With the season starting to move towards winter G and I have both suffered with  slight sore throat and minor head cold.  So I’ve been thinking about how I can give our immune system a little boost.

Recently I’ve been reading about the health benefits of Kale.  It appears that [...]]]>

With the season starting to move towards winter G and I have both suffered with  slight sore throat and minor head cold.  So I’ve been thinking about how I can give our immune system a little boost.

Recently I’ve been reading about the health benefits of Kale.  It appears that this inconspicuous leafy green vegetable packs a powerful punch in the vitamins,   minerals and antioxidant arena.

Like most other dark green vegetables it’s considered perfect for detox purposes. But it also seems to support the cardiovascular system and is claimed to assist in the prevention of cancer.  Super food?  Maybe!

Kale is rich in:

• Vitamin K, Vitamin A,
• Vitamin C, Manganese,
• Fibre, Copper,
• Calcium, Tryptophan,
• B6, Potassium, Folate,
• Anti-inflammatory properties,
• Antioxidants

and much more!

So my goal was to find a way to get more of this little gem into our diet.  While green smoothies are an easy way to do so, I must admit, I’m not really that partial to them.  Soup however is one thing that I love eating.  I like that all the goodness stays in the bowl and I am able to eat it all.  And that was exactly what I wanted to do when I developed this recipe.

I wanted something healthy that tasted delicious and honoured the main ingredient.  I think I managed to achieve it all and even felt healthier when I was eating it.

green power soup (recipe by Fiona at Food 4 Thought).
serves 4 – Makes approximately 1.25l

Ingredients
25g parmesan cheese, 1cm cubes
1/2 onion, cut into quarters
1 large clove garlic, peeled
10g olive oil
200g kale (leaves only, stalks removed), washed and roughly chopped
300g hot water
150g broccoli, cut into bite size florets
150g frozen peas
1 tablespoon TM stock concentrate
handful of basil leaves, or herbs of your choice
1 tablespoon cream

Preparation
Place cheese into TM bowl and grate for 10 seconds on speed 7.  Remove and set aside.

Add onion and garlic to TM bowl, chop for 3 seconds on speed 7.  Add oil and cook for 4 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.

Add chopped kale and water to TM bowl.  Cook for 3 minutes at 100°C on soft speed.

Add broccoli, peas and stock, cook for 15 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.

Once cooked, add grated cheese, herbs and cream.  Blend by slowly turning to speed 6, then blitzing for 30 seconds at speed 8.

Check for seasoning and adjust as desired.  Serve with croutons or bread and extra cheese.

My tips/alterations: *This soup comes up quite thick, if you’d like it thinner then add some more water.  *If you find the earthy flavour of the Kale too strong you can add extra peas and more herbs.  You could also add some celery and/or carrot into the mix when you chop the onion.  *I designed this recipe for the Thermomix BUT you can make this in a pot and blender like any other soup.  *Don’t chop the Kale in the TM because if you over work the vegetables before they are cooked they will become bitter.   *The cream at the end is optional, however it does bring out the sweetness in the dish very well.  *If you would like this to be vegan, then simply leave out the cheese and cream.

ease: 9.5/10.  The hardest part is washing the Kale.
prep time: 5mins.
cooking time: 25mins
total: 30 minutes

taste: 8.5/10. I loved this soup.  I even felt better as I ate it.  I think G was a little less reserve with his score because he is not as big a fan of that earthy quality that comes from the dark green hero.  7/10 from G.

would I make it again: Yes.  Every time I feel like I need a kick start.

When some of my friends first  found out that I had purchased a Thermomix, they couldn’t quite believe it.  They felt that I was such a “cook” that I would love the process of cooking and not want to “cheat”.  I must say, I don’t feel that using the Thermomix is cheating.  Many [...]]]>

When some of my friends first  found out that I had purchased a Thermomix, they couldn’t quite believe it.  They felt that I was such a “cook” that I would love the process of cooking and not want to “cheat”.  I must say, I don’t feel that using the Thermomix is cheating.  Many amazing chefs use this incredible machine everyday to create fabulous food and they are still regarding in the highest esteem among their colleagues.

Besides, the process of cooking is something I enjoy, when I have 5 hours to spend in the kitchen.  But lets face it, we are all a little “time poor” these days so that doesn’t happen very often, at least not for me.

