Rustic Bread from the Agrarian Kitchen.

Rustic Bread from the Agrarian Kitchen.

At the Agrarian Kitchen, we all made a loaf of bread which was cooked in the wood fired oven. We took the loaf home. Rodney had started the pre-ferment the previous day, and we carried on with the process. I wasn't sure how the recipe would convert as we all spent a good 20 mins. slapping the dough down on the stainless steel bench. I shouldn't have worried as you can see by the result. It is truly amazing what a very small amount of yeast and sufficient time will do to raise the dough.

Begin the pre-ferment the day before

In the TMX bowl mix
450g bread flour, (I used Laucke premix)
270g warm water
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt, (not if using premix)
1/8 teaspoon of dried yeast

Knead for 1 min. on knead setting.
Leave in TMX bowl and place in a warm place for 12/16 hours.(over night)

Final dough

Sit bowl back on base and add the following ingredients, It will look very full but will settle down once kneading starts.
270g bread flour
90g rye flour
90g wholemeal flour
355g. warm water
8g salt, (not if premix is used)
1/2 teaspoon dried yeast.

Knead for 5 mins.
on bread/dough setting.
Tip out of TMX bowl into a large bowl that has been oiled, and cover with plastic.
Let sit for 2/3 hours, knocking it down after 50 mins.
When it has doubled, turn out on to silmat and knead by hand for 1 to 2 mins. Form into shape required to fit tin, which should be oiled or lined.
Place in bread tin or large cast iron casserole, cover with plastic and let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until doubled.

Preheat oven to 220/230c, cover bread with foil formed into a tent over bread, or cover casserole with lid.
Cook for 30mins. turning bread around after 15 mins.
Remove cover and cook for another 20 mins., turning after 10 mins.

Test to see it is cooked by tapping on the base, it should sound hollow.
If not cooked , return to oven without tin, for 10 more mins.
Cool on wire rack.


You can make 1/2 mix, reduce cooking time to 30/40 mins in total.
If you wish to grind your own rye and wholemeal flour, do it before you start the premix, and set aside for the next day.

Salsify Salad with Dressing

Salad Dressing /Rodney Dunn

On Saturday 28th. August 2010, I attended The Agrarian Kitchen for a cooking class. Several of the recipes are suitable for conversion to the TMX. Rodney Dunn 'borrowed' this recipe from Jamie Oliver. It was used to dress a salad of Salsify roots and mixed salad greens. I think you could replace the salsify with parsnip.

Salad for 10 serves

2kg. salsify roots, or (parsnips)
200g. salad greens
1/2 cup of chopped almonds

300g milk
6 cloves of garlic peeled
3 anchovy fillets
2 Tablespoons of white wine Vinegar
120 g. extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard



Cook the salsify in boiling water until tender, rub off skin with fingers, OR peel parsnip and slice and steam in Varoma until cooked.

Place milk , garlic and anchovies in TMX bowl and cook for 10 mins on varoma, or until garlic is soft.

Add wine, oil and mustard to bowl and zap until garlic is incorporated into mixture.Speed 7 for 10 seconds.

Place in jug, cover and put in fridge to use as a salad dressing.

Dry fry the almonds until roasted, Put aside.

Mix Salsify/parsnip with greens and dress with dressing. Sprinkle with almonds.

Flavored Mayonnaise

On a recent holiday in South Australia, I noticed some "gourmet' Mayonnaise. I like the texture and taste of the EDC Mayonnaise, so thought these additions would be interesting. When I make the EDC recipe I use 2/3's Rice Bran oil and 1/3 olive oil. This mild flavor lends itself to other flavors.

ADD TO TASTE.

(1) Wasabi

(2) Dill

(3) Coriander, lime(rind and Juice), chilli

(4) Cucumber and capers

When I make Mayonnaise, I leave a little in the bowl and add 1/2 an avocado It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days without discoloring. Makes a good dip and is nice on toast.

Self Saucing Banana Butterscotch Pudding.

Self Saucing Banana Butterscotch Pudding.

I was looking for a hot pud that the Grandchildren and adults would like. I found this recipe in the June/July 2010 "Dish", publication. This pud has a nice balance between the Banana, sultanas and orange rind. No one flavor dominates the other. It is also very easy to make in the TMX.

Heat oven to 180c.

1 banana sliced into the bottom of a 6 cup oven- proof dish.

Into TMX bowl place 1/3 cup of BROWN SUGAR and RIND OF 1 ORANGE. Zap 10 sec. on speed 7
Add to bowl,1 VERY RIPE BANANA, 3 TABLESPOONS OF MELTED BUTTER, 1EGG, and 1 CUP OF MILK.
Zap 10 seconds on speed 7.
Add 190g S.R. FLOUR, 1/2 teaspoon of CARDAMON, 50g SULTANAS.
Mix on bread function for 20 secs. Check to see that all is combined.

