Beef Tagine with Quince Paste

Beef Tagine with Quince Paste

This recipe, is not so much converted from Maggie Beer's recipe, Beef Tagine with Spiced Pear Paste, but inspired by it. I made the Ras- el- hanout, and the Quince Paste, so it is quite different from the original recipe, and of course I adapted it to the Thermomix. If you wish to make this Tagine but have no Quince paste, you could substitute Apricot or another stone fruit jam. Probably 1 Tablespoon full.

1 and 1/2 kg. Blade steak, cut into 2/3 cm. cubes
1 rounded Tablespoon of Ras-el-hanout
1 large brown onion, peeled and 1/4ed.
3/4 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 threads of Saffron, (optional)
EVO and 200mls, beef stock.
24 dried apricots
18 large prunes, pitted
1/4 cup of Verjuice, or white wine
100 g. Quince Paste, cut into 1 cm. cubes
1/2 cup of roasted almonds
Parsley to garnish




In a bowl mix the cubed steak with the Ras-el-hanout and let stand for 1 hour.
Put the Apricots, Prunes and Verjuice in a bowl which will fit the varoma.
Drop the onion and garlic on to the moving blades of the TMX, speed 5, until chopped.
Add 20mls. EVO and scrape down sides, and then cook for 5 mins. at 100 speed 1.
Add beef and beef stock and Quince paste.
Cook 40 mins.,at 100, on REVERSE and soft speed.
Place Varoma on top with dish containing Apricots ,Prunes and Verjuice and stir occasionally to help the fruit absorb the liquid.
After 40 mins. test the meat for tenderness. It should NOT be falling to pieces.
(Mine usually takes 45 mins)
When cooked, add the contents of the Varoma dish and continue to cook for 1 min, 100, speed soft reverse.

This can be served immediately, left in the Thermoserver, or kept until the next day and reheated in the oven or Microwave.

Serve with almonds, parsley , rice, and green salad or cooked vegies.
If eating straight away , vegies can be cooked around the dish in the Varoma.

Berry Shaker Quaker Pudding

Berry Shaker Quaker Pudding

This light hot Pudding, with the interesting name, is based on the 18th. century Quaking puddings. The mixture separates gently as it bakes, producing a souffled topping, creamy set custard in the middle, and a fruit studded sauce at the bottom. A shallow baking dish, such as a lasagne or gratin dish is suitable.

400g - 500g either mixed or single variety of berries
1 Tablespoon of fruit vinegar, apple is OK.
15g. butter to coat the dish
400mls. milk
3 large or 4 small eggs
50g. caster sugar
45g. plain flour
1 dessert spoon of cornflour,

Separate eggs.
Place in TMX bowl, egg yolks. milk, caster sugar and plain flour. Zap on speed 5 for 10 seconds. Set aside in bowl.
In buttered dish, place berries and allow to defrost, sprinkle over the vinegar and the cornflour, stir gently .
In a large bowl beat the egg whites until firm peaks form.
Gently pour over 1/4 of the batter from the TMX bowl and gently fold in, tip in the rest of the batter.
Pour the batter over the berries.

Bake in an oven at 190c. for 35 mins. or until the batter is puffy, golden and firm to touch.
Serve hot with cream.

If you use frozen berries, let them defrost before pouring the batter over.

Makes 4 generous serves.

Macadamia and Honey Tart

This Tart is for special occasions. However it is very easy to make, and can be made the day before required. Although the nuts are expensive, it does cut into 10 to 12 serves. It costs about $1.50 a serve.

8 sheets of Filo pastry
Rice Bran oil spray or butter(80g)

150g butter, cut into cubes
100mls. honey
40g. sugar
60g. cream

3 Tablespoons of Mandarine rind

250g. unsalted, raw Macadamia nuts
200g. slivered almonds


Set oven to 160c. ff
Prepare a 23cm. fluted flan tin, with a removable base, by spraying with oil .
Line the tin with Filo, spraying between every second sheet.
Trim edges of Filo with scissors.
Place rind of 2 mandarines into bowl and zap for 3 sec. on speed 7. set aside and wash bowl.

