Dinner | Arwen's Thermo Pics

2019 Festive Feasting

by Arwen | Jan 3, 2020 | Dinner, Thermomix Recipes

We were lucky to have an extended Christmas this year celebrating the week before Christmas with a Japanese feast and then on Christmas Eve I decided to do some more traditional food for the 4 of us!! And we proceeded to eat the leftovers from Christmas Day till New years Eve!!

I used my favourite Yolande Zarins tablecloth and napkins.

I was so excited to set my table for Christmas Eve dinner, I set it on Saturday night – 4 nights early!! I had just collected my early Christmas pressie 4 new dinner plates and a new serving platter form my favourite ceramics lady Sallee Warner. I got so excited setting the table I proceeded to put all my Sallee Warner Ceramics on the table that I have collected over the years and was very surprised at how many beautiful pieces I have. It turned out lucky that I set my table early because on the day of Christmas Eve I ended up delivering 3 Thermomix!!

I bought this gorgeous table runner and matching Christmas crackers in Newcastle, however it’s a Melbourne company called Milligram that make them.

In keeping with the theme, I also got out a few of my other special Aussie designed tableware including my Dinosaur Design pieces.

On the day before Christmas Eve, I went to visit my Chef friend Eloise Emmett who had promised to help me with my Turduckenail – Thank goodness she did because I was very slow at deboning the birds. She had helped me make a Turducken on a couple of years ago and it was delicious. I had some quails in the freezer so thought I was being inventive by adding the quail in too. But it turns out Ellie had already done that a few years ago! Ellie took out the bones from the Turkey leaving the legs and wings in place, I deboned the duck and cut the legs and wings off the deboned jumbo quails (we ate those for dinner that night with a teriyaki sauce YUM!) So we placed the Turkey into the baking tray and then the duck inside that – the small chicken inside that and the quail meat followed by a thyme & bread stuffing. Then it was secured into place with a couple of skewers. See Ellie’s recipe here. I served mine with the leftover teriyaki sauce basted on towards the end of cooking. And used the bones to make a delicious stock for the gravy ( I forgot to take a photo of that gravy) I also had more stock left that I used to make an amazing mushroom broth.

You can see some of the layers of the different birds in the turduckenail

Mushroom Broth made with leftover turduckenail stock

So Christmas Eve dinner was the main event this Christmas I arrived home about 2.30 promptly placed the Turduckenail into the oven and steamed the potatoes in the varoma before roasting them in duck fat in the oven. I steamed the cauliflower in one thermomix while I made the bechamel sauce in the other thermomix for the cauliflower gratin and peeled and chopped the other veggies ready to roast. I used the thermomix to reduce the stock and make a delicious gravy. And I also made an amazing homemade butter and added my own homemade miso. This was to serve with the homemade sourdough bread I had baked the previous day, because we didn’t already have enough food!!

Watermelon & Strawberry Frose’ – recipe by Darren Purchese was perfect on some of our hot festive days

I had planned a few different desserts that didn’t happen so it was lucky my wonderful friend had made me a delicious Christmas pudding that we had for dessert with some thermomix made vanilla bean custard. We didn’t actually need any dessert but it’s just what you do isn’t it?

Homemade Sourdough with homemade Miso Butter (using homemade miso)

Turduckenail – deboned quail inside, deboned chicken inside, deboned duck, inside mostly deboned turkey and then roasted.

Turduckenail plate – it’s like lucky dip

Duck Fat Roast Potatoes and Roasted baby Carrots

My Addiction To Dani Valent’s Recipe Website

by Arwen | Dec 27, 2019 | Baking, Basics, Breakfast, Desserts, Dinner, Foodie Adventures, Lunch, Snacks & nibbles, Thermomix Recipes, Thermomix Tips

It’s no surprise to me or anyone else that I love the Dani Valent website. It is a subscription site for amazing Thermomix recipes and videos, you get approx 1 free recipe a month for the free subscription or for a yearly membership you get 1 recipe a week & you start with all the current recipes when you join. It’s great value & features home cooking recipes by Dani & also amazing Chef’s recipes too. What’s not to love? Being inspired to try & taste new recipes, learning new skills & ideas for your Thermomix cooking plus I love seeing how Chefs use the Thermomix for their dishes. Sign up here.

I have now currently made ALL of the recipes from this website & some of them I have made a few times because they are so delicious 🙂 It has taken me a few years to complete all the recipes and I will be attempting to keep up and cook each new recipe every week and update this post with the photos of the recipe. I hope you will be inspired to cook along too. Happy Thermomixing!!

Here is one of the free videos with Jo Whitton from Quirky Cooking making Coconut Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup.

