How do you use your Thermomix?

[BeezeeBee]

I've had my Thermomix for about 3 months and I've only managed to make these:
- chilli pastes (fantastic)
- toasted and milled white pepper (vs toasting in pan and milling in processor)
- hot chocolate
- chopped and sauted garlic (not as golden as having it done in the wok)
- stir fried a couple of chicken dishes (colour a bit insipid and chicken pieces looked "beaten up")
- steamed vege then drizzle with garlic oil and soya sauce (saves washing up wok)
- cooked rice (very convenient but can't go beyond 400g. Texture not as fluffy as Panasonic rice cooker)
- steamed chicken for Hainanese Chicken Rice (delicious all-in-one dish. Shorter cooking time vs poaching)
- minced fish for patties (super easy)
- pasta with meatballs (yummy)
- bread (have yet to achieve success, but it's not my TMX's fault. I just need to fine tune my process)
- chocolate cake (KitchenAid is still better, but it's a faster way to get cake on the table)
- brownies (DS11 loves them!)
- sticky date pudding (easy)

How do you use your Thermomix? What are the winners? And what food didn't come out looking/tasting crash hot?

[Cuilidh]

Once I started using the recipes from the forum and not relying on the EDC so much, I don't think I have had one disappointment.  It has all be great!

[berringamababe]

I haven't cooked in a saucepan on the stove top for 3 years - since having my Thermomix.  I cook everything in it, I sometimes think one is just not enough. My 19 yr old daughter moved out of home at 17 and I bought her one, she makes more creative things then me and went on her teacher placement for a month and the one thing she missed the most was her Thermomix.
Once you get started you will just wonder how you did things with out it!

[Wonder]

While I love my TMX and use it everyday there are many dishes I prefer cooked the old fashioned way either in the oven or on the stove top. I love my pressure cooker and use the TMX to chop, make smoothies, custards, some biscuits, cakes, custards, rice and bread but still use the stove top for all casseroles etc.

[BeezeeBee]

I haven't cooked in a saucepan on the stove top for 3 years - since having my Thermomix.  I cook everything in it, I sometimes think one is just not enough.

Wow! True blue thermomix lover

What are your favourite dishes, berringamababe?

[BeezeeBee]

While I love my TMX and use it everyday there are many dishes I prefer cooked the old fashioned way either in the oven or on the stove top. I love my pressure cooker and use the TMX to chop, make smoothies, custards, some biscuits, cakes, custards, rice and bread but still use the stove top for all casseroles etc.

Wonder, what won't work in the TMX?

[Katiej]

I've had my TMX for 2 1/2 years and it is my most used and most treasured kitchen appliance. My DH cooks dinner a couple of days a week (as he is home from work much earlier than me) and he loves using the TMX. I love how I can print a recipe from the forum, hand it to him and when I get home from work dinner is almost ready.

I also love how having it has allowed me to do things I've never done before, like making bread, curry pastes, fudge etc. Its very handy if you're short on time or just can't be bothered, you can get a healthy meal on the table quicker than heading out for take-away.

Like Wonder, I still use other methods to cook. I often cook on the stove, in the oven or in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. Sometimes I just feel like stirring something on the stove or even using a knife to chop. Just depends how I feel or what I'm making.

[CreamPuff63]

While I love my TMX and use it everyday there are many dishes I prefer cooked the old fashioned way either in the oven or on the stove top. I love my pressure cooker and use the TMX to chop, make smoothies, custards, some biscuits, cakes, custards, rice and bread but still use the stove top for all casseroles etc.

Wonder, what won't work in the TMX?

For example some things need to be browned or quickly sealed, and more suited for pressure cooking because it only takes 1/3 of the time eg. braise

With some adaptation you may get a result in the TM but it won't be the same as using an alternative method.

[Wonder]

I particularly like the texture of pressure cooked meat and the quick time for it to cook and also much prefer the flavour of items browned on the stove top. Sometimes I also find it quicker and or easier to cook via traditional methods such as cooking pasta where it can get caught on the blades. I also find it just as easy to make most cakes in the kitchen aid as its easy to get the batter out of a bowl without a blade.  I really enjoy using each of my appliances for different purposes and don't see the TMX as replacing them all.

[BeezeeBee]

That's true, Wonder. Pasta gets caught in the TMX. Cake batter is a bit hard to pour out completely.

I do find myself thinking of duration of cooking vs how many pots/items to wash vs whether it's possible to cook in the TMX.

