No hob or oven for 10 days. What do I cook?

[azazello]

We're having the kitchen redone at the moment including new electrics and gas main so the cooker won't work from today for about 10 days. I have a microwave that claimed to have an oven/grill function but last time I tried, it set itself on fire. It works brilliantly as a microwave. I also have a slow cooker.

How do I do pasta, rice and potatoes? I've got couscous for tonight and tortillas for tomorrow but am otherwise feeling stumped. I have to feed 7 adults (don't ask) a 3yo who loves pasta but won't eat spice and a 1 yo.

you can cook rice quite easily in the MW, and pasta - although it can go a bit stodgy. Baked potatoes work well, and if you get some of those MW vegetable bags, you can cook new potatoes.

Can you do a big casserole served with baked potatoes for adults?, (maybe give the DC an alternative potato filling if they're not keen on cass.)

There was a thread here the other day for slow cooker recipes. You can do dried noodles in the MW if the 3yr old likes them.

maybe some scrambled eggs/omelette for the children - all microwaveable.

fish/chicken is nice if you cover well with cling film to keep it moist. And sauces are easy to make in a jug in the MW.

Chip shop or take aways for a couple of meals. Kurrikurri's suggestions are pretty good!

You can cook LOADS of stuff in a slow cooker. Pot roast meat is also possible in SC.

Thanks both. Those suggestions sound really helpful. I'd just got a bit freaked out when they took my lovely cooker to storage . I'd originally planned a couple of takeaways but DH and I renovated our old house and lived on takeaways and Wetherspoons 2 for the price of 1 meals and I put on a stone in 4 weeks [nothing to do with the beer, oh no.] so wanted to avoid as far as possible.

I'll head over to Sainsbury's tonight and get some microwave bags for veg.

Jacket pots are great in the SC. Do you have a camping gas ring?

To cook pasta I pour on boiling water, bring back to the boil, put a lid on then turn off the heat and leave for 10 - 15 mins until cooked. It might take a bit longer if you can't bring back to the boil but might be an alternative to MW pasta.

Noodles can be cooked the same way. Mix with tuna, sweetcorn and soy sauce - it's yummy!

Rice can be cooked in SC - I haven't tried it but there are lots on MN who have.

Uncle Ben's microwave rice is ok.

We are in this situation too, for a month while our extension is done. Kitchen was ripped out last Wednesday, new units will be delivered 15th Oct (can put the oven in then), will be at least a week after that for the worktop (has to be templated once the units are in), and only then can have the hob installed and gas safety checked. So, end of October for me.

We have got a sort of kitchenette set up in our living room. Dining table extended to its max, tablecloth and wipe-clean oilcloth on it. Coffee machine, microwave, George Foreman grill, kettle, toaster, and (as of yesterday...) a Coleman Fold'n'go camping stove. £50 in the sale at cotswold, £12.99 a gas cylinder, and as we quite like camping it'll get plenty of use later too.

Thanks Mogs, I've found the thread and the blog about slow cooking so am feeling very inspired! I think I might try and work out some one pot meals which will help when I;m back at work as well.

We're in exactly the same position Lexi, even with the timings. Its very exciting but also a bit of a nightmare... We do have a campin stove but DH carefully left it at the front of the garage so it didn't clutter up the house. The builders have now turned the garage into a sort of workshop so he'll need to clamber over the sacks of plaster/bits of wood/assorted rubbish to try and get it out.

hey just to say don't forget the fresh pasta cooks quite quickly so shouldn't go as claggy as dried in the MW. Stuffed pasta quite easy and only needs a few veg or salad on the side...

otherwise, soup with bread/cheese/salami/pickles...

hope the days fly by!

Do you have a bbq? We cook most things on ours that you can cook indoors.

Do you have a George Foreman grill?

You can buy a ceramic ring/hob for about £15 at Argos - might be worth it (and sell on eBay afterwards)
Or ask on freecycle for grill/ring.

We had to make do in a temporary kitchen for 3 months (eek!) but we did have a Beko compact cooker (free off Freecycle!) and it was fine.

The worst bit is trying to keep everything hot, ready to serve together.

Have you asked family/friends/neighbours if they have any tabletop cooking equipment?

THanks everyone, the tips are very useful. I've borrowed a steamer from a friend so haven't quite braved potatoes for my carb-aholic children but will do so tonight.

The builders reckoned that we could go into the kitchen again and actually use the existing cooker by Thursday so we can probably just about cope... I can't wait till its all done. I'm never putting a new kitchen in again. Ever.

Don't forget instant mashed potato -I'm sure the tinies will love this!