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Meal suggestion with no kitchen!

(40 Posts)
BillieW Mon 20-Jun-16 20:32:16

We are about to loose our kitchen as the builders knock through the wall that has the fuse box, the fridge freezer, the oven n the boiler on it!
The boiler n electrics will be done quite quickly but the oven n hob, will be gone shortly. The new build will not be plastered until July 11th, then a few days to dry out before the kitchen and utility can be fitted.
So I have a microwave, a slow cooker a sandwich maker. Any suggestions about what meals can be rustled up would be great fully received. I have meals planned for this week, so suggestions for two weeks of meals would be gratefully received. We are easily pleased and quite happy to repeat meals week to week!

PRINTMISS Mon 20-Jun-16 20:34:19

I would, if you can, invest in a Halogen Cooker, you can do really nice small roasts. Or, of course, you could lunch out every day.

MiniMouse Mon 20-Jun-16 20:57:12

I'm with PRINTMISS! I bought one when we moved into our present home because I knew the cooker that had been left here was totally knackered useless. That was over seven years ago and the only reason I've stopped using it is because I now have a cooker with a top oven.

Luckygirl Mon 20-Jun-16 21:00:06

Just get ready meals and bung them in the micro.

J52 Mon 20-Jun-16 21:01:43

The BBQ is your friend!

Christinefrance Mon 20-Jun-16 21:11:26

I'm with lucky girl and then eating out when you want a change.

TriciaF Mon 20-Jun-16 21:13:44

Good ideas above, plus the slow cooker, if you fancy a casserole-type meal.

grannyactivist Mon 20-Jun-16 21:29:11

Summer salads supplemented by occasional casseroles. Couscous only needs boiling water and can be livened up with lemon and coriander. Buy ready cooked (spitroast) chickens and check out your local deli for other cooked meats.

I lived with just a microwave for a year when our house was being renovated and I managed all sorts of things, but with a slow cooker too you have plenty of options.

granjura Mon 20-Jun-16 21:36:18

Gas barbecue?

Deedaa Mon 20-Jun-16 22:14:11

DD is in the same situation but will be moving in with us for the duration grin

rubysong Tue 21-Jun-16 05:49:33

Jacket potatoes from the microwave with various fillings.

Pippa000 Tue 21-Jun-16 06:03:44

We had this problem one Christmas when DS & DiL's kitchen was being renovated, and we were without a kitchen for 4 weeks. Although we have a part of their house there is just one huge (now) kitchen and there is 7 of us to feed. We do have a microwave in our part of the house so that was in use and I did use a slow cooker. There are loads of things that can be microwaved these days, but cooking Christmas lunch for all was a challenge. Eating out and takeaways do give you a break. Good luck grin

Teetime Tue 21-Jun-16 08:47:37

As its summer (!) I would BBQ, have salads, go to M & S for microwave meals and find the local Wetherspoons for inexpensive meals out. If you have a slow cooker you can have casseroles on the cold days.

annsixty Tue 21-Jun-16 09:04:08

While it seems very daunting it isn't so bad. We had 2 weeks without a kitchen but I do have a utility which held microwave and George Forman grill. The grill was a last resort as I don't really like it.
It is an adventure in making do and as long as you are both happy with the results without criticism it is ok. We only ate out once and no takeaways as H won't eat them.
M&S did very well out of us.

breeze Tue 21-Jun-16 10:01:24

When we were without a kitchen/utility room for 6 weeks, I couldn't cook at all, even though I had a microwave and slow cooker because everything was covered in builder dust and chopping boards and other kitchen equipment had to be packed away. We got tired of take aways (a novelty at first) so visited our local supermarket daily and bought ready made salads for everyone, cold chicken, egg, prawns,etc. with French bread. We mostly ate in the garden. Or all squashed into a corner of the lounge as it was full of boxes of new kitchen and appliances! It brings back such happy memories! I didn't have anywhere to wash up, apart from the bathrooms, not easy to fit pots and pans in bathroom sinks, so had to use paper plates and plastic cups. If you have a sink, and a clean table to cook on, then you should manage fine with the micro and slow cooker for a fortnight. Cous cous. Salads. Casseroles. Jacket pots. Disposal bbq's if you don't want to buy a permanent one. And one of my summer favourites, variety platters with nice bread. Olives, smoked salmon, cold meats, mozzarella. At least it's summer (allegedly!), so you can sit outside (under an umbrella!) and get away from the racket and the dust. Hope you're pleased with the new kitchen!

