Couscous in Thermomix Varoma

Couscous is best steamed and steamed more than once, being rubbed between each steaming. It is more of an effort but I think that it is really worth the time and trouble.

The traditional couscousiere is used to prepare a vegetable or meat stew in a sauce below while the couscous steams above and absorbs some of the wondeful flavours.

The Varoma, which sits above the Thermomix bowl is perfect for this function.

The recipe below is based very heavily on a dish that Greg Malouf has prepared at cooking classes and was on the menu at O'Connells' and probably also at MoMo. It is more involved than what you can do to prepare a tasty couscous with vegetables, but hopefully you will see the logic in the method used - first steaming the vegetables, preparing the couscous and spicy stock and then finishing the vegies in the spicy stock while steaming the couscous - three times.

The Food Safari program gave a hint that I had not seen before, where a light blue vein cheese is rubbed through the couscous, to imitate the traditional addition of smem, a rancid butter.

If you can't be bothered going through the whole process, at least think about steaming couscous over a flavoursome stock and rubbing to increase the fluffiness.

Fez Style Couscous with Seven Vegetables with Seven Spices

serves 6

Ingredients:

100 g Chickpeas
1200g water
6 potatoes, waxy (eg kipfler) cut in half
2 carrots, cut into large batons
1/2 pumpkin butternut, leave skin on, cut into large batons
2 parsnips, cut into batons
1 turnip, cut into wedges (5 cm)
1 eggplant, cut into large batons
2 zucchini, cut into large batons
500 g Couscous
1 clove garlic
I MC (100 ml) olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp crushed dried chilli
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
Juice of 1 lemon
800g vegetable stock or water
Extra oil to break up couscous
10 ml Rose water

Method:

Soak chickpeas overnight. Drain and place chickpeas in the TM basket. Add 1200g water to the TM bowl. Place pieces of potato, carrot, pumpkin, parsnip and turnip in Varoma. Place Varoma in position and cook for 30 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1. Check to see how tender the pieces of vegetable are at that point, they should be slightly undercooked before the next step. If needed, they should be cooked for a little longer. Add eggplant and zucchini and cook these and the chickpeas for another 20 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1. Check to see how well the vegetables and the chickpeas are at this point. Drain and set chickpeas and vegetables aside in Thermoserver or similar container to keep warm.

Soak couscous in half a cup of cold water for 10 minutes in a baking tray lined with a cloth (tea towel or muslin). While soaking, place garlic in TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds at speed 7. Add oil and sauté for 5 minutes at 100°C on speed 1. Add lemon juice and stock. Drain couscous and place the cloth with couscous inside the Varoma. Place Varoma in position and cook for 15 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 1. Carefully remove towel with couscous and empty onto baking tray, let cool a bit before adding some oil and breaking up the grains with your fingers. Remove half of the stock mixture to a container and set aside. Place the butterfly over the blades and add about half of the vegetables to the stock. Place cloth back in Varoma, place couscous on cloth and steam again for another 10 minutes at 100°C on reverse speed 1. Once again, carefully remove towel with couscous and empty onto baking tray, let cool a bit before adding some more oil and breaking up the grains with your fingers. While waiting for the couscous to cool, remove the vegetables and stock and set aside to keep warm. Place the remaining stock mixture and vegetables in the TM bowl. You may like to add some light, creamy, blue cheese to the couscous grains as per the Food Safari program and rub through before placing back on the cloth in Varoma. Steam again for another 10 minutes at 100°C on reverse speed 1.

Pile the couscous high in the centre of a warm serving plate and stack the vegetables around the couscous. Pour the chickpeas and stock over the top. Sprinkle with rosewater and salt.

Serve with green harissa and tzatziki.

Thermomix Fennel and Apple Soup

Fennel is one of my favourite vegetables and with the Thermomix soups are a breeze. The machine chops, sautes, cooks and blends the soup in the one bowl.

This recipe has apples added to give a bit of thickening without flour and with the Thermomix you can add the whole apple, core and all and then blend it finely at the end. It really does work. But I tend to just core them. I know some of you will be telling me that I am missing out on certain vitamins/nutrients, next time I'll leave them in.

You can add other flavourings - fennel seeds, curry powder, your choice. I like to add some cream and Anice or Pernod at the end, but that is my personal choice.

