Hello from a 'large family'

[peppersmum]

Hi All,

I purchased a thermomix a few weeks ago and have been having fun with it for the last week.  We are a family of 7, 4 kids of our own and an exchange student staying with us for the rest of this year.  I am looking for some good recipes for a larger family and tips from other large families of how you make enough in your thermomix for everyone!

I have had some success and some not so great success this week (my soups seem to be too grainy), so looking forward to seeing what information is on offer here to tweak some of my cooking!

Thanks,

Michelle

[DizzyGirl]

Hello and welcome peppersmum. I have a small family of 3 so I can't help you with large meals. dede will be one to talk to.
Take Care and Happy Cooking
DG xxxx

[goldfish]

Hi Michelle - and welcome to the forum!  I'm sure you'll find plenty of help here - everyone is very friendly and extremely helpful!!  Try some of the recipes here - they've been tried, tweaked and tested!

To start with go to the home page and open up the soups thread - I'm sure you'll find some good ones there . .  let's know how you get on!

[achookwoman]

Welcome peppersmum.  What do you mean by 'grainy'?  Perhaps we can help.

[dede]

Hi Michelle, welcome to the forum. Yes I also have a family of 7 and sometimes I think 3 TM wouldn't be enough to feed them all. Lol.
I tend to prepare the main part of the meal before hand (like a casserole, etc) and use the TM to do all my veggies. I cook my potatoes in the basket and fill the varoma full of veggies. (plenty for us)
I don't make many all in one recipes as they are not enough to feed all of us.
I cook heaps and heaps of food for school/work. I'm finding I'm spending more and more time cooking for them all now as they grow and eat more.
I would hate to put all the food they eat in a week in one pile

[peppersmum]

Welcome peppersmum.  What do you mean by 'grainy'?  Perhaps we can help.

Well I have cooked the pumpkin soup from the EDC and converted my mum's Brocolli Soup and both taste great but it's like it's not cooked completely.  When I do them traditionally it's completely soft, but these tasted like I would imagine a raw 'warm' soup to taste or something.  I had a read on the problems forum bit and found a few other posts saying the same.  Is it just a matter of cooking it for longer than the recipe says maybe?

[peppersmum]

Hi Michelle, welcome to the forum. Yes I also have a family of 7 and sometimes I think 3 TM wouldn't be enough to feed them all. Lol.
I tend to prepare the main part of the meal before hand (like a casserole, etc) and use the TM to do all my veggies. I cook my potatoes in the basket and fill the varoma full of veggies. (plenty for us)
I don't make many all in one recipes as they are not enough to feed all of us.
I cook heaps and heaps of food for school/work. I'm finding I'm spending more and more time cooking for them all now as they grow and eat more.
I would hate to put all the food they eat in a week in one pile

Thanks dede, good to know what other large families are doing!  I haven't used the varoma yet, my next thing to try (need to have a demo too soon), so it's probably an extra bit of it I can use to do parts of a meal!

[dede]

I know there was a few problems with pumpkin soup as it depends on what type of pumpkin you use, some are fine to leave the skin on where others not so good as they leave the soup grainy. But my lot are not big soup fans (I love it though) so I have not made much with the TM

[dede]

Oh the varoma is excellent for steaming your veggies, I hardly ever use pots anymore as the TM does it all.
Another great side dish is the TM non fried rice. It makes absolutely a massive amount and is so filling and yummy. I love the forums chicken kievs and fried rice. Yum yum yum.

[ElleG]

Hi Michelle and welcome. Did you leave the skin on the pumpkin when you cooked the soup? I never do, always think it leaves a 'taste' and it's not smooth.

Cooking with the TM is just like cooking with any other machine. Check to see if the soup is cooked and very soft before you blend it. If it isn't cook for a little while longer. Make sure you blend it well if you are after a silky smooth soup. I will go to speed 9 - 10 and check after 30 secs and repeat if needed. Soups are one of the easiest TM dishes - try a few from the forum, and will feedlots esp with homemade bread 

Have you tried a risotto? They are devine and I notice there are some recipes around for desert ones. And I have fed 6 with leftovers, so perhaps big enough for you family. Lots of desert recipes will feed your 7, have fun.

[faffa_70]

Hi Michelle we are a family of 7 too and I cook EVERYTHING in the TMX 

I find ways to bulk up meals etc and use your Thermoserver(s) as it is your best friend.

Things like cooking rice for the meal and steaming vegetables in the varoma at the same time (I use brown rice so plenty of cooking time for the veg) put them into thermoservers and then cook the main.

Often cook bread/rolls to go with soups. Make sure your soups are well cooked if they are a blended soup (I only use the skin if I am using butternut) and always blend for 1 min on speed 10 - get's it really silky.

Even if you need to cook a meal twice in the Thermomix to feed everyone it is really easy and quick. I get everything out to cook the first batch, leave it all on the bench and when it is cooking start preparing for the second. (e.g. peeling onions and veg etc) when the first is cooked in the Thermoserver it goes and I start on the second batch. By the time that is cooking and I call everyone to set the table etc and start dishing from the first batch the second is cooked and ready to go - easy!!

Enjoy

p.s. I am sure that I would cook with other methods but I have the oldest slowest most crappiest of electric stoves that it is most certainly quicker to even cook two batches in my Thermomix!! One day I may get a new stove lol

[dede]

Another great thing is having 2 TM bowls. I can be cooking the main part of the meal in the TM and have the second bowl all loaded up with veggies ready to put on the base as soon as the first bowl comes off. With a big family I really do recommend 2 TM bowls

[Cornish Cream]

Welcome to the forum peppersmum

[cookie1]

Welcome Michelle. There are only 3 of us so I can't help much on the cooking in bulk.

[peppersmum]

I cooked with butternut and peeled it so sounds like I need to try cooking it longer

Thanks everyone!