Help me Mumsnet: healthy meals using only a microwave (or without cooking)

[helpmeMN2]

Posting for traffic, not really an AIBU. For reasons I won’t get into, I’ve got stuck in a housing situation for a couple of months where I’ve only got access to a microwave and a kettle. I’ve got the additional problem that due to gastro issues I need to try and eat plain food that isn’t high fat or full of spices etc, so ready meals are basically out. I’ve been racking my brains to try and think of healthy, simple, filling dinners I can have for a couple of months with a minimum of cooking or even better none. Baked (microwaved) potatoes with filling is one option, but can any of you lovely MN people kindly suggest anything else? I’m thinking salad-type greens, maybe half a can of drained beans or sweetcorn for carbs, plus maybe some pre-cooked chicken etc? Or salads with dates, nuts, cheese etc but I don’t really know whether it will be filling enough for dinner? Any suggestions very gratefully received!

YABU - it’s not doable, find somewhere else
YANBU - it’s doable and here are some suggestions

Rice packets - the ones that split into two individual portions are great. Mix with some veg.
Go along the ready meal aisle and look at the microwaveable stuff. Then just buy the ingredients and do it yourself. Less salt etc and you can portion as much or as little as you need.

Not a direct answer to your question, sorry, but could you maybe buy/borrow a slow cooker? They are cheap to buy if you need to, but people often have them stuck in cupboards.

Would certainly open up your options.

You can do a nice risotto in a microwave

Here’s a good list: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/microwave-recipes

Some of them seem a bit ambitious - but I wouldn’t cook some of them on the stove or in the oven, anyway, tbh.

We had to make do with a microwave for a couple of months when renovating. You just accept it’s not going to be the high point of your life cuisine wise, it’s fine. We ate a lot of shakshuka, scrambled eggs, rice dishes, steamed vegetables with rotisserie chicken, and tinned soup.

It doesn't sound ideal, but it is possible to do quite a bit. There are filling things like couscous and rice noodles that only need to be soaked in boiling water, you can buy decent quality soup and have it with bread and salad, that sort of thing.

Your options would expand if you could for buy yourself a plug-in induction hob and a pan, or would you not be allowed to use those where you are?

Ikea does a good basic induction hob, or you can get similar things on Amazon, and you will need an induction-compatible pan (check the labels).
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/tillreda-portable-induction-hob-1-zone-white-70493503/

Salmon fillets can be cooked in a microwave.

Do you have access to a fridge? If so, store bought quiche with salad and a bread roll or a spanish tortilla on a roll is a nice easy meal that we often do. You could have some raw fruit/veg/nuts/dates on the side too.

You can also get store bought fresh soups (like the sort that need to be refrigerated). Even if you don't have a fridge, you could probably eat in one day so no need for long term storage. Split pea or lentil or there's a really nice chicken and veg one (Yorkshire provender, I think?). With a bread roll/baguette and butter. Butter will keep long term at room temp too.

Rice and beans in wraps with salad veg. I used to have these a lot as a student. Pre-made rice pouches with kidney or black beans, seasoned how you like, with tomatoes, peppers, spring onions, avocado, etc. You could probably do it with other things too like couscous or quinoa.

Make yourself a ploughman's - cheese/ham, crackers/baguette, celery, apple, chutney, pickled onions, gherkins, whatever of that sort of stuff that you like.

I find all veg steams well in the microwave, you could do steamed/cooked fish with steamed veg and rice. Precooked packed rice or you can also cook dry rice in the microwave.

Microwaves are surprisingly versatile.

Scrambled eggs can be done in the microwave wave. Add mayo for egg mayo.

Baked potatoes with beans and cheese. Potato isn't as nice as oven baked but perfectly edible.

I've booked pasta in the microwave, very steamy but fine. You can steam most veg too. Just put in a box with a loose lid and a little water and cook until soft enough. I cook peas in there too. Cover with water and bring to the boil.

Anything that is cooked in water is fine. Roasting and baking is harder but there are lots of mug cake recipes which other people rate (don't like them much myself but I'm a big baker)

If you have a kettle, you can make couscous with stock or herby flavourings.

With a microwave you can cook almost any veg. Jacket potatoes obviously. Fish cooks well in a microwave. Risottos too.

I agree with PPs. If you add a slow cooker to your 'kitchen', there isn't much you can't cook.

