An Unexpected Journey - my season as a Thermomix Consultant

Given that my first response to the Thermomix (based on a picture and the price tag) was 'That's immoral", there's going to be an interesting story to my decision to start selling them!! And a curious journey it has been. Some things have been expected (like trying to swallow massive slabs of humble pie) and many other things have been unexpected, like opening new doors, discovering my passions and growing me in areas that needed to be pruned.

The key to the story was my mother in law, who had seen it in action and thought this would be a life changer for us. An enormous gift she thought would be a wonderful change she could make in our lives. I was pityingly sceptical and (barely politely) turned down the offer.

After 5 months, some arm bending, and an interstate visit from my in-laws, we had a lovely and straightforward woman (Julie Ann Allen) come and put us through the Thermomix paces. Not before I had given her some scornful "no thanks, I don't do party plans". I had hated feeling pressured to buy over-priced items that I could live without and didn't want to put my friends through any such experience. I was suspicious but relieved when I found out about the straightforward structure of the demonstration.

That soon gave way to excitement and amazement. My husband and I could see this would be a worthwhile investment, and thanked my kind parents-in-law and decided to pay half ourselves. It wasn't a stupid move. That half we paid was re-paid in grocery savings in 9 months, and I was keen to see people I loved helped like I had been. I had been given fun and time back in the kitchen.

My physiotherapy work was proving a little tricky to dovetail around my husband's commitments and the family needs, and my sister in law had turned my world up-side down by starting with Thermomix and having a ball, so I took the plunge and committed to do what I had criticised others for doing; started a direct selling business. (My sister-in-law and I are pictured above when I had just qualified).

Part of me still cringes at the phrase because of the connotations it brings up, including my rudeness. My first three months I kept looking for the 'evil' in the business. I was waiting for the 'ah-ha, I was duped, they are all monsters'. Instead, I got work. Hard work. Loads of training, support, some wins and losses, encouraging managers and group leaders and lots and lots of fun, creative people. The support has been amazing. My group leader has been generous, my branch managers incredibly encouraging. I have had a very fun team to play with and create yummy food.

Much of the last eighteen months has mostly been about meeting gorgeous folks I would have never had the chance to get to know and reconnecting with family. Some I still regularly pray for as I have discovered the struggles in their lives. I hope that the Thermomix would be some practical help as it has been for me. I have made some life changing cyber acquaintances as well, as the indomitable Leonie of ThermoFun and I discovered a shared passion for perfect recipes and life's hard twists and turns.

It's also been about having my preconceptions challenged. I have come to discover a whole world of brave folks setting up direct selling businesses of great products in order to work around family needs. I now own a lot of Norwex and some Mary Kay, and find them well worth their price tag!

It's been about extreme time management as I have tried to juggle ongoing therapy needs for my fourth child, some learning challenges for my first, lots of involvement in our church and college community and my husband's many commitments. I am much better at working out how to make things all fit, and also, know when there is just too much to fit.

The Thermomix experience has definitely opened doors for me. The small business training has been very good with an excellent focus on customer care. Information that my physiotherapy degree sorely lacked. On the horizon for me are small business opportunities that I would have never had the courage or knowledge to take, but have now I'm looking forward to. And that's because it has helped me realise my passions. Like seeing children confident and excited about the healthy food they can prepare!

However, more than anything else, the "Thermomix Consultant journey" has been about some much needed growth. And not just my 'direct selling' generalisations and rudeness. I was quickly shocked by how vulnerable I felt at presentations. I was used to instant respect and desire for my services as a physiotherapist. It was a scary feeling to be 'needing' people's business and starting skills training all over again. I had to face up to my pride and my judgementalism and decide that if I knew how good the Thermomix was, it didn't matter what other people were possibly saying or thinking, I just needed to get on with providing an excellent and helpful service. And the growth has been ongoing as I have faced tricky situations that brought out my fearfulness and had professionalism and generosity modelled to me by my group leader.

