Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Chickpea with spinach soup

Roughly translated/adapted from A Tutto Vapore

Chickpea with spinach soup

Ingredients:

300 g of fresh spinach leaves
120 grams of dried chickpeas
1000 grams of water
1 tablespoon salt
2 medium onions, cut into quarters
50 grams of olive oil
200 grams of carrots, cut into pieces
3 cloves of garlic
150 g of turnip, cut into pieces (optional)
Pepper, as desired

Preparation:

1. Arrange spinach in the container of the Varoma and set aside.
2. Place chickpeas in the TM bowl, pulverize them for 30 seconds on Speed 9, put in a bowl and keep aside.
3. Put water in the TM bowl along with the salt, onions, oil, carrots, garlic, turnips and chickpea powder (lastly, position the Varoma) and cook for 25 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1.
Set aside the Varoma, replace and hold the Measuring Cup and mix for 1 minute and 30 seconds on Speed 8-9.
Transfer the spinach into a serving bowl, pour the soup over and season with salt and pepper. Mix soup and spinach together and serve hot.

Originally posted here at the Thermomix Forum

Monday, September 29, 2008

Spinach and potato soup with omelette

Roughly translated/adapted from A Tutto Vapore

Spinach and potato soup with omelette

Ingredients:

Omelette (Royal cream)
4 eggs (60 g)
100 g cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch nutmeg

Soup
1 onion, cut in half (70g)
20 grams of oil
80 grams of celery, cut into pieces
100 grams of carrots, cut into pieces
400 grams of potatoes, cut into pieces
80 g leeks, cut into pieces 1 cm
800 g of water
2 vegetable stock cubes or 1 Tbsp TMX stock concentrate
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
150 grams of spinach leaves (or 150 g frozen chopped spinach thawed)
100 g cream

Preparation:


Omelette:
1. Place all the ingredients for omelette in the TM bowl, mix for 10 seconds on Speed 4

2. Pour mixture into a jug until ready to cook the soup. Clean and dry the TM bowl.

3. When at point 6. below, line the container of Varoma with a sheet of baking paper, moistened and wrung out (big enough to cover the edges) and pour in the mixture.

Soup:
4. Place the onion in the TM bowl, chop for 3 seconds on Speed 5.
Add the oil, sauté for 2 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1.

5. Add celery, carrot, potato and leek, chop for 4 seconds on Speed 5.

6. Add water, stock and spices, position the baking paper-lined Varoma with omelette mixture and cook for about 20 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1. After the 20 minutes set aside the Varoma with the cooked omelette.

7. Add spinach and cream to the TM bowl, cook for 3 minutes at 100°C on Speed 2. Mix for 30 seconds at Speed 10, carefully holding down the Measuring Cup. Season as necessary.

8. Carefully remove the omelette with the paper from the Varoma, cut into diamond shapes with a knife.

9. Pour the soup into 6 serving plates and decorate with the omelette pieces. Serve immediately.

Suggestion: In place of the omelette you can cook meat balls in the Varoma to add to the soup or decorate the soup with cubes of ham or bacon. For a lighter version replace the cream in the soup with milk. The omelette pieces can be used to decorate all of the soups.


Originally posted here at the Thermomix Forum

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Cream of beetroot soup with horseradish dumplings

Adapted/roughly translated from "A Tutto Vapore"

Cream of beetroot soup with horseradish dumplings


Ingredients:

Horseradish Gnocchi:
130 g milk
40 g butter, more as needed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
80 g semolina
60 g horseradish, ready to use
1 Tbsp chives, fresh, chopped
1 egg (60g)

For the soup:
500 g beetroot, peeled
600 g vegetable stock
200 g white wine
20 g flour
1 Tbsp wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
2 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch pepper
130 g cream
1 tsp lemon juice

Preparation:

For horseradish dumplings:

Start by oiling the tray and container of the Varoma.

Put milk, butter, salt and nutmeg in the TM bowl and cook for 2 minutes at 90°C on Speed 1. Add the semolina, horseradish and chives and mix for 10 seconds on speed 4, then, cook for 2 minutes and 30 seconds at 100°C on Speed 3. Add the egg and stir for 10 seconds on Speed 3.

Prepare small dumplings with wet hands (about 18 pieces) and place them in the oiled container and tray of the Varoma.

For the soup:

Place beetroot into the TM bowl and chop for 3 seconds on Speed 6.
Add Stock, wine, flour, vinegar and spices. Mix for 5 seconds on Speed 3. Position the Varoma and cook for 20 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 2.

