Morning Tea at Cherokee.

DH makes a mean coffee. Lovely with Cantucci.

2 second salad.

I had just made Mayo., and usually , after scraping out bowl, add an avocado to make a dressing/dip. This time I added........

1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stick of celery, chopped
1/2 a green apple, core removed, chopped
2 large radishes.

All in bowl, set for 2 seconds, speed 5. Done.
Plenty for 2 .

Peonies

They have been described as blowsy, rose like and the most romantic flowers in the world.
It is a real pleasure to see them in the garden each year,

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons.

These tasty little morsels are perfect to have with that morning coffee or with afternoon tea. They are not too sweet. There are 2 parts to the recipe, first make the Chocolate/Ginger/Sugar mix; then the Macaroon mix with the first mix added.

Set oven to 175o C FF Makes 36, using a 4cm. ice cream scoop.

Chocolate mix

2 Tablespoons of Dutch Cocoa
2 Tablespoons of Ginger Powder
4 Tablespoons of Demerara Sugar
Place in TMX Bowl and zap to form a powder.

Macaroons

Into TMX bowl place....
1/2 cup of Chocolate mix
2 cups dessicated coconut
1/2 cup raw sugar, caster.
2/3 cup of cornflour
2 eggs and 2 egg whites.
Mix, 1 minute/speed 3.
Place small rounds on lined baking trays and bake for 25 mins, or until firm/crisp on the outside.

chocolate buttons, 1/2 red cherries or whole blanched almonds to place on top if desired.

Cool on tray for 5 mins. and then on wire rack.

Quatre epices

Christmas Hamper

This is the first item in the goodies that I am making for Xmas Hampers

Quatre epices based on a recipe by Mark Best

This spice mix is mostly used in French cooking , but is also found in Middle Eastern Kitchens.
It is used to flavor Soups ,Stews, Vegetables. and added to Pates and Terrines.

10g of each, cloves,cinnamon,nutmeg,ginger and 20g white pepper.

It is best to use whole spices, as ground spices often have an anti caking powder added.

Add to TMX bowl and grind to a fine powder. Store in an air tight container.

Spelt and Ginger Cookies.

To me this is the ultimate Ginger Biscuit. I have converted the recipe from Dan Lepard's new book "Short and Sweet". If cooked as recommended, they are satisfyingly chewy. If cooked a little longer, until light brown all over, they are more crisp. I taste tested several, but still can't decide which I prefer. Most of this double batch I gave away to friends who do not have time to bake. They loved them. Made 50


Heat oven to 200 C FF

100g stem ginger (preserved) drained
100g unsalted butter
100g golden syrup
100g caster sugar
100g light brown sugar
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate og soda
300g Spelt flour

DO

Chop ginger by pressing Turbo once. The ginger should be pea size, scrape down.
Add butter and golden syrup, heat 5 mins./ 90/speed 2.
Add both sugars and mix 10 seconds/ speed 2 and stand 5 mins., with lid off, to cool down.
Add carb soda, ginger, egg yolks and flour.
Knead 20 seconds.

I used a 4cm. ice cream scoop to make small mounds on to baking tray. I flattened them slightly.
Bake 8/10 mins. until they puff up like a macaroons with a slight tinge around the edge. Or for a firmer biscuit, light brown all over.Leave on tray for 5 mins to set up a bit and then cool on a wire rack.
Store in an air tight tin.

Sweet Chilli Salmon

This recipe was converted from Woolworth's catalogue.The recipe is Margaret Fultons.
I have steamed the fish, in the sauce, in the Varoma. I halved the recipe to make 2 serves. The original recipe was for 4.

1 Tablespoon of oil.
1/2 red onion
1 clove garlic.
1 dessertspoon of green ginger.
1/4 cup of water
40g. sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon of Fish sauce
1 dessertspoon of Apple or White wine vinegar
2 x 150g. Salmon fillets

Drop peeled onion, garlic and ginger on to blades and process until cut.
Scrape down and add oil. Cook 5 mins./100 o/ speed 2
Add liquids and cook 5 mins/100o/speed 2.

Place dish into Varoma, (I place 2 skewers under dish to allow steam to circulate)
Tip in sauce and place fish, skin side up in dish, and steam until done to liking.

Serve with rice and salad.