One of the major reasons I bought my Thermomix, even though I already had ever other kitchen appliance known to man, was that none of my other amazing (and expensive) machines would allow me to put ingredients into them, set a program, walk away and come back to a complete, healthy, cooked meal in under 30 minutes.

Before this little gem had a home on our bench we never ate risotto.  Not that we didn’t enjoy it, more that it took too long and was too much effort to make.  Now we have it in many different forms, whenever we want to.

This recipe came about because we were given a delicious leg of ham for Christmas (thanks Jenn!) and (as you do) we had some left over.  It was one of those nights (you know the kind I mean) when you either need to spend minimal time in the kitchen or you’ll opt for calling the local take-away.  So this was what came out of our kitchen instead.

It can be even easier without the egg but when I was creating it, all I could think about was Dr Seuss’s “Green eggs and ham”  I had the green peas and ham so I added an egg.  Besides, I‘ve done this before with a pasta dish and it was delicious.  I hope this helps you avoid take-away too. 

green pea, ham and corn risotto topped with a poached egg (recipe by Fiona at Food 4 Thought) – Designed for the Thermomix BUT you can make this in a pan like any other risotto.
serves 6 – 8

Ingredients
50g Parmesan cheese, cubed
1/2 brown onion, quartered
1 garlic clove, peeled
10g olive oil
360g Arborio (or short grain) rice
100g white wine
200 – 250g thick sliced ham, cubed (to approximately same size of peas and corn)
2-3 tablespoons TM stock concerntrate
1000 – 1100g water
170g frozen peas
170g (drained) tinned corn

Preparation
Place Parmesan into TM bowl, grate for 5 seconds on speed 7.   Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Place onion and garlic into TM bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 7.  Add oil and sauté for 5 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.
Add the butterfly, then add rice and wine, sauté on reverse for 2 minutes at 100°C on speed soft.

Add ham, stock and water, cook for 16 minutes at 100°C on reverse, speed soft.  5 minutes before the end of cooking, add the peas.  Use the spatula to push them into the rice mixture.  (Meanwhile, cooked poached egg to your liking)  Once cooking has finished, pour the risotto into the TM serving bowl, stir through the corn and as Parmesan to taste.   Adjust seasoning as you like, cover and let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serve topped with a soft poached egg.

My tips/alterations: *If you don’t have a Thermomix, you can make this in the normal way that you would make risotto.  *You can substitute the ham for bacon if you prefer.  *If you want it to be even simpler, you can leave out the egg, although I think it is worth the effort.  *Resting the risotto in the TM server means that it will retain its heat very well and the consistency can change.  Make sure that you check it occasionally so that you can devour your meal when the desired consistency is reached.

ease: 9/10.  So much easier than a pan risotto.
prep time: 15mins.
cooking time: 25mins plus resting
total: 45 minutes plus cooling

taste: 7.5/10. I think G was almost sick of risotto when I made this version.  8.5/10 I loved this.  The ingredients were so simple and the flavour was great.  How much better does a dish get? .

would I make it again: Yes.  Too easy and tasty.

When I think about what we ate before purchasing our Thermomix it was quite different to what we eat now.  At the time I used to think we had quite a healthy diet.  Lots of fruit and vegetables, red meat a few times a week, chicken and never enough fish .    [...]]]>

When I think about what we ate before purchasing our Thermomix it was quite different to what we eat now.  At the time I used to think we had quite a healthy diet.  Lots of fruit and vegetables, red meat a few times a week, chicken and never enough fish .    However after having our beloved “Hermie” for over a year, I have come to realise that what I thought was healthy, actually wasn’t so good for us.  We were still consuming a lot of additives and preservatives.

The main reason I say this is because we used to still have store bought basics like tomato sauce, peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, etc and when you start reading the labels on these items there can be several letters and numbers instead of fresh ingredients.

Now I find myself making these things and many more, just because I can.  Soy milk, almond milk, raw vegan shakes, cashew cream, whole wheat sesame crackers, some of these things I’ve never contemplated making let alone attempted to do so.

