STEAMOVENCOOKING with Tenina

So what’s the plural of mousse? Mousses? Mouss-i? Mice? Not sure, but we enjoyed the Rhubarb Mousse in class last night, despite the fact another 24 hours would have allowed me to unmould them…so note to self; These need to be made way in advance of serving!

Delightful, delicious, and very more-ish.

NEED:
500 grams rhubarb stalks cleaned and chopped into 1 inch lengths
2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
300 mls whipping cream
additional 3/4 cup caster sugar
few drops rose pink food coloring
1 sachet gelatine
Food Processor

DO:
Place rhubarb, 2 tablespoons caster sugar and vanilla in ceramic dish.
Process in steam oven for 25 minutes. OR:
Steam in Thermomix on 90 degrees for 10 minutes.
Cool slightly. Place in Thermomix bowl.
Add gelatine, food coloring and whisk on reverse, Level 3 for 30 seconds or until blended completely.
Either leave in Thermomix bowl and refrigerate over night or transfer to a different container. (Because clearly you cannot do without your Thermomix for 24 hours!!)
THE NEXT DAY:
Using butterfly attachment, whisk cream with remaining sugar until peaks form. (WARNING: I made sweet butter the first time…no longer than 1 minute on 3 will do!)
Add rhubarb mixture and blend, again in reverse and on 3. This may take over a minute, but just check and when happy, you’re done!
Put mousse into moulds or ramekins.
Chill several hours or overnight.

SERVE:
Drizzle melted white chocolate (Induction 1 for quite a while!) over mousse and then decorate with either a raspberry coulis or reserve some of the steamed rhubarb and make a rhubarb coulis with 1/2 cup caster sugar, at least 1/2 cup cooked rhubarb, and coloring, cooked on Induction 6 until blended. Push through sieve and store in fridge.

USED:

But how cute would these look?

OK…after umm-ing and ahh-ing I finally did it! I don’t know why I waited so long! WOW, what an amazing device. It is food processor, steam oven, induction all rolled into one. Of course there are things that can be done in both the steam oven and on the induction that cannot be done in the Thermomix, but by crikey, I’m in gadget love!

The Thermomix is only available through a consultant and frankly that’s going to be my next move…so if anyone would like me to come and cook at your house, have Thermomix, can travel!!! From egg custard, to ganache, to risotto, to sorbet and bread dough, from curry to steamed rice and the best mashed potato I have ever tasted…all in seconds…well minutes in some cases. I have cooked up a veritable storm in the last 2 days.

• sour dough rye bread
• yoghurt
• smoothies
• mashed potato
• orange julius (recipe to come)
• garlic cheese rolls
• egg custard
• apple tea cake
• mushroom sauce
• icing sugar from Raw Sugar!!!
• cornflour from whole wheat!!!

Frankly my kids are unappreciative and I now have a pile of left overs…just cos I can’t stop cooking. Thermo (for short) looks at me so invitingly…I just can’t help myself!

Tomorrow I will do porridge, more bread, a lemon chess pie and maybe cookies or profiteroles. I am at work tomorrow night, and may just have to take Thermo with me! Anyway, like I said, if you live in Perth, want to see the Thermomix first hand (and taste my delectable food first hand) just comment here and I will email you privately.

Oh the recipes will flow, so stay tuned!

Got any day old Croissant laying around? Me neither, they never last that long…but should on some rare occasion, a croissant or two escapes the hungry hoardes, try this for a decadent morning tea idea.

NEED:
Day old croissant…(This quantity makes 6)
110 grams ground almond meal
250 grams unsalted butter
drizzle almond essence
1/4 cup icing sugar
flaked almonds to finish

SYRUP made from 1 cup water and 1/2 cup caster sugar brought together until sugar is dissolved on Induction 6. Can add a dash of rum at this point. Cool. (Really cool…as in hip!)

DO:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
Cut croissant in half and lay in baking dish.
Pulse butter, almonds, icing sugar, essence and egg together in food processor.

When blended spoon onto croissant half and top with other half.
Pour syrup over and allow to soak in.
Sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake until golden. (Around 20 minutes)
Serve whilst warm.