Give fennel soups a try while the bulbs are around in abundance.

Fennel & Apple Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, quartered
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon oil
500g fennel (approx 1 large bulb or 2 small), roughly chopped, reserve some green fronds for garnish
½ cup white wine
2 green apples (Granny Smith), cored and chopped into quarters
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (use your TM vegie stock concentrate and water)
Salt & pepper
100ml cream (optional)
30ml aniseed liqueur (Pernod, Anice, Ouzo) (optional)

Method:

Place onion and garlic in TM bowl and chop for 15 – 20 seconds on speed 7. It is best to scrape down sides every 5 seconds to get better texture. Add the oil and sauté for 4 minutes at 100ºC on speed 1.

Add fennel to the bowl and chop for 20 seconds on speed 7. Again, stop and scrape down the sides every 5-10 seconds. Add the white wine and cook for 4 minutes at 100 ºC on speed 1.

Add the apple and chop for 15 seconds on speed 7. Add the stock and cook for 15 minutes at 100 ºC on speed 1. Gradually increase speed over 30 seconds from speed 1 to speed 7. Blend well. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

If you like a creamy soup, then you can add some cream, and if you want to smell the aniseed, than you can add some liqueur. To mix through blend after these additions for 10 seconds on speed 3.

Serve with some of the reserved fronds chopped finely and some olive oil or butter if desried.

Thermomix Barley Risotto

Well, that constant contributer to blogs, Anonymous, claimed on The Gobbler's site that risottos were the hoax of the century. I would like to disprove that claim but don't want to use Gobbler's bandwidth to find out more details of Anonymous' likes and dislikes before preparing a dish that may change their mind.

In the meantime, I made a barley risotto with mushrooms in the Thermomix a couple of weeks ago, so I will publish that & then let Anonymous tell me what flavours they like to find something to possibly please them, and hopefully some other passing by this blog.

I am not sure when I first had barley risotto, but it was a long time ago. I have had many versions and even seem to recall having it at Tetsuyas, so if that was the case then it can't be too bad.

The slightly chewy texture and nutty flavour that barley has, really makes it a delicious grain and a great substitute for rice in risottos.

One problem with barley is that it is best to be soaked overnight, so not the sort of dish to just come home & whip up. Use rice for that time. There is a recipe in August Australian Gourmet Traveller for a brodo with barley and spinach, which does not soak the barley first, yet is cooked in 12 minutes. I'd like to see that. I will have to try it out and get back to you.

Thermomix Barley Risotto

Ingredients:

1 cup pearl barley
50g Parmesan cheese, cut into 1-2cm cubes
1 onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
250g mushrooms
2 cups vegetable or beef stock
Freshly ground black pepper
1 MC (100ml)cream (optional)
Fresh parsley or spring onion.


Method:

Soak barley in water overnight.

Next day, strain off the water and leave the barley aside.

In a dry TM bowl, place the Parmesan cheese and blitz for 15 seconds at speed 9. Remove and keep aside.

Place the onion and garlic in the TM bowl and chop for 10 seconds on speed 7, scrape down after 5 seconds for best results. Add the olive oil and saute for 4 minutes at 100ºC on speed 1.

Place mushrooms into TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 5. Check to see how well chopped they are and if there are still large chunks go for another 5 - 10 seconds on speed 4 or 5.

Add drained barley and stock to the TM bowl and cook for 20 minutes at 100ºC on Reverse speed 1. Check to see if the barley is soft, but chewy. You may need slightly longer.

Add the grated Parmesan, pepper and cream if you are using and mix for 10 seconds on reverse speed 4. This should make it creamy and mimics the mantecare technique used to make risottos creamy.

Check for salt levels and then serve with a sprinkling of parsley or spring onion.

Thermomix Smoky Tomato Sorbet

I love cooking classes.

Over the years I have attended far more than I really should have, but it's an addiction. Probably therapy is needed.

It was amusing to see in an article in Epicure earlier this year, that certain chefs attract groupies "who turn up, batting their eyelashes, to every public appearance". Certainly have been to more than my share of Andrew McConnell's appearances, but also hope that he doesn't get the wrong idea. No, I haven't been batting my eyelashes at him, just drooling over his food.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a day at Lake House which included sessions with Frank Camorra, Chui Lee Luk, Ben Shewry and Andrew McConnell. Lots of great ideas to get the grey matter firing.