That is exactly how this recipe came about.  I started reading the label on the box of biscuits that we buy for our girl (Bonnie the dog) and I thought “if we’re eating healthy then so will the dog”.  No more fillers and additives for anyone in this family!  So now we also have homemade dog biscuits, which I might add, are totally safe for human consumption and taste really good.  (Yes, I did try them!)

I have you have a special someone to make these for too.

“bonnie” (dog) biscuits (recipe by Fiona at Food 4 Thought) – Designed for the Thermomix BUT you can make these without one.  Just read “My tips”.
makes approximately 60 bone shape biscuits

Ingredients
200 – 250g (3 – 4 rashers) bacon, roughly chopped
350g whole wheat grain (or whole wheat flour)
100g rolled oats
100g cheddar cheese, cubed
50g butter
200g water
100g milk
150g cornmeal (polenta)
1 egg

Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 160°C (325°F/Gas 3).

Add bacon to TM bowl and chop on Speed 5 for 3 – 5 seconds, until desired texture is obtained. Cook at 100°C for 8 – 10 minutes on reverse, soft speed. Once cooked, remove and set aside to cool.

Add whole wheat grain to TM bowl and mill on Speed 10 for 30 – 45 seconds depending on the desired texture.

Add cheese and oats to TM bowl and mill on Speed 7 for 5 seconds.  Set aside with milled wheat.

Add butter, water and milk to TM bowl and heat at 60°C for 2 minutes on speed 1.  Once complete, add milled wheat, oats, cheese, cornmeal and egg to TM bowl and mix on speed 6 for 5 – 10 seconds (by slowly turning dial from 1 – 6) until just combined.  Add bacon and mix for 5 – 10 seconds on reverse until completely combined.

Tip bowl upside down onto Thermomat and turn base of blade to release mixture.  If mixture is slightly wet leave to stand for 5 minutes before rolling out.  Roll out (with rolling pin) to 1/2 cm thickness and cut into desired shape.  Place on lined baking tray and bake for 40 – 45 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.

My tips/alterations: *If you don’t have a Thermomix, use wholewheat flour instead of the grain.  You can also substitute the oats for an extra 100g of flour if you like.  You could cook the bacon in a frying pan as you would normally, allow it to cool, then crumble it into small pieces.  Grate the cheese as you would normally.  Then you can just mix it all together and rolll it out as instructed.  *You could add chopped carrots, spinach or corn to these for something a little different.  See my Puppy Treats recipe for other tips.

ease: 7.5/10. The fact that these are made from whole ingredients makes it more challenging but the TM makes it easy.
prep time: 15mins.
cooking time: 45mins plus cooling
total: 1 hour plus cooling

taste: 8/10. These are hard to rate as I’ve never eaten dog biscuits before .  Bonnie seems to love these.  Whenever she sees one she begs to have it asap.

would I make it again: Yes.  Not a lot of work to achieve a healthy alternative.

Some time ago I made a strawberry and lemon tart in my food processor.  Crisp and buttery pastry, tangy smooth filling, it was the kind of dessert that both G & I love.  Unfortunately it didn’t score too highly on the G scale (nor with me really) and the remainder was given away [...]]]>

Some time ago I made a strawberry and lemon tart in my food processor.  Crisp and buttery pastry, tangy smooth filling, it was the kind of dessert that both G & I love.  Unfortunately it didn’t score too highly on the G scale (nor with me really) and the remainder was given away to friends and family which is unheard of when a good dessert hits the table in our house.

At the time I wrote a comment stating ”would I make it again: Yes, but there are conditions.  Normally with a score like this I wouldn’t bother making it again.  However, since baking this I have purchased my Thermomix (Hermie for short) and knowing what it can do I am sure I can get a very smooth consistency for the filling by using it to whiz everything up.  It is so much easier than making lemon curd filling!”

