No oven for a fortnight - ideas for microwave?

[Ginismyfriend]

The oven and hob have given up and we won't have a new one for a fortnight. I have a microwave and a George Foreman - any suggestions on meals we can cook with those (also to feed DD age 2) that isn't beans on toast or variations on grilled chicken breast every night (that's all I can think of!) would be very welcome. Bonus points if you can find ways of incorporating the cauliflower and leeks sitting in my fridge.

DH suggested buying a load of ready meals but this is a) expensive and b) not very healthy.

Tescos do a lovely range of fresh soups at 2 for £3 I think. One pot microwaved with some nice crusty bread and butter should feed 2 adults and a toddler.

I GF grill most meats, I didn't originally realise you could do meat with bones but you can (bit slower to cook though) makes lovely lamb chops. We always marinade meat, makes cleaning a PITA but yummy, so: chicken tikka/Peri peri, kebabs (mince plus onion, chilli, salt spices in sausage shapes or patties) or of you are less adventurous spice wise make them burgers, grilled hallomi nice addition to many meals.

Rice can be cooked on microwave, as can pasta and some versions of potatoes.

Great, thanks for these! Daft question but how do you cook pasta in a microwave? If we could have pasta this would improve things tremendously...

If you have a large thermos flask you can cook pasta bows spirals etc in that, and make or heat up your sauce in the microwave.

Cook the leeks in the MW, sliced up and in a jug with a knob of butter, add to MW cheese sauce, or stir in cream or fromage frais for pasta, or serve with grilled meat.

Fish fillets cook well in MW, in a covered shallow dish, add tomato, herbs, etc for interest. Supermarkets have bags of veg ready to pop into the MW for speed.

Frozen mash works very well in MW!!!!

Just thought of Tilda rice, in a MW pack, also noodles and cous-cous could be prepared with just boiling water.

Can you borrow a slowcooker?

scrambled egg?

fish?

I was going to suggest borrowing/buying a slow cooker. You can make all manner of soups, stews and curries then - microwave rice or jackets to go with it!

def slow cooker, tesco have one for about £9. we were without a cooker for 5 months, could kick myself for not getting one back then.

you can do potato gratin in the microwave.

Ooh, if I had a slow cooker I could do that ham and coke thing I keep hearing about . maybe I need a trip to Tesco then. Thanks everyone, lots of good ideas here. I think if I'd have presented DD with another piece of grilled chicken she'd have thrown it at me.

If you're looking at buying a slow cooker look at the halogen ovens as well , I use mine everyday and rarely use the main oven at all anymore . I only get my slow cooker out occasionally .

I'd be tempted to get a single hob thingy, at least you can boil stuff in a pan then. They're about £15 on amazon

Fresh pasta only takes 3 mins to cook on hob. It will cook in 4-5 mins in just a pan/ bowl of boiled water.

Buy ready made sauce and add to pasta.

Tilda rice is 2 mins in microwave

We use our grill machine half the week tbh. Chicken/ steak/ lamb/ fish/ grilled veg.

Jacket potatoes

All veg can be steamed in a microwave. Just add in a bowl with little water and cover with cling film. Can cook both you cauliflower and leeks that way ( only a few mins)

I use our George Formby Foreman to make paninnis.

Use park bake baguettes, cut and fill with cheese and ham, or tuna and cheese or whatever else, cut them in half, put them in the grill and squeeze it closed. about 5 mins until the bread is toasty and the cheese is melted. lush!!

do you have a toaster too? you can get those pocket things which can be used for cooking fish fingers and stuff...not used them, but they might be good!

here

and yes to a slowcooker....bloody brilliant things!

balls. meant PART bake obvs.

Dried pasta/rice cook in pyrex in microwave (for pasta i boil water in kettle first) just add water and micro till cooked. For rice you can get proper guidelines for quantities of rice to water o google (cheaper than packet stuff). I just drain pasta.