by Arwen | Oct 13, 2017 | Foodie Adventures, Thermomix, Thermomix Tips
I’m so excited that Dani Valent has answered my Famous ThermoFive questions. She is my foodie/Thermomix hero & she is coming to Tasmania next week & will be in Hobart for her Entertaining with Dani Valent Cooking Class on Wed 18th Oct at 6.30pm. It will be the best $70 you will spend in a long time – trust me!! Book here there only a few spots are left 🙂 (Did I mention the Entertaining with Dani Valent Cookbook is my favourite Thermomix Cookbook?!) If you can’t make it to the class, I recommend signing up to Dani Valent Cooking, Dani’s awesome online video subscription site for amazing Thermomix recipes, tips & tricks.
FAMOUS THERMOFIVE
1. What do you love about your Thermomix?
I love the fact my Thermomix is there to help me with whatever I want to do. When I’m in a rush and just need to get dinner on the table, there it is! When I’m feeling creative and want to try new techniques or ingredients, there it is! When I need to replenish my basics – stock, pesto, flours, yoghurt, dips – there it is again. And, of course, when I need an emergency cocktail or cheesecake, there it is again!
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
I’ll always have a soft spot for vegetable stock paste. It’s one of the first things I made in my Thermomix when I got my first one in 2008 and there’s barely been a day that I haven’t had some on hand since. I feel honestly unequipped to go forth through life without it! And fave book…well, I’m very fond of this lovely Entertaining book right now 😉
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
Trust it! Your Thermomix is your best friend in the kitchen: reliable and always there for you. Let it be the confidence boost that allows you to try new dishes, flavours and experiences. I love hearing that people have made their first curry paste, or tried bread making for the first time, or felt equipped and inspired to host a dinner party – that’s what my cookbooks and videos are all about!
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
I’m a sucker for a grain salad – steamed grains in the Thermomix, perhaps with steamed vegies or vegies that I roast in the oven. It’s endlessly adaptable and even if I’m having a ‘oh my goodness there’s no food in the house!’ day I can still scrape together something delicious and nourishing. My secret is to always have condiments on hand – kimchi, vadouvan curry powder, furikake, chutney, for example – and then you can turn any basic meal into something special.
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
I’m thinking new cocktails for summer – my mind is buzzing with ideas. I can tell this is going to be pretty tough research!
Thanks so much Dani Valent, we are all so excited about your upcoming cooking class.
See my other Famous ThermoFive interviews here.
by Arwen | Jun 1, 2017 | Breakfast, Dinner, Food Styling, Foodie Adventures, Photography, Thermomix, Thermomix Recipes
I can not believe it – I made it to Lake Como!! Thanks so much to all my amazing customers & friends you are totally awesome!! I will be continuing my Italian Cooking Adventures until I make it to 50 recipes to celebrate 🙂
If I was a nail biter I’d be biting them right now lol!!
Here is the latest update for operation Lake Como – 30 Sales in 30 Days – Challenge accepted!! Things are about to get even crazier!!
Thanks to all my friends & customers for their ongoing support for my Thermomix Business 🙂
I am sooooo excited!! As an Independent Thermomix Consultant we have the opportunity to earn our way to a reward trip to Lake Como in Italy, including a guided foodie tour by WA Chef Nico Moretti!!
Only the top selling 51 consultants from (1st Jan-30th June 2017) in Australia & New Zealand will get to go & I plan to be one of them. (We can sell a Thermomix to anyone in Australia)
Just for a bit of fun every time I get another point towards Lake Como, I am going to make an Italian recipe in the Thermomix & share the photo 🙂
Do you have any favourite Italian recipes you think I should try? I will only need to cook 50 plus recipes in the next 6 months!!
And anyone who hosts a Cooking Experience with 2 or more guests between 9th Jan & 30th April will go into the draw to win a Trip for 2 to Lake Como as well! I hope one of my customers wins the prize!
Join me as I cook my way through Italian Recipes using my Thermomix – 1 recipe for each time I make a sale – I need over 50 sales before the end of June to get to the Thermomix Reward Trip in Lake Como. I do love a good challenge.
See my Facebook Album here.
1. I’m counting this as an Italian Recipe – It is the Inside Out Chicken Parmigiana – Not traditional but very delicious! It’s from the Entertaining with Dani Valent Cookbook.