So here is the recipe that I came up with for the TM.  I was fortunate enough to have my Mum visiting when I made this tart and we spent many hours in the kitchen together making a myriad of tasty treats.  She was amazed at what “Hermie” can do!

lemon tart (recipe by Fiona at Food 4 Thought – with help from Mum)
makes two 35cm (14 inch) x 10cm (4 inch) tart (use a tin with a removable base)

Ingredients
pastry
70g (2½ ozs) raw sugar
250g (½ pound) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
150g (4¼ozs/1¼ sticks) butter, diced and chilled
1 egg
30g (1½ tablespoons) cold water
filling
1 or 2 large juicy lemons (total 230g fruit)
250g (1¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
30g (2 tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)
3 eggs
120g (½ cup) very soft or melted butter, cooled
to finish
250g (½ pound) strawberries
icing (confectioners) sugar for dusting

Preparation
Pastry:  Place sugar into TM bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 9.  Add flour and butter, mix for 10 seconds on speed 6.  The mix should resemble fine breadcrumbs.  Add egg and water.  Set dial to closed lid position.  Knead for 20 – 30 seconds on interval speed to form a dough.  Turn mixture onto plastic wrap, form a disc and chill until firm (about 30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6).  Roll pastry out on a lightly floured bench and line the tart tin.  Refrigerate or freeze until firm.

Bake the tart blind for 20 minutes, then remove the baking weights and paper.  Reduce the heat to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3) and bake for a further 5 minutes.  Cool.

Filling:  Cut the lemon into quarters, remove the obvious pips.  Add these, along with all other ingredients to TM bowl.  Mix on speed 5 for 20 - 30 seconds until mixture is combined and very smooth.

Pour into the tart case and bake for 25 minutes until the filling is just firm and the top is lightly browned.  Cool.

To serve:  Dust with icing sugar to serve.

My tips/alterations: *If the pastry sticks to the blade, simply use Turbo for 2-3 seconds to remove it.  *Blind baking is when you line a pre-prepared case with baking paper and fill it with weights or dried beans.  The beans support the pastry as it cooks.  *If you are short on time when making the pastry you can place it in the freezer which will halve your time.  *I used Meyer lemons, which have a thin skin and are slightly sweet when ripe.  I using Eureka (thick skin with a thick layer of white pith) you may want to peel the rind away to use in your recipe, then remove and discard the pith as this can be quite bitter.  I tried to make the filling using raw sugar but due to the higher caramel content it didn’t set well and became really chewy.  The caster sugar produced a lovely textured tart.  *Blend the filling until it is smooth as it makes the end result so much better.

ease: 8/10. This was even easier than using the food processer.
prep time: 10mins plus chilling and cooling.
cooking time: 50mins plus cooling
total: 1 hour plus chilling and cooling

taste: 8.5/10. From the man of the house, a whole 2 points more than the original version with none of this one being allowed to leave the house.  G couldn’t believe it was even the same recipe.  8.5/10  From me too.  An extra point from me.  This reminds me of a tarte au citron with its delicate tangy flavour and crunchy pastry.

would I make it again: Yes.  I think I need to try it again, just to make sure that my scoring is correct.

I’m constantly amazed at how my Thermomix makes the most difficult cooking creations so easy.  A few weeks ago I decided to adapt a recipe for a steamed sweet potato  puddings.  They were delicious and so much easier with the Thermomix.

One of the other things that little miracle machine has done [...]]]>

I’m constantly amazed at how my Thermomix makes the most difficult cooking creations so easy.  A few weeks ago I decided to adapt a recipe for a steamed sweet potato  puddings.  They were delicious and so much easier with the Thermomix.

One of the other things that little miracle machine has done is (re)inspire me in the kitchen.  I have always loved trying new things, creating something that I can call my own.  That was until life got so busy that I didn’t have time to consider what we might eat for dinner let alone be creative.  Dinner just became “whatever is the fastest, healthiest meal with the least amount of dishes possible.  Usually it was steak and steamed vegetables, steak and salad or stir fry.  Believe me, there is only so much of all of those dishes that one person can eat.  Now it is “would you like curry or risotto for dinner?”  We will often have Thai chicken red curry, risotto or anything we feel like really.  Last week I even made a Chunky beef chilli which I thought sounded a great way to use the piece of rump steak that I wanted to, rather than pan frying it and steaming some vegetables .

Another thing I love about my Thermomix is the business that it has created for me.  I am so lucky to be able to do something that I love, to meet some amazing people and to actually have people thank me for changing their lives and making things so much easier.  What a great job I have and what a lucky girl I am!

