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Simple meals for a tiny kitchen with no oven (has microwave, 2 ring hob and ninja air fryer)

17 replies

LimitIsUp · 01/06/2021 09:46

I am having a major kitchen extension and refit currently underway. Consequently most of my kitchen tools and bits are packed away in boxes, and I am left with a teeny tiny makeshift mini kitchen whilst the work is going on (weeks!)

I need family recipes that I can cook with a two ring hob, ninja air fryer and microwave. Currently I have bolognese (pan based), veggie chilli (pan based), beef tacos (pan based), and chicken fajitas (pan based)

Other ideas gratefully received

OP posts:
sashh · 01/06/2021 09:55

You can make stews on the hob.

Do you / could you get a pressure cooker and / or slow cooker?

Stir fry chicken and veg.

Pancakes.

Frittata - turn it over rather than put in the oven.

Fry up / cooked 'breakfast' can be done in one pan.

Pot roast - piece of meat, brisket works well, in the middle of the pan, pack potatoes and root veg around, add a stock cube and boiling water, being to the boil and simmer for a couple of hours.

GlutenFreeGingerCake · 01/06/2021 09:56

Sausages, chips (ninja) and peas or beans
Frittata, chips and salad
Homemade fried chicken (ninja) and salad coleslaw and corn on the cob

GlutenFreeGingerCake · 01/06/2021 09:58

In hot weather I quite like a salad with cold meats or cheese so that's also an option.

DonLewis · 01/06/2021 10:02

You can make pasta dishes, I'm thinking summery ones like orzo. Cook the orzo, chop a jar of sun dried tomatoes, add all (including the oil in the jar to taste), a generous spoon of sundries tomato paste and some torn basil leaves. Keeps for packed lunches too (assuming you have a fridge?).

Same with tabbouleh. Cooked the bulghar wheat in the hob, cool and add a few dashes of olive oil to keep it loose. Once cooked add chopped spring onion, cucumber, celery, salt and peppper and mint or flat leaf parsley. Again, keeps for lunches.

Stir fry. Get noodles that are straight to wok.

sashh · 01/06/2021 10:34

If you are boiling / simmering something you can steam something else on a plate on top. I use a rice cooker but you could do this on the hob.

Rice, frozen peas, frozen sweetcorn, cocoanut milk cashew nuts, salmon.

Put everything except the salmon in the pan, top up with water, put a plate on top, put the salmon on the plate (you can wrap in foil if you want to add herbs / butter) put the lid on top of the plate and 10-15 mins later you have a meal - be warned the plate will get really hot.

LimitIsUp · 01/06/2021 11:00

Thanks for these - will definitely try them. 'Food' for thought!

OP posts:
AdaColeman · 01/06/2021 11:02

If you make a pasta sauce such as rich tomato or bolognese with plenty of liquid, and you use FRESH pasta, you can cook the pasta in the sauce. Takes about five minutes to cook the pasta. So you only use one saucepan/hob.

Spaghetti carbonara is quick, simple and cooked in one pan.

Another idea is to cook and drain the pasta, return to the pan, then add things like finely chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped mozzarella, fresh herbs, stir well before serving. This makes a light fresh tasting summery dish.

Other ideas are
chicken Caesar salad made with bought cooked chicken,
Salade Niçoise with tinned tuna, all other ingredients could be cooked separately ahead of time, then the dish just needs assembling.
Tuna or bought cooked salmon fillets with lentil & chickpea (tinned) salad. Add fresh tomatoes, or use jars of cooked vegetables in oil.
Make mixed bean salad from various tinned beans and serve with tuna, salmon or bought ham etc.

Springchickpea · 01/06/2021 11:06

We have been through this twice. Both times I batch cooked things into the freezer, and we ate a lot of pasta, a lot of microwave rice. If you can get your hands on a slow cooker that will help. But the weather is nice now so I would suggest bbq and salad should feature heavily!

