{chorizo & chicken risotto in Hermie}

I have been doing Thermomix demonstrations for a number of months now and it has come that time in a Consultants life when your existing customers are sometimes coming back for more. What I mean, is that there might be a special offer for current owners so that they want to host another demonstration. And, although the demo menu is extensive, there is only so much Mushroom Risotto that people want to see. 

So, here is an alternative that I offer for such customers. It is a tweak on the Mushroom Risotto and has such a different flavour. Great for those that really enjoy a bit of meat in their meals and not a big dent in the weekly budget.

It is a real winner in my house and one of the dishes that Miss A (the fussy eater) approves of. She will eat it everytime I make it so I'm happy with that. Miss I loves it because she's not a fan of mushrooms and this has lots of flavour for her mature (4.5yr old) palette! Enjoy xx

100 grams parmesan cheese (block), cut into 2cm cubes
1 brown onion, peeled & halved
60 grams olive oil (or 30grams + 30grams butter)
1 chorizo sausage, skin removed, halved lengthways & sliced into small pieces
320 grams italian arborio rice
100 grams white wine
1 tablespoon TM vegetable stock concentrate
320-350 grams chicken thigh, cut into 3cm pieces (~ 4 small thighs)
720 grams water
100-200 grams baby spinach /rocket leaves

1. Place cheese into TM bowl and grate 20secs/ speed9. Set aside for later.
2. Rinse out bowl to ensure the cooking of the risotto does not burn later.
3. Place onion into TM bowl and chop 3secs/ speed 6. Scrape down sides of bowl.
4. Add oil and saute 3mins/ varoma/ reverse/ speed 1.
5. Meanwhile, prepare chorizo.
6. Scrape down sides of bowl and give the bottom of the TM bowl a stir to ensure no food is sticking to the bottom. Add chorizo to TM bowl and saute 2mins/ varoma/ reverse/ speed 1. Scrape down sides of bowl.
7. Add rice and manually stir through rest of the food. Saute 3mins/ varoma/ reverse/ speed 1. At the 1.5min mark, pour in wine (through the hole in the lid) and continue sautéing.
8. Add in stock concentrate, chicken & water. Note, you'll be very close to the 'max' mark in the TM bowl. Cook 15mins/ 100C/ reverse/ speed1.
9. While this is cooking, place spinach or rocket leaves into bottom of ThermoServer.
10. When risotto has finished cooking, pour into ThermoServer and sprinkle over some reserved parmesan. Rest for a further 5 mins.
11. Stir the risotto so that the leaves are throughout and serve piping hot with extra parmesan sprinkled on top.

Bon Appetit xx

Tip: I like to skin the chorizo sausage as I find it does not 'catch' on the blades. It is not 100% necessary but I think it makes for a better result.

{indonesian spicy roast chicken with hermie}

There are many ways to roast a chicken but for some reason I seem to find ones with Asian flavour combinations appeal to me more. It's probably because growing up in a Chinese Malaysian household, spices and herbs like ginger, spring onion, coriander, turmeric and chilli were a weekly staple, bought and used in everyday dishes. My palate is less familiar with 'western' herbs such as tarragon, sage and rosemary. Having said that, one of the unexpected benefits of having Hermie is that I am being more creative and my family is eating a larger variety of food. I'm getting better at cooking western meals and am slowly discovering new flavour combinations.

Having said that, there are times that I just crave rice and a meat and a vegetable dish. The recipe below is really handy and fits into this category. It comes from an 'essential' asian cookbook that has sat on my bookshelf for a while and I've finally had time to peruse it and mark out all the recipes I want to try. First off the list is this Indonesian Spicy Roast Chicken recipe. It's great to use the whole chicken if you're entertaining friends and family, however, if you want to keep it simple, just use some chicken pieces like drumsticks instead. Enjoy!