I hope you get to do something that you love too.

sweet potato and coconut steamed puddings (adapted for the Thermomix from recipe in Dish)
serves 6

Ingredients
1100g water, for cooking
½ tsp ground rock salt
400g peeled and 2cm diced (orange) sweet potato
150g coconut milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
100g palm sugar
25g desiccated coconut
2 eggs
900g water, for steaming
to serve
coconut cream
Fresh fruit of your choice
Toasted shredded coconut
6 x 125ml ramekins

Preparation
Place water and salt into TM bowl, add basket and place sweet potato into the basket.  Cook for 16 minutes at 100°C on speed 4.  Once potato is fork tender, remove the basket using the spatula and shake off excess water.  Discard water from bowl.  Place potato into the TM bowl and heat for 1 minute at 90°C on speed 1 to remove excess water.  Puree for 30 seconds on speed 4.  Remove from bowl and set aside to cool.

Add coconut milk, vanilla and palm sugar to TM bowl.  Heat for 2 minutes at 90 °C on speed 1.  Inset butterfly.  Add desiccated coconut and cooled potato.  Mix on speed 2 and with blade running add eggs one at a time thru the hole in the lid.  Beat for 20 seconds on speed 3.

Divide mixture between ramekins, filling them 1cm from the top.  Pour water into TM bowl and place ramekins into Varoma.  Set Varoma in place.  Steam for 20 – 25 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1.  Puddings should be just set.

Serve with garnish of your choice.

My tips/alterations: *This is best made in ramekins rather than patty cake moulds then attempting to turn them out.  *Don’t overcook these as they will dry out and become slightly chewy in texture.  You could add more spices to this such as cinnamon, nutmeg and even a little of all spice.  *If you like your coconut cream (to serve) really thick then pop it in the fridge for ar least an hour before serving.

ease: 7.5/10.  Not difficult, just a few steps
prep time: 15 mins.
cooking time: 45 mins
total: 60 mins

taste: 8.5/10.  These have a slightly unusual and very delicious flavour.  The coconut and palm sugar come through the potato and the texture is quite light.

would I make it again: Yes, especially if I wanted to do something a little different for my friends.

I may have mentioned before that making desserts is one of my favourite things to do in the kitchen and looking at my last few Newsletters I seem to do a lot of it .  Clients often ask me if I actually eat the food I create because they think [...]]]>

I may have mentioned before that making desserts is one of my favourite things to do in the kitchen and looking at my last few Newsletters I seem to do a lot of it .  Clients often ask me if I actually eat the food I create because they think I should be somewhat larger in size than I am.  My response is that I don’t eat what I create, I inhale it.  I also exercise and eat a balanced diet but I never restrict myself when it comes to trying the things that I make.

To help with balancing things a little I often try to find ways to still get the flavours I love but in a not so traditional way.  Baklava is one of my favourite sweet treats.  I love the honey flavoured sweet sticky syrup, the light crunch of pastry and the richness of the nuts.  I never make it because I can’t control myself when it is in the house.  So thank goodness for this somewhat healthier version.  By substituting pastry for ciabatta or sourdough, reducing the butter and increasing the nuts we have something that I will eat as often as I like.  I hope you enjoy it too.

baklava spread (adapted for the Thermomix from recipe by The Healthy Foodie) 
makes approximately 2 cups

Ingredients
50g pistachios
50g almonds
200g walnuts
40g honey
40g water
25g lemon juice
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
to serve
thinly sliced, lightly toasted ciabatta bread or similar

Preparation
Pour pistachio nuts, almonds and 50g of walnuts into TM bowl.  Chop for 2 seconds on speed 5.  Remove from bowl and set aside.

Add honey, water, lemon juice and spices to bowl.  Heat for 2 minutes at 70°C on speed 1.  Add the remaining walnuts and chop for 30 seconds on speed 5.  Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat until a soft paste forms or desired texture is achieved.

Add chopped nuts and stir for 10 seconds, reverse on speed 3 to combine all ingredients.

Serve at room temperature on warm toasted ciabatta or bread or your choice or store in sterilised jars in the fridge until required.

