ankita, Author at One Girl and her Thermie

Tikka paste

This really easy homemade Tikka Paste is great to have handy in the fridge, ready for your next impromptu curry night.

A selection of Indian spices, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, garlic cloves, tomato puree, olive oil, and fresh coriander. Pop all the ingredients into the Thermomix and blend into a paste. The important part here that Thermomix can do that a normal blender can’t is the cooking part. The beauty of it is that once made you can stick the jars in the fridge and use as and when desired. It will keep for up to 3 months.

I like to marinade chicken pieces and then turn this into butter chicken, I slather it on salmon and steam it, or simply such as to any meat, fish or veggies plus a can of coconut milk for a quick curry.

Homemade Tomato Ketchup

2 Comments / Basics

Everyone loves ketchup, Heinz Ketchup in particular. But it’s loaded with so much sugar that making your own homemade ketchup has to be a better alternative.

There are many recipes for homemade tomato ketchup but I find this one the best. I love it because you sweeten the tomatoes not with oodles of sugar but with ripe plums.

It certainly passes the ‘Stopa kids’ taste test but I have to warn you, I do have to put it in a glass jar labeled Heinz. Yes, my son will consume it happily from any bottle or jar but my daughter, who is all about branding and awareness these days, won’t eat it if she doesn’t think it’s Heinz. She hasn’t quite worked out that the colour, consistency or taste is completely different than Heinz nevertheless as many parents do, I just deal with it. My favourite trick your child story recently is where one parent called pea and mint soup, ‘Incredible Hulk Soup’. The changing of the name made all the difference to the willingness of the children to consume it. So in my case, I haven’t changed the name just the delivery receptacle. I’ll do anything to make them eat healthier.

Because as Malcolm Gladwell once explained, Heinz doesn’t just taste good, or even great. It tastes objectively perfect: When Heinz moved to ripe tomatoes and increased the percentage of tomato solids, he made ketchup, first and foremost, a potent source of umami. (19 Aug 2014)

Credit: This recipe is from the TM31 Fast & Easy. Now long out of stock but still one of my favourite Thermomix books

Chocolate Swiss Roll

2 Comments / Baking (Sweet), Snacks

I love chocolate. Anything chocolate. One of my favourite things about Christmas was that since I hate mince pies, Christmas pudding, and cake, my mum would buy me a Chocolate Swiss Roll instead. I have to admit I grew up on Cadbury’s or supermarket ones, the Waitrose or Marks & Spencer deluxe versions, but it’s only recently that I discovered how easy it is to make a Swiss roll.

This easy chocolate Swiss roll recipe is a classic! A Swiss roll is a very impressive cake and looks quite difficult to make, which is why people often shy away from baking them. A homemade Swiss roll is so much nicer than shop bought and they are much easier to make than you might think. This chocolate Swiss roll has a vanilla buttercream with yoghurt filling, which is full of flavour and a little easier on the calories. The vanilla and chocolate work extremely well together.

This Swiss roll cake could be served as a delicious dessert recipe topped with lashings of cream. This chocolate Swiss roll recipe takes 50 mins to make and bake and serves 4-6 people. This chocolate Swiss roll recipe is perfect if you want to bake something a little different, it’s great for sharing with a cuppa or can be smothered in custard or served with ice cream for dessert.

Courgette Soup

3 Comments / Soups, Vegan & Vegetarian

This courgette soup recipes are perfect for packed lunches and light suppers. Take your glut of courgettes and turn it into a healthy, tasty and filling soup, made so easily in the Thermomix.

I love courgettes, I really do. One of my first memories of being able to cook was a courgette side dish, onions, tomatoes, garlic and courgettes sauteed in a little oil (or butter). Simple, so simple that I could enjoy it as a side dish, served on toast or just for the midnight munchies. So when I had kids and realised not everyone loves courgettes as much as me, I needed to be creative, creative enough that they would still eat courgettes but in a way they could consume it; courgette soup.

What I love about this soup is how thick and creamy it is, even before you add cream. The courgettes blend together to make the soup smooth and silky in texture. Therefore, if you want to make this soup dairy free you can easily skip the cream altogether and replace the butter with some olive oil. You can make the dish vegan, by using olive oil and no cream.

Courgettes are rich in minerals and vitamins that include potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and vitamin C. Its peel (which is blitzed into the soup) is a good source of dietary fibre which will help if your little one is suffering from constipation.

Thermomix Gift Registry

Leave a Comment / Blog

No matter what milestone you’re celebrating, from a wedding or civil partnership to a ‘big’ birthday or anniversary, baby shower, and housewarming, putting together a Gift List for a Thermomix purchase is easy and exciting. Your guests will love to know they are contributing to something you will cherish and use for many years to come.

Many of my own customers hear, how Thermomix is the number one wedding present in Europe. True. My Polish sister-in-law, Emilia, was given one. And she’s not the only one. I’ve lost count of how many French, German, and Spanish customers have also been gifted Thermomixes for their nuptials since I started demonstrating in London. Italy and Portugal too, but of course, they know the Thermomix as Bimby.

Why? Well, since it’s one appliance that does it all; chopping, mixing, mincing, grinding, kneading, whipping and juicing, as well as cooking, stirring and weighing ingredients; then it’s really the only thing you would need in the kitchen.

There really is nothing really like a Thermomix as a wedding gift, housewarming present, for a new baby or for a big birthday because this kitchen workhorse will be useful several times a week and they last forever. Not to mention the great fun newlyweds or new parents will enjoy together cooking and eating well

Remember, a Thermomix will replace more than 12 other kitchen appliances and will replace all other appliances; say goodbye to your blender, juicer, coffee-grinder, food processor, grater, kitchen scales, mincer, mixer, bread maker, ice cream maker and so much more! It cooks and steams. There really is no other appliance on the market that even comes close to offering you the benefits and value you will enjoy with a Thermomix!