1.5-1.6kg whole chicken
1 red chilli
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons peppercorns
5 grams brown sugar
40 grams soy sauce
2 teaspoons turmeric
20 grams lime juice
drizzle of vegetable oil (can use butter)

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
2. Butterfly whole chicken and place on a roasting rack in a baking tray. Roast for 30mins.

3. Meanwhile, prepare marinade. Place chilli, garlic, peppercorns & brown sugar into TM bowl. Chop 5secs/ speed7. Scrape down sides of bowl.
4. Add in soy sauce, turmeric & lime juice (tip: squeeze lime directly onto lid with MC in to prevent pips going into bowl) and mix 3secs/ speed 4.
5. Take chicken out of oven after 30mins and pour marinade over the top. Using a basting brush, make sure it is spread out all over chicken. Drizzle over some vegetable oil over the chicken and roast for another 30-40mins until juices run clear.
6. Cut Asian style and serve with steamed rice and green vegetables (my favourite is to serve with Kang Kong stir fried with blachan, garlic and chilli).

Serves 4-6 in a shared meal.

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: To turn this into an all-in-one meal, after step 5, do not rinse the TM bowl out. Fill with 1500grams water and steam (300-400grams) rice in Hermie. This will produce a flavourful rice to go with your chicken. Cook for about 15-20mins/ varoma/ speed2. In the last 5 minutes, add some green veg, oyster sauce and sesame oil to the varoma and there you have it!

{CNY: chicken & jellyfish in hermie}

Chinese New Year is one of those celebrations that is always celebrated in my household. We may not be the most 'Chinese' of families however, I like to think that we keep a couple of the most important traditions to the celebration; the reunion dinner (a feast!) and the giving of 'hong pau' or 'red envelopes'. The reunion dinner is celebrated on the eve of Chinese New Year and we either go to a chinese restaurant or someone's house. With our families ever growing and little ones about, in recent years we have done less of the restaurant and more 'pot luck' where everyone brings 1 (or 2) traditional dishes. This year being the first year that I've got Hermie (or the Thermomix) I'm interested in seeing what I can cook in it to make this time of year easier.

The first dish that I'm trying is a Chicken and Jellyfish dish. Jellyfish you say? It sounds weird to non-Chinese people but in fact, it does not taste like much but instead provides texture to this dish. It can be found in Asian Grocers as is (usually near the green vegetables) or pre-prepared in packets sometimes with assorted flavourings. I buy the 'as is' variety as often the pre-prepared packets have MSG which I stay clear of.

When you have a look at this recipe, there's a bit of cooking and lots of mixing. However, I have found that using Hermie makes a big difference. You see, the most tedious part of this dish is the cooking and shredding of the chicken. I'm impatient and always want to shred the chicken apart as soon as it leaves the hot water and end up burning my hands. However, with Hermie, once the chicken is poached, you can literally shred the chicken in a few seconds. Time Saved! I hope you enjoy this and let me know if you try it.

1 good size handful of bunch coriander
1 chicken breast (about 350 grams)
330-350 gram uncooked jellyfish
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2/3 tablepoon sesame oil (preferably Ghee Hiang brand)
1/2 tablespoon Sriracha chilli sauce (or to taste)
2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1. Rinse off salt from jellyfish and soak in cold water for 2 hours. Change the water about every 30mins to reduce the amount of saltiness.
2. Meanwhile, place coriander into TM bowl and chop 2-3secs/ speed 6. Set aside in a bowl to be used for serving.
3. Place 1000 grams of water and chicken into TM bowl. Poach for 14mins/ 100C/ speed1/ reverse.
4. While the chicken is cooking, boil a kettle full of water. When done, empty the water soaking the jellyfish and give the jellyfish a final rinse. Place back in bowl and pour over hot boiled water. Once it 'shrivels' up (about 1-2minutes), drain from the water and slice thinly. Place into the serving bowl with the coriander.

