STEAMOVENCOOKING with Tenina

Haven’t done a steam oven recipe for a while and this was unbelievable! There are fresh early strawberries around at the moment, so they are a perfect pair…with the obligatory dollop of fresh whipped cream, naturally! This was better the next day, stone cold, rather than steamy warm, but either way it is truly decadent and well worth using a bain marie to get the same result, if you don’t possess a steam oven!

NEED:
200 grams each butter and dark chocolate melts
150 grams ground almond meal (or blanched almonds and whiz them up yourself in…you guessed it, the Thermomix!)
200 grams SR flour
4 eggs
dash of vanilla essence
Large pie dish

DO:
Put butter and chocolate into Thermomix bowl and process on speed 9 for 15 seconds or until chopped.
Set timer for 5 minutes, temperature for 37 and then melt chocolate on the stirring function.
(OR; Melt butter and chocolate together in MW on high for 2 minutes, stir until all melted and then transfer to Thermomix bowl.)
Insert butterfly attachment and then add eggs one at a time, beating between each addition.
Add flour and almond meal, then vanilla and continue beating on speed 4 until blended and aerated.
Spread into pie plate.
Process in steam oven for 1&1/2 hours or until set in centre.
Alternatively use individual moulds. Steaming should take a lot less time if you do this.
Remove and cool.

SERVE:
With fresh sliced strawberries, whipped cream and a dusting of either cocoa or icing sugar.

USED:
 

So I taste this amazing dip in the States right? But it’s from Costco…and they don’t do a recipe blog, so once again, I’m trying to put stuff together to repeat the taste….Lucky for me I have the Thermomix, the food processor of the Gods….so should be easy yeah?  (Channeling Jamie Oliver right here!) Here is my ode to Artichoke Spinach Dip…without a sniff of Costco in sight!

NEED:
150 grams each sour cream and good whole egg mayonnaise (or make your own!)
200 grams feta cheese
100 grams parmesan cheese
1 jar (320 grams) marinated artichoke hearts
5 large cloves of garlic peeled
250 grams frozen spinach, thawed and drained (Pat dry with paper towel and squeeze excess moisture out before adding)
additional grated parmesan cheese to taste (Thermomix Speed 8 for 3 seconds)
(No salt is required in this recipe as the cheeses have plenty!)

DO:
Drain artichokes and prepare garlic.
Add all ingredients except spinach to Thermomix bowl.
Blend on Speed 8 for approx 30 seconds or until creamy in texture.
Add well drained spinach and pulse for 10 seconds until blended.
Taste and add salt if necessary.
Refrigerate until needed.
Place dip into heatproof bowl.
Sprinkle with grated parmesan and cook in hot oven until bubbly.

SERVE:
With Pita crisps, crostini, water crackers, fresh vegetables or corn chips of choice. Or you can be a bit pukkah (Jamie again!) and put the dip into a bread basket like I did…Wrap completely in foil leaving the top open to toast the parmesan. Wrap the lid in foil also to heat it up and cook in hot oven for approximately 20 minutes. Eat the basket as the dip goes down…I served this tonight for a big family dinner and there was not a crumb left…but then, they are a bunch of hungry horrors at the best of times!

I had a great dessert at lunch the other day and decided to try and replicate it, and if I say so myself…mine is better. (No-one else would say it, so I had to!) I had intended on a rhubarb clafoutis after reading a great recipe for Cherry Clafouti on Foodbuzz, but this idea took over after the lunch! I have had a lot of good feedback about Rhubarb Mousse, so I know rhubarb is on your radars…Love the tangy-ness, the tart-ness, the color, and paired with Raspberry, YUMM-O!

It is a rhubarb, crumble with a cheesecake-y centre…so unsure of exactly what I was making I began with flavor and color in mind, added raspberries for both…and voila! You can see the results and give the recipe a go. Please tell me what results you get….BUT ONLY IF THEY’RE GOOD! Hahahahaha.