2. Homemade Pizza Dough
3. I also made Nico’s Ragu Di Pomodoro E Peperoncini – Spiced tomato sauce for the base of the pizza.
4. Homemade pasta dough in the Thermomix made into Spaghetti with Ragu Di Pomodoro E Peperoncini (Spiced Tomato Sauce & Cheese)
5. Dani Valent Cooking Red Wine -Braised Beef with Polenta Cremoso recipe by Joseph Vargetto (I used the truffle polenta I bought at the Essential Ingredient) – The dish tastes better than it looks!
The pasta & truffle polenta I bought at the Essential Ingredient in Newcastle 🙂
6: Tiramisu for 2 (in a jar – one for me & one for my friend & customer who upgraded her Thermomix at the start of March) I used the recipe from the Basic cookbook & added my own homemade vanilla bean paste. I made 1/3 of the recipe so I didn’t have to eat too much 🙂
7: Nico Moretti recipe for Spinach & Ricotta “Gnudi” – “Gnudi” are a classic Tuscan dish, and it’s like ravioli, but without the pasta (just the filling). These light & fluffy gnudi are STEAMED in the VAROMA and served with a fresh Salsa di Pomodoro (Tomato Pasta Sauce)
8. A regular recipe made at our place is homemade pesto, delicious as a quick sauce on pasta or spread on toast with fresh homegrown tomatoes is just heaven.
9. Nico Moretti’s recipe for White Chocolate Pannacotta
10. A family favourite Lasagne – all the elements are cooked in the Thermomix the meat sauce, the béchamel white sauce, the fresh pasta dough & grated cheese. Then into the oven YUM!!
Italian Pantry Shopping – opps someone drank the prosecco 🙂
11. Italian Style Lamb Shank served on Cauli mash with truffle salt. The sauce was made in the Thermomix then poured over the lamb shanks that went into the oven in a casserole dish slow cooked for 2 hours.
12. Puttanesca sauce made in the Thermomix & I cooked the dry pasta I bought at the essential ingredient. (A favourite Italian recipe from one of my customers who just upgraded to a new Thermomix)
13. Potato Sciacciata recipe from In the Mix 2, a Tuscan version of focaccia with potato in it.
14.Spaghetti Carbonara recipe from the Thermomix Basic Cookbook.
16 & 17 (home made) Potato Gnocchi with Pork & Fennel Ragu – A Nico Moretti recipe from his cookbook Delicious Journeys.
18. Osso Bucco – I make the sauce in the Thermomix & seal the floured Osso Bucco meat in a pan & then baked in the oven with the sauce for 2 hours 🙂
19. Orechiette Con Broccoli – another Nico Moretti recipe from his Delicious Journeys cookbook. I cooked the sauce in the Thermomix & the pasta & broccoli in a big pot.
20. Chicken Cacciatore recipe from The Basic Cookbook
21. Meatballs in Tomato sauce with mushrooms. I added mushrooms to the recipe from The Basic Cookbook. We have made it many times at my customers Thermomix Cooking experiences (The meatballs are steamed over a tomato sauce)
22. Italian Hot Chocolate
22. Ciabatta
23. Torte Pasqualina – I accidentally didn’t get the recipe right lol!! I cracked all my egg into the mixture & then realised I was supposed to keep some whole lol!!
24. Ricotta & Spinach Cannelloni
25. (Recipe from one of my Italian Customers) Sylvia’s Almond Bocconcini.
26. Minestone Soup
27. Tajarin with truffle butter & truffled egg yolk 🙂 Recipe from the truffle cookbook by Rodney Dunn – I just thermofied the recipe where I could 🙂 I used the truffle I bought from Duncan Garvey Perigord Truffles of Tasmania ❤️