My tips/alterations:  *This has a slightly crumbly texture.  It is best eaten as soon as it is made however it will store well in the fridge.  *Once it is chilled it is very easy to mould.  For something a little different shape it into balls and coat with chocolate or use it as a filling in filo (phyllo) cigars.  *If you would like this to have a more butter like consistency you can add a little more butter, honey, lemon juice and water then blitz this along with the walnuts for a little longer before adding the shopped nuts.  *This would be great made as a gift for friends.  *If you would like a similar recipe that does not require a Thermomix then check it out at The Healthy Foodie.

ease: 9/10.  10 times easier and quicker than normal Baklava!
prep time: 10mins.
cooking time: 5mins 
total: 15 mins

taste: 9/10.  Both G & I loved this, as did my TM team when I made it for them.  I think it is best straight after it has been made, while it is just warm because the spices and honey really come through in the flavour.

would I make it again: This is my new best friend!  When I told G walnuts were healthy for him he asked me to make this again

]]> http://www.foodfourthought.com.au/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2480 0 http://www.foodfourthought.com.au/blog/?p=2518 http://www.foodfourthought.com.au/blog/?p=2518#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:40:27 +0000 Food4Thought http://www.foodfourthought.com.au/blog/?p=2518

I’ve always been somewhat creative in the kitchen.  Sometimes this creativity has served me well and others not so much.  Yes, I have had my fair share of disasters in the kitchen but I’m not going to share them right now .

When I decided to develop this recipe I threw [...]]]>

I’ve always been somewhat creative in the kitchen.  Sometimes this creativity has served me well and others not so much.  Yes, I have had my fair share of disasters in the kitchen but I’m not going to share them right now .

When I decided to develop this recipe I threw caution to the wind and jumped right in.  The end result I wanted to achieve was that of sweet risotto and NOT rice pudding.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with rice pudding perse, it’s just that there are so many recipes available (both Thermomix and non-Thermomix) that I didn’t want to create yet another.  And hence, Sweet risotto with strawberries, pistachios and limoncello was born.

The strawberries were included because they were in season and gorgeously sweet, the pistachios because I love their green hue and the limoncello was a suggestion from my wonderful Group Leader, Liz.  When I mentioned to her that I wanted to try this recipe she gave me a sample from her bottle of limoncello so that I could test it.  It was so good I’ve now purchased my own (very large) bottle.

The first time I made this, G liked it but felt that it needed a sauce of some kind.  I wasn’t so sure because I tried it as soon as it was assembled whereas he let it cool first.  However, I had some strawberries left over so whipped up a strawberry and limoncello syrup.   When others tried it they agreed with G.

So I acknowledge two things.  I love a collaboration of ideas/suggestions when it comes to creative cooking and G has a wonderful palate that teaches me more than he knows .

sweet risotto with strawberries, pistachios and limoncello (recipe by Fiona at Food 4 Thought)
makes approximately 4-6 desserts

Ingredients
50g shelled pistachio nuts
Zest of ½ large lemon (approx 10g)
50g raw sugar
½ vanilla bean, scraped
40g butter
200g Arborio rice
60g white wine
1 ½ tablespoons limoncello
550g full cream milk
to serve
thinly sliced strawberries
crushed pistachios
strawberry syrup/sauce

Preparation
Pour nuts into bowl and chop for 2 seconds on speed 5.  Remove from bowl and set aside.  Place lemon zest, sugar and vanilla into TM bowl and pulverise for 20 seconds at speed 9.  Scrape down sides of bowl and repeat if necessary, until zest is finely ground.

Add butter and cook for 2 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.  Insert butterfly, add rice and cook for 1 minute at 100°C, reverse, on soft speed.

Add wine and limoncello.  Cook for 1 minute at 100°C, reverse on soft speed.  Add milk and cook for 16 minutes at 100°C, reverse on soft speed.  For the last 5 minutes tilt MC to allow the mixture to thicken slightly.

Once cooked, pour into Thermoserver and stand while slicing strawberries.

To serve, place 2 tablespoons of risotto in base of glass or bowl.  Place single layer of strawberries on top of rice then sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
Top with another layer of risotto.  Decorate with strawberries and pistachios.  Serve with syrup.

