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

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

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.

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.

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.

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