28. Gnocco Fritto, deep fried bread. I made the dough in the Thermomix 🙂
29. Roman-Style Semolina Gnocchi.
30. Pumpkin & Blue Cheese Arancini
31. Red Wine Risotto (I didn’t like this recipe 🙁 )
32. Hazelnut Chocolate Spread 🙂 (Recipe in the Basic Cookbook)
33. Chocolate Ravioli with Orange & Apricot Sauce – A Joseph Vargetto recipe from Dani Valent Cooking.
34. Sundried Tomato Focaccia
35. Limoncello
Ingredients top up from the Italian Pantry
36. Homemade mozzarella cheese
37. Raviolo with ricotta & truffle infused egg yolk
38. Ricotta filled ravioli with burnt butter truffles & thyme
39.Squid ink pasta
40. Squid ink pasta with prawns in a spicy tomato sauce
41. Quattro formaggi and walnuts (4 cheese pizza)
42. Classic Calzone
43. Napoli Potato Cake
44. Torta Caprese
45. Stracciatella Ice Cream
46. Grissini
47. Chicken Involtini with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
48. Pizza Bianca, made so many times for Thermomix Cooking Experiences 🙂
49. Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Burnt Sage Butter & Spinach
50. Bolognese Sauce – we make this all the time but I kept forgetting to take a photo of it!!
Time to celebrate!! I finished cooking my 50 Italian style recipes just 2 weeks before I will arrive in Lake Como Italy!! This is my new Thermomix model 5 called Bimby (Italian name for Thermomix) I earned this Thermomix while earning my trip to Italy & also sold my 400th Thermomix in that period too! I’m saying Saluti with a glass of Prosecco – Italian sparkling wine 🙂 Thanks everyone so much for all your support for my Thermomixing!!
by Arwen | May 23, 2017 | Foodie Adventures, Thermomix, Thermomix Recipes
“Famous ThermoFive” are my 5 chosen questions to ask my family, friends & customers about their Thermomixing 🙂 Please get in touch if you would like to answer my Famous ThermoFive questions.
More Famous ThermoFive Interviews are Fiona Hoskin, Nico Moretti, Dani Valent and Sophia Thermomix Baking Blogger.
My first interview was with my Mum for Mother’s Day, she has had her Thermomix for over a year now & I gave her an Entertaining with Dani Valent Cookbook for her early Mother’s Day pressie. (That’s one of my sisters in the photo too)
1. What do you love about your Thermomix?
I love weighing directly into the Thermomix bowl as I’m cooking & I love how well it blends. I make the best pesto with basil from my garden and a really smooth crepe’ mixture.
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
At the moment it’s the Smokey Chicken recipe from the Mexican chapter of Entertaining with Dani Valent.
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
I text Arwen for any of my Thermomix questions!!
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
Butter Chicken from the Indian Cookbook (It’s so quick when you have the homemade Tikka Paste already in the fridge).
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
Churros, Spanish Chicken & Red Rice from the Entertaining with Dani Valent Cookbook.
Thanks Mum 🙂 & guess what we made Mum for her Mother’s Day dinner? Spanish Chicken & Red Rice – she loved it!!
My next interview was with my son ❤
1. What do you love about the Thermomix?
I love how easy it is to start something, then walk away & do other things while it’s cooking.
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
I love using the recipe community, it’s easy to find any recipe you want. I also like the Basic Cookbook.
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
I like to use the simmering basket to strain cooked pasta.
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
Rice Pudding or Macaroni Cheese.
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
Cinnamon Scrolls.
My friend Eloise Emmett she is a Tasmanian Chef, Mum & Award Winning Author.
1. What do you love about the Thermomix?
It stirs while cooking! I can have a shower while my porridge is cooking, get washing of the clothes line while dinner is cooking and it makes otherwise time consuming tasks like quince paste super easy. I also love that it inspires people too cook with real food and not buy as much food out of a packet.
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
Arwen’s Black Forrest Trifle 🙂
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
If you are thinking of buying a Thermomix or at all tempted, just do it, because you will eventually! I regretted not buying my first one when I was first interested, so I missed out on having it to make baby food for my first 2 babies and used all my pots, pans and blenders to prepare baby food and when I was making baby food for my 3rd child in the Thermie I would always think “why didn’t I just buy it earlier”!
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
My Butter Chicken recipe.
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
I like making recipes for my family so I would love to try the pulled pork recipe from the Entertaining with Dani Valent Cookbook.
My friend Ulla (pictured with Pepsi & Hamish) Ulla is the reason I signed up to be a Thermomix Consultant 5.5 years ago!! She came to work on a Monday morning & said she bought a Thermomix on the interest free payment plan & I would love it & I should be a consultant! She wouldn’t stop talking about how amazing the Thermomix was so I had to book a demonstration – I was sold at the icing sugar!! The rest is history, so they say 🙂
1. What do you love about your Thermomix?
I didn’t fall in love with my Thermomix until I got it & started using it & now I wouldn’t be without it!
When I first saw the Thermomix at a demo, I had in mind Arwen loves food, cooking & has such a sunny personality, she should be doing this for her job!