Any tinned soup (some of them are healthier than others) can have instant noodles added. They soften up quickly while the soup is heating up and resting.

I find salmon cooks well in the mic. You have to keep checking it and it only takes about 3 minutes, but if you just add lemon and a bit of butter and cover it, it comes out really nice. Also just cook some greens and a few new potatoes in there in a plastic tub with a bit of boiling water and a loose lid. Pots first (they can take 8 mins) then add the veg for last couple mins. That's lovely with a bit of mayo and a few capers. I wouldn't cook meat in there, but would try other fish maybe?

If you want a no-cook thing, you can make couscous with boiling water, I add boillion powder and then cover until it's absorbed. Then add finely chopped cucumber, toms, onions, olives, any veg really. Add a glug of olive oil and some nice fresh herbs.

Ready to cook noodles, 2 packs with veg sautéed in micro add stock cube, similar with micro rice, add cooked chicken, prawns, veg etc. Go on Pinterest and look for Greek salads, no prep salads. Buy cooked chicken, jarred peppers, cook minced beef in micro with stock & onions, buy mashed potatoes. If you have access to a freezer buy all the veg, meat frozen.

Huel?

Baked potato’s, beans + toast, could you do a cold salad like a chicken salad and buy a cooked chicken? You can get mash you can cook in the microwave. (And veg!). Is there any room in your budget for an air fryer? It opens up a lot more options, Asda had one in for just shy of £40 a few days ago. Might be worth considering if finances allow?

If you have access to a fridge/freezer then you've got quite a few options, e.g:

• supermarket rotisserie chicken with frozen rice (the steamfresh ones are good)
• scrambled eggs, bread and salad
• fresh soup and bread
• smoked mackerel or tuna on a jacket potato
• get some hummus and have a mezze plate with cucumber/cherry tomatoes/olives and either bread or couscous
• Itsu do cartons of chicken broth that you can heat up with noodles/handful of veg/leftover rotisserie chicken for a ramen-type soup

Green veg and potatoes and sweet potato can be done in microwave.

Also sort-of omelette

steamed veg, microwave rice or soak in boiling water noodles and a pack of cooked chicken
scrambled eggs
soup
you can get some fairly decent ready meals these days that are higher in protein and contain a decent amount of veg
salad with couscous and falafel
according to google you can cook pasta in the microwave
tinned fish
when i worked away and got a hot lunch from the canteen i used to get a supermarket salad bowl and sushi for dinner. You can often get a meal with a snack and a smoothie included with the sushi and then add the salad separately.
This might be worth a try although you could probably make your own version quite easily Creamy Cheese Penne Pasta - Steamfresh Range | Birds Eye

Asian style broth is easy in the microwave, with grated or finely sliced vegetables such as carrots, onion, mushrooms, then add noodles or gyozas or shredded chicken, prawns, cubed ham.

Pouches of microwave rice, grains or lentils with chopped ham or chicken stirred through. Try the flavoured rice such as Caribbean or Spanish, serve along side cooked chicken or fish.

Try smoked mackerel fillets with Waldorf salad, or Chicken Caesar salad is very easy.

If you are eg renovating your kitchen, I wonder if you could buy / borrow any of the following, which would give additional options -

slow cooker
steamer
rice cooker
air fryer
George Forman grill

I was going to suggest a slow cooker too but someone beat me to it! They are very cheap at £12-£15 for a basic one at a supermarket or Argos. You can buy meat and veg already cut up and just mix them with water and a packet mix, job done. Filling, healthy meals, no fuss. Also get some slow cooker liners too and no mess either!

Tins are great. Good tuna salad. Soups of all types. Can cook eggs. Can cook cakes, fish, veg.

Have you got a fridge or freezer?
Loads of pre packed cooked grains available, I often have those with feta and salad as a filling tea
Rotisserie chicken off the hot counter

When I was in a similar situation I bought a gas camping cooker. A hob lets you boil a saucepan, or fry onions, egg or bacon. Grains like buckwheat, quinoa or couscous need very little cooking.

Thanks so much for all the replies! Some great suggestions here which I will be making use of. To answer a few questions: I have a small fridge and tiny freezer. Buying other types of cooker isn’t an option unfortunately, the landlady has a lot of oversight and she wants everything just so.

I’m intrigued by people saying you can do salmon in the microwave! What’s your technique? Does it smell a lot?