Lentil dhal the thermomix way

Same recipe as below, adapted by me for Thermione.  Again, in memory of Steve Neville.

Lentil Dhal:

two shallots, peeled and halved
ginger, peeled, enough to give about 1 tsp when grated, cut into 'coins'
1 plump garlic clove, peeled
Put all of the above into the bowl and zizz briefly until reduced almost to a paste but not quite.  If necessary, push the mix back down and zizz again.

A splash of olive oil or a lump of butter/ghee
Add the oil or butter and saute on 90, 4 mins, speed 1-2

1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chilli powder, turmeric and cinnamon
Add the spices and continue saute-ing on 90, 4 minutes, speed 1-2 to cook out the spices.  Check and give it another few minutes if it smells 'raw' - this is very important.

200g red lentils
1 heaped tsp vegetable stock paste, marigold or equivalent
boiling water
black pepper
Weigh in the lentils and stir briefly.
Pour in enough boiling water to cover the blade unit, add the stock paste (or equivalent) and some black pepper.
Cook for 15 mins at 100, reverse speed 1-2.  Check and give it a bit longer if it's not at the desired consistency.  It should be like gloopy porridge in texture.  Taste and adjust salt/pepper as required.

I've just made it, to work out the adaptations, and it really is delicious.  Thermo-ing, even on reverse, does reduce the lentils to mush, but they do anyway in this recipe.  If you want something with a bit more bite to it, use green or brown lentils instead and cook until they are soft.

I used mild chilli powder and, after tasting, added a bit of chilli puree.  I wish I'd thought to add a red chilli to the first stage.  I have one and I think it would have added much to the flavour.  Something to make a note of and do next time.  I didn't add salt because the stock paste is salty and I think this is very much down to individual taste anyway.

It has made a bowlful but it freezes well.

For Hazel (and anyone else who is interested): Lentil dhal

With thanks to the late and very much missed Steve Neville, whose recipe it originally was and who shared it with me many years ago now.  RIP, Steve.

Lentil dhal

Ingredients:

splash of olive oil

Two shallots, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tsp of ground coriander

Half tsp each of chilli powder, tumeric and cinnamon

1 tsp Marigold low salt vegetable bouillon powder (ar any other appropriate vegetable stock)

Boiling water

Black pepper

200g lentils (I used red)

Method:

Wash the lentils.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion, ginger and garlic and fry gently.

Then add the coriander, tumeric, chilli and cinnamon and fry for one or two minutes, stirring all the time.

Add the lentils, stir well.

Add the Marigold and some boiling water, until the lentils are covered.

Simmer until the lentils are cooked - you might need to add more water. It should be the consistency of thick porridge. Give it a stir now and again to prevent sticking.

I don't add any salt, but you could, if wanted.

This freezes well so make the full amount and save what you don't use for another day.

Tomato, chicken and lentil soup: a thermomix recipe

Just made this, it's very nice so I thought I would share it.  From the kitchen onto my blog, made up as I went along.  I'm sure it isn't original.
It has made enough for two really good portions and that's my lunch today sorted!

Tomato, chicken and lentil soup

one shallot, halved
one red chilli, deseeded
one rib of celery including the leaves if they are there, cut into chunks
half a carrot, peeled and chunked
1 clove garlic, peeled
Place all of the above in the bowl and chop briefly until nearly a paste but not quite.  It doesn't take very long.

a glug of olive oil (or other, whatever you have)
Saute for 2.5 mins, 90, speed 2

a can chopped tomatoes (around 400g)
equivalent amount water
2 heaped tbsp red lentils
a very heaped tsp chicken stock paste (or bought equivalent)
A good grinding of pepper
Cook for 20 mins, varoma heat, speed 2-3

Tomato puree
Squidge some tomato puree into the bowl.
Lay a folded tea towel over the cup[ and zizz for about 20 secs on 8-9, until the mixture is lovely and smooth
Check seasoning and texture and adjust if necessary.  The mixture might be quite thick and can be slackened with water or by some single cream or yogurt added just before serving.

Vegetarian version:
Use the vegetable stock cube paste (or a bought equivalent, such as Marigold) instead of the chicken paste.  You really can taste the chicken so it would be a totally different flavour.

The chilli adds a great tongue-tingle.  If you don't like chilli, just leave it out or maybe use a quarter of a red pepper instead.

Ooops!!

I debated in my mind for ages whether to post this here or in Diary of a Teacher, but decided that maybe here was the more appropriate place.

For Sunday dinner we had cauliflower.  We had more than that, of course, but this is about cauliflower.  I decided to use Thermione and the varoma function - a sort of steaming basket that sits on top of the main bowl for when one wants to steam (obviously).