Into TMX bowl place, butter,sugar, honey and cream. Heat and simmer for 3 mins. by setting 8 mins., Varoma, speed 1.
Add 3 Tablespoons of the grated mandarine rind and cook for 1 min.Varoma, speed 1.
Add nuts and fold through, reverse, 1 min.

Tip nut mixture into prepared flan tin, and smooth out the nuts.
Cook for 25 mins or until the top is a nice caramel colour.

I place a baking tray on the oven floor as some syrup may run over.
During the last 10 - 15 mins of cooking the mixture will bubble. This is O.K.

Serve as is or with thick cream and a strawberry.

Store in an air tight tin in fridge. Serve at room temp.

While the Tart is still warm, remove the fluted ring, but leave the base in place.

Pear and Ginger Puddings

This is for those who like Ginger. The original recipe was for 8 individual puddings.
I made 1 large one and it will serve between 8 to 10 people. I have adapted it from a recipe on Taste.com.au. You could easily make 1/2.

4 or 5 medium sized pears, peeled ,cored and sliced, and cooked in a little water with a Tablespoon sugar. Or a 425g tin of pear halves, drained.
185g. unsalted butter, cubed.
3/4 cup of caster sugar
2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup
1 Tablespoon of ginger in syrup
3 eggs
100mls. milk
280g. self-raising flour

Set oven to 200c,

Place drained pears in large oven proof dish
Into TMX bowl place butter and sugar, golden syrup and ginger, mix 25 seconds on speed 5.
Scrape down sides of bowl and add eggs,mix 15 seconds on speed 5.
Add milk and mix 5 seconds on speed 5.
Add flour, mix on REVERSE, 30 seconds,speed 5, scrape down bowl and mix another 5 seconds on speed 5.

Pour over pears in dish.

For large pud. bake at 200c. for 20 mins, then lower heat to 160c. for 25 mins.
Test to see it is cooked in the center.

For small puds cook for 20 mins at 200c.

Pears could be replaced with apple or quince

Serve with cream or ice cream.
Can be frozen after cooking, reheated in microwave.

Hummus with Coriander Goop

We are having a campaign of no waste. I am using as much home grown produce as possible. We have oodles of rhubarb, parsley, coriander,lemons,garlic, silverbeet, herbs of all sorts, lettuce and of course eggs. The coriander is about to go to seed so I thought I had better harvest it. Looking through the Master Chef magazine I noticed a recipe for 'Hummus and Coriander oil'. Hate the show, saw the first episode and will not watch any more, however the magazine is good value and I have marked 6 recipes to convert. I used the basis of the coriander oil, which I call ' GOOP', and my fav. recipe for Hummus which is Abla's. We don't like cumin in Hummus but you could add it if you wish.( 1/2 teaspoon ).

Hummus

2 cups of cooked chickpeas. (could use tinned)
2 cloves of garlic
180g Tahini
80mls. lemon juice, (3 small lemons), save the rinds for the Goop.

Place all in TMX bowl and mix on speed 5/7 until a smooth paste is formed. You may need to add a little water if too thick.

You may wish to reduce the amount of garlic.


Coriander Goop

Into TMX bowl place,
150 of coriander leaves and stems, roughly chopped.
6 cloves of garlic
3 good pinches of chilli flakes
Rind of 2 lemons and 1 whole lemon, 1/4ed.
180 mls. extra virgin olive oil.

Zap until a rough paste is formed.

This makes 4 small containers of Goop, which can be frozen and later used in any recipe that calls for coriander and garlic, eg. top on pizza, pasta, soup, or in Indian patties or Felafel.

In this recipe, spread the Hummus onto a flat dish and swirl the Goop over the top.