USED:

This recipe is already on here, but I have been getting a lot of hits for it, so I thought I would take a few photos, and give you a bit of a tutorial on the whole process. Couldn’t be easier…when you know how!

SO: Here goes

NEED:
½ chicken breast per person.
Stuffing of choice. In this instance;
Homemade pesto (little oil)
Prawns

DO:
Butterfly each chicken breast.
Stuff with flavors of choice. (I used pesto and prawns)
Roll over on itself. Carefully lift each breast into hot pan.
Pan fry chicken breasts on Induction high for 5 minutes each side until golden.
Place in Steam Oven tray and process for 15 minutes.
Slice and serve immediately with sauce.

I will need to adjust the sauce recipe from the other entry that is on here. On this occasion I used 250 grams sliced button mushrooms, though brown is nicer. Using the pan that I browned the chicken in I deglazed the pan with a dash of champagne (flat and left over from someone’s lunch!!) Add the mushrooms and fry off. Add more champagne and simmer whilst waiting for the chicken to cook. When chicken is done, add a dash of fresh cream to the sauce, reduce, add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately! And like I said, please remember who you are at all times, as you LICK the plate clean!

In doing a few Microwave Grill lessons lately, I realised there is not much up here for the Microwave, so I thought I would quickly put this on at least! Nothing so fast as a fudge in 3 minutes! The photo is average, but the fudge is not! I will re-post a better photo when I remake this decadent treat! Seriously! Make and enjoy…and then comment…or send me a photo! Come on my adoring public, I know you’re out there! The stats don’t lie! Send me a message!

NEED:

1 pkg Nestle dark melts (or 375 grms)

1 can condensed milk

2 tablespoons butter

generous splash of real vanilla

toasted nuts of choice

DO:

Toast nuts in hot oven…do not burn!

Place into 9 inch square tray.

Place butter, chocolate and milk into medium bowl.

Cook for 3 minutes on Microwave setting.

Using electric mixer, beat until color lightens.

Add vanilla and beat until the mix stiffens.

Pour over nuts.

Refrigerate. Slice into squares with hot knife.

Try eating just one piece…go on!

USED:

OK, OK, I admit it…I have been asked by so many people to put this up and today my clients asked me again, so I thought I’d better get on it! We had a lunch today and my stock standard to showcase the Induction is the risotto, so I’ve put up a few photos…thanks ladies! Now…remember that this is best done on the Induction…I am not sure it would translate very well to any other cooking medium and of course there are some safety issues involved with using a tea towel on a gas cooktop!

NEED:
dash of olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups combined chicken stock and white wine (Less wine than stock…really!)
1 diced brown onion
5 large field mushrooms chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped finely
2 teaspoons Garden Gourmet Basil paste (or substitute handfuls of fresh basil torn roughly)
75 grams unsalted butter
zest and juice 1 lemon
75 grams freshly grated parmesan
Cream to taste, but at least 1/4 cup
1 clean tea towel

DO:
Heat oil in Induction friendly pan on ‘max’.
Add garlic and onion, stir briefly.
Add mushrooms and rice and stir until rice takes on a bright white appearance.
Do not let it catch.
Add all of stock and wine and bring to the boil.
Allow to boil madly on ‘max’ until the mixture becomes a ’slurry’!
Turn Induction down to 2.
Cover pan with the clean towel and THEN the lid, making sure the seal is tight.
Set timer for 12 minutes.
When cooking has finished, add butter and stir as it melts.
Add basil paste, cheese, and lemon zest and juice.
Continue to mix until all the butter has melted.
(If you are using fresh basil, it is now that you should add it.)
Lastly add cream and remember the mix should be quite runny.
Add salt and pepper as desired.
Serve immediately.

USED:

Well we all know it’s coming…the dreaded burnt toast with a scraping of butter, some aging fruit salad with bits of skin still on, a cold, slightly undercooked egg, swimming in bacon grease, and possibly a lukewarm coffee or milo! Yes, Mother’s Day breakfast in bed. Sit up and ENJOY!