Frank prepared his Ortiz anchovies topped with a sorbet made from Tom Cooper's smoked tomatoes. It appears that they would be difficult for most of us to obtain, but previously I had tried to imitate the sorbet using ordinary tomatoes with some smoked paprika. It worked out fairly well, and Frank said that he had also used the same combination, so I decided to give it a go at the weekend.

Earlier in the year I prepared number of ice cube trays with blended tomato. The power of the Thermomix allows you to take the cubes of tomato or other fruit/vegies or stock and blitz it into a sorbet or just reduce it to a state where you have thawed tomato/stock in seconds. To make the sorbet it was a simple matter of pulling out a few cubes, adding some pimentón and blitzing. Voilà ( o increíble!). Perfect for those poor souls such as Ximena Maier of Lobstersquad sweltering in oppressive heat in the northern hemisphere.

Andrew McConnell prepared his blood sausage, which he says is more like a blood pudding. It has been part of his menu for some time and something that I really love. During the session Andrew discussed the new venture Cumulus Inc and the style of menu that would be available. After the class I suggested to Andrew that it would be an idea to make the puddings in small muffin tins (an idea that John Lethlean wrote about) and serve them in crostini moulded in the muffin tins. That way they would be easy to lift up and pop in the mouth.

After reading a blog last week, I hit on an even better idea ( my apologies to the blogger - wherever you may be). There were pastries made in the shape of the spoons you use in Chinese restaurants. So, yesterday I made some spoon-shaped crostini using day-old bread, buttering it and moulding it into spoons before cooking/drying in the oven. They are perfect for serving up my imitation of Frank's anchovies and smoked tomato sorbet.

My sincere thanks to all involved who have been ripped off in my pursuit of recipes for my Thermomix.

Tomato Sorbet with Pimentón

Ingredients:

250g frozen tomato pulp or juice (in cubes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
possibly some liquid tomato juice or water.

Method:

Place frozen tomato cubes, salt and pimenton in Thermomix bowl. Slowly increase speed up to 9 over 5 seconds. Blend for 20 seconds on speed 9.

Scrape down the mixture and check the consistency. You may need to add a small amount of liquid and blend again for 10 - 20 seconds on speed 9 to get a smooth result.

Serve on crostini(wanky spoon-shaped ones if you must) with boquerones or anchovy UNDER the tomato sorbet (not like in the picture!) and some peppers or capers to accompany.

Update: 28/8/08 - Jules at Stonesoup has posted another Smokey Tomato with Boquerone dish based on Frank Camorra & Richard Cornish's book MoVida

Rice Pudding in the Thermomix

I love rice pudding.

It is one of those comfort foods that just warms the cockles. If you have a slow combustion stove that is needed to drive the hot water service (as I used to), then doing dishes like this in the oven are a great way to use the heat. Slowly cooking stock or casseroles on top of the stove was also a constant part of life.

Now though, cooking a rice pudding in the oven for 2 hours, stirring every 20 or 30 minutes, just does not fit my lifestyle. I love the skin that develops on top (disgusting as that may sound to many) so the Creamed Rice Pudding recipe that Maria Stuart made for Thermomix users is not good enough. I am sure that it tastes superb, but where is that chewy layer?

I made the rice pudding photographed a couple of weeks ago and forgot about it until Maria's recipe came via the email. It was served with kithul treacle, which you can obtain from Indian/Sri Lankan grocers, and has a flavour similar to caramel.

The egg is not essential and not a feature of the recipe that I have used previously, but helps thicken/amalgamate the pudding so that it holds better for serving.

Cheats' Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

150g short-grained rice
3 cups milk
30g sugar
25g butter
nutmeg
1 egg
cinnamon sugar
extra butter

Method:

Place rice, milk, sugar & 25g butter into the Thermomix bowl.

Cook for 45 minutes at 90˚C on reverse speed 1. Keep a check as you may need to add some more milk if it becomes too thick.

Once rice is cooked, add egg and mix for 5 seconds on reverse speed 5 to mix through.

Place mixture into buttered baking dish, sprinkle with some cinnamon sugar, place pieces of extra butter on top and grill for a few minutes.

