Forum Thermomix

Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: littlemisstm on January 19, 2013, 03:11:48 pm

Title: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: littlemisstm on January 19, 2013, 03:11:48 pm
Hi everyone!

I've been observing on the site for a while now. I couldn't decide for months whether it was worth me getting a Thermomix or not and after finding a recipe for almost everything I cook, I took the plunge and bought one yesterday!! :D

I tried scrambled eggs in it this morning and it was a bit of a nightmare! It tasted lovely but I really had to scrub to get it off the bottom of the bowl and wasn't self-cleaning in the least bit! Has anyone else had this problem? I'm making soup for lunch in it at the moment and can't wait to see what it's like!

I just wanted to ask what were the first things you all made in your Thermomixers? And what would you recommend to a beginner?

I've not had a demonstration yet so a complete beginner!

Thank you!
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: past94x on January 19, 2013, 03:33:49 pm
Hi littlemisstm,
Welcome to the club! I live in Bedfordshire and, like you, could not make up my mind whether to buy a TM or not. I finally did, after a brilliant demo.I've only had it a week. I think you really need to have a demo to see the machine perform at it's best.
You're very brave to have tackled scrambled eggs first. I can imagine the bottom of the bowl being difficult to clean after making this. I have always used a non stick saucepan.
My first things were soup (red pepper & tomato), quiche, lemonade and bread. I am still getting the bread right - mine is a bit on the heavy side, but the rest of the things were fabulous. I have also made a couple of cakes and the veg TM stock. Do make this, it's lovely to have 6 months supply in the fridge.
Do try some soup - it's so smooth and delicious. The pastry (I made rich shortcrust from the Tm cookbook) was the best I have ever made and I thought I was always  quite good at pastry.
I was very excited awaiting delivery of my new toy, but when I had unpacked it, I just stood looking at it - terrifed. Anyway, thanks to some wonderful owners on this forum, I got into it and have used it several times a day since. I am madly in love with it, and give it a little stroke when I pass it in the kitchen. Good luck. Let us know how you get on. This forum really is smashing. Try and hurry that demo up. Mine was brilliant  and you learn such a lot..
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: Cornish Cream on January 19, 2013, 04:16:31 pm
Welcome to the forum littlemisstm from another UK member. :)
Congratulations on taking the plunge and buying the TM.I haven't made scrambled eggs in the TM,I read the reviews on here about the difficulty cleaning and chickened out :D prefer like p94x to cook them in a non stick pan. ;)
There are many vegetarian members here on the forum so you will be in good company making delicious food.
Enjoy your demo and happy cooking ;D
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: mcmich on January 19, 2013, 07:09:55 pm
Welcome to the forum LMTM. You won't regret your purchase for a moment.
There is a good vegetarian section in recipes and the taste of vegetarian cookbook is also great.
Have fun.  :)
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: DizzyGirl on January 19, 2013, 08:22:50 pm
Hello and welcome. The thermomix will make cooking a breeze and an enjoyable experience.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: Cuilidh on January 19, 2013, 09:56:33 pm
Welcome to the forum, littlemisstm.  I am a vegetarian (and, in fact, due to my husband's lactose intolerance, now cook mainly vegan). 

There is a huge range of recipes to choose from and many are easy to convert to vegetarian simply by using tofu instead of meat.  One of my all time favourites is Quriky Jo's Chicken and Cashews with Coconut Satay Sauce and Coconut Rice (http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/chicken-and-cashews-with-coconut-satay.html) - I simply used firm tofu instead of chicken (try to marinade it first for an hour or so if you have the time).  Give it a try, it is very straightforward and Quirky Jo's blog is also an excellent source of recipes. 

Over here in Australia there is a book called Rainbow Recipes by Aileen Sforcina which has loads of good ideas, as does the TMX Vegetarian cook book.  I recently discovered a couple of useful recipe books (thanks to mcmich's SS gift) from a cafe called Revive in Auckland, New Zealand.  Not TMX, but I think they would be easy enough to convert - I am trying my first conversion from one today.

There are lots of other vegetarians on the forum as well so I think you will not lack for inspiration or ideas.  Good luck and enjoy your cooking.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: judydawn on January 19, 2013, 11:48:48 pm
Hello littlemisstm, welcome to yet another UK member - it's wonderful to see the numbers growing from over there.
I would never bother with making scrambled eggs in the TM either, I can whip them up on the stove top in a non-stick pan quicker than making the toast to go with them!  The self cleaning function works really well with most other things though so don't worry about that aspect of it. 

