Thermomix Steamed Asparagus and Hollandaise Sauce

I couldn't believe how easy it is to achieve a perfectly smooth (not curdled) hollandaise. I'm sounding annoyingly smug now but one of the reasons I invested was to make sauces that I found to be too much of a faff.  There's still the jug to wash after it's done it's magic but the dishwasher can take care of that.

The salmon and asparagus were cooked in the Varoma (a fancy name for the steamer) and the new potatoes in the steamer basket which sits inside the jug.  After these were cooked I then got to work making the sauce using the whisk attachment but don't forget to wash the jug and cool down with cold water otherwise the hollandaise will turn to scrambled eggs when you put the egg yolks into the jug.

My sauce isn't the recommended Thermomix recipe, but I did use the method given in The Basic Cook Book which is supplied with the Thermie. I spent a few minutes Googling and came up with a recipe using less butter, the result was a thinner sauce but I found it perfect for this meal. Brilliantly this sauce cooks in 4 minutes!

Sauce being whisked

Potatoes in the steamer basket take about 30/40 minutes to cook

Salmon takes approximately 20 minutes 

Depending how thick the asparagus stalks are this should take between 10 and 20 minutes to cook in the Varoma.

Asparagus being steamed

For a Thin Hollandaise Sauce
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp cold water
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
50g butter melted

1. Add the egg yolks, cold water, lemon juice and seasoning to the jug.  Place the whisk on the blade. Whisk on speed 3 until doubled in size.
2. Making sure the Measuring Cup is placed on the lid. 4 mins/70C/Speed 3, steadily pour the melted butter onto the lid and it will slowly go trickle down into the jug and the sauce will thicken. Check to see if any more lemon juice and seasoning is required. Pour into a jug and serve.

I'm still getting to know my Thermie but to date I'm really pleased with the results. I know part of the sales talk is that it will replace all my kitchen gadgets but I've bought a shed load of gadgets over the years and reviewed lots too and I wouldn't part with any of them even though I may use them less often.

It's a shame you can't buy the Thermomix from stores but that's how they sell. My local demonstrator Marta is a Team Leader and really knows her product.  Recently I was invited to a fun morning watching Marta and a team of demonstrators putting the machine through it's paces.  It was a class aimed at people who had recently bought a machine or were keen to see a demonstration - it's a great way to meet new people too!

Thermomix #boughtbymeforme

Spicy Mince Beef Bake

I've been on holiday, the sun shone and our view from the apartment was a dream whether we sat on the small balcony or looked out through the patio door that spanned the whole width of our living area.  We went to the Mumbles in Swansea and it's a great place to visit for food and views.

No, I didn't make this lasagne whilst I was away, although the kitchen was amazing with everything you could wish for. We ate out for all our meals and why not when you are spoilt for choice in this fabulous location.

This is a great way to make lasagne with a twist by using the last of the tortillas instead of pasta sheets.

The meat base has a spicy kick, tortillas are far lighter to eat than pasta, the indulgent topping is made up of three different cheeses and the finished dish can be frozen.

The recipe is made in the conventional way - I've tried cooking mince beef in the Thermomix and it's okay if you like baby food!

If you are making this with small children in mind it's easy to leave out the chilli and simply puree the onions and red pepper to hide them.

Adapted from Mary Berry's Foolproof Cooking

You will need: 1.5 litre shallow ovenproof dish.

For the mince layer
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
500g/1lb 2oz beef mince
1 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp mango chutney
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1 small bunch fresh coriander, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To assemble
3 large tortilla wraps
250g full-fat mascarpone
100g mozzarella, grated
100g cheddar, grated

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C.
2. Pour the oil into a large ovenproof pan over a medium heat, add the chopped onions and fry for 3 minutes. Turn up the heat, add the mince beef and fry until brown, breaking up the meat.
3. Add the chilli, red pepper, garlic and spices and fry for 5 minutes, or until all the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is quite dry. Stir in the tomato purée, mango chutney, tinned tomatoes and salt and black pepper. Cover, bring to the boil and place in the oven for an hour.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and stir in half the chopped coriander. Raise the oven temperature to 200C.
5. Spread a third of the cooked mince beef mixture over the bottom of the ovenproof dish and lay one tortilla wrap on top. Spread a third of the mascarpone over the tortilla and sprinkle with a third of each of the mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses. Repeat twice more so you have 3 layers.
6. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Set aside for 5 minutes before serving and garnish with the remaining coriander.
7. Serve with a salad.