So, my oven is out of action for a week...

[scarymcclary]

What can i cook for the family?

Weve already had sausages and spag bol and my mind has gone totally blank for anything else.

Please bear in mind that i had already done my food shop for the week and the oven died the day after, doh! So cheap and cheerful is a must.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Do you not have a steamer? You can cook alot in one of these (chicken and fish aswell).

No i dont have a steamer, although i could use a colander over a pan of water, but one of those layered steamers would be ideal. Due to the time of year, i cant be buying myself one just for the week.

I hardly ever use the oven, because I think it works out more expensive.

Some of my ideas, not filtered for cost :

stir fries
soups
pan fried fish
pan fried meat (pork chops, steak, chicken breasts sliced into thin fillets) etc.
Stews and casseroles - just turn the hob down low to simmer instead of putting in a low oven.
Lentil or chickpea chowders with lots of veg.

You don't use it for just one week. I use mine twice a week, every week! The vegies go in it, they cook faster and are tastier than bolied veg.

I lived without a cooker a few years ago, this and a microwave were godsends.

Try :
Jacket potatoes
Cheesy beans on toast

The steamer for a roast dinner (depends on how many you are feeding but it can be done)
Steamed fish and vegies

If you have a slow cooker you can make casseroles, currys, braised lamb.

Do you have a slow cooker?

Can do joints and the veggies in it at the same time.

Some more ideas:

Meatballs in tomato sauce.
Pasta carbonara.
Risotto.
"Fake" fish pie - make up the white sauce, add the fish, make mashed potato, and just serve the mash alongside the fish, rather than on top.

If you have a grill still (I did when the element went on my oven) you can do things like shepherd's pie or macaroni cheese. other ideas are:

jambalaya
risotto
ham in coca-cola (don't need to finish it in the oven, I never do)
stew
stir fry
curry
lots of different pasta sauces

best thing would be to try and use what you have already bought but adapt to other forms of cooking? A chicken can be boiled, for instance.

Nope, no slow cooker, no microwave and no steamer.

Will try meatballs tonight. Dont know if my lot will be willing to eat a stir fry tho (i would, but kids are fussy buggers)

ham in coca cola??? Never heard of that! Gonna google it now...

put on hat and coat and cook on bbq

Macaroni cheese
French toast(eggy bread)
Grilled chicken breasts, veg and potatoes
Sausages,mash and beans

Can't think of anything else at the mo but those steamers you get from asda/tesco for a tenner are great the metal pot ones not the electric ones.

It's a nigella recipe (the ham/coke) and fairly well known on MN. What were you planning to cook in the oven? Can it not be adapted to the hob?