermo bowl and got enough at least half a dozen large pizza's. The stretching of the cheese was the most satisfying part- grown up play dough!

Caremelised Figs

Thanks to my friend Amy, I had a large bag of fresh figs to be used so I decided to caramelise them. Into the Thermomix I added 200g of raw sugar, 1 measuring cup of water and the juice of 2 limes and cooked at varoma temp for 20 mins on stir with the measuring cup lid off. I washed, trimmed and quartered the figs ending up with 670g of fruit which I then added into the bowl with a split vanilla pod and 30g orange-cello (orange liqueur) and cooked for 30 mins again at varoma but reverse stir so as to retain some shape in the fruit. Use the rice basket rested on top of the lid to avoid fig splatters in the kitchen. With 5 minutes left to go add a large pinch of salt. Allow to cool then serve with ice cream, or swirl through softened icecream and re freeze. This would also be delicious with Greek yoghurt and muesli for a breakfast treat!

Icing

A quick post today, I have been making Amy's cake for her birthday and wanted to share the Thermomix time saving help. I made a double batch of the basic chocolate cake recipe from the TM cookbook substituting extra flour for cocoa powder and 2 tsp vanilla extract for the double batch. I then found the Thermomix handy for blending food coloring with ready to roll icing- only 30 seconds on knead setting. It was a benefit that it wasn't too warm from handling and then rolled out easily for decorating. Next step is to figure out how to post a photo of my masterpiece!

Green Mango Chutney

Our local green grocer had green mangoes on sale, chutney time! First I peeled then took the flesh off 3 large mangoes. I roughly chopped the flesh ready to go. Then I took 1 peeled and quartered brown onion, a large green chilli, 1 large red chilli, 3 cloves garlic and a peeled 2cm piece of fresh ginger and blitzed them at speed 5 for 5 seconds to chop. Next add in the mango flesh, 100g brown sugar, 140g white vinegar, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp each of salt, ground fennel, ground cumin and ground turmeric give it 2 or 3 seconds at speed 5 to chop and combine then 5 mins temp 90 degrees at stir to dissolve sugar. Finally cook at varoma heat for 50 minutes and bottle in sterilized jars. Don't forget to rest your basket over the lid opening or you'll have mango chutney everywhere! This made around 3 cups of chutney in all.

Cannelloni- Comfort Food

Any meal involving Bechamel screams comfort food to me. I made a chicken cannelloni this week using some sauces I had made with the Thermomix. Amy loved it, and we even got Jack to try a mouthful so it's definitely family friendly. A few weeks back I made Passata when I was using up my tomatoes from the markets (recipe straight from the cookbook that came with the thermo) so I had around 500ml on hand. Spread half in the base of a lasagne dish suitable for the oven. Next mince 500g of chicken breast- i like to use mostly frozen chicken cut in chunks for a good texture. Then wilt around 150 g baby spinach leaves by zapping in the microwave for 30 secs. Stir in with the chicken mince and 1 cup of ricotta cheese using stir on reverse for 30 secs. Season with salt, pepper and around a teaspoon of ground nutmeg and stir again for 10 secs. Clean the thermo bowl and get a batch of Bechamel with Cheese started again using the basic cookbook recipe. For the next step I had fresh cannelloni sheets I bought in the supermarket, but I think you could buy fresh lasagna sheets and trim into halves/thirds to get a square shape in need. Gently roll each sheet around a couple of dessert spoons of the mince mix and lay seam side down in the lasagne tray on top of the passata. I made 11 plump cannelloni in all from this recipe. Pour your remaining passata evenly over the rolls, and top with the cheesy sauce in a smooth layer. Sprinkle more grated tasty cheese on top and bake at 175 degrees for 30 mins and rest a further 10 mins before serving. For the very energetic you could certainly make and roll your own fresh pasta and to save dishes wilt spinach in the thermo too, but the microwave does wilt well!

Green Curry Paste

Nicola inspired me to give green curry paste a go as she loves the Thermomix red curry paste. I browsed a few favorite cookbooks, my supplies and what I could buy at the local fruit and veg shop and came up with this. It should make enough for about 4 curries, and will need to be frozen in batches of 100g to store. First I dry fried 2tsp coriander seeds and 2 tsp of cumin seeds on varoma temp stir for 5 minutes. Then mill at speed 8 for 30 seconds. Next add 6 cloves garlic, 6 shallots (small purple onions not spring onions), 9 large green chillies (including seeds if they are the mild type) halved, 4 cm ginger root peeled and quartered, 6 small lemongrass stalks mostly white part, and 50g vegetable oil. Blitz at speed 8 for 20 seconds, then scrape sides and repeat until mix is well combined and quite fine texture. At this stage freeze portions for future use. For your curry fry 100g for 5 minutes then make as usual whether it be in your thermo or on the stove. Check for seasoning and add fish sauce, lime juice or brown sugar in need. If you enjoy more spice add finely sliced chillies.