My tips/alterations: *You can make this dish without a Thermomix but following the recipe and cooking it in a pot on the stove.  Just watch that it doesn’t burn and you may need to cook it a little longer.  *If this starts to bubble out of the hole in the lid of the Thermomix you can tilt the MC and insert on its side.  *If you allow it to stand in the Thermoserver for too long it will thicken quite a bit.  If you would like a softer consistency just add some milk or even thin cream.  *If you want to peel your pistachios (see difference in picture at the end of this post), simply place pistachios in bowl, cover with boiling water, allow to stand for 5 minutes then squeeze them out of their skins.

ease: 9/10.  The Thermomix makes risotto a very simple thing to make!
prep time: 10mins + assembling.
cooking time: 20mins
total: 30 mins + assembling.

taste: 8.5/10.  Both G & I loved this, and it was something that we have never tried before.  The flavours and textures worked really well and the strawberry syrup (recipe to follow) bought it all.

would I make it again: Yes!  Especially if I wanted to show friends something a little different.

L: Unpeeled; R: Skins removed

It was my Birthday a few months ago.  As I get older the actual celebration of a Birthday on “the day” means a little less.  However, because I have lived away from my immediate family for so long I still get very excited by receiving cards in the mail to mark the special occasion.  Wishes [...]]]>

It was my Birthday a few months ago.  As I get older the actual celebration of a Birthday on “the day” means a little less.  However, because I have lived away from my immediate family for so long I still get very excited by receiving cards in the mail to mark the special occasion.  Wishes of love and happiness are heartfelt from those who care about me. 

This year I received one card that was a big surprise and most unexpected.  To put this into prospective I need to tell you a little about the sender.

Approximately two months before my Birthday I commenced as an Independent Consultant with Thermomix Australia.  It is my own business that I conduct under the guidelines set out by Thermomix.  As part of my role they provide free training and ongoing support, something (as a consultant) I feel is quite rare these days.  My team leader is amazing and always there with words of encouragement when they are needed.

So really, I guess it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when I received a Birthday card from such a wonderful company but for some reason it did.  I think it was the fact that the card had been personally written on rather than a pre-printed version automatically popped in the post, a very nice touch that made me feel somewhat special.

The front of the card had a picture of a piece of cake that looked delicious.  And the best part, the recipe was on the inside .

So here it is my friends, I hope you feel special when you enjoy a slice of this with someone you love!

caramel mud cake with toffee cream (recipe from Thermomix Birthday Card – May 2011) 
makes 1 x 23cm cake

Ingredients
Cake  
200g unsalted butter, cubed
200g white chocolate, in pieces
200g dark brown sugar
150g hot water 
50g golden syrup
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 eggs
140g plain flour
140g SR flour
berries and icing sugar, to serve

Preparation
Brush 23cm springform tin with some melted butter and completely cover outside of base with double layer of foil for waterproof.  Set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 180°C and place large baking tray of water in bottom of oven.

Place butter, chocolate, sugar, water, golden syrup and vanilla into TM bowl.  Cook for 5 minutes at 70°C, on speed 1.  Cool slightly.  Add eggs 1 at a time onto rotating blades, beating each in for 10 seconds on speed 6.  Add flours to TM bowl and set dial to closed lid position.  Incorporate gently for 20 seconds on interval speed.

Pour into prepared pan, then place into baking dish of water.  Reduce temperature of oven to 170°C and cook for 50 minutes to an hour until set in the centre.

Allow to cool before un-moulding.  Serve with toffee cream and raspberries.

Toffee Cream

50g unsalted butter  
100g cream + 400g cream 
100g dark sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Place butter, 100g cream, sugar and vanilla into TM bowl and cook for 5 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 2 with MC off.  Pour out of TM and cool completely (it will partially set).

Insert butterfly into TM bowl and return toffee mixture to TM bowl.  Add remaining cream and whip together for 10-20 seconds on speed 4 until cream holds still peaks.  Either spread over cake with palette knife or serve on the side.

My tips/alterations:  *I cooked this for 1 hour to make sure that it was set but this will vary depending on your oven.  *This cake is dairy free.  You can switch out the toffee cream and the whole thing would be dairy free.

ease: 8/10.  The most difficult part was getting it into the tray of water in the oven!
prep time: 15mins.
cooking time: 55-60mins 
total: 1 hour 15 mins

taste: 9/10.  This was an amazing cake.  Dense – like every mud cake should be, Sweet – without being over the top, Sophisticated – I would make this for guests, anytime!  The caramel flavour was stunning.  I found the cream a little too sweet but others loved it, so I think that is personal preference.

would I make it again: Absolutely! I’m just waiting for that special occasion and someone to spoil!