Remove the Varoma and set it aside. Replace the Measuring Cup and mix for 25 seconds on Speed 6-7. Add the cream and lemon juice and cook for 3 minutes at 100°C on Speed 3.

Pour the soup into plates, add the horseradish dumplings and garnish with some chives.

Originally posted here at the Thermomix Forum

Friday, September 26, 2008

Steamed Dumplings

Roughly translated/adapted from A Tutto Vapore

Steamed Dumplings

20 pieces

Ingredients:

740 g water
10 g. dry yeast
10 g. oil
50 g. sugar
500 g. flour 1 pinch of salt

Preparation:

Line Varoma container and tray with damp clothes and set aside. Place 240 g. water, yeast, oil and sugar in TM bowl, mix for 30 seconds at 37°C on speed 3.

Add the flour and salt and knead for 3 minutes on Knead (ear of wheat).

Divide the dough into 20 equal parts and form into balls and place on the clothes in container and tray of the Varoma, let rise for 40 minutes.

Place remaining 500g water into TM bowl, position the Varoma and cook for 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1.

Open the Varoma and serve dumplings hot as a side dish.


Originally published here in the Thermomix Forum

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Paté of foie gras

Another recipe roughly translated/adapted from "A Tutto Vapore"

Paté of foie gras

Ingredients:

500-600gr duck liver, fresh
4 teaspoons cognac
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (five colours if possible),
1.2 lt water
300 grams of ice cubes

Sweet wine sauce
750 g of sweet wine, (eg Pedro Ximenez)
250 gr cream 35% fat
1 teaspoon corn starch
juice of 1 orange,
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground

Preparation:

Paté of fois gras:
Open the liver and with the tip of a knife, remove all the arteries and sinew.
Place the liver in a bowl, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of cognac, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper mixture over entire surface. Let the liver marinate for 30 minutes (in the meantime, prepare the sauce). Turn the liver in the bowl and cover with the remaining cognac, salt and pepper and marinade again for another 30 minutes. Using your hands form into a compact shape.

Place the liver in the center of a sheet of transparent film (allowing about 50 cm per side); press and roll out well and expel all the air, to form a sausage. Repeat the process by covering with another 4 pieces of foil. Arrange in the container of the Varoma.

Pour 800 grams of water in the TM bowl and position the Varoma, cook for 15 minutes on Varoma Speed 1.

Turn carefully and cook the sausage for another 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1.

Gently put the liver parcels in a bowl with the remaining 400ml water and ice cubes. Allow to cool for 20 minutes. Then put the sausage, still wrapped in film in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Sauce:

Pour wine into TM bowl and reduce for 30 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 2.

Instead of having the Measuring Cup in place, support basket on the lid, to allow greater evaporation. The wine needs to reduce to half its volume.
Add the cream mixed with the corn starch, orange juice and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 2, with the basket on top instead of the Measuring Cup. Transfer to a bowl, allow to cool and then keep refrigerated.

SERVE the Paté with thin slices of bread or a toast with a pinch of black pepper, accompanied by the sauce.

Originally published here on the Thermomix Forum

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Three Meat Meatloaf

Another recipe roughly translated/adapted from "A Tutto Vapore"

Three Meat Meatloaf

Ingredients:

500 gr beef cut into pieces
2 eggs
40 gr bread soaked in milk
100 gr veal cut into small pieces
100 g of frozen spinach, squeezed
150 gr chicken or turkey cut into strips
oil to grease aluminium foil
water for Varoma 700gr
salt and pepper

Preparation:


Chop beef in 2 lots of 250 gr in the TM bowl; chop each batch for 10 seconds on speed 7

Place all the chopped beef in the TM bowl; combine with 1 egg, half the bread with milk squeezed out, salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute on reverse + Speed 3. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

Next chop the veal for 20 seconds on speed 7.
Add the other half of the bread drained of milk, the spinach, remaining egg, salt and pepper to taste and stir 1 minute on reverse + speed 3.

Season the strips of the chicken/turkey with salt and pepper as desired.
Place half of the beef mixture on an oiled sheet of aluminum foil.
Spread over a half of the veal and spinach mixture and then the strips of poultry meat.
Roll and form into a meatloaf with the aluminum foil.
Repeat with the other meat to form a second meatloaf.
Arrange both loaves in the Varoma. Cook for 40 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1.

Allow to cool for about half an hour before you unwrap and slice the meatloaves.

Serve with a sauce such as used for the chicken galantine.