Potato and Celeriac Gratin

A simple but tasty dish that can be prepared ahead of time and reheated. Serve with a roast meal or grill. I buy a large Celeriac and use it to make soup, salad and this Gratin. The recipe is from Epicurious and adapted for the TMX. This recipe makes 6 generous serves. It can be made any size , just keep the proportion of potato to celeriac , 2/3 potato to 1/3 celeriac.

2 large onions, peeled and 1/4
4 cloves of garlic, peeled.
400g. potato when peeled
200g. celeriac, when peeled
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 cup of grated Gruyere or tasty cheese.
salt and pepper. Olive oil
300g cream and 200g milk

Set oven to 200 o C

Drop onion and 2 cloves of garlic on to blades ,speed 7 until chopped.
Scrape down sides and add 1 Tablespoon of oil and cook on speed 2 / 100 o/5 mins. Set aside. No need to wash bowl.
Roughly chop potato and celeriac. Place potato into bowl first and then celeriac.
Zap on turbo until large chunks result.( I did this 3 times) There may be some uncut lumps but cut these with a knife as more processing will produce a pulp.

Layer 1/2 the mix into an oven proof baking dish, dot with 1/2 the onion and spread over with fork, sprinkle 1 sprig of thyme and generous salt and pepper, and 1/2 the cheese.
Repeat above layer.
Into washed TMX bowl, remaining 2 cloves of garlic zapped, cream and milk and 1 sprig of thyme. Heat to 80/speed 3/ 5 mis.
Strain this mix over dish.
Cover with foil and place on oven tray.
Bake for 30 mins, remove foil. Top up cream if there is not a thin coating over potato mix..
Return to oven and bake until light brown on top. 25/30 mins.

Fruit Loaf, kneaded in TMX and baked in Bread Machine.

The good thing about this process is that it is so predictable. Knead the dough in the TMX, let it rise to double, form into loaf and let rest in Bread Machine Bucket for 15 mins. and then bake in Bread Machine for 1 hour and 10 mins. How easy is that!!!!

500g Bread Flour,(I used Laucke , no need for sugar or salt). Add a teaspoon of each if plain bread flour is used.
3 teaspoons of dried yeast.
2 teaspoons of each of cinnamon and mixed spice.
1 teaspoon of nutmeg.
300g. of warm milk
1 egg
300g mixed dried fruit. ( I used Apricots, Sultanas, Dried Cherries, Cranberries and mixed peel,that I made )

DO.

Weigh fruit and cut Apricots into 3. Set aside with other dried fruit.
Weigh flour into bowl and add spices and yeast.
Warm milk and beat into it egg, then pour into bowl.
Knead for 3 mins.
Add fruit and knead for a further 1 min.
Leave in bowl to double.
Remove from bowl and form into an oval shape that will fit into Bread Machine Bucket.( I line bucket with a silicon sheet cut to fit. I REMOVE PADDLE
Rest in bucket for 15 mins.
Spray with water or brush with egg wash. Cut cross in top of dough for an even rise.
Place into Bread Machine and set timer to bake for 1 hour and 10 mins.
Remove from machine and stand for 5 mins, then cool on wire rack.

Notes. You may add honey or sugar to bread mix for a sweeter loaf.
Could add walnuts, or any combination of fruit.

Bread Making with TMX and Bread Machine

This is quite exciting with Summer coming , and not wanting to heat up the kitchen. Following Djinni 373 advice I got the Bread maker out of the Shed and had a fiddle. Made No Fuss recipe, let it rise in TMX bowl until double , then formed it into an oval shape, sprayed with water and topped with sesame seeds. set machine on Bake for 1 hour , and produced a perfect loaf.

I took the paddle out,( hate that shape it puts in the bottom of a loaf)
Cut a silicon liner to fit , with a small hole in the bottom to fit over the shaft.
Used Laucke flour, half wholemeal and half white.

Mayo dressing for green beans

Andrew Mc Connell, is such a bright star in the Melbourne cooking scene. He has the knack of serving simple , but very tasty food. This recipe is characteristic of his flair. I have adapted, for the TMX, the recipe from one presented in Gourmet Traveller Magazine.

In TMX Bowl place

1 clove of garlic
6 Anchovy fillets
20g. red wine vinegar
20g. Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
6 Basil leaves, ( used 1 teaspoon of Pesto without the cheese)
Zap speed 7 /20 seconds.

Gradually add 110g of olive oil, ( I used equal parts olive and rice bran oils)

Stir through steamed green beans just prior to serving, and dust with Black Pepper.

This makes more than enough with plenty over. Can be used to dress a green salad.