Holidays are over....

The long and lovely summer holidays have ended, kids are back at school and reality sets in again. Now I have more need to look to the Thermomix for easy dinners again rather than lazing around the BBQ. I had a bag of grape tomatoes in the fridge that needed using so I did an old fave of mine but with help from the thermo. I lined a shallow baking tray with baking paper and spread around 700g of grape tomatoes evenly out (only do this when they are seasonal and cheap as they are in Perth right now or it could be expensive). Next I threw in a whole unpeeled bulb of garlic and buried a whole skinless chicken breast in the tomatoes covering where I could. Then I sprinkled a pinch of sea salt, 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, laid 4 anchovy fillets across the top and a generous grind of pepper. Finally I liberally splashed olive oil over- say 2tbs and shook the tray a bit to combine and put in the oven at 175 fan forced for 30 mins. So far no peeling, chopping etc so very easy! While that's baking if you don't have any Parmesan or similar cheese already grated in the fridge use the Thermomix to grate some up and set aside. Cook up enough spaghetti or any ribbon pasta you fancy in the thermo as you normally would and set aside to drain. Once your tomato mix is done check to see if they are starting to split and collapse, if not give them a few more minutes. Set aside the chicken and garlic bulb and tip the rest including all the pan juices into the thermo bowl. Blitz at speed 5 for 5 seconds for a chunky texture and longer if you prefer smoother. Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Slice then chop the chicken and add in, then slice the whole bulb of garlic across the top exposing the cloves by cross section and squeeze the soft garlic in too. I like to use about 1 tsp and save the bulb in the fridge for the next few days. Yummy in salad dressing or for bruschetta. Finally chuck in the cooked pasta and stir on reverse just long enough to combine and serve topped with the grated cheese and some shredded fresh basil. This makes enough sauce for 2 adults and 2 young kids ie smaller serves, or two really saucy adult serves, so just adjust pasta portions to suit. Variations to the sauce that I have tried- adding olives and capers to the roasting pan, pesto at the blending stage, leaving the chicken out and stirring a can of tuna in with the roasted sauce and cooked pasta.

Beer Can Chicken

Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi! A chicken roasted on the barbeque with beer- does it get any more Australian than that! After reading a recipe in the latest edition of ABC Delicious I decided to give it my take, with a Steve influence. First I brined a 2.5kg free range chicken overnight in the following solution- 100g salt, 100g sugar and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika dissolved in 1 cup warm water then topped up to 2 litres of cool water from the tap. Put the chicken in the brine in a deep saucepan then top up with cold water to cover, cover with a lid and refrigerate overnight. The next day I drained the bird in a colander for an hour to dry out and bring closer to room temp. I lit the BBQ and spread a layer of charcoal to light over the grill side, but you can leave that step out in need. It's important your BBQ has a hood if not I'm sure your oven will do. Next the can of beer- I chose a 500ml can due to the large bird. I drained about 1/4 of the beer and stuffed into the can half a sliced lemon, fresh thyme, sage and oregano from the garden. I placed the can on a foil lined tray, and standing the chicken upright slid it onto the beer can filling the cavity. I basted it with half a cup of tomato sauce (see recipe a few days back) and roasted on the bbq under the hood for 2 hrs at approx 180 degrees. We used heat from the charcoal for most of that but had to boost it with the gas burner towards the end. Cover with foil and rest for 30 mins before carving to serve. Happy Australia Day!

Sorbet or Slushie?

We had a sorbet failure this week. After hearing my friends with Thermomixes rave about the delicious sorbet they can make we decided to try a lemon sorbet. I followed the recipe from the book- using just over 200g lemon and all we ended up with was sorbet slush! I tried adding a bit more ice but in the end we settled for slush and I chucked the rest in the freezer to sulk. There is a silver lining to my cloud though- today I pulled the now frozen sorbet block out of the freezer, shaved chunks off it with a bread knife and reblitzed for about a minute at speed 10 and managed a passable sorbet after all..... I'd love to hear any ideas on how to make sorbet right the first time, and in the meantime I'll try a refreshing cocktail recipe. Mix a measure of vodka with a cup of lemon sorbet, take a tall champagne flute and pour cava in the bottom, add a generous dollop of vodka/sorbet mix and top with fresh chopped mint and more cava to fill the glass. Perfect for a 38 degree scorching day here in Perth. Cheers!