Serve with some cream, maple syrup or kithul treacle.

Spinach & Chickpeas in the Thermomix

I love the combination of chickpeas and spinach. The recipe below is not authentic, but my adaptation that should be easy enough to produce and not be too far from the real deal.

The first time that I recall seeing the dish was at a Tapas class at the Unlimited Cuisine Company run by Tony Tan in Toorak. Since then we have eaten it on many occasions and saw it cooked in Seville by Ruth Roberts, an Aussie teaching cooking in an apartment with wonderful views of the city.

It is an easy dish to prepare, especially if you "cheat" and use canned chickpeas as Janet Mendel, an expert on Spanish food, does in her recipe for chickpea & spinach stew. I must admit that I often use the canned ones too!!

The dish may have other ingredients added. 1080 Recipes has aversion with salt cod added. The one that I made for the photos had some pork rind added after it had been diced and slowly cooked to give an unctuous finish (but then it wouldn't be accepted by the vegetarians). Don't be afraid to experiment, try different herbs and spices.

It is simple and delicious.

Spinach and chickpeas, Seville style

Ingredients:

2/3 cup dried chickpeas (or 1 can drained)
500 g spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 medium red onion, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 thin slice sour dough bread, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Spanish sweet paprika
salt to taste

Method:

Place chickpeas in TM basket and insert into TM bowl. Add 1200ml water and place lid on. Place Varoma on top. Cook chickpeas for at least 1 hour at 100°C on speed 1. While the chickpeas are cooking place the spinach in the Varoma and steam for 3 minutes. Remove and refresh in cold water, drain well and squeeze dry.

Once the chickpeas are cooked, remove basket and drain. Empty the water from TM bowl (but don’t bother washing) and place garlic and onion in bowl. Chop for 15 seconds on speed 7, (I prefer to scrape down contents after each 5 seconds). Add oil and spices (except paprika) and cook for 5 minutes at 100°C on speed 1. Add bread and cook for 3 minutes at 100°C on speed 1. Add vinegar and paprika and blend for 20 seconds at speed 5.

Add chickpeas and spinach to bowl and set for 3 minutes at 100°C on reverse speed soft. Add some water if the mixture appears to be too thick. Check and add salt to taste. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Thermomix Salmon Sausage

What do you do when your tartare suddenly looks like paté? Early days with the new Thermomix were interesting. Rather than just try anything I decided to religiously follow the cookbook. Well, the tuna tartare that was supposed to emerge from my magic machine looked like tuna paste. So, then where to go? I recalled a dish that Alla Wolf-Tasker had prepared at a cooking demonstration years before & so tossed the TMX cookbook aside and flew by the very big seat of my pants.

There is a recipe in Alla's book "Lake House, a culinary journey in country Australia" for Smoked Salmon Sausage, on which the following is based. Stephanie Alexander has a similar idea steaming balls of fish, but I like the sausage.

The mixture needs to be fairly firm, not too watery, but you may need more or less cream than specified. Please use your judgement and don't blame me - like I did the TMX book.

Salmon and Coriander Sausages

Ingredients:

500g Fresh Salmon, raw
Juice of 2 limes
1 small onion (preferably red/Spanish)
Small handful of coriander leaves
50ml cream (35%)
1 egg white
Salt & Pepper

Method:

Place coriander leaves and onion into TM bowl and chop for 7 seconds on speed 7.

Add salmon, lime juice, salt & pepper and egg white and set dial to closed lid position. Chop and mix by pulsing the Turbo button 5 times. The mixture should be a coarse paste.

Add the cream and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4 to blend.

Take 3 tablespoons of the mixture and place on plastic film, mould into a sausage shape and then fold over and roll the plastic film twisting both ends tightly to close the sausages.

Place these in the fridge for an hour before cooking.

Place 500ml water in the TM bowl and set to Temperature Varoma and speed 1 with Varoma in position. Once temperature has reached Varoma place the sausages in the Varoma and cook for 4 - 6 minutes.

Remove sausages and allow to cool in the plastic film for a few minutes before unmoulding.

Serve warm as part of a salad or with a sauce of your liking such as sweet chilli sauce.

The sausages may be left in the wrap and cooled before placing in the fridge for service later. If serving later then bring to room temperature before gently cooking unmoulded sausage in some oil.