Originally published here on the Thermomix Forum

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Veal Rolls with dried fruit and nuts

Another recipe roughly translated/adapted from "A Tutto Vapore"


Veal Rolls with dried fruit and nuts

Ingredients:

30g of sultanas
50 g rum
30g walnuts
30 grams of almonds, whole, blanched
500 g veal, a piece (3x3cm)
100 grams of dried apricots, pitted, cut into strips
100 grams of dried plums, pitted, cut into strips
1 teaspoon vegetable salt or fine salt
1 pinch pepper
oil as needed
600 g of water

Preparation:

Put the raisins and rum in a bowl, allow to soak a little and then strain the raisins before use.

Put the walnuts and almonds in the TM bowl, chop for 3 seconds on Speed 6, remove and set aside.

Place 250 grams of veal into TM bowl, chop for 10 seconds on Speed 7, set aside in bowl with dried fruit. Chop the other half of meat for 10 seconds on Speed 7.

Add the meat with raisins, walnuts and chopped almonds, dried fruit, salt and pepper to the meat in the bowl, mix for 20 seconds on Reverse and Speed 3. Form 2 rolls of meat and wrap each in oiled aluminum foil. Close the ends of the foil and place in the container of the Varoma.

Pour water into TM bowl, position the Varoma and cook for 30 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1.

Remove the Varoma and leave the meat to cool.

Put in refrigerator for about 2 hours. Serve cold sliced (1 cm.).


Originally published here in the Thermomix Forum

Monday, September 22, 2008

Chicken Galantine

This is another recipe roughly translated/adapted from "A Tutto Vapore"

Chicken Galantine


Ingredients:


150 grams of peppers, preferably 50 g of each red, green, yellow
2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces (300g)
2 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into pieces (300g)
100 grams of sweetcorn, fresh or frozen kernels or canned
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable salt, recipe HERE
600 g of water

For the sauce
1 bunch of dill, leaves only
1 clove of garlic
300 g of natural yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, prepared with Bimby

Preparation:

Place peppers in pieces in the TM bowl, chop for 3 seconds on Speed 5. Remove and set aside in a bowl.

Place the chicken into the TM bowl (in portions up to 300 g), chop for 10 seconds on Speed 7. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
Repeat this step until all the chicken is chopped.

Place the chicken in the TM bowl with the corn, peppers, salt, pepper and vegetable salt, mix for 15 seconds on Reverse and Speed 3 until the mixture is well mixed.

Distribute the mixture onto two sheets of transparent film. Roll well and form meatloaves. Close ends of the film and place it in the container of Varoma.

Pour the water into the TM bowl, position the Varoma and cook for 30 minutes on Varoma temperature on Speed 1. Set aside the Varoma. Clean and dry the TM bowl.

Allow galantines to cool and then put them into the refrigerator for about 3 hours. Unroll the galantine and cut into slices (1 cm.). Arrange on a flat range.

For the sauce:
Put into the TM bowl the dill and garlic, chop for 4 seconds on Speed 7.
Insert the butterfly. Add to TM bowl the yoghurt and mayonnaise, mix for 10 seconds on Speed 4.

Remove the butterfly. Pour the sauce into a a small bowl and serve with slices of galantine.


Tips/Hints:
Cut the slices very thin and enjoy with bread or with sauce.
It is a dish suitable for picnics

Originally published HERE on the Thermomix Forum

Friday, September 19, 2008

Mussels with mint

This is another recipe adapted/translated roughly from "A Tutto Vapore" and again shows the value of the Varoma for gently steamimg the Mussels

Mussels with mint


Ingredients:


1500 g mussels, well cleaned and debearded
300 g of water
1 clove of garlic
20 mint leaves, cut into pieces with a knife
lemon juice, (2 lemons)
40g of extra virgin olive oil
black pepper as needed

Preparation:

Put the mussels in the container of Varoma.

Pour the water into the TM bowl, position the Varoma and cook for 20 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1. Set aside.

Filter the cooking liquid at least three times and put it into a bowl. Keep aside.

Put the garlic in the TM bowl, chop for 3 seconds at speed 7. Add the chopped mint, 280 grams of reserved cooking liquid, lemon juice, oil and pepper. Mix for 5 seconds on speed 1.

Remove upper half of the open shells of mussels and place on a large flat plate. Pour the sauce over mussels.

Serve cold. Enjoy mussels with all the liquid.

Originally published here in the Thermomix Forum




Thursday, September 18, 2008

Mussels with spicy sauce

Yet another recipe from "A Tutto Vapore" showing the versatility of the Varoma.

Great use of Varoma while the sauce is cooking below.