Pour over sliced Banana in dish.

In a jug, combine, 1CUP OF BOILING WATER. 1/2 CUP OF BROWN SUGAR, and 2 TABLESPOONS OF MELTED BUTTER.

Pour this over the pudding. If poured over a spoon, it will not make a hole in the pud.

Cook in preheated oven 180c for about 40 mins. Test to see that center is cooked.

TIP. Cook in a flat dish as the crust is particularly nice.

Serve with cream or icecream.

English Muffins with Sour Dough

English Muffins with Sour Dough

English Muffins with Sour Dough

These were just the best fun to make, but then most bread is, (says this Bread tragic).
You need to start these the previous day. You do all the mixing in the TMX., pat and cut the dough out like scones, let rise again and then cook in a heavy based frying pan.Oh, I nearly forgot, split them and toast, top with something gooey, like poached egg or honey/jam on top of butter.

Sponge ingredients.

110g of sour dough starter
260g. white bread flour, or a mix of what you like.
275g. warm milk.

Final dough ingredients

200g flour
3/4 teaspoon of salt, (I didn't use any as I used a bread pre-mix)
1 teaspoon carb soda
1 1/2 teaspoons of honey

Combine all sponge ingredients in TMX bowl, mix 4 mins. on dough setting.
Leave in bowl and sit in a warm place over night.
Next morning, ( when the sponge has doubled and there bubbles on the top), add the final ingredients.
Mix on dough setting for 8 mins. ( it may be still a bit sticky)
Tip out on to floured work bench and pat to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inch, (about 1 cm.). cut into rounds 3 or 4 inches,(8 to 10 cm.). Place these on to a baking sheet lined with baking paper or silicon sheet. spray with water and cover. Let rise for 45 to 60 mins.
Heat a large, tick based frying pan, (I put a diffuser under the pan) and heat to moderate. Lightly spray pan with oil, (I use rice bran oil).
Cook for a total of 15 mins. Cover pan for first 5 mins, and continue to turn the muffins ever few mins.
Cool on a wire rack.

To split the muffins, run a knife around the edge, and then use a fork to separate the 2 halves. This provides the lovely nooks and crannies which fill with butter when toasted.

Chinese Lasagna

Chinese Lasagna

Using the Fresh Rice Noodle recipe from the previous post, put aside 9 round sheets. Make the filling in the TMX and layer with the rice sheets. The rest of the sheets can be cut into noodles for stir fries. When I made the Chinese Lasagna I had kept the rice noodle sheets for 4 days in the fridge in a zip lock bag. I placed then in a flat dish and poured boiling water over them, to make for easy handling.

Filling

500g. minced pork and veal, ( could use chicken or vegetarian alternative)
1 onion
1 large clove garlic, 20 g. oil.
1 generous teaspoon full of green ginger
! dessertspoon full of each of the following, fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce, Char Sui sauce, soy sauce.
1 large tin of Water Chestnuts, 567g.
3/4 cup of hand sliced green onion tops
1/2 cup of hand chopped fresh coriander.

For topping

1 dessertspoon of each of the following, fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce, Char Sui sauce, soy sauce.

Method

Drop onion, garlic and ginger on to rotating blades, speed 5 for 6 seconds. Scrape down sides.
Add oil and cook for 5 mins. on 100.
Put temperature up to Varoma and add meat, cook for 5 mins on reverse, speed 1.
Add sauces and continue on reverse, Varoma temp, speed 1, 2 mins.
Set aside in large dish, no need to wash bowl.
Strain water chestnuts and add to bowl. Zap 2 seconds speed 5. Add to meat mixture.
Add green onion and coriander to mixture and stir by hand to combine.

Place an oven bag or silmat into top layer of Varoma.
Lay 3 rice noodles (pancakes), onto liner and cover with 1/2 the meat mixture.
Lay 3 more pancakes on top and cover with next 1/2 of mixture.
Cover with remaining 3 pancakes.
Place topping mixture in a jug ,stir then pour over the top of lasagna.
3/4 fill TMX bowl with hot water
Set on Varoma Temp., speed 1, and steam for 20 mins.

If you wish the prepared Lasagna can be refrigerated, ( place a dish underneath to catch any drips)

Fresh rice noodles

Fresh rice noodles

Yes they do work Grin Grin Grin Grin Any one who now has long grain rice and water and a TMX and 2 20cm. (8 inch ), sponge tins can make fresh rice noodles.

Soak 1 1/2 cups of long grain rice in 1 1/2 cups of water over night, OR( grind 1 1/2 cups of long grain rice for 1 1/2 mins. speed 10 in TMX.) The soaked rice and water should be blended for 2 mins., speed 9. Pour into a jug.