Matcha Smoothie Bowl

Black Rice Pudding

Breakfast Curd with Toasted Grains recipe by Chef Jesse Gerner – It was really yummy!

Chai Porridge

Miso Hollandaise (served with slow 60 degree eggs)

Buckwheat Kedgeree

Mango Lassi recipe by Jessi Singh

Khachapuri (a cheese pie from Georgia) recipe by Anthony Femia – so GOOD!!!

Wattleseed & Macadamia Dukkah

Bread With Tomato recipe by Emma Warren

Lettuce Soup

Steamed Oysters with Ginger & Spring Onion Oils, recipe by Victor Liong

Pierogies

Pretzels

Steamed Corn with Spicy Allioli another drool worthy recipe by Chef Jesse Gerner. Watch the free video here.

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Shane Delia’s Warm Roasted Cauliflower Dip with Spiced Beef – You have to try this!! It could be the best dip ever!! I loved watching the video for this recipe too, it was a lot of fun!

Blue Cheese Dip – recipe by Anthony Femia

Sophia’s Grissini (Thermomix Baking Blogger)

Dani’s Dill Spiked Feta Dip

Cervelle de Canut Cheese Dip

Everything Salsa & then the same salsa used to make a cashew dip & a cream cheese dip- just 2 of the ideas for the salsa – so tasty & versatile!

Chicken Tart – This recipe by Dani has the most amazing lemon & mustard flavoured pastry – plus shredded chicken & buttery leeks in the filling!

Spicy Peach and Mango Jam Glazed Ham

Dani Valent’s Pithivier

Cheesy Quinoa Bites, recipe by Alice Zaslavsky

Sopa Freda de Meló – Melon Soup – Emma Warren

Strawberry Gazpacho with Tomato, Basil & Goat’s Cheese Salad

Gazpacho – recipe by Eyal Shani

Recommended way to serve this dish is to drink straight from the Thermomix bowl!! If it’s good enough for Dani, then I’m in 😉

Scallop Mousseline with Lemon Caper Sauce

Leek, Potato and Truffle Soup

Tasty “Emergency Lentil Soup” watch the video here.

Creamy Chicken and Brown Rice Soup – recipe by Jo Whitton from Quirky Cooking

Matzo Ball Soup (Dani asked me to make this recipe & photograph it for her website, I also had to make my own matzo because I couldn’t find any in Hobart to buy :-))

Pumpkin Soup with Virtual Bacon Dust – recipe from George Calombaris – this recipe is from the In the Mix cookbook – I have made it so many times & it’s my all time favourite pumpkin soup!

Mushroom & Millet Minestrone

Soulful Chicken Soup

Victor Liong’s Corn Custard with Chicken Congee – it’s seriously good!!

Goma Dofu (Japanese sesame tofu)

Jing Shui Daan recipe by Tony Tan – its a delicious steamed custard with shitake mushrooms & pork with black beans on top 🙂

Gnocchi

Cauliflower Rice – it’s a delicious vegan recipe 🙂

Shane Delia’s BBQ Prawn Kofte Salad is seriously good!!

Pear Coleslaw with Pear Vinaigrette

Beetroot, Pear & Pomegranate Salad

Prawn & Potato Salad

Lamb Shank Barley Casserole – Yes the shanks are steamed in the Varoma for some of the recipe!

Delicious Duck Bao – inspired by the Momofuku recipe by David Chang

Char Siu Bao – Steamed Pork Buns

Hummus- recipe by EyalShani, such a great video to watch, and a delicious recipe to guide you but it is ultimately up to your taste buds to adjust the balance of flavours 🙂

The Beauty of the Beets recipe by Sam Gowing

Zhoug

Tandoori Cauliflower

Tandoori Chicken

Preserved Lemons

Butter

Sushi Shapes from the Lunchbox Lessons post 🙂

Chicken Lettuce Cups from the Lunchbox Lessons post 🙂

Ultimate Mac and Cheese Toastie – recipe by Anthony Femia

Pineapple-spiked Vietnamese Lamb Salad

Hainanese Chicken & Egg, seriously amazing recipe by Trissalicious This is also from In the Mix & includes my favourite way to cook eggs – at 60 degrees!!

Jerk Chicken

Quirky Cooking Gluten Free & Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie is so Yummy – we even took some for lunches too!.

Chicken Tinga So easy & delicious (pictured with my gluten free wrap – Dani’s recipes serves it with her flour tortilla recipe)

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives

Turkey Buffe and Herby Quinoa Stuffing

Steamed Fish with Eggplant Miso – so healthy & fresh – a great recipe using the Varoma.

Aligot – French cheesy mash – so wicked & so good!!

Chilli & Lime Crumb – I’ve made this recipe from In the Mix Cookbook before – I love how tasty & versatile it is. watch the free video here.

