Ice Cream - AWESOME!

I have made this a couple of times now and it is dangerous!

Tastes the best fresh but will keep in the freezer (not for long in my house though)

2 egg yolk

250g cream (tried with whipping and thickened and both worked well)

250g milk

150g sugar (I used a bit less the second time round so I imagine this is something you can reduce if you feel inclined)

1 tsp vanilla paste

Cook for 5mins on 80C, speed 4

Place in steel bowl and freeze for 4 (ish) hours or until firm but not frozen

Take it out of the freezer and cut into small-med pieces and mix in TC for 20secs on speed 9, then 10secs on speed 4

At this point on my second batch I crushed up some cadbury chocolate and mixed it through and it was yummo! So mix in chocolate, nuts or whatever takes your fancy!!

Back into the freezer until frozen

Technically challenged but now back! (with some more recipes!!)

Sorry for the non response to peoples email - our PC was damaged in a lightning storm then after a few dramas had to get a new one then had no idea what all my email addresses/contacts/passwords etc were!! Now back on track so in answer to the questions about the TC - after a good 6 months of ownership and a reasonable amount of experience with the TM I would say I am not what I would call a 'lifestyle' user so the TC suits my level of use perfectly. I think that someone who is looking to change their dietary lifestyle then an investment in the TM is likely worth it. If you are just looking for a convenience machine and like what a TM can do but are finding it hard to justify the price tag then a TC might suit you. 
The thing I have noticed with my TM friends compared to me is that I don't use my TC for everything it could do (and feel I would be the same if I had a TM too) - I do enjoy cooking and the process of it, just sometimes am a bit pushed for time etc and enjoy the convnience of the TC for the time saving. Plus I have some great recipes which I love the flavour that develops over an extended time cooking so the things I love to cook (e.g  like a strog) I will do my old way rather than in the TC (my TM friends will always use the TM). I also think that cakes in the TC or TM are just not as good as what comes from a mixer so I will use the TC for a quick cake but for an occasion I will always prepare in my mixer (I think it must be something to do with the aeration or difference in the mixing action? but the cake is just better from the mixer in my opinion).
I am definitely not dissatisfied with my decision to go with the TC than the TM but depending what you want out of the machine (and how far you can stretch the budget!) will depend on the right machine for you!

Pizza dough

Pizza is huge at our place so I have made this a tonne of times (and used to make this in my bread maker in double the time before getting a thermochef!)

280g water
7g dry yeast
15g oil
smidge of salt
500g ÓO' flour

Whiz up your water, salt, oil & yeast for 6secs on sp4
Add the flour and mix 6secs sp 8 - watch the machine though as it will jump around a bit as it mixes
Set on kneading function for 2mins
Place in a floured bowl covered with cling wrap in a warm place to double in size (30-45mins) then seperate into 4 and roll out.
Rest for another 15mins before topping and cooking

I also use this to make pizza scrolls for the kids but making 2 big rectangles from the dough, spreading sauce, ham, pineapple (whatever you like really) then rolling it up and cutting into 5cm scrolls before cooking

Strawberry sauce and jam

The local mini mart had boxes of stawberries for $4 the other night so I couldn't resist the bargain to test out some jam recipes - they worked out fabulously!!

Jam first

500g stawberries with the stalk removed
zest of  a lemon
1 lemon without the pith
250g sugar

Place the ingredients in the bowl and cook 40mins, 100C sp1 then pour into sterilised jars!

My kids aren't huge fans of things with bits so I actually whizzed my jam on 3 for a few secs after the cooking to make it a little smoother. It is such a beautiful red colour and very popular. It made about 2 medium jars worth

The other things the kids love is pink milk so I made some strawberry sauce too

200g strawberries with stalk removed
100g sugar
juice half a lemon

Cook all ingredients in bowl for 4mins, sp 4, 80C

Great to add to milk or topping for icecream and I tried a splash in a glass of sparkling wine the other day and it was lovely!!

Beef Rendang - Delicious!!

Sorry - it has been a while but I have been busy both in and out of the kitchen!

I made this the other night and the whole family enjoyed it so it's on the regular list now

Paste
1 large red chilli, deseeded
2.5cm piece fresh ginger peeled
1 garlic clove
1 small onion
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tbs oil
Curry
4 bay leaves
1 tsp cinnamon powder
300g coconut milk
30g shredded coconut
30g brown sugar
seasoning to taste
1kg rump steak diced

Except for oil, whiz up paste ingredients for 10 secs on sp 7
Add oil & saute for 3min, sp 3, 100C
Add all of the restof the ingredients except meat and cook 5mins, sp3, 100C
Add meat and cook 50mins, sp1, 100C

You can increase or decrease the coconut milk to your desired consistency, this is a mild curry so more chilli can be added to taste

I had leftover rice so used that, not sure if there would be enough room to make your rice at the same time so may need to be made ahead and kept warm or made in a rice cooker

Custard - the TM version

I saw the TC version of custard in the recipe book but didn't like the idea of having to put it in the fridge so I sourced a TM recipe (which I have loved made in a TM) and it works quite well - I found I had to add a little time to the cook and the was some beginnings of the custard starting to burn on the bottom but nothing to be tasted (just slightly more annoying to clean!!)

So - 100g raw sugar whizzed for 20secs on speed 7

Add 500g milk, 2 eggs and 50g plain flour and cook on 90C for 9 mins at speed 4 (I like my custard more on the thicker side so adjust time to taste - 7mins was far to thin in my opinion but somewhere between there and 9 should set you right)

I know TM recipe book has ideas about adding cocoa and lemon rind etc so may play with some of those ideas another day

Meatballs - good for kids dinner or party snack

I had some mince out so thought I'd try some meatballs for the kids dinner - my 4yo is going through a phase where tomatoes are out of favour so no spag/meatballs allowed although I am sure you could easily adapt this recipe for that purpose.

I had 450g Mince
1 clove garlic
60g parmesean
2 pieces of bread
1 egg
sauces for your taste

So I popped the parmesean and garlice in the bowl and turbo'd for say 4 secs

Added mince and did speed 6 for 5 secs (can do more or less to texture you prefer, these were quite sausage mince looking but cooked up well for kids and retained there shaped which can be hard when the mince is more textured)

Add bread crumbs and egg plus the sauces to suit your taste - I used a squirt of BBQ, tomato & worstershire then speed 4 for 5 secs and voila!

Roll the mixture into balls and fry of in some olive oil in the fry pan until cooked.

I served them with some relish and steamed vege and the kids cleaned the plate so always a sign of a winner!!