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
Beef Rendang & the Torte Caprese’ (gluten free almond & chocolate cake)
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
I use my Thermomix to chop up tired veggies for the dogs’ food, they love it!
4.What is your quick & easy go to meal?
Any soup including the Moroccan Lentil Soup & Stir-fry.
5.Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
Salmon with Salmon Mousse & Mango Sauce from the Full Steam Ahead Cookbook.
Next I interviewed my sister Ali, she was one of my first customers over 5 years ago 😀
1. What do you love about the Thermomix?
I love how quick it is to make everything & it’s on the bench ready for anything from baking prep to family meals.
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
Pizza dough!! We have woodfired pizza’s every Friday night, the whole family help put the toppings on & we all sit around the fire while they are cooking.
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
Definitely get 2 Thermomix bowls, it’s so handy to be using one while the other one is in the dishwasher 😀
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
Arwen’s Thermie Green Curry (I’ll pay her later lol!)
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
Steamed Bread.
Sally is an amazing cook & hosts Chinese Cooking Classes from her beautiful home just past Cygnet. I first met Sally many years ago when she was still a Thermomix Consultant. Thanks for taking the Famous ThermoFive questions Sally. You can email Sally directly to find out about her cooking classes [email protected]
1. What do you love about your Thermomix?
Apart from saving me heaps of money and time, Thelma (Sally’s Thermomix) has made my life sooooo much easier for the past 6 years! Now I can’t imagine a life without her. My husband is quite jealous of her actually!
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe? T
oo many to list, from dip to salad to soup to cake mix, all at my finger tips. However, I must say the thing I use the Thermomix most for is making various doughs for my Chinese pancakes, dumplings and steamed buns. My husband loves sticky date pudding. He keeps reminding me the way to a man’s heart is through his belly so that is on our menu often too!
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
Before you start any cooking, think what you can do in your Thermomix. The more you use it, the more you will use it and the easier life will be! Trust me!
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
Again too many to list. At the moment it is pumpkin soup (only because I harvested 45 pumpkins in April…..need to get rid of them somehow) with my various forms of Chinese pancakes.
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
I just saw Arwen’s post for her Vanilla Chia Puddings recipe. I happen to have some chia seeds in the pantry, so I will definitely will try that.
My friend & fellow Thermomix consultant Kelly has taken the famous ThermoFive questions. Thanks so much Kel, you are a true inspiration & I love that you use your Thermomix constantly to make delicious food for your family.
1. What do you love about the Thermomix?
I don’t think there is anything that I don’t love about my 2 Thermomix (yes I’m spoilt with 2 Thermomix, a TM31 and a TM5) I just love how easy it is to make everything from scratch and how I am in control of how much sugar and salt I add, not to mention the preservatives and rubbish in bought food that we are avoiding! Having 2 Thermomix is a huge saving on time and on the grocery bills!!
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
I love the Devil of a Cookbook and the I Love Chocolate, I Love Thermomix cook books. They both have some great easy recipes to make. One of my favourite dessert recipes is my own recipe from the recipe community for chocolate molten cakes.
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
Don’t think just because you now own a Thermomix that everything you make will be a hit. Sometimes we do have failures in the Thermie (not often) but you just have to keep going and keep cooking. Add more flavour to dishes by upping the herbs and spices. Use your own intuition with some recipes.
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
The Thai Basil and Chilli Chicken from the Basic Cookbook & recipe chip. It’s healthy and super quick! I up the chicken to 1.2 kilos.
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
After 4 years I still haven’t made mayonnaise so I guess I should give that a go!!
My good friend & fellow food lover Helen Ellis from Rita’s Bite & her blog http://pc-rita.blogspot.com.au/. Helen has had a Thermomix for over 12 years. I met Helen through my Thermomix friends & I’ve learnt so many great recipes & tips from her over the last few years including her Massaman Curry 
🙂 http://arwensthermopics.com/helens-massaman-curry/
1. What do you love about your Thermomix?
The ease that good, healthy and tasty food can be achieved with a TM.
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
As I cherry pick, and blend so many techniques and recipes from the many TM cookbooks I’ve bought over the years, it’s hard to nail down a favourite but probably I’d have to say The Basic Cook Book as it reminds you of the basics of all recipes.
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
Top tip for me is use it to roast and blend all your fresh spice mixes, and make (then freeze) curry pastes etc. Such an easy go-to solution for those times you don’t have the ingredients and/or can’t be bothered.
