Thermomix Tips I've learned so far

These are things I've worked out so far in my early weeks of owning this fabulous gadget. In my 'everyday' blog, I've said that I'd like to bring my recipe blog back to life, but to date, I've stuck pretty much to the cookbooks so I don't think I've got much to offer that isn't already freely available to Thermomix users.

To recap, if you've missed my post on my latest gadget, the Thermomix is an amazing kitchen appliance which can do so many things. It can chop, grate, grind, mix, emulsify, blend, puree, juice, cook, weigh, steam, and I'm sure there are some verbs I've omitted. If you're interested in this appliance, this page, has a great summary.

Even though I've not got anything to offer the Thermomix Community insofar as recipes go, to date I've got a few things which I've learned which a newbie Thermomix owner may appreciate.

* To make buttermilk, you add vinegar to fresh milk. Buttermilk in scones, pikelets and cakes, makes the most amazing and fluffy ones ever.

* Strawberry jam needs Jamsetta, even though it has lemons added to it. In the EDC (Everyday Cookbook) the recipe quantity would suggest a third of a sachet of Jamsetta, but I'd recommend a full packet. The citrus marmalade recipe would only require a half a packet, there's more pectin in lemons and limes than there is in strawberries.

* a silicone spatula works much more easily and efficiently than the supplied scraper.

* rice tastes divine cooked in the TMX and needs no salt in the water.

* be careful adding extra salt if you're adding your own stock which you've made in the TMX. I've found I use much less salt and add no extra.

* If the speed button won't move even though you heard the 'beep' when you tightened the lid, just push the lid a little further and then the speed button will move.

* Using both the '-' and '+' button on the timer clears the previous entry.

* If you've accidentally made butter whilst whipping cream, remove the butterfly and add some ice cubes. Blend and the butter will revert to cream.

* Turn the measuring cup upside down if you don't want food going up into it, or you need a firmer seal.

* As you cook recipes from the EDC, add your own notes. Use it as an ongoing workbook and it will become even more invaluable to you.

On another day I will summarize where I find good information on cooking with the Thermomix.

Prawn and Coriander Parcels

500g green prawns
2 shallots, finely chopped
piece of ginger
1 packet wonton papers
2 tbs coriander, finely chopped
zest of half a lime
1/2 cup extra coriander, chopped

Chilli and Lime Dressing
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup water
1.3 cup mirin (rice vinegar)
1 tbspn lime juice
1 tsp minced chilli
2 birds eye chillies (less if you don't like it hot)

Peel and devein prawns, and chop up.
Add to this the coriander and minced ginger.
Put 2 tspn of the prawn mixture onto a wonton wrapper.
Wet the edges with water and pop another wonton wrapper on top, and then press to seal the edges
Put on a plate and pop in the fridge to chill down.

To make the sauce
Put sugar, water, mirin, chopped chillies, and minced chilli into saucepan. Bring to boil, and stir to dissolve sugar, then simmer for a couple of minutes. Let the sauce stand to cool down.

Boil a large saucepan of water, add salt and then pop in the wonton wrappers.
Cook wontons in boiling water for two minutes. Remove from pot with slotted spoon and place gently into colander.

Place parcels on plate and top with warm sauce, chopped coriander and shallots.

Poached Sumac Chicken and Cheese Polenta

punnet of cherry tomatoes
olive oil
basil leaves
chopped red onion


3 chicken breasts
8 sprigs of thyme or lemon thyme
piece of lemon peel
basil leaves
2 fresh bay leaves (dried would be fine)
1 Tblspn Sumac
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water

1 cup polenta
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups boiling water
parmesan cheese (or crumbled blue cheese)
chopped fresh parsley

Turn on oven to hot, roast whole cherry tomatoes, which are sprayed with oil or brushed with olive oil. Let cool.

Boil top ingredients, add chicken then simmer for 8 minutes. Drain, slice and serve over polenta.

For polenta, boil stock and milk, pour in polenta, stir until cooked for 3 minutes. Add grated parmesan or crumbled blue cheese.

To serve, put polenta on the plate, add sliced poached chicken on top. On the side have the roast tomatoes with olive oil, basil and red onion.

Enjoy, it's easy and so healthy and delicious.

Za'tar Crusted Cutlets and Burghul salad with Chickpeas

Za'tar Crusted cutlets

Lamb Cutlets - yum!!!

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoons Sumac (Masterfoods Spice jar)

2tblspns fresh thyme

1 tblspn fresh marjoram, or as my husband says, pick a hunk of each......can't overdo fresh herbs.

