Thermomix Lovers United

[V-love]

What do you think of the Indian cookbook, Tash? I'm thinking of getting Full Steam ahead to get better use out of my Varoma.

Coconut Ice- Cream sounds delish...this sounds weird but I think ice-cream headaches are more common with TMX ice-cream...my DS has to go really slowly due to a bad experience last week and my friend's DS had the same prob here last week, too...

[belfie]

I'm getting the indian, asian, gluten free & meat lovers. My (insane) DH wanted to buy all the books my consultant had with her, his rationale being that we'd spent so much on the machine, what was a bit more on the recipe books! I get them in a few weeks...

Tash - I've made the bolognaise sauce twice already - once for spaghetti using beef and again this week for the quick shepherds pie using lamb. Honestly I could barely tell the difference. I thought it was actually yummier second time around, but I think I got a better balance of herbs in it (and I stick extra veggies in to replace the onion, so I added capsicum & mushrooms). So I reckon go for the lamb, it'll be great. I want to make the lasagne too. I loved the shepherd's pie. Which book is the sweet potato & quinoa soup in?

V-love, welcome to the TMX love-in! Love my thermoservers, they are the bomb.

I've also got Robogourmet (iPhone App) which looks pretty good but I haven't cooked anything from it yet.

[Olive]

V-love we had the same thing for tea last night except i made the sauce green
i have my delivery demo on friday and also cant wait to get the thermoservers!!

[LionsandBears]

We cooked an Indian feast soon after getting our TMX but before we got the Indian cookbook. Our consultant emailed a couple of recipes through. The Butter Chicken in the EDC apparently is disappointing, so we used another recipe. Anyway, we made Lamb Rogan Josh & Butter Chicken with rice, kachumber salad, raita & flat bread (from the Traveling with TMX book).

I mixed using the TMX with the slow cooker. We'd recently had a fail cooking mince so didnt want a repeat until I worked out what went wrong. I made the Lamb Rogan Josh sauce in the TMX then cooked the meat in the sauce in the slow cooker. I did that the day before the dinner as it improves with time.

We then made the Tikka paste in the TMX. It's amazing to a non-cook like me to be able to roast & grind spices rather than just use powders. The smell was amazing.
We then marinated the chicken overnight, made the butter chicken sauce in the TMX and cooked it in the slow cooker.
The salad, raita, rice & flat bread dough were all made in the TMX. It was so yum. I didnt like the flat bread. Next time, we'll use a proper naan bread recipe.

I gave Mum half the Tikka paste and we still have heaps. I add it to soup or just use it to cook stirfry chicken.

I've also made our own herb & garlic butter from cream. Got loads of it frozen in small serves. No idea how we'll get through it all. I should have split the butter before i added the garlic & herbs and made different flavours.

Today I just need to make more vegie stock. Finally ran out.

[nothing2lose]

Tashy, I am a really generous person (can't help it, it's in my nature ) so am happy to have home delivered any excess delicious food you have. We eat at 7pm so anytime in the half hour before is fine

Another question...washing your thermomix. Is it hard? (fiddly) Can it go in the dishwasher?

Ta

[V-love]

N2L- I find washing the TMX really easy- I usually just wash it in the sink with everything else. Apparently, it can go in the dishwasher, I just haven't used mine for a while cos DH is away (he's the dishwasher king- I prefer to wash up!). The blades are removable if you need to do a full-on clean and it's very simple not fiddly at all.

Wow, Tash- that all sounds sooo yummy..think I'll be getting me the Indian book, too!

[LionsandBears]

N2l - that's so sweet of you to offer

It is easy to clean most of the time. I just put some water and detergent in and blitz it. However, when making dough, it can get caught under the blades. But it's easy to clean. I put it in the dishwasher 2-3 times a week. If we're cooking with chilli it gets a thorough clean as the scent tends to linger in the lid. It's still less fiddly to clean than our old juicer.

[belfie]

It is easy to clean most of the time.