Jellyfish soaking

After hot water

sliced thinly

5. When chicken has finished, drain off the water and shred 3secs/ speed 4/ reverse. We want a rough, coarse shred, one that is not too fine so be careful as 1 second can make a big difference.
6. Place chicken into serving bowl with the rest of the sauces and mix through. Put in the fridge until cool and serve as part of a banquet style meal.

Tips: This is best made the night before or morning of the dinner as the flavours develop further and should be served cold.

{chicken nuggets in hermie}

I was looking around the internet and social media trying to gain a little inspiration for something new Miss A could try eating. Everywhere you see, children love eating with their hands to feel what a new food is like and nuggets fit perfectly into this category. The trouble is, is that nearly every recipe I have found, contains a bit of parmesan cheese and uses an egg wash before crumbing. These are 2 things that Miss A cannot eat. 

Therefore, the below recipe is my take on the classic Chicken Nugget albeit a bit healthier and full of those ‘hidden’ vegetables that all parents like to sneak in. I find by adding a good amount of veggies means that the chicken breast does not dry out too much and the nuggets are still moist to eat. Enjoy xx

6 weet-bix

500-600 grams chicken breast, cut into ~4cm chunks
drizzle of garlic oil

1 small zucchini

1 leek, white part only, cut into 2 

300 grams sweet potato, cut into ~1 cm slices
5 turns of the ”Chef’s Choice” Sicilian style seafood seasoning or to taste (optional) - See note

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C.

2. Place weet-bix into TM bowl and crush 3secs/ speed 6. Set 2/3’s aside in a small shallow bowl. Place the rest of the weet-bix in a large bowl that will be used to combine all ingredients.

3. Place chicken into TM bowl. Mince 2-3 times/ 1-2secs/ closed lid position/ turbo. Set aside in the large bowl. 

4. Place zucchini, leek & sweet potato into TM bowl and chop 3secs/ speed6. Add garlic oil over the chicken. You don’t have to add the garlic infused oil however, I find it adds another layer of flavour to the nuggets. Saute 3mins/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse. Add to chicken in bowl & add seasoning or salt if using.

5. Mix with your hands and form either nugget style shapes or balls. Coat in the reserved weet-bix crumb and place on a lined oven tray. (This mixture is quite wet but works well if you use one gloved hand to make the nugget and one ‘naked’ hand to crumb the nugget.)

6. Once all nuggets/balls are complete, give them a quick spray of olive oil over the top.

7. Place in a pre-heated oven for 15minutes. Take the nuggets out and flip them over. Increase the temperature of the oven to 220C and bake another 10 minutes or until golden.

8. Take out of the oven when done and cool slightly before serving with your favourite tomato sauce.

Makes 40-45 nuggets.

Tips: These can be cooked in a frypan instead of oven baked however, they might end up a bit oilier. Also, I have used weet-bix to absorb a bit of the moisture in the mix however, a good batch of bread crumbs thrown in would do the trick too. Finally, I like to use a white zucchini because my Miss A loves to scrutinize her food before eating and it does not stand out as much in the mixture as the more common green zucchini.

Note: This seasoning looks like this:

{chicken congee in hermie}

When you are sick, a bowl of steaming hot chicken noodle soup always makes you feel better. Don't get me wrong, I still love a bowl of chicken noodle soup but there is something about a bowl of Chicken Congee that is just as perfect. It may be the ginger or the fact that it is so easy to eat, but when I was sick with a cold and my mum made it for me to feel better... I felt better. She also used to make barley water which I liked but this was nicer. I have also fed this to my 2 little munchkins Miss I and Miss A since quite small as it is quite healthy and easy to eat for babies. Some people prefer theirs with more texture and other with the rice broken down and the congee smooth. I consider myself to be right in the middle. If you prefer the latter, you could either cook it for longer so that the rice breaks down by itself or, you could give it a quick blend in the Thermomix at the end.