1 clove garlic

Olive oil

Finely chop the herbs and garlic, add the sesame seeds and mix in a small bowl. Coat the lamb cutlets with olive oil and press the herb mixture onto the meat. Normally we chargrill our lamb cutlets, cook them hot and fast, but for this I added a bit of rice bran oil to the pan and lightly fried them to crunch off the topping.

We love this salad, it's so healthy, and very very tasty.

Burgul Salad

1 large red capsicum (bell pepper) (today we only had a green one)

3/4 cup Burghul (Cracked wheat, we bought the coarse stuff and it's delicious, available at the health food shop)

3/4 cup boiling water

420g can Chickpeas (Garbanzos)

1 stick celery trimmed, chopped finely

50g spinach leaves

Sumac and Herb Dressing

1 tblspn sesame seeds

2 tbspns Sumac

1 tbspn fresh thyme leaves

1 tbspn coarsley chopped fresh oregano

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tbslpn olive oil

1 clove garlic crushed

With the herbs, garlic and oil, I don't measure, I judge the amount. Many original recipes add to much lime/lemon juice and we've found that to be too strong as it overpowers all the other wonderful flavours. A sprinkle of salt doesn't go astray either......

The burghul is soaked in the boiling water for ten minutes, or longer, I prefer longer especially with the coarse stuff. If it's too wet, you can always squeeze out the excess.

Roast the capsicum. And take of the skins.

Add all together and enjoy. It's delicious and eye candy with the red capsicum, so today's pic won't look as interesting.

These recipes are for two, and they're generous. I hate running out of marinade/dressing/sauce so my measurements are always generous, but this recipe is for two.

Chilli and Ginger Lamb

3 tbspn chopped ginger

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 chillies chopped

1 brown onion chopped

500g sliced lamb steaks

1 tblspn fish sauce

tin of coconut evaporated carnation milk

peanut oil

fresh coriander

Heat oil in a wok, add lamb and lightly toss to brown, add ginger/chilli/garlic and onions, lightly saute. If the meat is finely cut, I would even saute the lamb and remove it from the wok while the ginger mixture cooks. If the meat is overdone it will be tough. Add fish sauce and evaporated milk and heat through. I don't tend to thicken these types of meals. Serve with fresh coriander and jasmine rice.

We haven't had this for ages and it's one of our firm favourites.

Chilli Chicken with Mango Salsa

I was paid a lovely compliment during the week, one of those that makes your heart sing and the impact affects you long after the words have even been uttered. One of my dearest friends expressed her disappointment that I'd neglected my food blog. As I post one liners on Facebook, she knows I still cook lol.....but I don't get so far as to post the recipes. I go through my photos in iPhoto and see lots and lots of pics I've taken of meals I've cooked, meals that never had the recipes written out for and never made it to my blog. I started this recipe blog, mainly for my own benefit. I hit on a winning combination of ingredients and I want to remember it so I can recreate it. Sometimes I'll cook the same thing a couple of times and then it falls into the archives of my mind, and so does the recipe which inspired me in the first place. So my dear Karen, thanks to you, I'll make another attempt at maintaining my food blog. I'll never rival the good food porn sites, but I'll show my food with my so so photography and know somoene will enjoy it...........

Tonight's dinner is

Chilli Chicken and Mango Salsa

Thigh fillets (more tender than breast, even though they don't look as pretty on the plate.

1/2 cup of lemon juice

1 chopped fresh chilli

2 tblspn oil

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tblspn honey

1 clove garlic crushed

2 spring onions chopped

2 tblspn chopped fresh coriander

salt to taste

Marinade the chicken thigh fillets in the above. Cook the chicken on a griddle pan or BBQ grill plate. This recipe is from the Aussies Barbecue Cookbook and I would make an alteration or two. Because we make the dinner for two, we usually still make the full amount of marinade because we find that with all recipes for sauces and marinades, they tend to be a bit light on and we feel there's not enough to do the job properly. Sometimes we have a sauce or something left over and it will keep for a couple of days - I'd rather do that than be caught short. Having said that, anything with lemon juice, I tend to under add the lemon juice. I love lemon juice, but find its strong flavour often over powers the flavours of everything else.

The Salsa recipe is my own,

Mangoes chopped

Avocado chopped

red onion finely chopped

fresh coriander chopped

garlic, crushed

fresh chilli chopped

squeeze of lemon juice to help the avo keep its colour

olive oil

salt

This served with the chicken is delicious, and is also great with pork. We'll bake a potato to go with it. I'll hope to post a picture too.

** When I make the salsa again, I'd make the whole thing up ahead, but not put the avocado in until serving time. It didn't brown, but went mushy and the presentation wasn't as good as it could have been. The dinner was delicious.