And I have to stop and say what an incredible support my group leader, Fleur Cole, has been. Riding the waves with me as I tried to fit everything in, she has been generous every step of the way. Over 12 months, I realised that I needed more than 20 hours per week to make my Thermomix business really effective, and just for this season, I can only invest 4-8 hours per week in work. Seeing this, my group leader has opened doors for me as a Thermomix Ambassador to continue sharing my passion for helping others cook well and enjoy their Thermomix, at a pace that suits my family. I look forward to continuing to develop recipes for those on the FAILSAFE diet (and hopefully a cookbook), and inspiring many.

So that's it. No bogey men. Just lots of support, learning and precious people. I'm very thankful for it all!

Chilli and Ginger Jam

You know - sometimes you just want to have fun...and play with flavours that get the salivation really rolling.

This little jam was inspired by Dani Valent's "In The Mix" Apricot and Cardamom jam. So many options....
A little bit with grilled fish, or BBQ'd lamb, or my Thai steamed fish. Go on, you know you want to!

Chilli and Ginger Jam:

Toast 3-6 dried red chillies (to taste – we love HOT)

And 20g of dried coriander seeds

TOAST 5 minutes 100 degrees speed 1.

Mill for 2 minutes speed 8-10 (turn it up as the bowl cools down)

They won’t be perfect powder – don’t worry.

Add 190g crystallised ginger, chop for 8 seconds speed 8

Add 50g sugar and 50g water and cook for 5 minutes, 100 degrees, speed 2.

Blitz for 10 seconds speed 6, repeat if necessary to form a coarse paste.

I have experimented with a dash of lime juice and fish sauce, a slug of sesame oil and it is seriously moreish

Steamed Fish with sticky sauce and crunchy garnishes

This is a 'test the limits' recipe. It's about discovering the cool things you can do with your thermomix, like making crunchy garlic garnishes as well as steaming your fish and your rice all at once.

There are a lot of sections to this recipe, but they are all simple and you can just cut down the time by preparing the garnishes on the stove top while the steaming is happening. Just be aware - you need to soak your sticky rice for 6 hours before cooking. (just factor that one in :)

INGREDIENTS:

Fish and Sticky Rice

2+fillet firm white-fleshed fish,e.g. barra, up to six pieces
2+banana leaves ,for steaming and serving
2+cups of sticky rice, (SOAKED FOR 6 HOURS)
pinch salt and pepper for seasoning fish

Crunchy Garnishes

80g vegetable oil
2 clove garlic,finely sliced
handful thai basil leaves,washed and dried
few coriander leaves,washed and dried
1/3MC of Fried Asian Shallots
1/3MC of sesame seeds

Sticky Sauce

5cm piece of ginger,peeled and halved
2long red chillies,halved, deseeded optional
100g palm sugar,roughly shredded
60g lime juice
60g fish sauce
2 tablespoon tamarind paste (40g)

Preparation

Rice Cover the rice with water generously and leave to soak at least 6 hours

 

Crunchy Garnishes

Toast sesame seeds for 5 minutes, Varoma Temperature, reverse speed 1. Tip out and wipe TM bowl. 

Pour oil in TM bowl and set to 14 minutes, varoma temp, reverse speed 1

After 2 minutes, drop the garlic in and allow to fry

When there is 4 minutes to go, drop in the thai basil leaves.

When finished, pour onto a piece of paper towel over a small bowl.

Add the ginger, take the reverse button off ans chop 4 seconds speed 7, add chilli to the TM bowl chop for 3 seconds speed 7

Pour back 20g of the reserved oil and sauté for 3 minutes varoma temp speed 1

Weigh in the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and tamarind paste and cook for 6 minutes, varoma speed 2.

Tip into a small jug or bowl and wash out the TM bowl

The remaining oil is a beautiful seasoned basil and garlic oil for stir fries.

