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Original poster

3 more weeks with no hob!

28 replies

drspouse · 08/05/2017 17:07

I've got a slow cooker (somewhere...) a nice double oven and a microwave, toaster and kettle.
We have our new induction hob but nowhere to plug it in that won't burn something, until the joiner comes to fit it properly.

Can I cook pasta in the microwave? Saute things? Getting a bit bored of oven food/fish cakes/wedges, and ready meals!

OP posts:
Original poster
drspouse · 08/05/2017 17:07

(Oh but at least Aldi had Tilda microwave rice on special offer!)

OP posts:
KitKat1985 · 08/05/2017 19:51

Things I'd probably do are:

Pizza.
Salads.
Jacket potatoes.
Roast dinner but served with those trays of oven-roasted vegetables since you can't obviously have any hob cooked ones.
Pie served with ready made mash from the supermarket.
Baked chicken / salmon with microwavable rice.

I'm not sure if you can do pasta in the microwave. I wonder if you could get fresh pasta and then use it in a pasta bake without needing to boil it first (disclaimer: I genuinely have no idea)!

lastqueenofscotland · 08/05/2017 20:28

You can do pasta bake without boiling it first
You can do byriani and risotto in the oven.

Jacket potatoes
Pizza
Pastry things

cdtaylornats · 08/05/2017 22:18

If you have a large bowl with a lid, put the pasta in add boiling water and cover and leave it'll cook fine.

TuddlesAndSisses · 08/05/2017 22:27

lots of things you'd normally boil on the hob you can do in the microwave - just half fill a large bowl with hot water and the veg/pasta/whatever and set it going. Watch it to make sure it doesn't boil over.

I lived without an oven for ages and learned lots of amazing things can be done with a microwave if you're desperate enough!

TuddlesAndSisses · 08/05/2017 22:32

You can even get crispy bacon from the microwave - just drape rashers over an upside down bowl (or bake it in the oven)

Blondie1984 · 09/05/2017 00:10

If you buy fresh pasta that's easier to do in the microwave than dried - and a kettle of hot water is all you need to do couscous

A few links here you might find helpful

www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-cook-without-cooker

greatist.com/health/surprising-healthy-microwave-recipes

Sample1936 · 09/05/2017 00:17

you could try going raw Grin

blankmind · 09/05/2017 00:41

You can buy a single induction hob like this. www.andrewjamesworldwide.com/kitchen-c1/kitchen-electricals-c7/ovens-hobs-c56/andrew-james-single-induction-hob-p248

Mysterycat23 · 09/05/2017 01:08

Do you have a casserole dish? For a beef hotpot or roast chicken dinner there's no need to fry anything off first, just chuck ingredients in the dish. Same as a slow cooker but not so slow.

hellokittymania · 09/05/2017 01:23

I lived in a B&B for six months and only had a cattle and a microwave. Would you consider eating carpaccio? Ask a butcher to give you a nice cut of beef and just put lemon and seasoning. Are there any shops that sell freshly made soups or other dishes at cheaper prices? Do you have a farmers market nearby? I buy a lot of nice pies, soups and other things that are nicer than ready meals you buy at the supermarket

You can do quite a lot with a microwave. You can even make mug cakes. You could make rice pudding in the oven.

StripeyZazie · 09/05/2017 01:24

Tillreda portable hob from IKEA is £35. It did us proud in a similar situation.

cdtaylornats · 09/05/2017 07:16

only had a cattle and a microwave

Big room Grin

Cultofpersonality · 09/05/2017 07:22

You can cook pasta in the microwave! I've done it before to take to work with me, not sure how well it would work with bigger portions though

Original poster
drspouse · 09/05/2017 10:12

You can do pasta bake without boiling it first
Very helpful to know - do you use dried pasta or fresh pasta?

you could try going raw
Yes I'm sure that's going to go down well with DS (5) and DD (nearly 3).

If you have a large bowl with a lid, put the pasta in add boiling water and cover and leave it'll cook fine.
Great tip - is this fresh or dried also?

Tuddles and others - we already do most of the veg in the microwave on the magic Fresh Veg Auto setting so that is not a problem! You don't use much water and it comes out nicely steamed.

blankmind and Stripey our new hob is an induction hob and we have it already, but all the surfaces on which it could be plugged in are wooden (and also covered in junk as we've just moved in) and you can't put an induction hob on a flammable surface as it generates heat underneath it.

I would quite like to be able to make mashed potato (partly because ready made mash is expensive and salty and partly because we have a load of potatoes, and other veg that we often put in with it to make green/orange/pink etc. mash that the DC happily eat). Not sure I can boil potatoes to be soft enough in the microwave though. I've only ever cooked jackets in the microwave.

OP posts:
cdtaylornats · 09/05/2017 10:45

You can do the Blumenthal version. Bake the potatoes and then peel and mash, then a quick microwave to reheat.

MusicToMyEars800 · 09/05/2017 10:51

I never boil my pasta for pasta bake, just put dried pasta in dish, pour over the sauce, fill the jar with water and pour that over too, mix and put it in the oven for 40mins, add the grated cheese on top in the last 10 mins of cooking.

MusicToMyEars800 · 09/05/2017 10:52

I do my salmon in the microwave too, Morrisons do really nice frozen mash you can do in the microwave, Veg can be steamed in the microwave.

Original poster
drspouse · 09/05/2017 10:54

Music that sounds really easy, thanks!

cdtaylor I think I'd be baking them in the microwave but that's worth a try too.

OP posts:
StripeyZazie · 09/05/2017 11:25

drspouse You have misunderstood me. The hob I mentioned is portable. It can be used on any surface as long as it's flat. It's up on little feet and has a fan so heat can circulate away from underneath. It has one large "ring" so doesn't generate as much heat as a full size hob anyway.

It's not a hob that is designed to be fitted in a worktop, as your new main hob is, it is a portable hob that is designed to sit on a worktop/table/top of an appliance e.g. Fridge.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 09/05/2017 11:28

Traybakes. I'm all about the traybakes at the best of times, but especially if you've no hob.

Salmon and veg with a micro rice, sausages, peppers and potatoes, Delia's chicken, chorizo and potato one with orange peel/juice is lush, baked sausages with haricot beans and a tin of tomatoes, etc etc.

Original poster
drspouse · 09/05/2017 11:34

Stripey Ah I understand now. But as we're over an hour from an Ikea I think we'll struggle on.

Traybakes yes! Good for spring (not so much like stew) and can be left in the oven with the timer on.

OP posts:
MsHippo · 09/05/2017 13:51

I often make my mash with microwaved potatoes! I stab them and pop them in a bowl covered in clingfilm. Normally start with around 10mins and then check to see how soft they are by stabbing with a knife - they need to be really soft all the way through. The skins pretty much just slip off and then I mash them as normal. You just might need a bit of extra milk or similar and they don't soak up any moisture like they do when you boil them.

Blondie1984 · 09/05/2017 17:29

Bake the potatoes in the oven, then mash or put through a ricer and add butter, milk or whatever you use

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