Totally agree. The only time I found it really tough to clean was after making porridge. And mincing meat. Does anyone else mince meat in it? I didn't really like the texture of the minced meat & a lot of it was caught on the blades. Maybe I got the wrong sort of meat? But i reckon I'll just buy normal mince.

[LionsandBears]

Belfie - I havent tried to mince meat yet but was thinking of giving it a go. Did you mince it half frozen? Apparently you do it in small batches. I dont know if you get better quality control mincing yourself or just buying premium mince.

I've discovered more instructions we oversteamed vegies in the Varoma last week. Turns out there's a guide in the front of the EDC. I really should stop feeling intimidated by it and use it more. I havent made one of those all in one dinners yet. Mostly because DH = Mr Fusspot when it comes to food, though he doesnt think he is. Has anyone made mashed tatties whilst cooking in the Varoma? DH doesnt like rice so that's not a great option.

[belfie]

I haven't tried the Varoma yet... I need to do that too.

As for Mr Fusspot, ah yes, I have one of those too. Thinks he isn't but SO is! Mashed taties are AWESOME! I've done them with the dairy free option which was great, then again with the normal dairy options when making my Shepherd's Pie (which Mr Fusspot doesn't like hence I could make it as I pleased ). Have to say I liked the dairy version better... but both were delectably light, creamy & fluffy. The perfect mashed potato texture IMO. Even DH said it was the best mashed potato I'd ever served (which isn't actually that high praise really lol).

When I minced the meat, no it wasn't half frozen (didn't seem to tell me to do that on the page I was!?!) and probably did too large a batch. Maybe I'll read the rest of the book & try again lol.

[Pandora]

I'm going to a demo next week.
I don't think I can make it happen anytime soon, but something to save next years tax refund for!

[LionsandBears]

Belfie I dont think the instructions are clear. They just say if the meat is frozen to partially thaw it. I think the consultant may have mentioned the need for it to be part frozen. Seems a bit fiddly to me. I might just buy mince.

[teresa]

i read somewhere that dishwashing detergent is bad for the TMX so i dont use it! i just put the tap on hot and use very hot water and the brush to clean mine. then i cover the blades with hot water, put in on for 20 secs on speed 8.

[Sterla]

teresa: Our consultant told us just to use hot water, so that's all we've been doing. Gets it clean easily enough. I did read in the EDC that if there is a build up (looks a bit like the colour of rust) you can do a vinegar clean using water, a little vinegar and letting the thermomix heat it up and mix it around.

Belfie: We minced meat to make the meatloaf (it wasn't frozen) and it made the nicest mince!

DH made strawberry ice cream last night using frozen low fat milk, frozen strawberries and a bit of sugar.... it was sooooo nice! And I figure it can't be too bad for me!

[teresa]

sterla - thats what my consultant said too. there is somewhere tho that does say not to use dishwashing liquid. i think its on the forum!

[OceanPrincess]

Ok, what's the go with this thing, ladies? What sort of machine is it? I am dead curious...

I've looked at the website but it doesn't really tell you what it is... And what do they cost? Or is that a taboo question?

Also, on masterchef last night one of the contestants slow cooked an egg (whatever gets your goat...) in a thing called a "thermoline" - is that part of the thermomix?

[Sterla]

OP: It's a super dooper kitchen appliance that does almost everything! The only things it can't do is grill and bake I think. It blends, mixes, chops, heats, has in built scales and using the varoma attachment (included) it steams. The other night we made meatloaf - had the sauce cooking in the bottom while the meatloaf and veggies cooked in the varoma. We have used it at least once a day (but usually more) since we've had it.

It costs a little under two grand ($1939 I think?), but I believe it's well worth the money - and I'm sure everyone else who has one would agree .

[OceanPrincess]

Wow Sterla... that does sound pretty awesome...

So how is it healthier than traditional cooking? Because it steams? My mum was asking if it was a steam thing and I didn't know, I wonder if it is the same thing she was thinking of...

What else have you cooked in it?