Kitsch Bar

We farmed the kids out to their lovely Auntie, and headed to Kitsch Bar in Leederville for a meal. Great atmosphere, it feels like you are in Asia (especially with Perth's sultry climate right now). The swinging chair Cherie and I both had a turn in was fun, and the odd frangipani blossom dropping from gnarled branches overhead added to the experience. The food was delish, and 'small plate' style, but Baz raised the query as to how a few beers can cost more than a well prepared and flavored meal? And I mean 8 beers between 3 of us over a few hours.... Your thoughts? Is beer marked up higher percentage profit than wine?

Saucy Mixer

A $4 box full of tomatoes I bought at the markets this week has inspired a cooking frenzy. So far I have tried fruity tomato (ketchup style) sauce, BBQ sauce and some passata. My lovely neighbor Tilly tasted the ketchup and pronounced it hotdog worthy so here's how I made it. Put 1 brown onion, 1 cored green apple (both quartered), 1cm peeled fresh ginger, 1 clove of garlic and 30g of olive oil in the thermo bowl. First blitz at speed 5 for 3 seconds to chop, then sauté at varoma temp reverse stir for 5 mins. Next add 1 kg ripe tomatoes, flesh from a large ripe mango, 1/2 tsp allspice and 1 mc lid of water. Again blitz for 3 secs at speed 5 to chop then cook for 30 mins at 100 degrees speed 1. I rested the rice basket on the lid to contain splashes. Blitz at speed 9 for 30 seconds then pass through a fine sieve, return to bowl and add 1tsp salt, 75g red wine vinegar and 50g raw sugar. Cook for 30 mins varoma stir speed (again use basket for splashes). Test for seasoning and consistency and cook a little longer in need. It will thicken a little when cooled. Bottle in sterile bottles- I've found swing tops beer bottles work a treat. It's quite orange, for a better colour I might try plums (around 200g) in lieu of mango flesh but the kids happily dipped chips in it tonight regardless. Makes around 500ml

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

After a disastrous first attempt (grey gluey rice...blech) I managed a nice Risotto last night. I do think a great risotto is a labour of love, and find I really enjoy stirring and nurturing it to the right blend. I am happy though to have a version for midweek dinners and even Jack ate a bowl- albeit without any chicken or mushrooms in his serve! I used 1 brown onion and 2 cloves of garlic and processed at speed 5 for 3 seconds to chop. I then added 400g of chicken diced into 2cm cubes, and 30 g of olive oil and sautéed at 100 degrees for 6 minutes on reverse stir. Next went into 300g of Arborio rice, 140g sliced mushrooms, 900g chicken stock and 100g white wine. I cooked it at 100 degrees reverse speed 1 1/2 for 16 minutes and then poured into the thermo server to sit for 5 minutes before serving with a generous sprinkle of grated Romano cheese. Parmesan or even tasty cheese would have been fine too, and when I ate some as left overs for lunch today I added a splash of hot sriracha chilli sauce. I ended up sitting the rice basket on top during cooking instead of the measuring cup so more steam could escape but not the risotto as it was bubbling through the lid opening.

Party food or just yummy morning tea

I was scanning the fridge for healthy snacks this morning, and decided I had the fixings for some chicken sausage rolls- a perfect chance to try and adapt an old fave to the Thermo. First defrost 3 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry and pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees celcius (fan forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Into the thermo put a peeled and quartered a brown onion, a whole carrot and half a zucchini again quartered. Pulse on turbo 4 or 5 times for a fine dice, then add 15g oil and sauté at Varoma for 4 mins at speed 1 to soften. Next add a slightly defrosted chicken breast dcubed coarsely(5cm pieces or so) and 40-50g of stale bread torn into smaller pieces and blitz at speed 9 for 5 seconds. Season with 1/2 tsp of ground cumin and 1/2 tsp of garlic salt and blitz again for 3 seconds or until the mix is a fine mince. Cut the defrosted pastry sheets in half and create a sausage shaped strip of the mince mix down each of the 6 pastry rectangles lengthwise. Roll them into long sausage shapes with the seam on the underside. Cut them with a sharp knife at 2cm intervals to make bite sized morsels, lay out on the tray, brush each lightly with milk and bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden. This recipe should make around 50 mini sausage rolls. Even our fussiest eater gave me 100 out of 100 score on these! I use low fat pastry but don't feel you have to, and you could certainly make your own rough puff if you have the energy, but these were 45 mins from start to stomach.