So I cut up the cauli (firm and sound) and popped it in the varoma   Then I added water to the bowl, set the time, temperature and speed and off it went.  15 mins later I went back to find that the timer was counting down, the blade was gently stirring the boiling water and . . . the water wasn't boiling.  Somehow I'd set it all wrong and there was no heating.  For 15 minutes Thermione had been working and achieving - nothing!

Second try and this time it worked but it took longer, much longer than expected to steam the cauliflower.  Oh dear.  I decided that maybe I should conventionally steam cauliflower in future.

So I served up a rather belated dinner.  And you know what - the cauliflower was absolutely delicious.  Firm but tender.  No mush.  No soggy bits.  It might have taken longer than expected (no, I didn't consult with the cookery book - perhaps it would have been wise so to do) but I will certainly use Thermione again.  Only this time I will make sure the temperature is set properly!

You live and learn!

(oh, and by the way, the roast potatoes and roast parsnips we also had came from Beth's allotment, prepared and frozen before Christmas but never used because Christmas was cancelled - flu - and they were just utterly delicious. Many thanks to you and Alex for all your hard work last year!)

Autumnal Spiced Plums

It's been a yummy food day today and this stood out as special.

The recipe can be found here.  I didn't have enough honey so I used some golden syrup as well and it was jolly good!  I can recommend it unreservedly.

Here's the recipe, with all credit and admiration to Nigella Lawson, whose recipe it is.

Ingredients
1 k plums (I had less than that but it didn't matter)
125 mls honey
60mls maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick broken into 2 and 2 star anise
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
375 mls water

Wash, halve and stone the plums and place, cut side down in a large baking tray in a single layer
Bring to a boil the remaining ingredients and pour it over the plums.
Cover so that no steam can escape (I used foil)
Bake in the oven at 160C for between 45 and 60 mins.

Serve warm rather than hot with cream, yoghurt or custard.  Gorgeous!

Spicy parsnip soup: a thermomix recipe

. . . but  easy to do the more conventional way too.

It's more or less based on a soup I found online which I now can't find, annoyingly enough.  If I do, I'll edit this message.  I haven't got a bee-you-tee-ful photo, just this snap of the soup immediately after I had poured it from Thermione into the pyrex bowl.  I made the full amount but next time will halve the quantities as it made loads.

I'm trying this way of setting out Thermione recipes because I've seen it on another site and found it very helpful.  Any comments?

Ingredients and method 

a knob of butter
a medium onion (I used three shallots because that's what I had), quartered
two cloves of garlic
one red chilli (I deseeded mine)
a 'thumb' of ginger, peeled and sliced into 'coins'
Place all of these ingredients above in the bowl and zizz at speed 4/5 until chopped.
Saute for 4 mins at 100, speed 2

1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 cardomom pods
1 tsp garam masala
Place the spices in the bowl and continue to saute as above for another 5 mins by which time it should be smelling wonderfully aromatic.

6 large-ish parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
Toss the parsnips into the bowl and chop on speed 6 until the chunks are small - it doesn't take long at all.

4 heaped tsps vegetable stock paste or a little more
1.2 litres water 
A grinding of pepper
Add the stock paste and pepper and then carefully pour in the water.  It should take the mixture up to the 2 litre mark.  Don't go any higher.
Cook for 25 mins, 100, speed 3/4.

Allow the mixture to cool slightly and then carefully zizz at 9/10 until the soup is very smooth and creamy in texture.  I took some out as I'm still slightly nervous about zizzing when it's nearly full.  I gave each half about 20 - 25 seconds.  As you blend, place a folded tea towel over the cup and gently keep it in place with your hand, being careful not to allow any steam to scald.
Taste and adjust salt seasoning if necessary.  Personally, I found the salt in the stock paste was just enough but if another stock was used it might need some adding.

The original recipe suggests re-eating up to boiling and serving with cream, olive oil, cumin seeds, sliced chilli and coriander leaves.  It would look pretty, certainly, but I'm going to reduce that to a good dollop of thick yoghurt and roughly chopped coriander leaves.

I gather it freezes well.

More about custard

Not too long ago I posted an entry about custard here.  Since then I have made a momentous discovery that has revolutionised my custard making.

I'd run out of good dark chocolate.  However, I did have some equally good, dark chocolate with mint oil stuff.  Really nice it was (thank you, Beth) - still is, in fact, as I have a bit left.  I wanted to make custard for S, my guest, so I used the minty chocolate as the basis and wow, it was so delicious.
This morning I used some orange chocolate for the same and it was equally mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

There's no stopping me now!!!  Butterscotch?  Lemon?  Ginger?  Oh, yes!
Spiced chilli - well, maybe not!