These (http://thermomix.superkitchenmachine.com/products/super-scrubbies-bulk) little gems are perfect for cleaning your Thermomix (and anything else in the house).  I have bought them and given them to all my non-TMX owning friends who all give them glowing reports. 

This (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=6470.0) is the best list of recipes -  check out anything that takes your fancy and you will see from the reviews that they are a very popular choice for this list of CP's.

Hopefully you will have your demo soon, I really think it helps to have one - you will have a much better idea of what the machine can do after that.  In the meantime, chop carefully - less time is best, you can always add more but just a second or two too long and you will have mush eg for onions, I ignore all instructions and chop them for 2 sec/speed 5 as I like a chunky look.  Another second if you want them smaller.  I also sauté them on varoma temp for 4-5 minutes/reverse/speed 1 as it alleviates the raw onion taste.

Good luck with your cooking, please do let us know how you are progressing, what you have made etc.  In time, you will be posting your own conversions on here - you may not believe it at the moment but you will get there.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: mab19 on January 20, 2013, 04:24:52 am
Welcome to the forum littlemisstm and congratulations on the purchase of your tmx.  You are going to love it. :)
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: cookie1 on January 20, 2013, 08:27:45 am
Welcome. I can imagine how difficult it must have been cleaning up after the scrambled eggs.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: Kimmyh on January 20, 2013, 08:37:38 am
Hi littlemisstm and welcome. I haven't attempted scrambled eggs yet but the first things I cooked were the TM veg stock, pumpkin soup and the EDC mushroom risotto.  I had the demo before I bought and found it invaluable as will you.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: droverjess on January 20, 2013, 09:52:56 am
Welcome and hello.
You've been given a lot of good tips already.
There are some real pros on here.
Enjoy the journey, it is not all plain sailing but good fun and good food all the way.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: littlemisstm on January 20, 2013, 01:37:37 pm
Thank you so much for all the lovely messages!  ;D

I feel a bit reassured. I tried ratatouille today and for some reason ended up with a more soup like consistency than I normally like for my ratatouille! Trying mash potatoes now. But afterwards I think I'll stick to soups until I have my demo.

Thank you again!  ;D
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: achookwoman on January 20, 2013, 08:30:44 pm
Welcome,  Littlemisstm,  as Judy says , it is easy to oner process.  This is probably the mistake most of us make.  While you wait for your Demo,  try a couple of the recipes here.  Have fun.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: astarra on January 20, 2013, 10:31:18 pm
Hello and welcome littlemisstm!  ;)
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: obbie on January 21, 2013, 12:22:29 am
Hi and welcome
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: Yvette on January 21, 2013, 03:39:35 am
Hi and welcome to the forum, I wouldn't be bothered making scrambed eggs in the TM too fussy  :)
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: ThermomixBlogger on January 21, 2013, 07:08:38 am
Hi littlemisstm!

Well, like you I had to try this... Scrambled eggs were one of the first things I made with my Thermie and like you, was disappointed.  :-[ It takes a while to get a feel for certain things and also, to get friendly with the REVERSE function. I didn't realize it myself till I'd had the machine for a while, but that REVERSE function is just about as important as the forward function. :o Sounds strange, but after you've used it a while, you'll get to know what we mean.

Thanks too, to Judydawn  for mentioning the Super Scrubbies (http://thermomix.superkitchenmachine.com/products/super-scrubbies-bulk) that I sell in the Kitchen Kit shop. :-[ :-* Also the little brushes that are included in the Kitchen Kits are super helpful. If you do any baking, you'll find these tools really helpful for cleaning dough out from between the blades.

Great to hear you are experimenting with your new toy. That's where all the fun is > in the discoveries we make for ourselves. We're all continually learning here, and learning feels so good in the brain. ;)
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: trudy on January 21, 2013, 08:40:59 am
Welcome to the forum.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: CreamPuff63 on January 21, 2013, 02:32:32 pm
I always make my scrambled egg in the microwave with a dash of milk and chopped parsley, S & P for about 20 secs (1 egg). Adjust time to suit when you give it a stir with a fork. Don't waste your time cleaning the TM when you could be making something else. I make a lovely poached egg or two from this forum though, and the flavour beats the MW hands down,
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: Alexis on January 23, 2013, 10:57:24 am
Hi and welcome. I'm vegetarian too and use my TM all the time. The first thing I made was custard and it is fantastic!!!! Also the Lemon Ice thingy, but its probably too cold in England right now for that. I make a lot of the chicken recipes, substituting with potato sometime or just leave out. The recipes still work beautifully. Some of the recipes in Tenina Holders books are great. Visit her web site and there are heaps of free recipes. Good luck.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: jmc296 on March 16, 2013, 01:32:52 pm
Hi!  I'm from GB too, living in Chelmsford.  It's great to see other UK residents with TMs.  I've had mine for more or less three weeks now and have done all sorts of things but the first things I made were lemon curd (gorgeous), leek and potato soup (also gorgeous) and - oh, I forget now - no I don't, it was cheese sauce.  I've used it loads since then and now my custards are lump free and scrummy!

