Welcome to The Kitchen Playground. Cooking can bring great joy and great despair. I hope that the recipes you find here, many of which are very quick to make with the weeknight in mind, help you to experience more joy than despair. Many recipes have instructions for the Thermomix 31 as well as traditional instructions. The emphasis is on real, fresh food that combines flavour, texture and scent to delight the senses.
Part one introduces my thoughts on why only whole spices should grace your pantry and parts two and three feature the beginnings of my essential spice list. Part 4, is more spicy goodness. You will notice I have included galangal and ginger which are technically rhizomes so neither herb nor spice and also lemon grass. […]
There is something incredibly satisfying about an entire meal produced in the thermomix. When it is as wonderfully healthy as a meal steamed in the varoma, the satisfaction levels can only increase. Chinese Style Steamed Chicken 1 chicken, cut into breast, wings, thighs and drumsticks 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon sherry 2 teaspoons cornfour […]
Part one of this discussion introduces my thoughts on why only whole spices should grace your pantry and part two features the beginning of my essential spice list. Part three is a continuation of the Kitchen Playground essential spice list. from top, left to right, cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, garlic Cloves Powerful […]
So, we agreed in part one of my spice ramblings that whole spices are the key to increasing the flavour of our food. They are no more expensive, difficult to access or use. The only question remaining is which spices to keep on hand. Now for the Kitchen Playground must have spice list: from the […]
Here is a quick and healthy meal to cheer your tastebuds. All cooked in the thermomix with the help of the varoma. Of course, without a thermomix, the same could be achieved with a saucepan and steamer. Steamed Fish with Tamarind & Ginger Sauce 4 small whole fish or 4 fillets, any firm white fish […]
Fast and delicious. I whipped this up in 15 minutes flat for the sole purpose of work lunches. It will freeze nicely into 4 lunch sized portions. Perfect for a cold day. Easily adaptable to a saucepan and food processor or stick blender too. Spinach and Parmesan Soup 1 large chunk parmesan 4 cloves garlic, […]
The old saying says that necessity is the mother of invention. Tonight at the Kitchen Playground, it was necessary to use up some leftover (homemade) tofu and some leftover roast lamb. The result was a simple and tasty little dish that would work just as well with uncooked lamb, just increase the cooking time slightly […]
Really flavoursome food, requires really flavoursome ingredients. Freshly picked and respectfully grown fruit, vegetables and herbs, meat from animals fed and treated well from birth to the slaughterhouse and minimal messing with nature. The usual things I preach about. Something I don’t mention as much though is the spice factor. If you have a pantry […]
Yes. You read that title correctly. Breakfast meets creme brulee. Now that is a way to start the day! Not that it is an everyday breakfast but for a holiday morning or early morning entertaining, this is sure to impress. We have Jaden at Steamy Kitchen to thank for this naughty little taste of morning […]
Monday night. Swimming night. Dinner needs to be made ready in the time it takes the Ankle Biters to shower and change. So Monday is generally a slow cooker night in the colder months. I do all the prep on the Sunday night and pop it in the fridge ready to be put in the […]