Keeping our Bechamel fan happy

Ok it's simple food but Amy's very favorite thing to eat, pasta with Cheese sauce. This is now a one pot all in together dish thanks to the thermo. Happy days! Take 125g of tasty cheese and blitz for a few seconds at speed 8 to chop up then add in 15g butter, 2tsp plain flour, 200g skim milk, 200g water and 100 of dry pasta ie macaroni or small shells. Cook for 16 mins, 90 degrees reverse speed one and voila- cheesy pasta. I added a drained 185g can of tuna today and was asked for corn next time please. For variation I'll try adding frozen peas and corn at the 12 minute mark, or stirring creamed corn in with the tuna. It is quite saucy so it will cope with a few additions. This was adapted and halved from a recipe posted on Brazen's Gluten Free Thermomix blog- check out my links to find her blog it has lots of recipes and information for Thermomix.

Spiced Plum Paste

My fruit drawer in the fridge had a few plums (sugar and blood variety) getting squishy and taking up space, so I decided to try a plum paste. I will serve it with a cheese platter and crackers, and expect it will last a month in the fridge due to the sugar content and preserving process. I removed stones and ended up with 260g plums. I added 200g raw sugar and as I didn't have any lemons a used a quarter of a grapefruit with skin, pith and seeds removed to add some tang. I blitzed them for 3 seconds at speed 8 so there was still some texture but almost puréed. Then I added a cinnamon quill and 1 star anise whole and cooked at varoma heat, reverse and stirring for 1 hour with the measuring lid off. Then I allowed it to cool for 15 mins and spread on a piece of baking paper in a dehydrator and left for 1 hr 45 mins. You could put it in an oven at lowest temp on a baking tray for same result. It was quite sticky and almost firm but not yet leathery. Can't wait to try some with a nice gooey cheese and a glass of bubbles! I also think this could easily be doubled, and I'd like to try a version with fresh red chilli added for bite.

Fruity Dreams!

I think this machine will earn it's place on fruity dream alone! I've tweaked the recipe somewhat but the kids love it and it's a regular guessing game to pick what fruit I've added. Don't be tempted to double quantities when you have visitors, the load is too great. Just run two batches. 35-40 raw sugar on speed 8 for 30 seconds Add 400g frozen fruit and blitz at speed 9 for 60 seconds, scraping down in need. Insert butterfly and add an egg white then mix at speed 4 for a minute or until soft serve consistency. Eat straight away or can be frozen but it does get a bit icey. So far we've tried the following combo's Strawberry Blueberry, raspberry, cranberry Mango Passionfruit Banana and mixed berries Watermelon, Pineapple, Kiwi and banana I've been freezing any fruit on it's way out in chunks ready to blend, so my wastage is way down too- but our berry consumption up! Thank goodness for bulk frozen packs at our local green grocer. A dollop of Greek yoghurt is also delish added with the fruit.

All scream for ice cream!

After another 30 + degree summer day in Perth I decided to give ice cream a try. I used a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks 'Must Eat' by Russell Blaikie and applied the mixer method. Here's what happened! Into the bowl add 3 egg yolks, 250 ml cream, 250 ml milk (I used skim), 100 sugar, 2 tsp liquid glucose and 1 tsp vanailla bean paste. Mix at 80 degrees and speed 4 for 7 minutes or unil thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Chill overnight then churn in an ice cream machine then finish in freezer for an hour or two. Results were ok... And the kids had no complaints but I could taste the cream had separated somewhat. Next time I'll apply Russell's method a little more by adding cream after cooking other ingredients then chilling, or by forgoing the ice cream machine and trying the mix method of freezing until firm then re mixing. Wish me luck it's a challenge that we'll all enjoy.

Pizza Sauce

Happy New Year! I decided to test out the new mixer with a Pizza sauce, as follows. We had visitors and kids ranging from age 3 to 15 happily ate the Pizza unknowingly eating plenty of veg! Blitz 1 brown onion, 2 carrots, 1 celery stick, 1/2 zucchini and 2 cloves garlic for a few seconds to dice, then sauté in 1 tbs olive oil for 5 minutes to soften. I added 1 can diced tomatoes, 500g passata and 2 tbs tomato paste and cooked at 100 degrees, for 20 mins slowly stirring. The final step was a blend at speed 9 for about 15 seconds until a really smooth texture. I used a cup between 6 pizza's and froze the rest in small batches for future use. As I get better with the mixer, I would imagine I could just use whole tomatoes and homemade tomato paste to ensure a preservative free blend.

Ninja Pizza's!