Do try the orange squash in the FEC book and then use the left over pulp to make fruit spread.  I've just made them today and they're both absolutely delicious and all from two oranges, one lemon and some sugar - and a little bit of citric acid!

J
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: Katya on March 16, 2013, 02:33:00 pm
Welcome to all the UK members - I'm another one and hail from Sheffield.  I've had my machine for about 3.5 years now and I can't imagine life without it.   It has really reignited my enthusiasm for cooking.  I just wish it was better known over here.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: jmc296 on March 16, 2013, 03:08:21 pm
So do I - I know it's expensive but it does such a lot and three weeks in I can't imagine being without it!

J
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: Girlpower247 on March 17, 2013, 01:44:14 am
Hi and welcome to the forum :)
I haven't tried scrabbled eggs in my TM, couldn't be bothered trying to clean the mess off the bowl and like many others find it so quick and mess free in a non stick frypan also.

The first thing my consultant and I made together was the veggie stock concentrate, so handy to have on hand, mine was salt free, so I froze
it in ice cube trays initially and transferred the cubes to a zip lock bag (I don't tolerate much salt)

I can also vouch for the super kitchen kit which has the scrubbie, spatula and small double ended cleaning brush.
I got the twin pack lovers kit - well worth it.
Use them all the time and I just love the little brush, bent mine at a 90 degree angle which allows me to get the small end under all blades with out having to remove them first....the only time I do so now is when Ive made bread doughs.
The other end is great for cleaning the lip either side of TM base (where the TM jug slots into)

You will find so many recipes and help on this forum, it just never sleeps :)
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: Augusta on March 17, 2013, 09:48:01 am
Hi and welcome, I know what u mean about there not being as much interest in the UK for the thermomix, when I told my sister who lives in Southampton about mine (with much excitement i might add) she just looked at me with a blank expression so I'm paying her a visit in May and I will be showing her the web site and the forum. You definitely need the demo and then there will be nothing holding you back. Good cooking.
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: Bonsai on March 17, 2013, 11:59:27 am
Hi and welcome. I grew up in Reading (Tilehurst) before moving to Australia in the 1970s. I agree with everyone regarding the scrambled eggs (don't like them much anyway and,the mess!). Vegetarian food is great in the Thermomix - there are
Iots of good recipes that others have linked to already.  Home made cheese is a possibility, as is yogurt and paneer.

EnjouM
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: joolsmicra on March 18, 2013, 07:36:06 pm
You will love it....(another uk resident, from Sheffield!)We all have the odd disaster, but I use mine almost every day in winter for soup, and in summer I use it as my range cooker is switched off....you were very brave to try scramled eggs!I have the same problem with porridge!
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: Katya on March 18, 2013, 09:01:59 pm
Good to see you again joolsmicra ... Have you tried cooking your porridge at speed 3 and then filling the jug with water immediately after you've served up the porridge?  It works a treat for me  ;)
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: joolsmicra on March 19, 2013, 11:10:47 am
will try that Katya.....Im back on here to try some new recipes...Im getting a bit predictable!(rissotto, soup, cheese sauce, tomato sauce!oh, and curry!) Its 'souping' away at the mo, and smells lovely!
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: jmc296 on March 19, 2013, 08:07:57 pm
I haven't tried scrambled egg in my tmx but I have done boiled eggs using the basket and they were perfect!
Title: Re: New vegetarian Thermomix owner from Reading, UK
Post by: jo_nz on March 19, 2013, 10:52:06 pm
Hi & welcome!!

I haven't tried scrambled eggs, and maybe I won't now...sounds far too messy for my liking.  And I prefer them stirred infrequently while cooking.
I agree that boiled eggs are easy peasy in the tmx.  I often do them for the kids' lunches - pop them in, set them going, and carry on with getting everyone ready.  No over-cooking or forgetting to put the timer on!  ;)