Thai Fishcakes (Thermomix)

Difficulty : easy

Preparation time : 30 min
Total time : 1h 10 min
Serving size : 9 pieces

Ingredients
3 dried kaffir lime leaves
2 fresh green chillies
2 shallots, halved
1 tsp palm sugar
400 g white fish fillets (e.g. cod or haddock) cut in pieces
10 g fish sauce
3 Tbsp red curry paste
1 medium egg
groundnut oil, for frying
2 limes, cut in wedges

Preparation

1. Place kaffir lime leaves, chillies, shallots and palm sugar in mixing bowl then chop 5 sec/speed 10. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula then chop again 5 sec/speed 10.
2. Add fish and chop 10 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides and lid of mixing bowl with spatula.
3. Add fish sauce, curry paste and egg then mix 10 sec/Reverse Spin/speed 4.
4. Shape 2 Tbsp mixture into a round then flatten to about 1 cm thick. Place in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
5. Heat a frying pan with groundnut oil over a medium heat. Fry for 3 minutes on each side until cooked and golden. Serve fishcakes hot with lime wedges.

Guacamole

Ingredients 

8 ripe medium avocados
1-2 limes (juiced)
1 jalapeno (roasted & diced)
½ medium red onion (diced)
2-3 medium cloves of garlic (minced or crushed)
2 roma tomatoes (diced)
2 small or 1 large bunch cilantro (chopped)
salt & pepper to taste

Preparations

1. Cut Avocados in half and remove seed. With a small knife, cut squares in flesh of avocado, making sure to not cut through skins. With a soup spoon, remove squares into a mixing bowl by scraping with edge of spoon between skin and avocado flesh.
2. Squeeze lime juice over avocado squares.
3. Roasting jalapeno is an optional step but adds a wonderful smoky taste and mellows the heat a bit. To roast, place jalapeño over open flame using tongs and turning once skin begins to darken and pop, roasting all sides. Dice and add to avocado.
4. Cut and dice remaining ingredients, add to avocado. Stir to incorporate veggies well.
5. Serve with chips or along side any Mexican meal.

Carb-stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Mayonnaise
3 Tbsp Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (6-1/2 oz.) crabmeat or 1 cup frozen crabmeat, thawed
18 medium mushrooms, stems removed

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In small bowl, blend Mayonnaise, bread crumbs, cheese and garlic; fold in crabmeat. Evenly spoon mixture into mushroom caps.
3. On baking sheet, arrange mushroom caps. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

Twice Baked Soufflé

Ingredients:

225 ml semi skimmed milk
40g butter
40g plain flour
4 egg yokes
200g Roquefort cheese - crumbled
150 ml double cream

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180C.
2. Prepare ramekins with melted butter.
3. Add milk, butter & flour in saucepan over medium heat & whilst ingredients together until it is a thick, smooth & glossy sauce.
4. Turn the heat as low as possible & cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add salt & pepper & cool slightly.
6. Whisk in egg yokes & then add the 100g of cheese until almost melted.
7. Whilst egg whites until they form soft peaks.
8. Add a large spoonful of egg whites to mixture, fold gently to loosen the mixture.
9. Then add the mixture into the remaining egg whites using lifting & folding movements.
10. Place ramekins in an oblong baking tin & divide mixture between 6 ramekins & pour in 1 cm hot water into baking tin.
11. Bake in centre of oven for 20 minutes.
12. Remove ramekins to wire cooling rack & cool.  Souffles may be stored in fridge for 24 hours covered with cling film.
13. For second baking, remove soufflés from ramekins with palate knife & place right way up on baking sheet with liner.
14. Bake in centre of oven at 180C for 30 minutes.
15. Heat remaining Roquefort cheese with double cream.
16. Serve souffles on warm plates with the sauce poured over.

Note: Ramekin dish is 7.5 cm x 4cm

Manhattan Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1½ cups chicken broth
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 cup chopped onions
½ cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 small green pepper - chopped
2 red potatoes, unpeeled & sliced
1 can (16 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tspn salt
ground black pepper to taste
½ tspn dried thyme
2.5 fl. oz. worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp of hot sauce
Cream

Method:

1. Drain clams and reserve liquid. Add enough chicken broth to reserved liquid to make 3 cups of stock.
2. In a large saucepan, saute garlic, onions, carrots, celery, green pepper & potatoes.
3. Pour in clam juice and broth mixture, undrained tomatoes, bay leaf, basil, salt, pepper, thyme, worcestershire sauce & hot sauce. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat. Mash the vegetables slightly to thicken the broth.
5. Add clams to the saucepan and heat thoroughly. Serve hot with a twirl of cream.

(Steps 1 - 4 can be done before-hand & step 5 on the day required).

New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
1 slice hickory-smoked bacon, minced
½ tspn butter
1 cup onion, minced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 tspn The Cliff House Spice Blend (see separate post)
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 can clams (6½ ounces)
1 cup bottled clam juice
1½ cups half and half (equal parts whole milk & cream)
¼ tspn white pepper
2 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled & diced

Method:

1. In a heavy-bottomed, 4-pint soup kettle, saute bacon, butter, onions, garlic and The Cliff House Spice Blend over low heat. Do not allow to brown.
2. Drain clams & set aside, reserving the juice.
3. Slowly stir the flour and clam juices in the saute mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat.
4. Add Half and Half and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add white pepper, potatoes and clams. Heat to serving temperature.
6. Do not allow to boil, as this toughens the clams.
7. Serve at once with crackers and warm cornbread.

Wild Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups mushrooms (as many different types as available), diced
2 cups stock
1 cup cream
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

Method:

1. Lightly saute mushrooms in olive oil. Remove.
2. Simmer stock & add diced mushrooms, salt & pepper for 1 hour. Remove & blend coarsely.
3. Simmer & add cream for 15 minutes. Remove & serve.

Serves 4