Nice sauces ... and picnic/snack foods

[CarolineW]

Well, I'm still in my 'completely uninspired when it comes to cooking' funk, unfortunately.  I need to be throwing some slow cooker meals in to be ready when we get home from a day out (school summer holiday has begun).  I'm fed up of standard casseroles - beef in beer, chicken in red wine sauce, basic mince in gravy.  Which seem to be winter meals to me, anyway.  And I'm trying to resist buying the ready made sauces like 'chicken tonight' etc.

Surely there must be a whole bunch of sauces that I could throw together in my TMX  the night before (or even for the freezer) and then throw them over the meat and veg in the morning of the 'cider and mustard' ilk that I'm seeing ready made - but my brain just won't go there.  Please could you lovely TMXers give me ideas and recipes to kick start me?  It doesn't have to be a casserole style slow cooker meal, of course - if you have any slow cooker meal ideas rather than TMX sauce ideas 

Also, to my shame I'm buying sausage rolls and pork pies to grab and take with salads for picnics (at least the salad is home grown!).  Now I know there have to be masses of easy, quick picnic things I could be using my Thermie for (I've done them, if I could but remember them) - but inspiration fails me utterly.  There was some tray bake thing that Bron recommended last summer which was good - but I can't even begin to remember what it was called / what was in it - only that it was a savoury tray bake thingie.  Hmmm - not very helpful.  Anyway - any good ideas for quick and easy healthy picnic lunches and snacks that I can batch do and have ready in the fridge / freezer??

Thanks for helping me out, everyone 

[brazen20au]

what about some chicken wings and legs thrown into a zip lock bag or container with marinade, then all you need to do iis defrost and cook in tmx.
or quiches are supereasy to make and freeze, especially fritatta type ones

i'm feeling much the same lately caroline, if it helps

[CarolineW]

It does Brazen, yes    You are usually super-cook.  The marinaded chicken pieces are a good idea - can you point me toward a marinade idea? (I did warn you that I'm in a total funk now, didn't I  ) 

[brazen20au]

if you look at my blog you'll see i've hardly blogged in months! lol dead giveaway

hmm marinades...

i most often use a jar tbh lol but you could also try this:
http://brazen20au.blogspot.com/2008/09/honey-soy-braised-chicken-wings.html
http://brazen20au.blogspot.com/2008/07/links-bbq-ideas-marinades-salads-etc.html

[riv_mum]

There are quite a few sauces and marinades in the new meat cookbook.
I think Cyndi's has a couple too.

[Very Happy Jan]

Sorry to hear you are in a low spot CarolineW (and Brazen) but it happens to most of us at some stage I guess.
Last week we had a pot roast in the slow cooker and it was very nice.
2kg chuck steak roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1 cup dry sherry
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 ¹/ ₂teaspoons ground ginger
freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions thinly sliced
4 whole cloves
Rub roast with oil and minced garlic. Place meat in glass or ceramic bowl. Add sherry,soy sauce, ginger,pepper, onions & cloves. Turn meat to coat. Refrigerate overnight.
To cook. Remove meat from marinade & set marinade aside. Transfer meat to slow cooker. Add ¹/₂ cup of reserved marinade (DH put in all the marinade) . Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until tender
Transfer meat to a platter. Add ¹/₂ cup more marinade to pan juices. Cook down until reduced. (I took out as much marinade as I needed for gravy, put it in a small saucepan & thickened it with cornflour on the stovetop.

[faffa_70]

Caroline, this has been my lifesaver from time to time when I have had super busy periods and felt I needed help and time to get back in control 

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Will put my thinking hat on some more and get back 

[judydawn]

I've searched high and low for that recipe of Bron's you referred to Carolyn but could not find it listed in a particular recipe thread.  Maybe she mentioned it just in passing and didn't actually post the recipe.  Bron, where are you??

 Here's the link to ILB's honey, soy stir fry chicken winglets done in the TMX
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=891.0

JulioO's Beef Enchiladas can be made ahead of time and cooked when you get home - nice with salad http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1645.0

Farfallina's Cordon Bleu or Chelseas Chicken Kiev version can be made ahead and frozen until needed. Just throw them in the oven when you get home.
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=3687.0 & http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=3879.0

Sorry to hear you are struggling with your cooking, summertime we tend to have BBQ's and salads and not many casserole type meals but those recipes listed above would certainly be on my menu then as well.  Hope things begin to look up for you Carolyn and you get some inspiration from our members with your cooking.

[judydawn]

Carolyn, I found a recipe you might like to try. Is this what you were meaning in reference to Bron's slice?

http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/food/7924617/bacon-and-vegetable-slice

[cathy79]

For picnics, I like these type of things

Carrot & Spinach Slice
Rice & Spinach Pie

These style things usually freeze and defrost well ready for spontaneous picnics. There are lots of nice sounding tarts, quiches etc in the vegetarian section of this forum.

Or savoury muffins are always nice at a picnic.  Hope you get your cooking spark back soon.

[Thermomixer]

Carolyn, Like you & brazen I have been slow with the TMX lately. Been doing lots of normal cooking classes, slow-cooker and big batches of soup/casseroles.  The fridge has been almost empty for 3 weeks while we go from one class/eating out experience to another.  Need some good home cooking - but not tonight.  Yet another class!  I should know how to cook by now

Will think a bit more & respond in a better manner

[quirkycooking]

We like calzone - pizza dough rolled out into small circles and filled, folded over, and cooked in really hot oven (250^o C) for abotu 15 mins.  They're easy to take with you - eg picnics, meals on the run.  You can make the pizza dough when you have time and keep it in the fridge til you're ready to make them.  I fill them with a tomato-tuna filling (let me know if you want recipe), or leftover roast, veges & a little gravy (crockpot roast one night, leftovers go in calzone), or just fill with usual pizza toppings.

For a sauce, this is my favourite - Cashew Satay Sauce - whiz it up in TMX and pour over chicken baked in crockpot or oven.

[Cornish Cream]

Would it be possible to have the tomato and tuna filling recipe quirkycooking?My DS is fed up with ordinary sandwiches to eat.

[quirkycooking]

Okay, I'll type it out this morning! 

[CarolineW]

Carolyn, I found a recipe you might like to try. Is this what you were meaning in reference to Bron's slice?

http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/food/7924617/bacon-and-vegetable-slice

Great link, thanks Judy! Frankly, I very unhelpfully can't remember AT ALL what the tray bake thing of Bron's was, just that she does it by the oven tray load and cuts it into squares, and that I did the same and found it a lifesaver.  You'd think, having made it, that I'd remember at least something about it  - but no.

I'm trying to get the energy together to go and make the slice that you posted tonight.  Another picnic is in the offing for tomorrow - with some of our ozzie relatives who are passing through for the day.