365days2playI have a confession to make. I am a kitchen gadget fanatic. People like to go to the phone shops to ogle the latest phone designs but for me, I derive pleasure window shopping at the kitchen section of Tangs and Robinsons. I just can’t help it when the chefs on TV have such lovely kitchens to work in and all sorts of droolsome kitchen equipment to play with.
I’ve wanted my very own hand blender for a few years now. Imagine the number of soups and smoothies you can make with the hand blender! I already have an all-purpose food processor, and it seems a waste of money to want to get a hand blender. But the thing is, the food processor is no good for when you just want to process a small amount of food. It’s so much more convenient to shove the hand blender into a glass or jar of nuts, seeds, vegetables etc and the only thing you need to wash is the head of the hand blender, and not the entire food processor contraption.
Also, I know I will never pour hot soup into my food processor’s plastic container. If you ever buy a hand blender, the most important thing is to get one that is made of metal. I just can’t imagine immersing a plastic one into boiling hot soup! Even though they say it’s safe, I rather not.
So it was great when Mayer, the distributor of Bamix in Singapore contacted me to ask me if I wanted to try out the Bamix MagicWand. This versatile first-class Swiss hand blender comes fitted with multi-purpose blades for jobs such as mincing, chopping, whisking, mixing and pureeing at the flick of a switch. Different speed settings allow for whisking and beating at varying strengths to achieve creamy salad dressings, sauces, soups, baby food, soufflés, milkshakes, desserts and even mashed potatoes.
This Bamix is a really nifty gadget to have, and it looks so stylish too! Ok the picture here is the top of the range Bamix SwissLine that costs $499, but you can simply get the basic range Bamix MagicWand for only $299. I think red is such a striking colour, and perfect for Christmas don’t you think? When I have my own dream kitchen, I will invite friends over for dinners often, and this will surely be one of my showcase pieces!
Anyway… I put the Bamix MagicWand to the test and whipped up an appetiser (soup), mains and dessert with it. Scroll down to see the recipes, pictures as well as videos!
Broccoli and Potato Soup
1 large broccoli (about 2 handfulls) roughly chopped
2 medium potatoes roughly chopped
1 onion roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic
2 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of fresh marjoram (can use thyme or rosemary if preferred) (1/2 if using dried)
1 teaspoon of cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
In a pot with a little olive oil gently cook the garlic and onions to soften on a medium heat. We don’t want the onions to brown but just to release their sweetness. Add the broccoli, potato and stock. Bring to boil and then reduce the heat. Add the marjoram and cumin and then a tsp of salt and pepper each. After simmering for ten minutes remove from heat.
Use the Bamix with the grinding attachment to puree the soup into a smooth liquid. Add the milk and mix in with the Bamix.
If you don’t like it to be pureed until smooth, you can stop whenever you want to. Keep your eye on the pureeing as it goes really fast.
I like it really smooth so I went all the way. The foggy picture is not due photoshop. My camera lens has fogged up from the heat from the soup. See you can literally puree the soup just off the stove, without having to wait for it to cool down to put into a blender.
Voila, the delicious Broccoli and Potato Soup that would cost $7 at a restaurant! Kitchen gadgets may sound expensive, but if it allows you to eat at home more often, that’s savings my friends!!
For the main course I made Tacos. The key to a good taco is the tomato salsa. I like to make my own because it’s easy to do and I know the ingredients are fresh and wholesome. No preservatives, colouring etc.
Tomato Salsa for the Tacos
3 medium ripe tomatoes — vine ripened ideally
3 small shallots
3 cloves of garlic
½ a capsicum (or a whole one if you love them like I do)
1 tablespoon of fresh coriander (1/2 if using dried)
1 chili
½ teaspoon of sugar
¼ teaspoon of salt
I actually don’t cook these ingredients. You could if you want but since I’m already cooking the mince for the tacos I prefer to keep the salsa ”raw”. Put all the ingredients in a deep bowl and use the Bamix to puree it all together. That’s it. Yup.
The salsa is good also as a dip for potato chips or crudites. Instantly glam up your party with various homemade dips!
Banana Smoothie
Lastly I’m doing a banana smoothie to go with dinner. 2 bananas lose their skins and jump into a bowl. With them go a handful of your favourite berries. They are joined by a cup of milk and I like to add ½ tsp of cinnamon. With the beating attachment mix together until creamy and enjoy.
Check out my Instagram to see the video of the banana smoothie blitzing away! http://instagram.com/p/fsYKYSy0fq
You could go on a decadent streak and use the whisk attachment and quickly make whipped cream to place on top.
The Bamix MagicWand is really easy to use; just 2 buttons and 3 attachments. Don’t even need to read the manual really. It’s small so it convenient to store away. It’s light but powerful. Hold the mixer in some liquid and you can feel the suction being generated. Best of all its versatile. You can beat, grind, pulverise, whisk etc. Read more and ogle more Bamix pictures at http://www.bamix.com/en/. I hope Santa gives me a Bamix SwissLine for Christmas!!
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