3/4 fill TMX bowl with warm water and set Varoma temp for 10 mins on speed 1. (it should boil in about 5 mins.)
While water is heating, lightly spray the 2 sponge tins with oil, (I used rice bran oil). Place Varoma on top of machine. Place 1 tin on top of Varoma to heat. After about 2 mins. pour in enough batter to form a thin coat over base of warm tin .

When the water boils, set the time for 5 mins, place tin on top rack of Varoma and cover with lid. Steam for 5 mins, speed 1.

While this is steaming, Pour the batter into the next tin and tip the tin to cover the base. Sit this tin on top of the Varoma cover while the one inside is cooking. This sets the next lot of batter a little.

When the 5 mins. are up, remove tin and set aside to cool. Meanwhile place the partially set tin in the Varoma and steam for 5 mins.

After about 2 mins. the cooling batter, (now a disk), is ready to remove. Using a spatula, ease the rice disk out of the tin, and place on a wire rack to complete cooling. Wash the tin and dry and spray ready for next lot of batter. Do this immediately and follow the same process of sitting on top of Varoma.

I made 12 rice disks, and would think that, cut into noddles, 1 disk would make 1 serve.
In the photo I have cut some thin and some thick. I understand they will keep for 2 days in fridge, and can be frozen.
It is important to have a very flat base to the tin in which you steam the noodles.

CreamPuff63's Choux Pastry

CreamPuff63's Choux Pastry

This recipe, from CreamPuff63, of Forum Thermomix, is absolutely incredible. I have asked her for permission to publish it here for two reasons. Firstly I am afraid that I will lose it, and secondly to make it available to more TMX users. Thank you CP63.

60g. butter
270g water
150g plain flour
3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 220c
Place water and butter in TMX bowl and cook, 5 1/2 mins. at 100, speed 2.
Add flour and mix for 30 sec. on speed 4. or untill pastry comes away from the sides of the bowl.
Spread mixture up the sides of the bowl with spatula and cool for approximately 5 mins.
Once the mixture is cool (may have to put the bowl in the fridge for 3 mins. ), add beaten egg one at a time over a period of 30 to 50 seconds. Speed 5.
Either pipe mixture or place teaspoons full on to greased trays ( I used baking paper).
Bake in hot oven (220), for 10 mins. Then reduce heat to 180 to 200(I used 190), and bake for another 20 to 30 mins. Until GOLDEN AND CRISP.
Remove from oven and make a small slit in the side, return to the oven with the door ajar and the heat turned off.

I used FF as my oven is a bit cool.

Containers used in Varoma

Containers used in Varoma

I have collected a number of different containers, to hold food, when using the Varoma. I also use oven bags. The largest Pyrex container is 7 cups. The containers without lids I cover with Glad Wrap. Most of the small dishes will fit 4 into the Varoma, although the very small ones will fit 6 or 8.
The egg ring I place under most of the large dishes to allow the steam to circulate. The pink stringy thing is called a " food loop". I use it under the larger dishes as the egg ring is too thick and the lid will not sit down.
I have other 'oven to table', dishes that I also use. I don't use plastic as I often brown the food after it is steamed.
The most expensive Pyrex container, with lid was $20.
I use 2 books when I want ideas, TMX Full Steam Ahead, and Brigid Treloar's ' Steaming'.

I have also pictured the small TMX food warmer. Although I haven't used it for steaming
I have been told that it is good, however you would need to block the small hole that is in the lid.

Linzer Torte Biscuits

Linzer Torte Biscuits

While on Holiday in South Australia recently, I noticed that Cardamon was the spice flavor of the month. This reminded me that I have a yummy biscuit recipe with Cardamon that I have been meaning to convert to Thermomix. The Thermomix proved to simplify the process, and it makes about 40 biscuits.


180g. plain flour
240g. sugar
240g. butter (melted)
2 egg yolks
60g. ground almonds
Grated rind and juice of 1 medium sized lemon
Red jam
2 generous teaspoonfulls of ground Cardamon

Remove the rind from the lemon with a vegetable peeler and drop on to the blades set at speed 7, for 10 seconds.
Add melted butter, yolks and lemon juice and zap speed 5 for 5 seconds.
Add rest of the ingredients and zap, 20 seconds, speed 7

Scrape into bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Set oven at 160c. FF

Roll out about 1/4 of the mixture at a time to about 1/2 cm. thick. Cut into rectangles about 5/6 cm. by 3cm., ( I vary the size) I use the Thermo mat sprinkled with flour.
When ready for the oven, on the oven baking sheet ,dribble red jam down the center of each biscuit. I use plum and raspberry jam, and put it in a plastic sauce bottle with a small hole in the top.

Bake at 160c. FF for 15 to 20 minutes.

When cooked,biscuits should be brown around edges, let sit for 5 minutes to set up.
Then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

This recipe would also make an exsellent tart shell.