Help, temporary no use of cooker

[murasaki]

So, last week the engineer came to do the gas safety check, and remarked that the cooker (functional bar a not entirely fitting door to the oven) was very old, and he'd speak to the landlady. So she had a reconditioned one delivered and fitted on Saturday.

Sunday, the outside pane of the new oven door fell off. So we emailed her, she said she'd get a fitter out to replace.

However, it seems that the letting agents have reported her to the HSE as clearly this new cooker hadn't been checked, not that we can use the oven anyway, so now we aren't allowed to use the grill or hobs either, while we wait for a new door, and a new gas check. Which could take some time.

So, I'm asking for advice on what we can do to eat - we have a microwave, toaster, sandwich toaster and a slow cooker. Takeaways could be an option, but due to covid we are now a one income household so I really can't justify it.

I have a freezer full of food I can't cook!

Any advice and recipes gratefully received.

Could you grab a slow cooker? They're about £10-£15 and you can cook so much in them

Sorry just seen you have a slow cooker! Haha

What type of food do you have in the freezer?
Is it fresh meat that's been frozen? Or fish fingers etc

What about a camping stove you can pick them up very cheaply and a air fryer

Do you have BBQ? Cook outside if you do.

Or something like this

one of these - lifesaver when we had the kitchen done. Perfectly ok indoors. If you have a B and M near you they probably have them. Or pay a lot more on Amazon.

www.ebay.co.uk/i/172764490019?chn=ps&var=471550710108&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=471550710108_172764490019&targetid=908661474856&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9046377&campaignid=10204071591&mkgroupid=104953044434&rlsatarget=aud-381667280803:pla-908661474856&abcId=1145987&merchantid=9531184&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-aiS0L696gIV0oBQBh1uPANXEAQYASABEgJ3xPD_BwE

Table top induction hob?

Some are quite cheap, and they don't get terribly hot underneath because, being induction, most of the heat is in the pan.

Yes to BBQ, although the weather isn't great here.

Freezer has frozen fish,fresh butcher's meat frozen inc sausages, meat parcels, pork chops, batch cooked meals but in metal containers, guess I could decant them but they never taste as nice microwaved.

I was wondering if there are new things I can look at given what we've got.

Mencken - that's cheap! We have a small space though so I'm reluctant to buy more stuff if I can help it.

I have frozen soups but don't want soup every day!

Table top conventional hot plates are even cheaper, you just have to be more careful where you put them.

If your gas is off to the cooker, I'd put a board on top of that and the table top hob on top of it.

It's not actually off, as the cooker is wedged in so tightly (which may have contributed to the broken glass, it was carried un boxed in a van...) that we can't get at it.

I'm a bit peeved frankly as the previosu one was fine.

@Homemadearmy
That induction hob is something I bought 10 years ago for cooking fish outside.

Fantastic.

Have loaned it out to so many people that were stuck.

Really great.

Woukd be tempted to go induction hob whenever I need a new hob.
Super easy to control and so cheap on electricity.

My weekly meal plan had Nigella's pork chops and gnocchi today

When we moved in to a property and the gas cooker failed the gas safety test , we got an air fryer and an electric steamer and we still use them far more than the actual cooker now . They are so handy.

Thanks - I'm more asking for ideas of what to cook with the kit we have. There must be some delicious microwave recipes out there? Or maybe not!

Reheat batch-cooked meals in slow cooker, if you don't like to microwave them?

I like stew-type meals anyway. I don't know what your slow-cooker is capable of, but in a casserole dish on the hob I would typically brown off meat/sausages and get some onions onions going. Then chuck in a tin of tomatoes and some herbs, maybe a can of chickpeas or beans of some sort. Leave for 40 mins – 1 hr.

Two portions of lasagne won't fit in the slow cooker, sadly, and I tend to portion up individual ones.

Lovely casserole recipe for pork chops.

Brown off chops.
Remove and if necessary grease dish again to prevent sticking.
Put in 4 tablespoons of rice per person (brown is particularly good).
Place chops and some sliced veg on top (green peppers nice, but also onions or whatever you like).
Add stock, about 125 ml per person (but a bit more if it's just for one).
Cook for 1 hour, or more for brown rice, at 180C (sorry, I'm sure you can translate that to slow oven).

Check occasionally to make sure hasn't dried out.

I cna't see how we can brown anything off, and we always do for the slow cooker, using the hob first. Damn it.

I've been poaching fish in casserole dish quite a lot recently.

Soften onions then add spinach to wilt. Place frozen fish fillets on top, add hot stock. I've then been placing in oven for 25 mins at 180 C – again, you'll know how this translates to a slow cooker.

We had a delay on a cooker delivery, we bought a plug-in induction hob, very cheap at about £30, and a combination microwave, you can pretty much cook anything on those plus what you have.

Potato waffles, nan bread and pitta bread can all be cooked in the toaster.

What are the things you would usually cook, what is in your freezer?

We bought a microwave combi oven for £90 when we were without a kitchen during an extension. We figured we could sell if after and recoup some of the cost. You may be able to pick one up second hand for less.

Oh bummer, just seen your comment about browning...

Well, browning's not essential – it will still come out cooked, just a bit pallid looking.

With things like onions and fish... is it possible to cook the onions for a few minutes and add the fish later? Sorry, I haven't used a slow cooker.

You don't need to brown food on the hob before cooking in the slow cooker, I usually do but it's not necessary.