Cream of Asparagus Soup

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Asparagus is in season at the moment and cheap in the shops. This soup is based upon the Cream of Celery Soup, that I posted earlier. The process is similar except the tips are steamed in the Varoma and added later to the finished soup. It makes 6 to 8 serves.

Place in TMX bowl
3 cups of water
2 sticks of celery
18 sticks of asparagus, about as thick as your small finger. Snapped of woody end, and discarded.
Tips sliced off and placed in Varoma. Remaining sticks sliced into 2cm. lengths.
1 small potato, peeled and cut into chunks.
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into chunks.
1/2 small onion, peeled and cut in half.
2 teaspoons of salt

Cook 20 mins., 100, speed gentle, with Varoma on top containing asparagus tips.

While this is cooking make the Roux.

1 generous Tablespoon Butter
1 generous Tablespoon of flour
3 cups of milk
1/8 teaspoon of white pepper

Melt Butter in saucepan, stir in flour and cook for a few mins.
Gradually add milk and cook for 5 mins.

Remove Varoma and keep aside.
Zap the vegetables in the Bowl, holding a tea towel on lid, and moving speed gently from 1 to 10 for 1 min.

Add milk, mix 10 seconds speed 1.

serve,garnished with reserved Asparagus tips and croutons if desired.

Bottled fruit, using the Microwave

I have been using this process for about 20 years. The advantages are.....
1. A small amount of fruit can be processed at any time.
2. Fruit that is blemished or past its use by date , can be saved.
3. It is especially suited to families where there are 2/3 people.
4. It is inexpensive to do.
5. It doesn't take up valuable freezer space.

Following are 5 stages in pictures and comments. A little practice will result in fast preserving and a ready supply of bottled fruit.

I keep all jars that have the small white rubber ring inside the lid. Especially those that are 1 or 2 cup size. With practice you can do 3 or 4 jars at a time, providing they are all the same size. Just multiply the time by the number of jars.

step 1

Step 2

To sterilize jar, place 2 cm. water in jar and sit lid on, DON'T screw down lid. cook in Microwave for 2 mins.

Step 2

Step 3

Tip out water, fill with sliced apple, pushing down firmly. Add 2/3 cm of fresh water.

Step 3

step 4

Place lid on but don't screw down tight, just give a 1/2 twist to hold lid in place.

step 4

Step 5

Cook in microwave, from 3 to 6 mins., depending on size of bottle and power of Microwave. When water has boiled up inside jar, cooking he fruit, and a little has oozed out of under lid then it is ready. Remove from Microwave with a cloth and screw on lid tightly. Stand on bench to cool down. When cool wash in hot soapy water to remove any sticky liquid that has oozed out.

Step 5

Apricot Custard Rolls

Apricot Custard Rolls

This is a classic Greek pastry with a twist. The recipe is from Dan Lepard, via The Guardian Newspaper, and adapted to the TMX. It serves 6, (12 rolls), and can be made ahead. Although very easy, would be suited to a sophisticated dinner party.
It is a variation of the Greek galaktoboureko.

400g milk
1 large egg
25g semolina
1 heaped teaspoon of corn flour
175g caster sugar
125g dried Apricots.
75g butter or Rice Bran oil spray
6 sheets of filo pastry
Flaked almonds
juice of 1/2 a large lemon
Seeds from 3 green Cardamon pods
1 to 2 Tablespoons of Rose water, (not essence)

DO

Place Apricots in TMX bowl and press TURBO 3 times, until small pieces are formed, NOT paste
Set aside and scrape out bowl
Place in bowl, milk, egg , semolina.cornflour and 25g of sugar, Zap for 7 seconds, speed 5.
Cook,7 mins/100 /speed 2.
Add apricots and stir in, 5 sec./speed2.
Pour into a large flat plate to cool.

If using butter, melt on stove.

Set oven to 190 ff

Take a sheet of Filo with long side facing you. Brush with butter or spray with oil. Place another sheet on top.
Cut into 4 even strips. That is from front to back.
Take 1 generous Tablespoon of Apricot mix and place on short edge and roll up. Make sure that no mixture pokes out the end.
Place on lined oven tray.
Repeat until you have 12 rolls on tray. It may help to divide the mixture into 12 before you start to roll

Brush with butter or spray with oil when all rolls are on tray.
Sprinkle with Almonds, and spray again.

Bake 25 to 30 mins, until the rolls are light brown

While rolls are cooking , make syrup.
In a saucepan on the stove, boil together for 1 minute , sugar , cardamon seeds,lemon juice and 75 mls of water. Leave to cool and then add rose water.

When rolls are cooked, place into a serving dish with a small edge. Pour over syrup
Serve at room temperature.

Golden Syrup Pudding.

With the TMX, this is tasty, cheap and easy. The inspiration came from the good people at, ourkitchen.fischerpaykel.com It serves 6, but if you like a lot of sauce, then double the sauce recipe and place in a larger baking dish. Sorry no photo at present, as we gobbled it all up.


1 1/4 cups of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
25 g. butter
1/4 cup of milk
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup of water


3 Tablespoons of Golden Syrup
25g. butter
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 cup of water


1 Tablespoon of brown sugar
2 Tablespoons of chopped nuts. (I used almonds)


Preheat oven 190c.

Add flour and baking powder to TMX bowl and zap for a few seconds.
Add first measure of butter and zap for a few seconds until it looks like crumbs.
Add milk, lemon zest and water, and on REVERSE mix until it comes together
Scrape out of TMX bowl into greased baking dish. Doesn't have to be even.
Wash out TMX bowl.
In TMX bowl add Golden Syrup, butter , water and sugar, cook for 10 mins at 100, speed 1.Do NOT add topping yet) Pour syrup over mix in baking dish.
Pop into oven.
Cook for 5 to 10 mins., or until sponge rises up over sauce.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with brown sugar and chopped nuts. Return to oven.

Total cooking time is 30 mins.

Serve with milk or cream.