Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: Nighteyes_fitz on April 25, 2012, 10:52:33 am
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I've lost my Thermie mojo :'(
I want to use it to it's potential but I just haven't. I have one family member who is Gluten Free and I struggle with trying to make gluten free stuff. I don't know if I am doing things wrong but I find my thermie doesn't live up to my expectations in the area of grinding grains ect. Not sure if I am doing it wrong? But it doesn't turn them into the flours that I was lead to believe it would :(
Anyone have any tips?
What are your fave things to do in the thermie? What gives you your inspiration? I really need to get out of this slump because right now my thermie is just a very expensive paper weight sitting on my bench :(
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So sorry to hear how you've been feeling, Nighteyes_fitz. Glad you decided to reach out and two +++ heads hopefully will be better than one here on the forum.
My first thought is, do you have the Gluten Free recipe book? Secondly, have you been to Quirky Jo's blog for inspiration? http://quirkycooking.blogsport.com
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Thanks Celilia. I really enjoy Jo's blog. She uses alot of non gluten free stuff like spelt and oats and when I convert it doesn't really work out. This is hard for me to be honest. I used to be such a great cook. This gluten free bizzo has knocked me around!
I think I might end up living on here racking everyone's brains! I have heaps of gluten free cook books i just don't know how to convert to thermomix.
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Sorry, I should have asked if you knew there was a GF book put out by Thermomix in Australia.
I'll put a few links here, because I hate the thought of you struggling, but apart from making Cyndi O'Meara's GF bread, Quirky's GF Pizza base, cooking through quite a few recipes in the GF book and converting some recipes myself, I'm not the best person to advise - certainly not facing GF issues myself on a daily basis.
But here are a few to consider:
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=6613.0
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=8425.0
http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/search/tmrc_solr_recipe/gluten%20free?solrsort=&filters=-is_cck_field_recipes_variation%3A%5B%2A%20TO%20%2A%5D
Plus, check out Brazen's GF Thermomix blog:
http://brazen20au.blogspot.com.au/search/label/thermomix
All the very best to you and thanks for sharing your question.
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Welcome to the forum nighteyes_fitz,
Please don't give up, we will all do our very best to help you out. I don't have any experience with gluten free or grinding grains but I know there are others who definitely can help more.
I hope we can help you change your expensive paper weight into a very useful Thermomix :)
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the good thing is I KNOW it has potential to make my life so much easier..I just have to find it! ;D I'm stubborn...I don't give up easily haha
Cecilia I will have to get a copy of that book. Thanks for all your help ladies :-*
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I've posted a recipe for gluten free bread (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=9079.0), adapted from Dan lepard recipe. Seems like a good alternative. Sounds like you have been thrown by this new challenge. Try one thing at a time and get it right before you move on. Ask for help with each recipe.
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I don't have any experience with gluten free cooking but I have used spelt and rye in my breads. I'll put my thinking cap on.
Are you grinding your grains for at least a minute?
Do you like quinoa? I've only recently discovered it and love it.
Brazen's blog may be of help to you too. http://brazen20au.blogspot.com.au/
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Nighteyes lets break this down and have one success at a time and in no time you will feel like a winner in the kitchen again.
What is the one and very first thing that you would like to conquer successfully in your TMX for your family?
Let us know and we will all get you there!! We are all here and backing your so let us help (we love to do it by the way!!) :)
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NF, the girls have given you some great inspiration here with their links and suggestions. Good luck with finding your mojo and getting the best out of your TMX.
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Ahem.....call me!!! That is my job ;) :-)) To support you and help out!
I think we might need to organise your varoma demo and you should get to a cooking class too which will hopefully inspire you.
I am sure also that everyone on here will help
We all lose our mojo every now and then but GF plus your busy life makes for lots on your plate so remember to first be kind to yourself, then work on getting the mojo back! :-*
Call me!!!
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Nighteyes, I do hope you take Megan up on her offer! I'm sure she has a wealth of info to share. I don't have much to offer, as I don't cook gf everyday, but my bestfriend is coeliac and I do find that I can easily cater for her thanks to tmx. I haven't done alot of breads or anything like that, but I always have tmx veg stock paste and chicken stock paste in the fridge and that's gluten free, so find I can easily cook main meals for her, such as morroccan lamb from the forum, and chicken vindaloo from Tenina's site. Quinoa is great, as Cookie suggests and tmx makes superb polenta! Hang in there, as Faffa suggests, baby steps. You will get your cooking confidence and tmx mojo back, I'm sure!
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Hang in there NF with the forums support we will help you. :)
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From the special diets section on the forum here I have made the almond cake and the double choc chip cookies. They both turned out very well and everyone enjoyed them. Also I find grinding brown rice into flour is very easy and use this as a thickening agent in custards, gravies etc.
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Hang in there.
My daughter is now trying GF, it seems to help.
The GF cookbook is good, very easy to use.
I just substituted GF flour for normal flours too, when baking slices for her.
You will get there, 1 step at a time.
Robyn
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:D Meagan you have been so busy I didn't want to disturb you! I think I definitely need to do the Varoma demo. I think not really knowing how to use that effectively is like me missing half my machine. Although I have tried some things in it!
The kids are a bit iffy on the quinoa. I made a pastry that had quinoa in it and it was rejected from everyone!
I'm thinking I might start doing a few non gluten free things.
I'm off work and confined to bed due to the flu ( those swabs are naaaasty!!!) and looking like a pin cushion plus kids have just gone back to school today....longest 3 weeks of my life! So I have a few hours to peruse the forum.
Thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it. It's hard asking for help but when you do it really is easy! You guys make it easy to ask! :-*
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Hi Nighteyes, the only 'normal' cooking that is done in my TM is my husbands bread rolls. I cook gluten free all the time, get anxious if it is normal flour - not nearly as confident! Gluten free cooking can mean different things to people. For some, it is going a step further with no additives,preservates, colourings and sugar etc. For others, it is just eating 'normally' with a few twists.
For grinding grains, make sure you don't overload the machine and depending on the grains, don't be afraid to regrind to get the consistency you want. It will work! As has already been said Quirky Jo is a great place to start. We love her fermented waffles, cupcake and cake and use brown rice. They freeze really well.
Orgran brand, or White Wings gluten free flours are great to use, if you wish to make cakes and biscuits etc. I have made lots of the cakes and biscuits from this forum with great results. Of the top of my head, orange muffins, apple tea cakes, ginger biscuits are a few favorites. Just be mindful, your gluten free mixture will be a lot more runny then the wheat flour. If you have it stiffer it will turn out dry. Don't add extra flour to be the same consistency that you are used to.
Do t be afraid to ask for help. That expensive paperweight is like an extra pair of hands in the kitchen, it will save you heaps of time. :)
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I read a tip about taking the bowl out and cooling it down then grinding again. I was so worried about burning out the engine or over working my machine! Maybe I just need to not be so cautious and scared?
Luckily I was told straight away that gluten free things even dough is a batter so that was a good heads up for me.
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Nighteyes, if the machine is hot you can certainly cool it down by taking the bowl out. I think the noise is so loud it takes a while to know the noise is OK. Yes,don't be too cautious and remeber you can't ruin grain by over grinding.
Quirky Jo's fermented waffles, cake or muffins are a great place to start. She gives great instructions with her recipes when grinding grains.
Good luck with your cooking. :)