LimitIsUp · 01/06/2021 11:14

Yes we had a BBQ at the weekend and will be using it again this week.

Yes, the hot weather does mean that salad is my friend!

OP posts:
PaperbackRider · 01/06/2021 11:15

An air fryer is literally just a small oven. You can put anything in there that you would in an oven.

AbstractHeart · 01/06/2021 11:21

If you have an air fryer then you don't even need an oven. We almost never use our actual oven since we bought an air fryer!

Springchickpea · 01/06/2021 11:32

There is loads of stuff that is better cooked but can be eaten out of the packet; things like falafels (plus humous), also things like quiche and frittata from the fridge aisle.

The first time we did a kitchen renovation was summer and it was easy peasy. Last time was winter which was much more difficult

SpaceOp · 01/06/2021 12:04

Nothing on my menu for this week requires an oven.

Fajitas - in frying pan and microwave wraps
Vegetable curry - one pot on stove top
Meatballs - one pot on stove top
Knock off paella - regular rice added to cooked chorizo/chicken and peppers. I will cook my own rice after tossing it in oil from cooking the chorizo but I have absolutely done this previously with microwave rice that I just add to the pan at the end.

Absolutely salad and cold meats and bread are great in this weather. Ditto bbq.

I'd probably buy a whole cooked chicken and use that for a salad one day and warm it in the microwave and serve with boiled /steamed vegetables another.

Fried salmon (or preferred fish) with rice noodles (just need to be soaked in hot water) and steamed or stir fried vegetables.

I very occasionally do fried cod which I've dipped in egg and then flour (delicious but even without deep frying it's quite oily and neither DH nor I are that keen on that much oil too often), and serve it with peas, carrots and new potatoes rather than chips so that could also work?

Steak/chops in a frying pan with salad?

LimitIsUp · 01/06/2021 12:21

@PaperbackRider

An air fryer is literally just a small oven. You can put anything in there that you would in an oven.
Too darn small to feed a family of four though when two of them are strapping teenagers (17 and 19). Can't get a roast in there, or a lasagne, or a moussaka etc etc

Perfect for singletons and couples probably

OP posts:
PaperbackRider · 01/06/2021 13:02

Then you need a bigger airfryer! Mine can do meals for 8.

LimitIsUp · 01/06/2021 15:50

I can't buy a bigger air fryer just for 9 weeks though (can't see me using one when new kitchen is up and running with lovely state of the art pyrolytic ovens). Didn't buy this one - it was lent to me by kitchen fitting company. Quite impressed with how it does crispy but moist chips though

OP posts:
sashh · 02/06/2021 07:49

If you want to do a roast then you can do the meat in a slow cooker, you literally switch the SC on, put the meat in, put the lid on and leave for 4-5 hours.

For 'roast' potatoes boil potatoes, once cooked fry, ideally deep fry, but you could do them in a frying pan.

Other veg just boil / steam.

to make gravy, remove the meat and wrap in foil to keep warm and use the juices to make a roux, add boiling water and a stock cube.

Another SC recipe i2 pork hocks, 1 or 2 per person put them in the SC with the widest part down and the bone at the top. Add a 50/50 mix or cider and boiling water. After 4-5 hours cook your veg, then use the cider/water to make a sauce.

Simple pasta recipe. Pasta, cream cheese, salt and pepper with optional mushrooms, smoked salmon, onion etc.

Put pasta of choice in a pan, I tend to use tagliatelle because it is in 'nests' and you can use 1 or 2 per person (3-4 for a teenage boy)

Once the pasta has cooked turn it off but leave in the pan.

If you are using onion or garlic or mushrooms fry them in butter in a large frying pan. Once cooked add the cream cheese, I use a 'dollop' for me but for a family you can put the whole tub in. Add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and stir.

Once you have melted the cheese drain the pasta and add it to the frying pan, stir through and serve.

You could use passatta instead of cream cheese to make a tomato sauce.

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