150 grams rice
1400 grams water
250-350grams chicken meat (parts with bones will provide more flavour) This is about 3-4 chicken thighs
Big thumb of ginger (or to taste)
8-10 dried scallops (optional)
2 spring onions
handful of coriander (or to taste)
2-3 lettuce leaves, cut into thin strips
white pepper to serve
fish sauce or salt (optional)

1. Add rice, water, chicken, ginger and dried scallops into bowl and cook 20mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse.
2. Remove chicken and manually shred into pieces (If you are lucky enough to have 2 Thermomix bowls, then use the other bowl to shred 3-4secs/ speed 4). While shredding chicken, cook for a further 15mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse with MC removed.
3. Re-add chicken back into TM bowl. Cook further 30mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse.
3. Chop spring onion and coriander into about 1cm pieces. Set aside.
4. Check consistency of congee when finished cooking. If it is not thick enough to your liking, cook a further 5-10mins and check again.
5. Serve scooped into a bowl, with spring onion, coriander, lettuce and pepper sprinkled over the top. Serve immediately.

This time I didn't have any lettuce to add but it was still delicious

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: I already serve this to my nearly 8 month old Miss A and this is why I have not added any salt to the congee. For an adult serve, add a teaspoon or more of fish sauce for the saltiness. It adds a nice flavour. If this is too strong for you, soy sauce or salt will do the job too.

{'claypot' chicken, mushroom & fu chuk in hermie}

Whenever I go overseas, I like to look in local book shops for recipe books from that country. This recipe is from one of those such books that I acquired when in Singapore from the famous Kinokuniya book shop. The book is full of claypot dishes that are overflowing with delicious, saucy dishes that are perfect served with a bowl of steamed rice. However, until now, I had only tried one of these dishes because I never got around to buying an actual claypot! 

Now with Hermie, I've decided to give a few more a go and this time round I have been really happy with the results... I'm not sure that I really need a claypot anymore. The original recipe is for a chicken and liver claypot however, I'd rather eat fu chuk (beancurd) and therefore replaced the liver.

fu chuk (beancurd) & dried chinese mushrooms

4 dried chinese mushrooms
4 fu chuk sticks (or as many as you want to taste)
good thumb of ginger, peeled
2 spring onions cut in 10 cm lengths
400-500 grams chicken thighs (5-6), cubed in 4cm

seasoning A:
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour

seasoning B:
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1. Soak mushrooms & fu chook sticks in Thermoserver with hot water.
2. Place ginger & spring onions in TM bowl. Chop 3 sec/ speed 6
3. Marinate chicken in seasoning A in a spare bowl.

4. Remove mushrooms from server, chop off stems and cut in half. Remove fu chuk from server and cut into about 8cm pieces (or however long you would like to eat them). Set aside.
5. Saute spring onion & ginger 2min/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse. Add mushroom. Cook a further 2 mins / varoma / stir speed / reverse.
6. Add chicken & seasoning B. Cook 17min/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse. Add fu chuk and stir through with spatula. Stand 5 minutes and then pour into thermoserver to keep warm until serving.
7. Serve with steamed white rice and asian greens for a complete meal.

Serves 4-5 as part of a shared meal.

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: Fu Chuk and dried chinese mushrooms can be found in all good Asian Grocery Stores. 

{thai inspired chicken sausage rolls in hermie}

There are some foods at parties that are always a winner and this is one of them. I first stumbled upon the original Thai inspired Sausage Rolls in one of my recipe books and since trying out the recipe have tweaked it slightly. They are super delicious and have been a staple for most birthday parties at home. They are popular with both the little and big ones and have evolved into an easy lunch for little Miss 3 and a half. 

1/2 bunch coriander, chopped in half

2 slices of day old bread

500 grams chicken meat (thigh or breast), cut into 3cm chunks, frozen for 2 hours

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce (optional)

12 Asparagus spears from a tin (or if using fresh, blanch until they are nearly soft)

3 sheets puff pastry

1 egg, lightly beaten

sesame seeds for sprinkling on top

sweet chilli sauce for serving

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Get puff pastry out of freezer as it will be easier to work with later.