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
My favourite easy go-to meal is Thai fish cakes, or my Chiang Mai Sausages. Quick, easy and tasty using my own personal kitchen hacks.
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
I’ve been really loving your posts and pics of steaming the whole chicken, so am really looking for an opportunity to try that. Never dared attempt it before, so one day….
My Famous ThermoFive interview today is with my friend Erica. I met Erica over 6 years ago when we trained together to be Thermomix consultants.
Even though she is longer a consultant she still loves & uses her Thermomix everyday. Erica is passionate about lunch boxes see her lunchbox inspiration below.
1. What do you love about your Thermomix?
Versatility. I can throw everything in Thermie for a quick all-in-one meal. Or I can use Thermie to chop all the ingredients when batch cooking meals to freeze. Or blend up a dip or smoothie for afternoon tea. Or make a cake, buzz up bliss balls, pizza dough, muffins… the list is endless.
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
Only one?? I have more Thermomix recipe books than I care to admit! But my boys are 2 and 5 so I’m in the daily trenches of getting meals and snacks on the table and packing lunchboxes. The books I reach for most are the Basic Cookbook and all three Louise Fulton Keats’ books.
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
Use it. Start with recipes written for Thermomix. Choose ones that suit your tastes and nutritional requirements. Make as many different recipes as possible. Learn how different combinations of temperature, time and speed achieve the different functions. Get familiar with kneading, chopping, milling, grating, steaming, stirring, cooking, mixing, sauteing, blending. Then you can make any recipe you want, including recipes with conventional instructions. The sky is the limit!
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
Good ol’ risotto. I use the Basic Cookbook recipe as a base and then vary it to suit. e.g. I use different veggies, or a mix of grains (e.g. quinoa, rice, buckwheat). Or I make a plain risotto and serve family style with side dishes to suit different tastes.
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
I’m looking forward to exploring Cookidoo more and finding new recipes to try.
Thanks so much Erica for your inspiring answers to my my Famous ThermoFive questions.
Today’s Famous ThermoFive interview is with my awesome foodie friend Rosey, she made my Thermomix costume 
I met Rosey when she was a Thermomix consultant a few years ago & we will be lifetime friends because we love food & eating so much!!
1. What do you love about your Thermomix?
It’s always there for me no matter what I want to do 😀
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
The Basic Cookbook & the Torta Caprese (with my own tweaks) it’s just so versatile.
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
Read the full recipe before you start cooking, to see if there you can make any of the steps quicker or easier like milling your sugar into icing sugar before you start your recipe.
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
Healthy steamed whole chicken from the Devil of a Cookbook.
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
As many Dani Valent recipes as I can from her Entertaining Cookbook & her Dani Valent site 😀
Thanks so much Rosey I’ve learnt so much from you xx
Today’s Famous ThermoFive questions are with my friend & customer Janne, she has had a Thermomix for over 10 years ❤
1. What do you love about your Thermomix?
I love how quick it is!
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
Chicken Kiev’s.
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
To get extra mixture off the blades when scraping out the bowl put it on again for 1 second on reverse speed 4 to fling the mixture off the blade to the sides of the bowl.
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
Pumpkin soup or risotto.
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
Arwen’s pesto scrolls 😀
Thanks so much Janne for answering my questions & being in a photo with me 😀
Today’s Famous Thermo Five is with my friend Kate – she is too shy to be in a photo but we have a pic of her 2 Thermomix.
1. What do you love about your Thermomix?
It encourages me to try to make new things that I was previously too scared to even attempt, like pastry and jam. Having two Thermomix has saved me even more time, today I made dinner and jam at the same time.
2. What is your favourite Thermomix Cookbook or Thermomix recipe?
My favourite cookbook is the Festive Flavours, it’s great for entertaining any time of the year. And the recipes always get compliments.
3. What is your top Thermomix tip?
If you think a recipe has too much or too little of something, adjust it to your liking as you’re making it. Trust your gut. You can always add more salt later, but it’s super hard to adjust a recipe once you add too much.
4. What is your quick & easy go to meal?
Okonomiyaki, to always use up the random cabbages my husband buys, the recipe is from the In the Mix cookbook.
5. Which Thermomix recipe/s do you want to try next?
There’s a curry in Skinnymixers “A little Taste of Asia” cookbook called Ayam Kapitan that a friends always raves about, I’m desperate to try it out next.
Thanks so much Kate – 2 TM’s is always better than one LOL!!
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