Mussels with spicy sauce

Ingredients:

120 g onion
1 clove garlic
85 g extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp chili, or ground into pieces
1000 g mussels, well cleaned and debearded
200 g puréed tomato, fresh or canned
100 g dry white wine
1 pinch of salt

Preparation:

Place the onion and garlic in the TM bowl, chop for 4 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down sides with spatula.

Add the oil and the chili, cook for 7 minutes at 100°C on speed soft.

Meanwhile remove beards from mussels and arrange them in the container of Varoma. Set aside.

Add to TM bowl the tomato purée, wine and salt, leave the measuring cup tilted in the lid to allow sauce to thicken while cooking for 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1.

Position the Varoma on the lid and cook for 13 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1.

Set aside the Varoma, and reduce the sauce if necessary by cooking for longer at Varoma temperature on speed 1.

Arrange the mussels in a bowl, sprinkle with the sauce and serve hot.

Originally published here in the Thermomix Forum

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Gorgonzola Flan

This is another recipe from "A Tutto Vapore" that results in a luscious starter


Gorgonzola Flan


Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 drop of lemon juice
130 g. milk
90 g of gorgonzola or soft blue cheese in pieces,
40 grams of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
butter to grease flan mould
500 grams of water

Preparation:

Insert butterfly over blades. Separate the eggs and put whites into the TM bowl with a drop of lemon juice and whip for approximately 2 minutes on speed 3 and 1/2 until they mount. Transfer to a bowl and leave aside.

Remove the butterfly from the TM bowl. Put in the milk, cheese, flour and salt and cook 3 minutes & 30 seconds at 100°C on speed 2 and 1/2. Leave to cool in the TM bowl until the temperature indicator reaches 50°C. Stir from time to time. Add the yolks and mix 30 seconds on speed 4.

Add the mixture in the TM bowl to the mounted egg whites and mix gently with spatula. Put the mixture into 4 moulds that have been buttered and floured. Place in the container of Varoma. Clean the TM bowl. Pour water into the TM bowl; position the Varoma with moulds cook 18 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1.

Unmould the flan with caution and serve immediately

Originally posted here in the Thermomix Forum

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Eggs “en coccote” with spinach

I love eggs done "en coccote" and have done them in the oven for many years. Using the Varoma makes it even better as the heating is gentler and less liekly to end up with over cooked eggs.

The recipe is based on the Italian book "A Tutto Vapore"

Eggs “en coccote” with spinach

Ingredients:

50 g gruyère
40 g butter, soft
200 g of spinach, fresh
1 pinch of salt, more as needed
700 g of water
4 eggs, at room temperature
pepper
100 grams of bread made into toasted to soldiers

Preparation:

Put gruyère into the TM bowl, grate for 4 seconds on speed 5, remove and set aside in a bowl.

Put into the TM bowl 30 grams of butter, spinach and salt, cook for 10 minutes at 100°C on Reverse + Speed 1 with the Measuring Cup tilted. Remove and set aside.

Pour the water into the TM bowl, bring to boil for 6 minutes at 100°C on Speed 1.

Meanwhile, distribute the spinach into 4 ramekins that have been well greased and sprinkled with grated cheese. Break an egg into each ramekin, season well with salt and pepper. Place the ramekins into the container of Varoma.
Position the Varoma and cook for 10 minutes at Varorna temperature on Speed 1.

Serve the eggs accompanied with toasted bread sticks.

Variation: Eggs “en cocotte” with ham.
Instead of spinach sprinkle half of the cheese into the ramekins. Break an egg into each ramekin and flavor with a little salt & herbs.
Put some diced ham around the yolk. Sprinkle with remaining cheese & put ramekins into the container of Varoma.

Originally published here in the Thermomix Forum

Monday, September 15, 2008

Thermomix Moroccan Carrot Salad

I have made this salad a few times and had been meaning to post it. I took photos at the weekend, but cannot find them so will make it all over again.

There is a similar recipe that I have just found at Bimby's Forum for a Sweet Chili Carrot Salad.

The combinations of flavours and added herbs and spices are limited by your imagination.




Carrot Salad


Ingredients:

3 large carrots, (250 g approx.) cut into chunks
1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
20 gm olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp orange blossom water
2 Tbsp currants
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Place carrot and mint into the TM bowl. Chop for 5 seconds on speed 5. Check for size of pieces - they should be almost like large breadcrumbs, but not mush.