2. Put coriander and bread into TM bowl and chop 15 sec / speed 5-6. This will make your bread crumbs. If they are still too chunky, blitz in 3 sec intervals until it looks ok. Put aside in a large bowl.

3. Place 1/2 the chicken in the TM bowl and mince 10sec / speed 7. Place in bowl with bread crumbs and coriander. Repeat with remaining chicken.

4. Add cumin, coriander and sweet chilli sauce to chicken in bowl. Mix all together with a spoon or your hand.

5. Place 1 sheet of the puff pastry onto a clean surface. Cut in half. Divide the chicken mince into 6 portions. Use 1 portion and spread in a long sausage shape down the middle of half the pastry sheet. Put 2 asparagus spears along the mince. Fold the pastry over the mince and seal tightly. Cut into 6 portions (or 4) and put on a baking tray. Brush with egg and sprinkle over sesame seeds. Repeat with remaining pastry and chicken mix.

6. Place trays in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and chicken is cooked inside. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Makes 36 bite sized sausage rolls.

Bon appetit xx

Tips: This can easily be made with store bought chicken mince. If you don't have a Thermomix, use a stick mixer or food processor to make the crumb mix and proceed from there. Also, these rolls are suitable to freeze either uncooked or cooked. If uncooked, then complete up to step 5 but leave the egg wash and sesame seeds until you are ready to cook straight from the freezer.

{soya sauce chicken in hermie}

For as long as I can remember, I have been eating a version of this chicken for dinner with my family. However, it has usually come from one of those Chinese BBQ meat places in Chinatown that have other assorted meats hanging in the window. Although I have attempted to make this at home the traditional way with a pot on the stove, somehow, this Thermomix version is easier still. The hardest part is chopping the chicken up at the end 'chinese' style without hacking it to pieces.

120 g soy sauce

150 g dark soy sauce

4 tablespoons shaoxing wine

15 ginger, peeled, sliced (I like mine quite strong so even more the better)

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3 star anise

2cm cinnamon stick (I just use the whole stick)

1.5 tablespoons sugar

900g boiling water

1-1.2kg whole chicken with parson's nose removed (depending on your chicken, i also remove as much fat around the neck part)

3 spring onions, cut in 10cm lengths

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Place sauces, wine, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, sugar and water into bowl. Cook 10min / 100C/ stir speed.

2. Place chicken bottom end down over into bowl around the blades. Do not tear the skin.

3. Stuff spring onions into chicken cavity.

4. Top up with boiling water so that sauce covers chicken as much as possible. Cook 30min / 90C/ stir speed. Place a bowl or mug over the hole in the top as MC will not fit. Chicken will rotate in the bowl whilst cooking.

5. After 30min, leave chicken in bowl for another 30-40 minutes to continue to poach. Remove.

6. Chop 'chinese' style through bones and all to serve seasoned with sesame oil and pepper.

I like to serve this with rice and some simple green vegetables steamed and gently seasoned with a sprinkling of sesame oil and oyster sauce. This can be done in the varoma while you are chopping up the chicken. For hardier vegetables such as bok choi or gai lan (using the stock as the steaming liquid) 10-12min / varoma / speed 3 for softer vegetables (e.g. cos lettuce) 3-5min / varoma / speed 3

Note: In my experience, the soya sauce chicken from shops usually looks a bit darker and this is probably due to the brand of sauces that they use. I personally do not like using MSG in my cooking (due to a food intolerance) and find that the AYAM brand does not contain it. However, it is not as dark and strong in flavour and this is probably why my chicken is not as dark but still just as flavoursome.

* Above recipe is originally printed in the "A Taste of Asia" Thermomix cookbook available here