[obbie]

I use all my gadgets, all the time.
My thermomix, HMP, pressure cooker, the stove, oven pizza machine, Kitchen Aid.

Love making custards, sorbets, bread, rice, cakes, biscuit dough,  in a thermie machine.

Also, love the varoma for all in one meals.

Just makes you quicker in the kitchen.

[Bedlam]

Bzb, the more you use your thermie you get better with a spatula( i use a silicon one) and it gets easier getting batter out.
I use my thermie  everyday from porridge or smoothies for breaky, soups for lunch, risottos and preperation.  I dont tend to cook meat in it( personal choice) but it helps with food prep.  Love making jams,lemon spread etc and bread.
The more you do the more you will use it and it just becomes second nature.
Looking forward to reviews from your malaysian book.

[judydawn]

BZB, it sounds as though you have had quite a bit of success with your Thermomix and even if not everything is to your liking, I think you are having enough success to justify having it.

I find Tenina's garlic paste is so handy to have in the fridge and negates the need to stir fry garlic in any dish. If you don't have her For Food's Sake recipe book you will find the garlic paste directions in this recipe on her blog. Just scroll down until you come to the directions.

Stir fry chicken dishes.  These are some of my favourite chicken dishes - have you tried any of them?  I find thigh meat is much better than breasts and I usually defat them really well (because I'm very fussy) and cut them in halves as they will break up even more during the cooking but by leaving the pieces bigger, you will end up with some chunks in the finished dish. Because of the sauces, the finished dish has a lovely colour. Read the reviews and you will see how much these recipes are enjoyed and what people have done to tweak them for their own preferences. There are many lovely chicken recipes on the forum but these are 4 of my favourites.

Honey & Soy Chicken
Lemon Chicken cooked in a dish in the varoma
Tasty Chicken with tumeric rice
Nico's Thai Chilli Chicken & Basil

Have you tried making your own curry pastes, Worcestershire or tomato sauces, passata, curry powders, mayonnaise, jams, chutneys, sweet chilli sauce, balsamic glaze, pesto and so the list goes on to make so many pantry items with no preservatives.

I only had failures in the early days until I got to know the capabilities of the machine (plus I found this forum and that was the greatest help), nowadays failures are very rare and are usually human error not the fault of the TMX.

Keep trying recipes, you are doing fine BZB.  Check on the forum for reviews of those recipes from books and of course the recipes on here have their own reviews.   Read them before starting a recipe as you can pick up hints which may be relevant to you.

[Deniser]

I use my Thermie every day but also agree that sometimes traditional cooking is the order of the day.  Having said that I usually manage to use Thermie in there somewhere - chopping, pureeing etc.
I make all our bread - beautiful Naan bread the other day (Tenina Naan) and cooked it on a pizza stone using the (benchtop) pizza oven.
Have not bothered in this cold weather but also make all our yogurt in summer.  Ice creams and frozen mango bars etc. My DIL and son have a Thermie also and now that my beautiful grandbaby is 6 months old they are making all his baby foods. (perhaps I should say I am making all his baby foods while I visit).  DIL is Indian so lots of rice and spices and rubs - (but not in the baby food yet.)
The list goes on and on.  I too must say I only refer to the EDC for basics and always use the recipes that I find on the Forum. They are tried and true with lots of helpful hints and tweaks as you read through all the posts.

[Kimmyh]

I use mine almost everyday too. Have you tried CP's list, it's failsafe.
I make smoothies, grind nuts, scones, biscuits, cakes, icecream, cheesecake, desserts, yoghurt, lemon curd (just divine), breads, soups, risotto, sauces, relishes, quiches, muffins, lasagne, chicken and beef dishes, meatballs, etc, etc.

My favourites are:
Beef stroganoff Chelsea style
Quirky Jos chicken and cashew with coconut rice
Garlic prawn risotto
Honey mustard chicken
Plain white rolls no fuss
Zucchini pizza scrolls

A few tips i have learnt along the way, that might help:
- use a good flexible spatula to remove batters from bowl
- for bread dough, weigh in tap temp water and warm 2mins 37c, then add flour, yeast, etc.
- when cooking chicken in sauces, such as honey mustard, add diced chicken breast to 100c hot sauce mixture for the last 7-10 minutes of cooking time. This stops it shredding.
- a pastry brush will easily remove biscuit crumbs, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, etc. from the bowl

Keep going, you are doing well We all have an adjustment phase.