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!!

Lemon Cake

I attempted to convert this lemon cake recipe and it turned out fairly nicely. It is a heavy cake and can be finished off a number of ways depending on tastes/purpose so quite happy with this one!

• So first I wizzed up some caster sugar (330g) out of raw sugar - this was my first time in the TC so I was experimenting a bit, I did 8secs on speed 8 then another 4 as I wanted the sugar quite fine. Set this aside
• Next I peeled a lemon thinly so I just had rind, threw that in the bowl and did a turbo for about 6 secs. Set this aside in with the sugar
• I popped in the butterfly and mixed the greek yoghurt (300g) and 4 eggs on speed 2 for 6 secs, scraped down sides then 6 more secs
• Then add 335g of - supposed to have been plain flour but I accidentally used SR & so instead of 1tbs if using plain I added 1tsp baking powder (I am not a chemist or a cook so I don't understand the science behind how these things work but the cake turned out!) and go speed 3 for 10 secs, scrape down sides then another 10 secs.
• Finally add 250g very soft chopped butter on speed 2 for 5 secs, scrape down sides then another 5 secs (butter will not be fully incorporated and still look lumpy in the mix and this is fine.
• Pour into a large round tin (or 2 loaf tins?) and cook for 50 mins (or until skewer comes out of centre clean) and let cake cool in the tin.

Now for toppings I like to make a lemon syrup and pour over while the cake is hot using 2/3 cup lemon juice and 1/2 cup caster sugar - alternatively you can use a cream cheese icing or just a simple icing sugar/butter/lemon juice icing or something more inventive!

Shortbread - really easy & yummy!

So we just escaped for a week away with the kids and I have newly invigorated to get cooking. Whipped up a batch of shortbread this morning and it is lovely!!

Preheat 160C oven
Wizz up 150g cold cubed butter, 75g caster sugar, 75g cornflour, 150g plain flour for 15secs sp 6
Knead for 10secs then scrape down sides and knead again for 10 secs
The mixture will resemble finely grated parmesean but when you press it into your tin (lined with baking paper - I used a 20cm square) it will come together nicely. I sprinkled some extra sugar on top at this point.
Bake for 35-40 mins (until light golden colour) then I cut mine while hot and transferred to a wire rack to cool.

Warning, appears to be addictive!! Best served with a lovely cuppa, I made this for my Nan's birthday and she thinks its a winner :)

Steamed vege and rice

I used the steamer for some vegies last night and thought I'd test out making rice at the same time - very impressed with the rice which I wasn't expecting! I ordinarily make my rice in a rice cooker and it is fail proof. The TC rice was really good, especially if you don't like gloopy, sticky rice.

I followed the recipe for this one - 1000g water, washed rice in strainer, vegies in steamer basket on top for 15 mins. I had my vege reasonably large still and they were on the crunchy side (somewhere between blanched and steamed) - brocholi and beans on the bottom and corn cobbs on top. I think possibly small cuts or a little longer for the vege may be ideal but it was still very eatable.

Next time I might try just the vege and a sauce in the bottom but this is a winner for a quick steak and vege meal.

Mashed potato and other experiments!

So, my husband loves the TM mash and I thought I would give the TC recipe a go to see how it stacks up. We both loved it although I am partial to the TM recipe as it includes parmesean and just seems to give it a nice boost so will add that next time. Would recommend cutting your potato up reasonably small though as at the demonstration I saw the mash was still a bit 'bitsy', I cut mine up smaller which I think allow it to be thoroughly cooked and was therefore nice and smooth.

I had a couple of failures - cake mixtures seem as though they would definitely benefit from the use of the butterfly for mixing. I was trying to convert a choc zucchini cake recipe and it didn't quite work so will try mixing with the butterfly next time.

Also attempted a fried rice by 'winging it' and that wasn't awesome either - egg didn't seem to cook right but may be a flaw in my methodology rather than a flaw with the TC!

The first recipe - LCM/LTM Bar adaptation

So I got home and felt like Old Mother Hubbard and all I could muster up was the ingredients for these (which, having a 2.5 & 4yo went down a treat!!) - simple and popular.

110g butter
100g sugar
2 tbs honey
1 tsp vanilla
60g Rice Rubbles/Pops
100g Cornflakes
50g dessicated coconut

Put butter, sugar & honey in TC bowl for 5mins at 100C on speed 3
With 1 min to go, add in the vanilla
Add Rice Bubbles, Cornflakes and coconut and mix for 10secs speed 1, then 10 more secs speed 2
Press into a lined rectangle baking tray and refridgerate for a few hours or until firm
I added 'sprinkles' to mine to make them more exciting but you could decorate them with chocolate or anything that tickles your fancy really. You could also make them with just rice bubbles or try cocoa pops etc too I'd imagine!

The experiment begins!

So, I have a few friends who have a Thermomix (all who have affectionately nicknamed there prized appliance) but I have been too much of a scrooge to fork out $2000 to be the proud owner of one myself.

I heard rumours a few months back of a machine which is essentially the same as a Thermomix but at one third the price, a bit of googling later and I discover the Thermochef. Not too helpful though as everything seemed to be in Spanish (or equally indescernable language to me) - but there was one Australian company promising to bring it to a store new me soon!

So, I have now been to said store, purchased the thermochef (at closer to half price than a third but still decently below the $1000 mark) and I am embarking on my experiment to see if me being a tighta**e can really pay off or if I should have just bought a thermomix.

Inital thoughts are that there is a definite sense of you get what you pay for. I have 'babysat' a friends thermomix before so amsomewhat familiar with the machine but by no means an expert BUT in saying that, I am impressed with the thermochef so far. The materials seem to be quality and the functionality differences I notice at the moment are the lack of reverse and I haven't quite worked out the interval speed equivalent yet either. Also the built in electronic scales of the thermomix is a bonus as the thermochef scales are off to the side but definitely not a deal breaker.

Also, as this is a relatively new addition to the market ( I think I heard they've been around for 18months??), the recipe book is a little sparce so I will try and use my preloved recipes plus adapt a few from thermomix to create a lovely repitoire of culinary delights!!

Please feel free to share with me if you have any tips tricks or recipes to add