NOTE: If you don't mind using the stove top and want to save time - you can prepare the garnishes in a pan while the fish and rice are steaming. Simply fine slice the garlic, chiffonade the chilli and grate the ginger.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over high heat. Add garlic and cook until golden (don't burn it or it will be bitter). Transfer to paper towel. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil and fry the basil until crispy and reserve on baking paper. Tip out all but 1 tablespoon of oil and add the ginger and chilli and stir fry for 1 minute. Then add the sugar, lime juice, tamarind and fish sauce (you may need extra tamarind, lime juice and fish sauce if cooking in a pan) and cook until syrupy. Transfer to a jug.

 

Fish and Sticky Rice

Season the Fish with a little of the reserved oil, salt and pepper and a little of the sticky sauce, sprinkle with half the toasted sesame seeds and wrap in the banana leaves.

Rinse out the rice, and put in the bottom tier of the Varoma, shaping into a donut to allow the steam to pass through well.

Put 1000g of water into TM bowl, set to 28 minutes, varoma speed 2

Place fish in the top layer of the Varoma, and place all levels on top of the TM.

Stir the rice 1-2 times in the cooking time.

To serve – place cooked fish on banana leaves, pour a small amount of sauce on top and sprinkle with the crunchy garlic, basil leaves, remaining sesame seeds, shallots and fresh coriander. 

Madame Pa's Signature Thai Green Chicken Curry - for the Thermomix

Madame Pa’s Green Chicken Curry

Blue Elephant Royal Thai Cuisine

Original recipe here:

This is just one of those magic recipes. That one you perfect and feel it's your own signature dish...except of course, it's some one else's! I would love to know more about this Madame Pa, as my journey into Thai food (beginning 15 years ago) was made all the more exquisite by the Blue Elephant cookbook. I'm sure there is many a story to tell.

I would love to hear your experience with this dish - I think it's an exciting and rather different way to use the Thermomix. 

Ingredients:

·      1 cup fresh coriander leaves


·      3tbsp vegetable oil
; just over ½ line on MC - use upside down til oil is needed.

·      1 ½ Tbsp green curry paste


·      pinch freshly ground coriander seeds

·      
1 pinch freshly ground cumin seeds


·      370ml/13fl oz/1 ½  cups coconut milk


·      1 boned and skinned chicken breast, sliced into bite-size pieces


·      2 green aubergines (eggplants),

·      quartered 
sprig pea aubergines (eggplants)


·      1tsp sugar


·      1 ½  Tbsp fish sauce


·      2 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half


·      6 Thai basil leaves


·      1/2 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced



For the garnish


·      2tsp cream of coconut milk

·      
fresh Thai basil for sprinkling

Thermomix Method

Toast cumin and coriander seeds for

2 ½ mins 100 degrees speed 2, cool 1 min

In the meantime wash and spin/pat your coriander leaves

Put a tissue just under the MC and grind

1 min speed 8-9. When finished, lift bowl out and gently tap lid on bowl to loose spices, then tip into the tissue. The coriander will still have shape.

Put coriander in and blitz

2 seconds speed 7. Scrape and remove into a small bowl.

Place oil in TM bowl, set to

23 mins, varoma speed 2 heat for 1 min

At 22mins add the coriander through the hole in the lid and fry 1 min

At 21mins add the paste and ground seeds and fry for 2 mins

At 19 mins press 90 degrees and start adding the coconut milk through the lid ½ a cup every 30 seconds

At 17 mins, press REVERSE, add the chicken through the hole in the lid, press 80 degrees, speed to 1.

At 5 ½ mins add your

·      eggplants (or zucchini and squash as replacement – can add a handful of snowpeas in the last minute)

·      sugar

·      fish sauce (I measure 1/3 of the MC)

·      kaffir lime leaves

·      thai basil leaves

·      chili

When finished, check balance of flavour. If you have used coconut cream instead of milk you will need to add lime juice to cut through the cream and balance the tartness. Otherwise, just balance the salty/sweet/hot and turn on for 1 min 80 degrees reverse, speed 1.

Serve with garnish in thermoserver.