Sticky Date Custard and other great custard ideas | Thermomix

I think we've made about every flavoured custard possible...it was one of the things that sold my husband on the Thermomix. So why hadn't I thought of this flavour yet?? 

Sticky Date Custard             by Nat's Thermomixen in the Kitchen

INGREDIENTS 100g dates, pitted 1 MC (100ml) water 500g milk (any kind will work, if you are dairy free) 2 eggs 50g flour 1 Tb brown or dark brown sugar

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS Add dates and water, cook on 100C for 4 mins, speed 2 Blend on speed 4 for 5 seconds, scrape down Add remaining ingredients on 90C for 7 mins, speed 4 Try not to eat the whole bowl. Recipe can be halved and doubled. Increase cooking time to 12 minutes when doubling. Decrease to 5 minutes when halving.

Other great flavours to try:

• vanilla custard
• lemon custard
• orange custard
• chocolate custard
• jaffa custard (same as lemon, but use orange peel instead of lemon and add 2 Tb of good quality cocoa powder)
• pink 'princess' custard (make vanilla, and had a handful of raspberries in the last 1 minute)
• bounty custard (coconut chocolate)
• banoffee pie custard
• mocha custard  
• coconut caramel custard
• caramel custard

I could go on and on....

Find more of my recipes on Recipe Community or pin this one to find me again!

Love creating surprises every day with this awesome machine!


DISCLAIMER
This recipe was provided to you by a Thermomix ® customer and has not been tested by Vorwerk Thermomix ® or Thermomix ® in Australia and New Zealand.
Vorwerk Thermomix ® and Thermomix ® in Australia and New Zealand assume no liability, particularly in terms of ingredient quantities used and success of the recipes.
Please observe the safety instructions in the Thermomix ® instruction manual at all times.

What do you do with lots of eggs and a Thermomix?

image via Pinterest

One of my friends has 4 little chooks who are supplying her with PLENTY of eggs! Lucky lady huh? She asked on my Facebook page: 

"So..... Say you had HEAPS of fresh eggs, besides quiche, what would you make?"

We came up with this list, what would you add?

• my favourite whole egg mayonnaise recipe by the Thermosisters - No fail, No fuss, No butterfly mayonnaise 
• good old boiled eggs recipe from the EDC
• Creme brûlée
• Bachelor Baked Beans with steamed eggs
• zuchini slice
• lemon butter
• mini quiches cooked in muffin tray and freeze for kids lunches
• use yolks for egg liqueur
• use whites for pavlova
• whites for macaroons - the coconut ones, not macarons
• use whites in fruity dream
• poached eggs with hollandaise
• The best rice pudding recipe
• whites in meringues
• yolks only in custards, use extra yolks for a richer and thicker custard
• Scrambled eggs and omelettes
• curried egg
• devilled eggs
• egg added to your pizza toppings (try it!!)
• lemon meringue pie
• egg rolls (thin crepey omelettes, rolls up like sandwich wraps)
• icecream
• sous vide eggs - sometimes called '60 minute eggs' for the ultra-patient people and if you feel like being 'cheffy'
• I could go on and on...

Tips

• whites freeze really well
• some egg white only tips and recipes on my previous post here
• keep your eggshells and use them in the garden - see here

Can you add to the list?

Guilt-free Chocolate Balls

{ Money saver!! }

I saw these little 'choc protein balls' selling at Boost Juice yesterday for $2 each!! See how much money we save with our Thermomix?

This is one of my favourite recipes on recipe community. But I roll it into a log and slice...too busy to roll balls 

Now I must say, I don't take any credit for this recipe....it is just one of my absolute favourites, which you can find on the Recipe Community

Oranges and Thermomix Pt 3

If you try my Orange & Poppyseed Glazed Varoma Chicken this is a great side dish to go with it.