Add remaining ingredients and blend for 10 seconds on Reverse and speed 3.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Varoma Farro and Chicken salad

Farro and chicken salad

300g chicken breasts
40g extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper as needed
1000g water
250g fàrro
40g peeled almonds
a bunch of rocket, cut into pieces
20g pine nuts
1 lemon

Brush the chicken breasts with 10g of oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange them in the tray of the Varoma.

Pour water into the TM bowl, add a pinch of salt and fàrro, position your Varoma and cook for 25minutes at Varoma temperature on Reverse + speed 1.

Drain the fàrro with the help of the TM basket and pour into a bowl.

Place the chicken on a chopping board and cut into strips. Combine them with the fàrro

Clean and dry the TM bowl and place in it the almonds. Chop for 5 seconds on speed 7 then heat for 1 minute at 100°C on speed 1.

Add the chopped almonds, rocket and pine nuts to the bowl with fàrro and chicken. Season the salad with oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Serve warm.

Varoma Russian Salad















I have eaten many varieties of Russian salads over the years. If you wish to read about its origins then you can check Wikipedia.

This is based on a recipe from an Italian site for the Varoma. It is likely to be very similar to the Full Steam Ahead recipe, hopefully.





RUSSIAN SALAD

600g potatoes cut into cubes
150g diced carrots
100g frozen peas
600g water
4 eggs, washed
salt as needed
60g olives, and more to decorate
60g pickled cucumber
200g drained tuna
300g mayonnaise

Garnish
100g red pepper, canned, cut into strips
6 cherry tomatoes
4 green lettuce leaves

Method:

Place potatoes, carrots and peas into the Varoma.

Pour the water into the TM bowl, place the eggs inside the basket and position the Varoma on the lid. Cook for 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1. Remove the eggs from the basket and allow to cool in cold water.

Reposition the Varoma and cook for another 10 minutes on Varoma temperature on speed 1. The vegetables should be cooked but not too soft. Transfer cooked vegetables to a large salad bowl. Salt to taste and leave to cool. Empty the water from the TM bowl.

Put 3 shelled eggs, olives and cucumbers in the TM bowl, chop roughly for 2 seconds at speed 4.

Transfer the mixture to the salad bowl, add the tuna broken into small chunks with 2/3 of the mayonnaise and mix gently. Transfer into a serving dish and cover with the remaining mayonnaise. Decorate with strips of peppers, tomatoes, lettuce leaves, remaining egg cut into slices and olives. Store in refrigerator until serving.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Rocket and Cashew Pesto

(or a quick dip for guests who arrive early)


















We had guests on Saturday and there was a communication breakdown as to when they were arriving, so I was behind schedule with the preparation. Thank goodness for the Thermomix sitting there waiting patiently on the bench. You can see from the photo below that it was splashed into the dish in a hurry. Lucky to obtain evidence of its existence.

This is a dip that has been made a few times with variations, but basically the same as the Asian pesto/dip. Really, the variations are limited by your imagination. Use walnuts, peanuts or almonds intead of cashews. Add some chili. Cook the garlic first for a milder taste. Use other oils such as grapeseed for a milder taste or splurge on some walnut oil.





Rocket and Cashew Pesto

Ingredients:

80 g parmesan or grana padano
1 clove garlic
100 g rocket, washed and shaken dry
150 g roasted, unsalted cashews
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Place parmesan into TM bowl and grate for 10 seconds on speed 7. You don’t want it too fine – some little bits are OK. Remove and set aside.

Place garlic in TM bowl and chop for 10 seconds on speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl and add rocket and cashews. Chop for 30 seconds on speed 6. It should still have some decent sized pieces of nuts, not mush. Blend longer if you think it needs it.

Add olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan and blend for 30 seconds on reverse + speed 4.

Add some extra olive oil or water through the hole in the lid if the mixture appears too thick and blend a little longer.

You should not need pepper or salt. The garlic and rocket will give it enough heat, while the parmesan should give enough salt. But taste it and check.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

STOP PRESS - New Thermomix Forum

Hi all TMX Users

Well, for the last week or so I have been trying to master how to run a forum through a free forum group, like a group called Solemama do here in Melbourne.

THEN, I received a Comment on my blog saying that there is a new TMX forum that The Walkers had found:

http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php

It has been running for a couple of months and they already have about 30 members.

I am happy to keep the Thermomix_Users' Yahoo group going, but believe that the greater numbers on the Forum would make our interaction more beneficial.

Please think about registering with the new forum to help improve our love affair with the Thermomix.

Thank you all for your efforts so far and hopefully this will make life even more enjoyable for all concerned.

Cheers

Thermomixer