I noticed in todays 'West Australian' an ad at the Kitchen Warehouse shop for a machine called a Vita -Mix. It says it dices, chops, blends, kneads dough, mixes batters, cooks hot soup and grinds whole grains into flour. It's cost is $999.
Does the Thermomix have a competitor? I'm wondering if it has reverse and different speeds and temperatures. I am so curious that I hope to get to the local Kitchen Warehouse tomorrow and have a look.  I think the TMX is a much nicer looking machine. This just looks like a blender.

I'm off on a little holiday as of Friday until early June.  Off to Monkey Mia to see if I can catch a fish. DH is trying to pack the caravan but I've informed him he can't have 'Termite" until the last minute. I can hardly wait 4-5 weeks, sitting looking over the ocean with nothing to do except read, read, cook occasionally, try some wine, read, fish, read and did I mention reading?
I'm taking my netbook but phone coverage up there is pretty lousy at times so I don't hold out too much hope for my wifi. Hopefully I'll be able to look in occasionally.
Leaving the kids and birds to babysit the house and pay the bills.

Plum Jam
EDC
Tweaking

I used the plums and lemon juice as specified, reduced the cloves and cinnamon as the family aren't really into them and used 550g jam sugar.

The jam has a lovely flavour. I followed the method in the EDC but had to give it a little more time.

Recipe 4/5
Flavour 5/5

Hi South Australian friends. I've just heard that you had an earthquake/tremour last night. I hope none of you received any damage or scarey moments. thinking of you all. 

Panna-Cotta with Berry Coulis:  DJ has made some great suggestions for this recipe. Read down a bit and check them out
Serves 6:
Ingredients:
1 x 375ml can low fat evaporated milk
1 tablespoon  lemon rind in large pieces is best
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
110g caster sugar
1 cup natural yoghurt. I used TMX yoghurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 teaspoons gelatine

Preparation:
Place milk and lemon rind in  . 90⁰C Speed 2. 6 minutes.
Carefully remove lemon rind. Add vanilla, sugar and yoghurt. 30 seconds on Speed 3.
Mix lemon juice, water and gelatine in a glass container. Let sit for 5 minutes and then heat gently in the microwave until gelatine is dissolved.
Put TMX onto speed 2 and carefully pour the gelatine mixture through the MC hole. Blend on speed 2 for 20 seconds.
Spray 6 1/2 cup ramekins with oil and divide panna cotta between them. Cover and let sit over night.
When ready to serve, ease panna-cotta out of the ramekins and serve with berry coulis from the EDC.

This contains 838kj, 199.5 calories and 5.1g fat.
Recipe taken from a Pharmacy magazine. I can't remember which one.


Photos:


Tips/Hints:
I know we already have a few panna cotta recipes but this one is ideal to make just for family as it is low cal and is quick and easy.

Members' comments
Woerd - I made these the other day for company and they were a HUGE hit.  Made of course with TMX yogurt and the EDC fruit coulis on top of one side and then TMX made Dulce de leche on the other almost like a ying yang design.  I will definitely make them again and again and again and again.  MMMMMMMMMMMM

DJ - Have just made this.
UK tin of milk is 410g. It made 7 ramekins.
Used I whole orange squeezed for the juice and the rind as per instructions.
Only used 70g castor sugar and used 1 tsp vanilla bean paste.
Scraped out the bowl, yummy! Can't wait for tonight to try!
Thanks cookie very much. This was very good, especially soothing for a sore throat!
Could maybe have had even less sugar with the fresh orange.

Made this again today a hit with DH.
Used rind of both lemon and orange in the 410g tin of milk.
60g sugar, 1 squeezed orange, 1t vanilla paste etc etc.
Extremely delicious and not naughty!

Made this again with the whole squeezed orange.
Had a tired mango in fridge. Added that as well, blitzed first then added milk and cooked as per recipe.
No citrus rind this time.
Very good, thanks so much.

cookie1 - We had it with your variations DJ and it was perfect. Thanks.

DJ - Another variation - apricot and orange
With help from another of yours cookie
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=840.0

Today I used 100g dried apricot and 230 g water. Cooked on varoma,  counterclock 1 for 10 mins then 100 for 2 more mins. CHECK in case you need more water.
Blitzed, added evap milk 2 mins 70' speed 3.

Added 60g sugar, 3/4 tsp vanilla paste,
Juice and bits of whole orange and 2.5 tsp gelatine, soaked and melted.
And a heaped cup of yogurt, a mix of low fat and Greek as that was what I had.
Blitz again til smooth.
It made 8.
Will report. Trying to get more fruit into non fruit eaters. Might try with more apricot next time, see what I can get away with!
Update - PS these have been happily eaten tonight and although I think I'd like even more apricot I think I'd better stick at this level for the men! I guess maybe a coulis is the answer... After all that's what the original recipe said. It's just I've  been hiding as much fruit as I can in there.

DJ - Yet another variation inspired by cookie and chookie, two of the best forum cooks.

Chocolate, prune and orange! Only I said it was choc and orange, and never mentioned the prunes.

85 g prunes soaked several bours in approx 100g water. Then cooked in  locked on 100 til done. About 6 mins with a dash more water added. Blitz.
Add 1 tin evap milk, and 2 Tblsp COCOA powder. Heat 70' 2 mins speed 3.
Blitz again.
Add
I cup and 2 Tblsp yogurt and 60g castor sugar
2.5 tsp gelatine soaked in orange squeezed with bits, then melted.
20 seconds on speed 6 or 7
Put in ramekins and chill, I made 8, but UK evap milk tins slightly bigger.
Delicious. I can taste the prune and you could add more or less depending on preference.




 

 We've just returned from our little jaunt. Phew I seem to have so much to catch up on with the forum. We had a great time, headed to Mount Barker and Albany for a few days. The Ulysses Club (a motor bike club) are having their AGM in Albany this week, and wow there are some really fantastic bikes there. We also saw heaps and heaps on the road when we went over to Ravensthorpe. They are all so proud of their bikes and love to talk about them. We then headed inland to Lake Grace, Kulin and around there. Then slowly on to home. DD and I fly out to Singapore on Saturday so I'll have heaps of catch up reading to do when I return.

Hi Rainbow, I thought of you when I was at the Saturday markets. The food there is so fresh the mind boggles.

Isi, I'm glad you weren't ill and Kathryn my thoughts are with you.

Hi to all the new members and welcome.
Bye the bye. The TMX was so good to have in the van. Last year I hardly used it as I was get getting it out and putting it away. This time DH got me a board that sat on top of the hot plates in the van.  There it stayed unless we were moving. We had the best food we've ever had in the van (after 35+ years). It was so easy to do things.

Open Tomato Tart:
4:
Ingredients:
1-2 punnets of small tomatoes
1 quantity of short crust pastry EDC
1 quantity of Basil Pesto Dip EDC

Preparation:
Make all of the above and store in the refridgerator.
Roll out pastry to a circle or you could make small ones for each guest.
Spread with the basil dip to within an inch (2cm) of the edge.
Place tomatoes all over this.
Fold the edges up to make a free form tart.
Bake in a moderate oven 20-25 minutes. Individual tarts would take less.


Photos:


Tips/Hints:
I saw this in a Woolworths Fresh magazine then lost it. This is my adaption from memory.