Orange & Apple Cous Cous

Ingredients

Cous Cous

orange peel from 1 orange, (washed & preferably organic)
small handful of parsley
50 g Butter
1 tsp orange salt & pepper rub, (see recipe community, or use salt flakes)
1 green apple, cored and quartered
3 spring onions, cut in half, some of the green sliced and reserved for garnish
150 g cous cous
250 g boiling water
50 g freshly squeezed orange juice

Preparation

Put cous cous in Thermoserver (or other bowl) and pour over boiling water, orange juice and orange salt & pepper rub. Cover and sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the rest.
Chop parsley & orange peel, 10 seconds, speed 8. Scrape and repeat if there are any large pieces of peel left. Set aside
Add butter, spring onion and apple to TM bowl and chop for 3 seconds on speed 5.
Scrape down and cook on 100C for 3 minutes,  speed 2.
Scrape mixture onto cous cous, add the reserved zest & parsley, and stir through and fluff up with a fork. Cover for another 5 minutes if required.

Garnish with sliced spring onion and a little of the zest & parsley (optional)

Tip

You can add all sorts of extras to this cous cous. Nuts, raisins, cranberries etc

Citrus salt & pepper rub: http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/recipes/orange-salt-pepper-rub/110489

Oranges and Thermomix Pt 2

I love being able to whip up a marinade in the Thermomix, not wash the bowl and use some of that flavour to steam my meat or fish.

This one is another recipe just like that.

Orange & Poppyseed Glazed Varoma Chicken

Ingredients

Glaze

60 g orange juice
100 g honey
25 g balsamic vinegar
25 g Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp citrus salt and pepper rub, (see my recipe, or use regular salt)
1/2 tsp poppyseeds

Chicken

400 g chicken tenderloins

1000 g boiling water

basmati rice, 200-400g

Preparation

1.

Add all ingredients (except poppyseeds) to TM bowl and cook for 10 minutes, Varoma, speed 2. 

2.

Scrape contents into a glass or metal bowl, add poppyseeds and allow to cool in the fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes

3.

Put chicken tenderloins in a shallow dish and top with glaze and allow to marinade, covered in fridge, for as long as possible. You can skip the marinade waiting time if you don't have enough time, but it will taste better if you can.

4.

Fill TM bowl with 1L of boiling water
(no need to wash after the sauce)

Add rinsed rice to basket and put in TM bowl
Set chicken pieces on top varoma tray and place into position. Cook for 22 minutes, varoma temp, speed 2.

Alternatively serve with steamed quinoa, or some cous cous

Tip

You could try serving this with my Orange & Apple Cous Cous recipe and some steamed vegetabes too. Steam vegetables of choice with the chicken, in the bottom half of your varoma at the same time. Carrots go great with this as they get some of the sticky glaze on them during the steaming.

You can use this glaze as a marinade for chicken drumsticks, cooked in the oven, or on salmon steamed in the varoma

Orange & Apple Cous Cous: http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/recipes/orange-apple-cous-cous/110554

Citrus salt & pepper rub: http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/recipes/orange-salt-pepper-rub/110489

Oranges and Thermomix Pt 1

I'm exploring the world of citrus with my Thermomix at the moment...mainly oranges! Today I played with 3 ideas for recipes using orange and this is the first one...

Orange Salt & Pepper Rub

Ingredients

50 g rock salt
peel from 1 orange, (washed well, preferably organic)
1 tsp mixed peppercorns

Preparation (so incredibly simple for such a strong flavour hit)

Put orange peel in TM bowl and grate for 10 seconds, speed 9

Add salt and peppercorns and mill for 10 seconds speed 8

Scrape into a jar to store

And that's it!!

This can be used as a seasoning on meats, in marinades, rubbed into steak, chicken or fish etc.

I will be posting a few more recipes using orange over the course of the next few days.

Using your Varoma pt 1 | Thermomix recipes and uses

Varoma! There...I said it. It's not scary!!

So why do I hear of so many owners not using their Varoma? Get it OUT of the cupboard (God forbid, the box!) and plan to use it at least twice a week. 

I am hoping some of these suggestions below might make you think outside the square a little when it comes to using your Varoma. Its not just for chicken, fish and vegies.

