and a new guest blogger and her soup :)

Welcome Lexie! thanks so much for sharing this with us, it looks delicious!

Hi Karen,
I wanted to share a soup recipe that I converted for this evenings dinner. The whole family loved it but we're big fans of both lentils and garlic so it was sure to be a winner. Served up with some home made bread it proved to be a satisfying meal in itself. Picture is attached.

200g red lentils
1 bulb garlic
20g oil
2 onions peeled and quartered
2 small potatoes peeled and quartered
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1250g of chicken stock
100g cream
Chopped fresh herbs for garnish

Rinse lentils under cold water.
Place garlic bulb on an oven tray in a moderately hot oven for about 40 minutes or until soft. Cool and cut garlic in half and squeeze out pulp; reserve.
Chop onions in TM speed 8 for 2 seconds. Add oil and cook for 3 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 1. Add potato and chop for 2 seconds, speed 8. Add lentils, garlic pulp, spices & stock. Cook for 25 minutes, 100 degrees, speed 2. Add cream and puree on speed 8 for 20 seconds or until desired consistency.
Serve with chopped herbs.

note from karen: if you used the massel chicken stock, or vegetable soup this would be a fabulous vegetarian option :)

Rocket and Cashew Pesto

( or a quick dip for guests who arrive early)

We had guests on Saturday and there was a communication breakdown as to when they were arriving, so I was behind schedule with the preparation. Thank goodness for the Thermomix sitting there waiting patiently on the bench.

This is a dip that has been made a few times with variations, but basically the same as the Asian pesto/dip. Really, the variations are limited by your imagination. Use walnuts, peanuts or almonds intead of cashews. Add some chili. Cook the garlic first for a milder taste. Use other oils such as grapeseed for a milder taste or splurge on some walnut oil.

Rocket and Cashew Pesto

Ingredients:

80 g parmesan or grana padano
1 clove garlic
100 g rocket, washed and shaken dry
150 g roasted, unsalted cashews
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Place parmesan into TM bowl and grate for 10 seconds on speed 7. You don’t want it too fine – some little bits are OK. Remove and set aside.

Place garlic in TM bowl and chop for 10 seconds on speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl and add rocket and cashews. Chop for 30 seconds on speed 6. It should still have some decent sized pieces of nuts, not mush. Blend longer if you think it needs it.

Add olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan and blend for 30 seconds on reverse + speed 4.

Add some extra olive oil or water through the hole in the lid if the mixture appears too thick and blend a little longer.

You should not need pepper or salt. The garlic and rocket will give it enough heat, while the parmesan should give enough salt. But taste it and check.

Posted here also with extra pic

a guest blogger's soup recipe

this sounds delicious!

i got the email the other day from karen (karenlgh on the yahoo group) who is the third karen from canberra with a TMX :D

Hi Karen,
I'm a Karen too. I live in **** and have had my TM for about 3 months. I love the TM. I'm a SAHM to a Boy 4 and a girl just turned 2.
Here's a recipe. It's my take on an entree I had at a French restaurant a couple of weeks ago (it was the annual night out without kidlets!). My other half liked it but said that it was too rich to have a whole bowl of. I, however, wolfed it down and was looking for more. Enjoy!
Best wishes,
Karen

Fennel & Asparagus Soup

1 sml white onion - 5 secs @7 in TM. Cook 2 min @ 100 @ speed 1

200gm fresh aspargus. Snap off the woody stuff. Add 75gm of fennel bulb - 5 secs @ 7.

Add 300gm water, 1/2 teasp salt, 200 gm cream ( I used Bulla light cooking cream - fabulous stuff), 1/2 tbsp fresh dill.

Cook 20min @ 100 @ speed 1. Puree at end for 20 secs @ 7

Garnish with dill sprig.