Palak Paneer

Marmitako (Basque Seafood Stew) recipe by Chef Ruben Trincado – A delicious video filmed in Spain.

White Garlic Soup with Seafood – recipe by Chef Jaun Carlos Caro, in the video (filmed in Spain) you see him using the TM 21 to make this dish.

Vadouvan Mussels which includes the recipe for the Vadouvan spice mix 🙂

Tuna version of the Poke with Furikake & Wasabi-spiked Avocado Sorbet

Wasabi-spiked Avocado Sorbet

Kha Nhom Jeen Nam Prik – Thai recipe by Pla Liamthong, that not too spicy peanut sauce is so good!!

Gang Prik with Steamed Chicken -another great Thai recipe from Pla Liamthong

Thai Ribs with Coconut Rice & Coleslaw – this is the version I made with lamb instead of the beef – I made the beef version too & that was amazing, I will be making it again soon – for sure!!

Thai Ribs with Coconut Rice & Coleslaw

Fork-Apart Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder

Vitello Tonnato – An Italian dish of poached beef & tuna egg sauce, sounds weird but it is really delicious 🙂

Beef Stir Fry

Gang Prik with Stir Fried Kangaroo – recipe by Pla Liamthong (I served mine with broccoli “rice”)

Barolo Braised Beef with Polenta Cremoso, recipe by Chef Joseph Vargetto – The best polenta I’ve ever tasted!!

Cauliflower Crumbed Schnitzel

Low & Slow Asparagus Risotto – I got to watch Dani make this video at Prahran Market 🙂

Creamy Tomato and Vodka Pasta Sauce

Egg Fu Yong, recipe by Ben Shewry – yes there is creamy scrambled eggs under that shredded chicken 🙂

Native Pepper Berry Salt recipe by Jesse McTavish

Lamb Cutlets, Salsa Verde & Lovage Oil recipe by Jesse McTavish

Pork Cutlets with Chestnut & Apple Hash

Beef Rotolo

Boeuf a la Ficelle (Beef on a String)

Dani’s Hungarian Grandmother’s Goulash

Bialys

Un-sandwiches – Dani’s Lunchbox Lessons made alphabet shaped rolls, I made the round ones!!

Best Ever Bread Buns – (these ones were made by Dani herself I got to be on her set for a couple of days shooting!! Yes it was awesome!!)

Dani cooking her BeetRoot Burgers for us to eat for lunch 🙂

BeetRoot Burgers – This is the one from the shoot made by Dani herself too & I got to eat it 🙂 Well we all had one, they were very tasty!!

My version of the BeetRoot Burger

Spaghetti Bolognese

Millet and Beetroot Pilaf

Double Trouble Dumplings with Tomato Passata

Passata

Kimchi

Amazake

Vegan Kimchi Mayo

Rice Crackers & Furikake

Fortune Cookies

Chestnut Butter

Pan de Muerto – Mexican Bread of the Dead

Banana-Choc Hemp Bliss Balls- Recipe by Julie McKie

Granola Bars

Sophia – Thermomix Baking Blogger‘s Orange Polenta Cake 🙂 ( pic taken on set in Dani’s kitchen)

Orange Polenta Cake

Cherry Pasta recipe by Chef Lorenzo Cogo (a gorgeous fusion of Italian & Japanese)

Chocolate Volcanos

Tarte Tatin

Peach & Mulberry Cobbler (Dani’s Recipe is for apricot cobbler)

Chilli Cherry Ripe

Chilli Peanut Butter Truffles

Chocolate Mousse Brownies – Dani calls them little squares of joy & they are so WOW!!

Basque Cheesecake is so easy & delicious!! Watch the free video here.

Orange, Cardamom & Pistachio Truffles

Castagnaccio

Pavlova

Elaine’s Chocolate Cake – this is a super duper keeper recipe for sure – here are my other photos.

Karen Martini’s Banana Bread recipe

Plum Syrup Cake

Chocolate Ravioli with Orange & Apricot Sauce, recipe by Joseph Vargetto.

Steamed Pecan Pie Puddings

Steamed Orange Pudding with Almond Milk Ice Cream

Cherry Semifreddo, recipe by Christy Tania ( I loved licking the butterfly & the bowl for this one ;-))

Choc Top recipe by Christy Tania using the Cherry Semifreddo recipe (I didn’t have the correct silicone moulds but it was still deliciously wicked!!)

Egg Tarts – Tony Tan Recipe

Instant Chocolate Mousse

White Chocolate & Bailey’s Parfait with Coffee Crumble recipe by Julie from the Wholefood Alchemist.