For the newbies... a general rule of thumb is 1/2L of liquid steams for 1/2 hr. 

If you need more info do contact your consultant, they are always happy to help!

Steaming in foil parcels
This had 2 salmon steaks in, underneath were my veggies and rice steaming steaming in the basket with coconut cream, garlic and spring onions.

Chicken thigh fillets stuffed with spring onion and sundried tomato and seasoned

These steam above my potatoes in the basket, some broccoli in the bottom of the varoma. I mash the potato after steaming them with some of the liquid. Steam with veggie stock. 

Cheat's 'Fried Eggs'

I love cooking my eggs like this now. No fat and no cleaning up! Just wet some baking paper and line the top of the varoma. Easy to do omelettes and scrambled eggs this way too. You can even put your egg rings on top if you want nice round ones.

Layered Cooking

The below three photos show you how to layer in your Varoma and TM bowl and cook 

more than one thing at a time.

Water with Chicken Stock

Greens steaming in the top tray

Seasoned Chicken Thigh pieces in the bottom half of the Varoma

Potatoes in the basket

Easy Peasy Garlic & Soy Chicken and Rice

find my recipe here

Make marinade for steamed chicken and rice in the TM bowl, then put in diced chicken on reverse speed 1 for 5 seconds to coat in the marinade. Then entire TM bowl goes in the fridge until dinner time to let the chicken marinate. When ready to cook, drop the chicken into the Varoma, leave the bowl UNWASHED and fill up to 500g of water and use this flavoured water to cook rice and chicken at the same time. 

Extra flavour and NO WASHING UP!

 All done! Super easy and tastiest rice ever!!

Reheating leftovers

Reheating the above meal the next day...don't use your microwave, they dry things out and toughen up your meat. Use your Varoma steam to reheat

Or reheat inside the Varoma in a glass dish

Chicken & Chorizo Sausages

Make the mince, shape into sausages and steam them in the Varoma. Have some veggies or potatoes cooking in the basket at the same time for a quick all in one meal.

Mini Quiches without the Oven

These were mixed in the TM bowl, then spooned into this Tuppware silicon mould that perfectly fits the Varoma, and steamed. So quick and easy, and no hot oven on...great for hot weather

Steamed Brie Cheese with Basil Pesto Dressing

recipe here

Words fail me. You simply must try this one

Cooking a whole chicken - the 'Healthy Roast Chicken'

You absolutely MUST try this, the chicken is so moist and tender, and keep the liquid at the end to use as a stock. I squeeze a 1.8-2kg chicken in there, sometimes bigger. If it doesn't fit I just weight the lid down with my dinner plates....instant plate warmer!

recipe here

I will be posting more Varoma tips and recipes over the coming weeks. Stay tuned!! 
If you want to ask a question, find me on my Facebook page

Peanut Butter & Sesame Fudge | Thermomix recipe

Peanut Butter & Sesame Fudge

(adapted and converted from Donna Hay Magazine)

also known as "the way to my husband's heart"

Ingredients

150g butter
100g cream
400g peanut butter (I use half smooth, half crunchie)
400g icing sugar (pre-milled in Thermomix from raw sugar)
1 ts vanilla bean paste
1 TB sesame seeds


Preparation

Line a 20cm baking tin or casserole dish with baking paper
Melt butter, cream, peanut butter and vanilla on 60C for 3 minutes, speed 2
Add icing sugar to melted mixture, half at a time, and mix for 15 seconds speed 4 each time
Scrape mixture into your pre-lined dish and smooth into corners
Sprinkle with sesame seeds
Cover top with a piece of baking paper and smooth over with the back of a spoon
Cool in fridge for 1 hour

Will keep in fridge for up to 2 weeks 
(if you are lucky or have incredible self control)

Marbled Orange Cream & Brazil Nut Brownies | Thermomix recipes

Words cannot express! You will have to try it! It has a real 'jaffa' or choc orange taste.