NEED:
Base: 1 pkg gingernut biscuits
125 grams butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 cup quick oats
Filling: 1 kilo chopped fresh rhubarb stalks
350 grams frozen raspberries thawed (Fresh are impossible to get where I live, but use them if you can!)
5 tablespoons raw sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
500 grams creamed ricotta cheese
5 large eggs
150 grams sour cream (not light)
2 teaspoons vanilla

DO:
Steam rhubarb with raw sugar in steam oven for 25 minutes.
Cool completely.
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celcius.
Spray 10 inch spring-form pan with cooking spray.
Make base by processing all ingredients except oats in Thermomix Speed 8 until blended.
Turn blade in reverse and add oats, using stirring function until oats are mixed through.
Push 3/4 of base mix into prepared pan with the back of a spoon, making sure mix is packed down firmly.
Reserve remaining base mix for topping and set aside in seperate bowl.
Bake the base in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes until fragrant.
Without cleaning Thermomix bowl, blend all filling ingredients except fruit until smooth and creamy.
Mix raspberries with steamed rhubarb gently so as not to break the fruit up too much.
Pour cheesecake mix onto base.
Gently put fruit on top of cheese filling and try to distribute evenly throughout cake.
Place crumble (base) mix on top.
Bake in oven for around 75 minutes or until middle is set when you shake it.
Chill completely.

SERVE:
Slice and serve with fresh cream (I used King Island Cream…THE best in Australia!) Of course the addition of cream totally kills the low-fat properties of the ricotta….but you could argue that it halves the fat content that you would have if the recipe called for cream cheese…AND a dollop of cream to serve!  Female logic…you can’t beat it.

This was the challenge; The Foodie Joust Challenge no less! Write a recipe using ginger, apricots and butter. Well my little cooks hat went on and started working over time! There was Butter Puff Pastry, Apricot Danish with a Ginger glaze. Apricot Brown Butter Ice Cream with Ginger toffee pieces throughout. How about Butter Apricot Chicken with Pickled Ginger garnish, or a Lime, Coconut Ginger cake with an Apricot Butter on the side? Oh the agony of choosing just one…but here it is and for all you Thermomix and Steam Oven lovers, here’s looking at you kids! Oh and if you’re a food blogger yourself, why not go and vote for me on; Left Over Queen Forum. or even enter yourself…it’s been fun!

NEED:
125 grams unsalted butter
2 inch peeled piece of fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
225 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
4 large eggs
110 grams SR flour
200 grams almond meal
3 apricot halves from a can per serving (or fresh if you are lucky enough to be in summer right now!)
Unflavored oil (Grapeseed)
Extra caster sugar for grilling
Plus more caster sugar for toffee bark (see below)
6 large ramekins or 14 small

DO:
In Thermomix bowl chop butter and peeled ginger together for 3 seconds on Speed 9.
Insert butterfly attachment.
Add sugar, ground ginger, nutmeg and vanilla bean paste and whip on Speed 3-4 for around 5 minutes.
The mixture should look almost white.
Meanwhile grease and flour ramekins.
Prepare water bath if you do not have a steam oven.
Add eggs one at a time.
You may have to add some flour at this point to prevent curdling.
Add remaining flour and almond meal and whip briefly until the mix comes together.
It should be a soft batter, (not runny).
Spoon mix evenly into ramekins and process in Steam Oven for 45 minutes.
OR using water bath method, place ramekins in large pan filled to the halfway point with water and steam in 100 degree Celcius oven (around 212 F) for 45 minutes.
Heat griddle pan with a dash of Grapeseed oil and some sprinkled caster sugar.
Grill canned or fresh apricot halves, round side down until browned and caramelized.
Set aside for serving.
OPTIONAL: Toffee bark.
This is really just a bit of cosmetic thing, though a nice crunch with dessert is a plus.
Spray a flat oven tray (with a rim) with oil.
Thinkly spread around 1/2 cup caster sugar so it is even and place under a hot grill for around 5 minutes.
This is quite tricky as one minute you have sugar granules and the next, the oven is up in smoke…so don’t move away! Check and when sugar is runny and golden, remove and cook tray, allowing the toffee to set.
When completely cold, break into uneven pieces and use for decoration.
SERVE: Un mold from ramekin, dredge with icing sugar, arrange apricots and use the little bit of drizzle you’ll have as a syrup over the pudding and apricots. It goes without saying you need dollops of freshly whipped cream…and I must say, diet or no diet, this was delish!

This is so delicious that I ate way too many, dripping with butter, and although I tried with the first lot to add flavour (parmesan, garlic, coriander seeds etc) I subsequently decided I liked to have plain as I could then add flavour later. Great with the Daal of the previous post, great with melted butter, or even {shudder} golden syrup, honey, jam or what the hell??? Vegemite! SO Aussie BBQ Naan…at your service!