Chlorophyll Paste & Smoothie

Mexican Green Juice

Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Smoothie by Jo Whitton

Jar Smoothies (Mango) from the Lunchbox Lessons post 🙂

Wet Chai

Tiramisu Martini – recipe by Anna Polyviou

Carrot & Sage Cocktail

Blueberry Spritz

Peach Margarita

Casa Daiquiri

Nefrozi

Watermelon Blush

Negroni

Sangranita

Frose’

Watermelon Smash & Watermelon Rind Pickles

Watermelon Smash & Watermelon Rind & Ginger Pickles

Vodka Prosecco Sorbet

Lemon Bomb Smoothie – recipe by Jock Zonfrillo

Mint & Choc-Chip Hemp Smoothie recipe by Julie McKie

Rhubarb Saffrontini

Cucumber, Lime & Mint Dry Ice Sorbet – recipe by Chef Pierre Roelofs

Passionfruit Dry Ice Sorbet – recipe by Donato Toce from Gelato Messina (This is possibly the best sorbet I’ve ever eaten!!)

Tortilla (mine doesn’t look so good but it tasted good – I did the frypan option)

Middle Eastern Salmon with Tahini Sauce and Walnut Relish

Winter Minestrone with Butter Lovin’ Leeks with Parmasean and Chilli Twist Bread

Flourless Almond, Coconut And Vanilla Cake recipe by Belinda Jeffery

Chestnut Pancakes with Instant Pear Bircher Muesli

Carrot Layer Cake recipe by Christina Tosi ( also in the In the Mix 2 cookbook)

Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Cutlets with Green Tahini Sauce

Mint & Coriander Chutney, recipe by Jessi Singh

Prawn Cocktail Skewers recipe by Emma Warren

Buttered Cabbage with Orange Syrup – recipe by Gerard Phelan

Toasted Coconut Paste (Kerisik) – recipe by Suriya Abdullah

Chilli Padi Chicken Rendang – recipe by Suriya Abdullah

Sea Corn Tacos ( I used prawns instead of crab)

Steamed Snapper, Heirloom Tomatoes and Burnt Butter Sauce recipe by Jesse McTavish

Silky Pumpkin Tagine with Couscous and Harissa

Honey, Rosemary and Buttermilk Chicken Pilaf

Roasted Aloo Gobi – recipe by Jessi Singh

Cardamom Pistachio Kulfi – Recipe by Jessi Singh

Coconut Fish Curry – recipe by Jessi Singh

Hong Kong-style Braised Pork Ribs with Tomato – recipe by Annie Xavier

Wombok Coleslaw recipe by Gamila MacRury

Hakka Yam Abacus Beads – recipe by Annie Xavier

Golden Pillow & inside is a Tamarind Pork Curry – YUM!!

Stir-fried Pork and Long Beans – recipe by Annie Xavier

Bitter Greens Salad with Truffle Vinaigrette

Slow-Cooked Brisket Tacos with Grilled Spring Onions and Tomatillo Salsa

Dani’s Vegetarian Daughter’s Quick Sustaining Dinner

Dulce de Leche Espresso Martini – recipe by Gamila MacRury

Steamed Fish with Quinoa, Spinach and Basil

Apple Clafoutis recipe by Gamila MacRury

Chicken Liver Pate recipe by Charlie Carrington

Marron, Chestnut and Pine Mushroom Risotto (I used lobster instead) Recipe by Philippa Sibley but I used my Thermomix as much as possible to make this delicious meal.

Cilbir – recipe by Coskun Uysal – brown butter crumble, poached 60 degree egg with smoked yoghurt, brown butter sauce and crispy chicken skin.

Mackerel with Pil Pil on Olive Oil Rice – recipe by Jesse Gerner (I used a different fish that was available)

Pan-Roasted John Dory with Bay Leaf Oil & Sugar Snap Peas – recipe by Phil Wood

Finger Lime, Gin & Cucumber Cooler from Dani’s Cocktail ebook – so good!!

Simple Shakshuka Sauce recipe by Charlie Carrington

Simple Shakshuka Sauce recipe by Charlie Carrington I added mixed roast veggies, feta & fresh coriander YUM!!

Christmas Trees – Chrissy Kueh! (except I made them in snowflakes shapes with blue pea tea to colour the top layer)

Chestnut, Macadamia & Plum Tart with Olive Oil Pastry with Plum Sorbet with Davidson Plum Sherbet

Prawn Wontons with Peanut Sauce and Chilli Oil

Hummus with Prawn & Crab – recipe by Tom Sarafian

Pesto alla Trapanese – recipe by Joseph Vargetto

Pesto alla Trapanese – recipe by Joseph Vargetto Served with homemade fresh pasta

I’ll keep updating this page as I go with photos of the recipes I have made from the site – as you can see there is a good range of family meals & exciting fun things to give a try too.