OR: Get the kids and or husband onto this blog and cooking some easy but YUMMY breakfast for Sunday, they’ll enjoy it too!

Firstly, check out some Overnight French Toast. And if the worst comes to the worst, you could actually organise this yourself…and all they have to do is stick it in the oven, OR, if you are really clever and have a “Start Later, Stop Later” function on your oven (all Kleenmaid ovens but one have this function) you can set it yourself and then the kids just have to serve it! EASY.

If you are not much of a sweet tooth, try Gratin Egg Cups with some toast (unburnt if possible!) and hot coffee, YUM!

Of course, a breakfast blog would not be complete without some reference to Pancakes and I think I have it well covered here!

If you are running out the door and Breakfast in bed is not your thing…you can pre-mix this lot and just bake in the morning. Friands the trendy muffin of the ‘Norties’ (Yes that’s the 2000’s) are so delicious that you will not be able to stop at one. Of course, berries are a healthy choice, but try adding choc chips, macadamias, replacing the almond meal with polenta, the sugar with grated parmesan, and then add sun dried tomatoes, olives etc etc. for a savoury twist.

If you are throwing caution to the winds and getting off the diet yo-yo, (at least for ONE day) try something more decadent from my Seven Deadly Recipes file…but I suspect that you may have to be making these yourself…or for your mum, if you really need an excuse!

Have a great Mother’s Day, and may your toast be buttered right to the edges!

Now I know a lot of people think I talk drizzle, but on this occasion, I’m not referring to a weather pattern, a grumpy child or something you should really see a doctor about, but those amazing little additions to certain dishes that just seem to add pizazz and a little flair. Have you ever eaten a beautifully cooked steak and wondered why it just didn’t jump off the plate? It was nice, but nice isn’t good enough when you’ve spent $32 a kilo on fillet steak! Right?

SO;

Here are the Top Ten things to add to various meals and dishes to give you that ‘gourmet restaurant’ look, taste and most of all, reputation!

ONE: Gremolata is so great with most savoury things, that you should never overlook it and keep in your fridge as firm staples, garlic, lemons, parmesan and pine nuts! (Hopefully you have some parsley growing in your garden…and let’s not argue here, pull out any curly leaved parsley and replace it IMMEDIATELY with flat leaf or Italian parsley which has so much more flavour and is easier to eat!) Whilst not strictly a ‘drizzle’ a good dose of Gremolata can spice up steamed veggies, is wonderful on any kind of roasted meat, adds crunch and flavour to a toasted sandwich and of course is a wonderful topping on a salad.

TWO: Whilst we’re on the whole garlic, herb thing, if you have never made your own Pesto you are missing a flavour treat. The bought varieties, whilst getting better and better, can never rival your own. Pesto is fantastic on pasta by itself, as a dip or spread with crackers, on steamed veggies, as a pizza sauce, add lemon zest and juice and use as a fresh salad dressing. (see Harvest Salad) I use my Pesto Lemon dressing on a melting Camembert for a real treat. Now remember that a pesto does not have to have the same ingredients in it all the time! Pesto merely means crushed, so go to town with the flavoring of choice, (sun dried tomato, black or kalamata olives, basil, coriander, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, macadamias, parmesan, feta, strong cheddar and oil) Whiz and taste and you will come up with many concoctions…and bought dips or Pesto will never have the same appeal again!

THREE: Marinated Feta…Try cubing some fresh feta, (Danish is my latest craze) and placing it in a clean jar with some lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper (no salt) a garlic clove or two, possibly a whole chilli. Top up with a good quality olive oil…even add olives if you want. Leave this jar in the fridge for a couple of days and then serve with Steamed Vegetables, as a side dish or cold accompaniment to meat or fish, blend the cheese a little more and add some more lemon juice or vinegar and this drizzle will be awesome on most things! Get a loaf of crusty bread and use as a dipping oil. Pour over flat Turkish bread and then roast in a hot oven for only a few minutes. Serve with a salad of fresh greens! Gently steam asparagus, chop and mix with feta, then wrap in phyllo pastry, (follow package directions) and bake strudel in Microwave Grill for around 3-4 minutes. Eat immediately with a little more of the filling served on the side!

FOUR: Do the salsa! Carribean Salsa is again, not a drizzle, more of salad really, but so great with all things fried. Try it with Prawn Cakes, Steamed Fish Parcels or Crusty Fried Chicken! It adds color, oodles of flavor and lots of vitamins. You may find yourself adding this one to most Barbeque menus. Don’t use canned pineapple, whatever you do…it just isn’t the same! You could replace the pineapple with mango if you are lucky enough to have them in season.

FIVE: This is the last savory ‘drizzle’ I’ll allow! I think my favourite thing to drizzle’ on anything from roast meat to salad is a herb oil. Because the steam oven is so fantastic for blanching without the hassle, I do these all the time. You need to blanch whatever herb you are using to preserve the color…so if you have a steam oven, place the herb of choice (basil, mint, rocket and parsley, coriander..cilantro, even lemon grass if you strain the oil before using!) loosely in the steam oven tray and process in steam oven for about 1 minute tops! (No walking away from this one!) You want the herbs to be bright green and just a little softer than completely fresh! If they are hot, dunk in cold water, but they should be OK to puree in the food processor immediately. To every cup of tightly packed herbs, add one cup of oil. You can add chilli, lime juice, lemon juice, a pinch of salt. These will keep in the fridge, but should be used within a week for best flavour. Basil oil with lemon is terrific with roast chicken and I serve it all the time in the store to great acclaim!

SIX: Your fridge is naked without some lemon butter in it! As long as it is homemade!  I use Lemon Butter folded through cream on Pavlova, or for any dessert that needs a lemon twist for that matter. I love it in my Sour Cream Pastry in little tarts which you bake in a 160 degree oven for only about 8 minutes. The pastry stays crispy and the lemon is sweet and tangy. You can fold it though a fruit salad…not much, but just a drizzle! It is beautiful as a topping on pure vanilla ice cream…and should you be caught short for a quick hostess gift, tie a ribbon round the old jar of Lemon Butter and voila, the hostess gift with the mostess!

SEVEN: I always have frozen berries in my freezer and a quick sauce that you can make for pancakes, ice cream, dessert, plate decoration is to heat up 2 cups berries, with 1/4 cup sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, generous teaspoon of vanilla extract and a tablespoon of vanilla custard powder. Bring to the boil on Induction 6, stirring occasionally. Serve hot or cold as the palate directs!

EIGHT: My favorite caramel sauce which is great with almost anything fruity (Sticky Date Puddings, Banana Crepes, as a dressing for Apple Crumble) is so quick, you could miss the whole thing if you blink! In a saucepan, melt 75 grams of butter, add 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup of whipping cream and when sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil (Induction 10). Just as you are ready to serve, add a dash of rum. Let the alcohol burn off and serve immediately. (This also stores well in the fridge.)

NINE: No list about drizzles would be complete without a chocolate sauce recipe…so my ganache is as follows: On Induction 3 melt 1 block dark chocolate (220 grams) with 1/2 cup whipping cream. At this point you may add sieved berries of your choice or as in the case of Raspberry Dream Cheesecake  a dollop of raspberry jam or some zest and juice from an orange. This sauce can be thinned down with more cream or butter if desired and is truly decadent eaten whilst hot over vanilla icecream…and SOOO easy!

TEN: What is the penultimate drizzle? I had to ponder this one, but as it is coming close to midnight, my quick decision is; Strawberry Dessert Syrup. Puree a punnet of strawberries with the juice of 1 orange and a generous amount of natural honey. Drizzle this over fruit salad, on the plate of a stunning dessert, over the cream on a pavolva, fold it through the cream for any dessert and don’t forget to add and mix and experiment and try something different. This too will keep in the fridge, or freeze it in iceblock form and use in a summer punch!

So there you have it…another night spent drooling at the computer…and now to bed and to dreams of what I must cook this weekend so I may photograph them for you! No wonder the kids are calling me a food nerd! Move over food…she’s a blogging nerd as well!