NEED:
1 egg lightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil (can use ghee to be authentic)
3/4 cup Greek style plain yoghurt
4 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast granules
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warmed milk

DO:
In small bowl combine egg, oil and yoghurt.
Put flour, salt, sugar, baking powder into the Thermomix bowl.
Add yoghurt mixture and warm milk.
Using kneading function, knead for 3 minutes.
Add more warm milk if the dough does not come together.
Place into a large oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave to rise for up to 2 hours.
Preheat Pizza stone on Cross Fire BBQ with hood down until temp shows at least 200 degrees celcius.
Turn dough onto floured surface and knead by hand until smooth.
Divide dough equally…about 100 grams per portion.
Roll out to 1/2 cm thickness. Stretch by hand into a tear shape.
Place onto hot Pizza stone for approx 5-8 minutes.
You should not have to turn them over.
Serve immediately with toppings of choice.

I had of necessity to pre-make these for my BBQ cooking class, and I froze the dough unrisen in portion sizes. They defrosted and rose perfectly and were delicious, even 3 days later!

Always partial to a bit of daal with most things curry, this is a stunning dip with naan bread (see future posting) Great with curry, by itself with steamed rice or just serve with steamed veggies to add a flavour boost. You can add some cooked chicken to this and serve with rice, lemon wedges and chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) for a wonderful easy meal! Not strictly ‘daal’ with the addition of coconut cream, but I can assure you, you’ll be singing my praises as soon as you taste this! In fact you’ll be calling me a real ‘dahl’! (Yes folks that is how us Aussies say Darl!!)

NEED:
1 cup dried yellow split peas
2 onions
10 cloves garlic
2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled
Enough stock to cover and add as required. (Approx 4 x split pea measurement)
4 tablespoons turmeric
generous amount of olive oil (2 tablespoons)
1/2 can coconut milk (200 mls)
lemons
coriander or cilantro to taste

DO:
Peel garlic, onion, ginger, place in Thermomix bowl and chop on Speed 9 for 3 seconds (NOT KIDDING!!)
Meanwhile heat oil in heavy pan on Induction max. Turn down to 6 immediately.
Add chopped aromatics and cook till fragrant.
Add rinsed peas and turmeric.
Stir until heated through.
Add all of stock and bring to boil on Induction max.
Turn down to 4, cover with tight fitting lid and leave simmering for several hours.
You may have to turn it down again, 2 is ideal for a long enough period. (8 hours)
Stir occasionally and add more stock or water as needed.
The mix should be quite liquid.
Stir through cocnut milk and the juice of one lemon.
Simmer for at least another hour without a lid to thicken.
Leave in pan to cool.
The mix should become quite solid.
SERVE:The next day warmed through with any accompaniments as mentioned above.
USED:

Well if you haven’t heard or figured it out already, I am totally cheesy and so is this post. A nice crispy biscuit base and top and then a creamy, buttery, cheesey, vanilla-ery middle that requires at least 2 licks of the fingers! Oh what more could a foodie ask for really? Whilst this isn’t officially my recipe, I have to tell you that this is a better version than most…and what’s more, it took approximately 5 minutes all up, start to fridge, plus setting time of course! So yes, I was gorging down calories in less than a half hour! Shameful really.

NEED:
2 packs of Arnott’s biscuits
250 grams Philadelphia Cream Cheese
125 grams unsalted butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 sachet gelatine (10 grams) blended into;
3/4 cup warm water
generous tablespoon of real vanilla essence

DO:
Line a baking tray with straight sides with the Lattice biscuits, top side down.
In Thermomix bowl, whisk remaining ingredients on Speed 4 until blended.
(Around 1-2 minutes)
Pour onto Lattice base.
Top with more Lattice biscuits, top side up.
Try and line up the ‘joins’ of the biscuits for easy cutting and serving.

Unfortunately not sure if Lattice are available around the world. Please let me know if you have them in your country…and you’re not an Aussie! Enjoy!

Had you going there for a second didn’t I??? No I haven’t moved to France (just yet!) but rather than post just an ordinary every day Lemon Meringue Pie recipe, I needed a bit of pizzazz, and what yells pizzazz more than the French Language?
Of course I would only ever use my Sour Cream Pastry recipe, which really deserves a post of it’s own, it is so versatile. And now with the Thermomix in my arsenal, there is no looking back. I kid you not, I made the pastry in less than 2 minutes, start to finish! “Incredible!!”