Just look at the stuff you can clear away? Here’s a picture of all the appliances and kitchen utensils one of my Advisors put away the day she received her Thermomix.

Best of all, it is easy to use and comes with a free-demonstration and lifetime Advisor support (from me) so your friends and family can be reassured that it won’t be stuck in a cupboard gathering dust.

Here’s what you need to do:

Contact me on Ankita@onegirlandherThermie.co.uk or call me on 07977 563537 to let me know you would like to register for a gift list.
I will ask for some details such as gift recipient (or account holder), event date and will need to authorise your card for £1 to open the account and put the paperwork in place. You will be given an Account Number and phone number for your guests to donate to your registry by calling Thermomix UK.

What else do you need to know:

The invoice is valid for 6 months before and 2 months after the ‘event’ date for guests to pay against. Please understand that the account holder will be responsible for settling any outstanding balances.
When the Thermomix is paid in full, a member of staff will contact the account holder to arrange delivery and also provide a list of all contributors.
Once the gift recipient has received their Thermomix and is ready to start, I will come and show them how to get the most amazing gift for years to come.

If you have any questions or would like to proceed with booking a gift registry, please contact me.

Ankita Stopa
One Girl and her Thermie
Email: ankita@onegirlandherThermie.co.uk
Mobile: 07977 563537

Avocado pancakes

Leave a Comment / Baking (Savoury), Breakfast & Brunch, Vegan & Vegetarian

I was out the other day and ate brunch at Andina last weekend in Shoreditch. The Peruvian cuisine is very hipster chick at the moment and whilst my husband and I could have devoured the entire menu, the only thing that caught my kid’s’ eye was avocado pancakes.

I couldn’t be happier as avocado is something I struggle to get them to eat – they won’t it in salads, run from guacamole so I need to sneak it into things. The only thing they haven’t noticed is Thermomix Frozen Fruit Sorbet so anything that gets them to eat avocados is a good thing in my life.

If you love avocado as much as I do, the thought of avocado pancakes will make you very happy. The super creamy ingredient makes the batter nice and soft with a light, fresh flavour. The beauty is that they look exactly like regular pancakes but we know it’s the healthier version.

The recipe is easy peasy, it just needs someone to be a little bit adventurous and try it. Perfect for upcoming Shrove Tuesday as an alternative to the standard pancake batter recipe.

Serve with a poached egg or crispy bacon for a luxury weekend treat and you’ll never look back! If you’re really, really short on time you can make these up ahead of when you need them. Whip up the batter, cook the pancakes and leave them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them. Then all they’ll need is a couple of minutes in a hot pan to warm through!

Ingredients

1 small ripe avocado
60 g plain flour (approx. ¼ cup)
1 egg
½ tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt (optional)
Butter or oil, for greasing the pan

Method (Thermomix version)

Add ingredients:
Place avocado (halved, stone removed), flour, egg, baking powder, and salt (if using) into the mixing bowl.
Blend:
Mix 10 sec / Speed 5.
Scrape down sides and repeat 5 sec / Speed 5, until smooth and combined.
Cook:
Heat a lightly greased frying pan over medium-low heat.
Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop batter onto the pan.
Cook 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and set.
Serve:
Enjoy warm as a savoury snack or top with yoghurt, berries, or honey for a sweet twist!

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Matcha Smoothie Bowl

Leave a Comment / Breakfast & Brunch, Dairy, Snacks, Vegan & Vegetarian

Matcha Smoothie Bowl is perfect to make for a quick nutritious snack or in my case, these days, breakfast. Packed with superfoods like fresh strawberries, bananas, spinach and topped with shredded coconut, cacao nibs, and chia seeds this matcha (green tea) smoothie bowl is light, fresh and delicious.

Unlike smoothies which are normally ‘drunk’ or slurped in my case, every time I make a smoothie bowl, I feel like I’m eating a meal. The fact that I eat it with a spoon makes me feel pretty full. And I also eat is slowly, unlike a smoothie, which is gone in a minute.

Smoothie bowls aren’t new to anyone, but I felt like they needed more admiration. And to be honest, I don’t make them as often as I’d like. This smoothie bowl only takes a few minutes to make and will be nice for a healthy fancy breakfast.

Breakfast on the go in one minute. This breakfast is super start to your “five a day” with this superfood and an antioxidant-loaded bowl of goodness. The creaminess of the yoghurt with the frozen banana turns this protein- and fibre-rich breakfast into a soft-serve-like treat. Add the goodness and earthy flavor of the matcha powder (holds 137 more antioxidants than brewed green tea), the contrasting textures of the fresh berries, seeds and nuts and you will feel ready to tackle whatever the day ahead throws your way.

Satay Sauce

Leave a Comment / Meat, Poultry, Starters

Satay lovers rejoice! This is the stuff food dreams are made of – chicken marinated in an authentic homemade satay sauce, then simmered in an incredible Satay Peanut Sauce. No hard to find ingredient and ready in under 30 minutes.

Satay sauce or peanut sauce is typical recipe usually contains ground roasted peanuts or peanut butter (smooth or crunchy), coconut milk, soy sauce, tamarind, galangal, garlic, and spices (such as coriander seed or cumin). Other possible ingredients are chili peppers, sugar, fried onion, and lemongrass.

I’ll be using the satay sauce as a serving dip with my chicken/ beef satays in another blog post but thought this needed its own post as it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a month.