Marbled Orange Cream & Brazil Nut Brownies

© Nat's Thermomixen in the Kitchen (This is my personal recipe. I am happy for you to use it, print it, pin it, share it...but please give credit and link to my page. Many thanks! Hope you like it)

Ingredients

Brownie

140 g dark chocolate pieces 

130 g Butter, cubed 

160 g brown sugar 

100 g Brazil Nuts 

25 g good quality cocoa powder 

1/4 tsp baking powder 

45 g plain flour 

3 eggs 

Orange Cream

250 g cream cheese 

40 g raw sugar 

rind of 1 orange 

Preparation

Brownie

Chop brazil nuts for 4-6 seconds / speed 6 and set aside

Chop chocolate for 6 seconds speed 6, scrape down

Add butter and brown sugar to the chocolate and melt 50C / 4 minutes / speed 2.  Pour into a small bowl and set aside.  Clean & dry TM bowl.

Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder in TM bowl for 4 seconds / speed 4

Add chocolate mixture and eggs and mix for 5 seconds or until just combined / speed 4 

Gently fold nuts through brownie mixture manually with your spatula and then pour into prepared slice tin while you make the orange cream topping.

Orange Cream Topping

Add sugar and orange rind to clean TM bowl and grind for 10 seconds / speed 9 then scrape down

Add cream cheese and mix for 20 seconds / speed 4, then pour orange cream topping onto chocolate brownie mixture and swirl through with your spatula making a marbled pattern

Bake 180c for 35-40 minutes, allow to cool in tin

Choco-latte Nougat with Roasted Almonds | Thermomix nougat!

I've tried a few different Nougat recipes and techniques in the Thermomix, but I think this is the best! 

Credit for the basic nougat recipe goes to my awesome Thermomix Group Leader, Trisha, who developed the Nougat recipe on Recipe Community. I've changed the ingredients a little to come up with the Choco-latte version. You could do the same...what flavours could you come up with?

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate

200g white marshmallows

100g roast almonds (or roast raw almonds yourself under a hot grill for 5 mins)

20g butter

15g good quality instant coffee granules 

1 piece of (confectionery) rice paper (I get mine from Weigh n Pay in Woodvale WA)

Preparation

* note: this is a technique you need to be ready for so make sure you will have no interruptions as you can't leave the mixture or it will set in your bowl. Your TM will also wobble around a bit while it is mixing (similar to kneading dough) so don't walk away and leave it 

• Have a small rectangular dish approx 20cm x 10cm ready, double lined with cling wrap (this will make it easy to remove once set) and line the bottom with a rice paper sheet 
• Put chocolate, coffee, marshmallows and butter into TM bowl and chop on speed 6 for 10 seconds
• Scrape mixture down 
• Heat on 80c for 5 minutes, speed 2-3 (you may need to use the spatula to keep the mixture moving as it gets extremely sticky and tough and can start to slow the blades down if you aren't careful)
• Take lid off and scrape mixture away from blades to make a little space around it, this helps the mixture move around without turning into a big lump, then cook for a further 6 minutes, 70C, speed 4 (using the spatula to keep the mixture moving if it sounds like it is slowing down)
• Add nuts, mix for 10 seconds, reverse speed 2 or until combined. Alternatively you can place your nuts in the bottom of your dish, and pour the nougat mixture on top.
• For the next stage you need to move QUICKLY!  Pre-boil a full kettle of water to clean jugWipe over your TM spatula with oil, to stop the mixture sticking as you work with it. Scrape and pour the nougat mixture into your pre-prepared dish. You may need to have a butter knife handy to help you scrape the mixture off the spatula as you go, as it is extremely sticky and stretchy as you are working with it. 
• Once it is all out press the other piece of rice paper onto the top and smooth flat and push into the corners of your dish and put in the fridge to set for a few hours (or in the freezer if you can't wait)
• Fill TM bowl with boiling water asap as any mixture left will set hard and sticky
• Once set, trim off the edges to neaten it up (and make sure it tastes awesome)

Cut into squares or long bars once set, and try not to eat the whole lot at once!