NEED:
1 batch Sour Cream Pastry
Filling;
zest and juice of 3 lemons
3 large egg yolks (reserve whites)
3 tablespoons corn flour (you can make your own with the Thermomix)
50 grams butter
50 grams caster sugar
Meringue;
3 large egg whites
175 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
dash vanilla essence

DO:
Put all ingredients for filling into Thermomix bowl.
Cook on 90 degrees C for 9 minutes on speed 4.
Half way through cooking time, add 3/4 cup cold water through the lid.
Cook further if not coating the back of a spoon.
The taste should be quite tart as opposed to sweet.
Spread into warm cooked pie crust.
Meanwhile in clean bowl beat egg whites with cream of tartar until starting to thicken.
Add sugar slowly and keep beating until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla.
Dollop meringue mix onto pie, carefully covering all the filling mix.
(This will prevent ‘weeping’ of the meringue…and you know I hate to make a meringue cry!)
Bake for a further 7 minutes on 160 degrees C.
Serve warm or cold in massive slices with more whipped cream if you dare!
NOTE: I do not use the Thermomix for whipping the egg whites, which you can do, but I find a better result as far as meringue goes by using a hand held beater.
USED:

Looking over the last few entries on here I realise what a sweet tooth I am, but hey…I can do the other stuff, so check this out! There were no complaints when this showed up at lunch time on Friday. I re-served it completely cold on Saturday without the oohhs and ahhs, so I suggest you serve it the day of preparation.
This can look rather stunning on a buffet table. Choose a beautiful platter and then play like a food stylist until you are happy! It not only tastes divine, but looks so beautiful with the green of the dressing, pink of the prawns, red salmon, and yellow lemon wedges…so perfect! Oh the poetry of it all!
NEED:
200 grams fish per serving consisting of combo of;
Tasmanian salmon fillet (or Atlantic, depending on your locale!)
prawns
scallops, roe on
white fish fillet of choice
Sliced red onion (3 or 4 slivers per serving)
Fresh baby spinach or salad greens of choice
Dressing:
generous handful of coriander (cilantro)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 green chilli
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce (bought Thai variety)
1/4 cup fish sauce
zest and juice of 2 oranges
zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 spring onions
dash of rice wine vinegar
salt to taste
sugar to taste

DO:
Chop all fish fillets into square chunks.
Place all seafood in ceramic dish and process in Steam Oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked.
Cool slightly.
Meanwhile make dressing by placing all ingredients into bowl of Thermomix and whizzing together on Speed 4 until just combined. (Don’t overmix or you will get an emulsion rather than a dressing.)
Dress each plate with salad greens
Add steamed seafood
Add red onion
Drizzle with dressing and serve with lemon wedges and Green Rice.
USE:
A beautiful dish to serve, it will add to the taste…I can assure you!

First things first! I have officially been added to the Foodie Blogroll, which is very exciting! (See my sidebar for more info!) You can check out some more fantastic food blogs by clicking on the links…but y’all come back now ya hear???
And to the recipe for today…I had some left over melted and then re-set chocolate, so needed to use that up rather than toss it, and rather than eat it one spoon at a time throughout the day, voila! We have a new slice in our household and I must say, a yummy one!

NEED:
For base;
1/2 cup peanut butter
25 grams butter at room temp
60 grams caster sugar
dash of vanilla extract
1 cup SR flour
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
For Topping:
150 grams dark chocolate chopped
1/2 cup condensed milk
30 grams unsalted butter
another dash of vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup dessicated coconut

DO:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C fan forced.
Line a 9 inch square pan with baking paper. (or use Silicone Pan, see below)
Put all ingredients for base in Thermomix bowl and whiz on Speed 5 or a bit higher until mix comes together in a ball.
Press into prepared pan.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
Prepare topping by placing everything except coconut into clean Thermomix bowl.
Using stirring function, heat to 37 degrees for around 3 minutes or until all melted and combined.
Add coconut and stir in.
Pour over base and set.
When completely cold, remove from pan and cut into squares.
Store in an airtight container in a cool environment…not the fridge!
You can leave the peanut butter out of the base if you wish and replace with butter.
USED: