Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: Chelsea (Thermie Groupie) on July 07, 2009, 05:39:46 am
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Hi there,
I am trying really hard to remove packaged and processed food from our family's diet and am going reasonably well. One thing I am struggle with though is preparing for the unexpected. I do a weekly menu plan and stick to it pretty well, but it is things like unexpected visitors arriving when the bickie tin is empty and needing a quick family meal when we arrive home from a day out that throw me a bit. We live out of town, which I guess makes it more important to be organised. Where once I would have pulled out a "packet-something", now I need to quickly think of something to whip up (and need to have the ingredients in the cupboard ready to go) or have things ready in the freezer.
I would love some suggestions to help me out:
What is your morning tea for unexpected guests?
What is your quick "slap-up" thermomix tea for your family?
What do you keep frozen in the freezer for busy times?
Chelsea :)
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first up i have to admit that i'm good at the ideas but the practicality is a different matter lol
What is your morning tea for unexpected guests?
i try to always keep stuff in the freezer - this could be slice or patty cakes or a cake cut into slices. but you can also freeze cookie dough and then cook as requeired - it acutally bakes up really nicely when baked from frozen
What is your quick "slap-up" thermomix tea for your family?
hmmm getting dh to use it? lol probably hmmm i'm really struggling lol. most of my real slap up meals don't involve the thermomix and use processed foods (baked beans, tacos etc). soup of all sorts (bron's minestrone for eg) is great but means the kids whining lol a red lentil and veg dish is very easy and the kids love it but it takes a while to cook (around 40+ mins)
What do you keep frozen in the freezer for busy times?
i always have heaps in my freezer but forget about it lol. in my ideal organised world i would have: cooked mince, onion and garlic, cooked shredded chicken, cooked rice, spag bol sauce / ragu, gluten free bread and rolls, as well as all the cakes, slices, biccies etc i also have GF things for rora's lunch such as mini sweet potato fritatta, meatballs etc
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Hi Chelsea...I hear you!
My favourite "slap-up" meal is Pasta E Fagioli out of the everyday book as long as I keep cans of the beans in my cupboard (which I make sure I do now ;)) I always have the ingredients for this on hand. I don't keep much in the freezer for busy times now as the quantity required to feed my lot, it takes as long to defrost as it does to slap something up in the TMX. I do still use my slow cooker alot - just all the prep work is done in the TMX.
Muffins is what I make for unexpected guests...will try and post the recipe for you (have to find it again in all my paperwork :-[ :-[ :-[ - sorry JD - I have started my file ) it is a basic one with (I think) butter milk and oil that I can just throw all the ingredients in the bowl and pulse on turbo a couple of times to mix and they are done - cooked in 20 mins. Can throw in frozen berries, choc chips, bananas, the list is endless
Hope that helps you out a bit ;D
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For morning tea this morning I whipped up some Cheesymite scrolls...as always have a big bag of bakers flour and cheese and vegemite of course, so thats a savoury thing sorted
For sweet, yes muffins are easy, or even shortbread, thats only 2minuts to make and everyone always has flour and butter in, and if you dont have rice flour you can make your own!
Ive also made cheese puff, just 1 cup grated cheese, 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1tsp baking powder, few spoons of milk - speed 5ish to just incorporate together, blob onto baking tray in small spoonfuls, cook for about 10mins....dead easy! its not even a recipe!! LOL
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Chelsea, this is a great topic and one which I will be following closely. I don't like having to rustle up a meal at the last minute, I prefer to be well organised days in advance or have standbys in the freezer for unexpected visitors (thankfully we don't have many of those).
I like to have a capsicum and sundried tomato dip in the freezer though - it freezes well and you can cut off exactly how much you think you would need. Also packets of cooked rice, spaghetti bolognaise sauce, pizzas, soup, mushroom sauce, muffins and carrot cake.
Scones are another thing quick and easy to whip up for morning tea - it takes longer for the oven to get to the correct temperature!
For mains - I make a tuna & corn mornay using the bechamel sauce recipe in the everyday cookbook. I just saute some onions first, make the sauce and add a large can tuna and a can of creamed corn and some cheese.
Baf65's Garlic oil and chilli pasta is one of the quickest meals to prepare. It was posted in mains back on the 7th Dec 08 and is delicious. If you use boiling water & spaghettini , it is even quicker. I keep sambal oelek in the fridge in case I have no chillies. You can grate some fresh parmesan and freeze small packs for emergencies.
Potato fritters are always welcome in this household when I'm looking for a quick meal - you don't even have to peel the potatoes if you want to save time. For 2 people, I do 3 potatoes cut into large chunks, speed 5 for 2 seconds then add an egg and fold that in by hand. I add NO flour. Makes 6 patties. The recipe in the original everyday book is way, way overprocessed and the quantity of flour in that recipe makes them very stodgy indeed. Just blitz them until you like the consistency (in shorts bursts) and they are delicious served with tomato sauce.
Quick desserts are rice pudding or custards from the everyday cookbook. These can always be made with powdered milk if you are running short of fresh or long life milk.
I'm sure there are plenty out there with some super ideas - bring them on guys ;) ;) This thread is going to help us all out.
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oh yes, pizza bases are fabulous in the freezer too (GF ones often need to be cooked before they are topped and baked)
also in ice cube trays or cubes in containers - ice (LOL), skim milk and tomato paste. sometimes lemon juice or passionfruit
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For a quick slap up meal that never fails (and I always have ingredients in the fridge/pantry) I always do creamy tomato and salami fetticini - has impressed numerous amounts of guests as well.
Also, I always make up muffins, torta capresse and frozen biscuit dough (the one in every day cookbook works well frozen) and then slice and bake if guests arrive.
In the frezer I always keep frozen fruit (of any kind) and ice to make up sorbets it's always a hit
I also always keep crackers and cream cheese (or in our case yoghurt cheese) that's ready to make up dips
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I'm loving the ideas - thanks so much. I'm compiling a list as the posts come in. As much as I love my thermie and cooking healthy wholesome food, I find that it does take quite a bit of organisation and planning. Sometimes I get a bit frazzled (especially at dinner time when my two little ones are tired, cranky and hungry), so it will be a huge help to have a list of options ready. I was really tired on the weekend and just couldn't get my act together on the cooking front. Of course it was the one weekend that we were inundated with visitors. Relatives arrived on Sunday with a bag of white bread, store-bought tomato sauce and saveloys for half time in the footy and I felt like crying (seriously overtired!!) .
I'm kind of answering my own question here but I find afternoon teas easier when visitors pop up. We tend to go a bit more savoury, which i find easier to do quickly. I keep bags of Chipman's organic corn chips that are free of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives (splendid cheese flavour - mmmmm) and cans of chic peas to whizz up hommus. Very easy and tasty.
Chelsea :)
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Great idea for a thread Chelsea.
I too do scones for a quick morning or afternoon tea - or late night snack!!! Can make them savoury by adding cheese.
My throw together meal is usually spag bol - keep mince in freezer & I defrost it in the thermomix by a combination of a low heat & turbo-ing it. For something a bit more special if you have an eggplant (aubergine) on hand do the lentil moussaka from the Varoma book - seriously delicious. Otherwise I love stir fry vegies with tamari & sweet chilli sauce plus cashews then make an omelette & chop it over the top.
I am seriously disorganised when it comes to the freezer. I buy things & throw them in & then realise too late to defrost them that I need them so I pop up the shops (all of 3 minutes away) & buy more!!! Do tend to have chick peas & tuna & cream cheese whenever possible in the fridge/pantry & have fresh herbs frozen as someone suggested recently so I can add those.
Maybe you could compile the list once the thread exhausts & post it as a summary!!
Cheers
Jane
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Great thread Chelsea -Tenina may be able to combine ideas from here with her Pantry book.
I will add more when i have time to think, but for the last 30 years, since I purchased my first Magimix, scones - plain, cheese or date - have been the quick standby morning/afternoon tea. My hands are too hot to rub butter into flour and when i purchased the magimix - like Judydawn - it takes longer to heat the oven than make them - and they always work (and usually impress ;))
Snacks are mainly related to dips of anything that is in the pantry or fridge that can be combined.
Will think of more.
Thanks again Chelsea - need to contact poor Tenina to see if she can combine this with the Pantry cookbook
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For morning tea this morning I whipped up some Cheesymite scrolls...as always have a big bag of bakers flour and cheese and vegemite of course, so thats a savoury thing sorted
baf65, do we have that recipe for Cheesymite scrolls anywhere - can't seem to find it in any book. Please post it for us.
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JD...I just make up a basic bread dough...let it rise...roll out into a big rectangle...spread with vegemite and grated cheese..roll up into a sausage then cut up into pieces, let them rise again (i put them into a rectangle or round tin pretty squished up together) then bake for 10-15mins or until ready
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Well Chelsea I think you better buy the Budget Busters book because we have a whole page titled Thermomix Makes Cents that has lots of ideas for just such occasions.
We have suggestions for a Dinner Party Menu, a Family BBQ, Luxury Breakfast or Unexpected guest ideas....all using Thermomix and using existing recipes in current publications...so there you go, problem solvered! ;D ;D
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Well Chelsea I think you better buy the Budget Busters book because we have a whole page titled Thermomix Makes Cents that has lots of ideas for just such occasions.
We have suggestions for a Dinner Party Menu, a Family BBQ, Luxury Breakfast or Unexpected guest ideas....all using Thermomix and using existing recipes in current publications...so there you go, problem solvered! ;D ;D
You are just wonderful Tenina - always one step ahead!!! So that is the Budget Busters Booklet that from memory is now available at HQ???
Chelsea :)
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I've been checking out Karen's blog (Brazen) and think the "Quick and Dirty" baked beans may make an easy slap-up tea. Karen suggests serving them on toast or on a baked potato. My kids love baked beans, but I hesitate to give them anything out of a can these days. Will have to try them and maybe add them to our list!!!
Chelsea :)
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Hi Chelsea, Have you tried the Tuna Corn Casserole. It's great for a quick meal.
Cheers
Trudy
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Funny you should ask. I just made it last night and posted my review. I loved it thankyou. It is a very good standby meal as the tuna and dried egg noodles can be stored in the cupboard and I always some veggies and an onion to throw in. Great for when I forget to thaw out meat. :)
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Glad you liked it. You will have to thank Judy as she was the one who did the translation for the TM.
Trudy
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Hey Chelsea :)
you could do vegie sticks cut up in water in the fridge. Keep some cream cheese or make your own and add a tin of lemon pepper tuna - seriously delish! You could parbake some artisan bread and pull it out of the freezer and heat up. I'm making myself hungry!
Also freezer dough as previously mentioned. I have a recipe somewhere that is dough for 120 biscuits - but probably more like 200! I made a massive batch (too big for TMX) and froze them, then you can just do a tray when needed or the oven is on.
I was also going to suggest pizza bases ready cooked, ready to add your toppings. Another thing is pizza pockets. They freeze great and I've been using them for kids lunchboxes. I need to do another batch this week. The pizza dough from EDC will make a pizza for us with adult toppings ;D and 6 pizza pockets for the kids.
We don't have unannounced visitors which I love!
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There is this really great book Frost Bite: Freezer Recipes for Toddlers to Teenagers there is also another one called Frost Bite: Everyday Food Fresh from the Freezer there are some great ideas from these two books which cover food for and from the freezer. It also has instructions for heating once out of the freezer I have them on my birthday list :)
As for what we do
cookie dough in the freezer in logs/sausage shapes
easy scones using the cream and lemonade recipe
muffins frozen or whipped up and cooked when needed
In our freezer for dinner there is always a combo of the following
raw meat balls for pasta (all made by me)
raw rissoles
raw hamburger patties
lasagne
chilli
marinated steak or chicken pieces ready to cook one thawed
bags of marinated and cut chicken for stir frys
spag bol frozen
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You sound really organised Meagan 8) 8) 8)
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Almost too organised JD! I might have to hire her. I was like that once.....I think I can remember the days :-)) :-))
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Perhaps we could share her Kathryn? ;D
After initiating this thread I have started making up batches of cookie dough for the freezer and the logs come in so handy. I often throw some biscuits in the oven after making our daily bread to top up the bickie tin. Today I discovered that the fudgey wudgey cookie dough still tastes lovely frozen ;) ;) ;). Quick TMX date scones and savoury scrolls are now favourites as well. I'm still not keeping a lot of frozen meals in the freezer as I've decided (like Kathryn) that it is too much hassle to safely thaw and reheat meals for the family. I'm loving pasta fagioli, pumpkin and baby spinach risotto and tuna and corn casserole as quick standby meals mainly from the pantry. Bron's carbonara is also a quick favourite when we have bacon in the fridge.
:)
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LOL I would be happy to be hired out at the moment!!! My #2 is in a bad way and sleeping in 20-40 minute bursts >:( at night :'( ??? I am going a bit loony but this place is keeping me sane.
Ps we do eat vegies, rereading that post we sound like mega meat eaters :o
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Meagan, you have my sympathy re your #2. Many moons ago our DD did that to us. When we spoke with the clinic sister she laughed and replied "she's learning while she is awake!" . Just what we didn't want to hear. You will get through it, believe me. Hang in there.
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Thanks Cookie1 :)
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I know just how you feel Meagan, except our little one is sleeping for about an hour at a time. It's awful to see them so miserable. My DS just has a cold, but panics when his nose is blocked and chokes. Poor little possums . . .
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OMG Meagan :o :o :o I do feel for you though, after we came back from Bali when DS was 8 months old she was waking up approx 16 times a night as the cot in Bali was small and every time she moved she hit the side and woke up and brought the habit home :( Hope you start getting some sleep soon you poor thing. Thank goodness you now have your TMX to make cooking easy while you are not in a functioning state!
I have now also decided after trying Cyndi's vegetarian Sausage Rolls that these are going to be in my freezer for the unexpected!! How good are these??!!! My whole family love them and swore there was meat in them! he he :D
Did I post before that I also do meatballs (the recipe is here somewhere or a link for one with tofu in them). They defrost really quickly. I do trays / containers of them and then only pull out what I need and defrost them in the varoma on the bench while I run around like an idiot get everything else done and then make a nice hearty chunky tomato sauce in the bowl to cook them (they take 30 mins to steam) and a yumbo.
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haha faffa, that's because the meat content in 'real' sausage rolls is neglible ;)
my first was a catnapper - he had 2 x 45 min naps a day as a newborn LOL though he did sleep all night for a while, but then when his day naps improved he started waking all night :-))
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I was looking at all the little tiny cake tins yesterday, the ones that would feed maybe 4-6 people. So rather thank making one big cake, could make a few small cakes and freeze. They wouldn't take long to defrost.
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Good thinking CB79 - That is a problem for us as we don't eat much cake usually but like to have some on hand.
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:o WOW! You guys are all so organised!!
I don't usually try to cook anything if I have unexpected guests for morning or afternoon tea. It's generally the Elders man/girl or the Insurance guy. I always have cakes in the freezer anyway and the bickie barrel is never empty!
I mostly have to make last minute nibblies when people call in for drinks and stay for ages. That's when the cream cheese and tuna comes in handy, also Salsa and corn chips.
For last minute meals, I would probably make something with pasta. I always have dried mushrooms and UHT cream in my cupboard and frozen or fresh bacon and generally have eggs, so it's quite often carbonara.
I cleaned out my pantry today and it took me almost all day!! I don't believe the amount of stuff I have. Five sorts of rice, for heaven's sake! Every nut, grain, seed and pasta shape know to man, every sort of sugar, every dried fruit there is.... I shouldn't ever have to worry about not having anything to cook! ;D
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Sounds like you're in a great position to do the $21 challenge - and just in time to save some money for Christmas presents!
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these ideas sound great [ writing something here so l can find it again to use these ideas ]
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Thanks for bumping this thread nazar, it will be interesting to see anymore ideas people have for super quick meals
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I have discovered cooked cakes cut into slices in the freezer so you can take out a piece at a time. the problem is I take a piece all the time :-))
When I make a casserole I put left overs in 1/3 cup lumps on a sheet in the feezer and once snap frozen put in snap lock bags for a quick defrost for pies along with precutting pastry shapes for pies in the pie maker.
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l just put my casserole for pies straight in to zip lock bags wrapped in newpaper (to seperate them from freezing together )
and l stack them on top of one anther easy to get out of freezer when we want a pie
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Often have tradies turn up. Can make scones very quickly.
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I have discovered cooked cakes cut into slices in the freezer so you can take out a piece at a time. the problem is I take a piece all the time :-))
When I make a casserole I put left overs in 1/3 cup lumps on a sheet in the feezer and once snap frozen put in snap lock bags for a quick defrost for pies along with precutting pastry shapes for pies in the pie maker.
That's a great idea for the pies Meagan ... that way you can make a variety if you want as well. Making a note of that one!!