Ness57 Tue 21-Jun-16 10:02:20

Last year we went 4 months without a kitchen while builders were in. We soon got fed up with eating out. I managed with an electric steamer (great for vegetables, chicken and fish), microwave and a single ring camping gas stove (only about £20 and useful in case of power cuts!) We also have a gas BBQ in which we managed to do a roast chicken, roast pork, pizza and even oven chips! I have to say the appliance I missed the most was my dishwasher!!

cornergran Tue 21-Jun-16 10:03:54

As others have said it isn't as hard as your first think. We had a microwave, a halogen oven ought for the purpose, something called a Ramoska we had used in the caravan (sort of an oven but not really controllable) and a slow cooker. So a mix of salads, meat and fish cooked in the halogen or Ramoska, jacket potatoes, microwave rice, veg in the microwave - and doubtlessly a lot I have forgotten. It worked. Interestingly I find I use the oven much less now. The alternative processes and meals have stuck. The worst bit for me was no kitchen sink. Lots of paper plates helped but that was harder than meal production. Good luck the outcome will be worth it smile.

oznan Tue 21-Jun-16 10:19:21

Jacket potatoes in the microwave are quick and you can vary the toppings for variety.The slow cooker is great for some lovely beef or vegetable stew and the sandwich maker is great for bubble and squeak type patties.I use leftover mash and veggies with some cheese grated in.

Piglet123 Tue 21-Jun-16 10:27:32

Try a 2 ring electric table top cooker - Russell Hobbs do a good one and it's useful again when you've got a houseful! You can do pasta on one and sauce in another or use a tiered steamer and do veggies on one and poach fish or cook meat on other. Depends how much you enjoy cooking but alternate with M and S meals, salads etc and make sure there's a good supply of beers/wine! Enjoy the new kitchen.

dirgni Tue 21-Jun-16 10:38:30

We were without a kitchen for 2 months during the summer some years ago. I managed quite well with a barbecue and a small camping gas ring. What was more different was taking everything upstairs and washing up in the bathroom basin!

Dandibelle Tue 21-Jun-16 11:18:48

I have a nonstick electric wok. Plug it in anywhere. Great for stir fries. Bacon n egg fry ups. Chillie with microwave rice. Mince n onions. I do all sorts in it. Only cost £20.

marpau Tue 21-Jun-16 11:32:35

Years ago I saw a demonstration for sandwich maker the lady took some granary bread and filled it with cherry pie filling the result was a delicious pudding serve with ready made custard heated in microwave

annodomini Tue 21-Jun-16 11:35:16

When my kitchen was being remodelled, I made do with the microwave and the kettle, in my sitting room. As far as I remember I didn't starve.

Pinkshoes26 Tue 21-Jun-16 11:38:40

Morning. Been there! Billie W
When we moved house last Autumn we had to wait a few months for the new kitchen to go in. We had to leave our built in hob and oven wile the new house took their free standing cooker.
I bought x2 ring electric table top cooker. We had a slow cooker, toaster and microwave.
We went round the chip shop twice a week. Cooked jacket
potatoes in the microwave. Cooked on the x2 rings.
Once, I was very cheeky! I made a lasagne here and when we went visiting asked to pop it in their oven along with an apple crumble.

JackyB Tue 21-Jun-16 11:59:05

When we moved into our house in 1987, we had completely stripped the kitchen and were going to have our own kitchen put in. Behind the tiles which we knocked off the wall, one of the water pipes had rusted through. We called in a plumber to have it replaced and then rang the kitchen fitters to postpone the installation. They had a very busy schedule and couldn't fit us in again for another 6 weeks. So our kitchen consisted of a couple of holes in the wall for all that time.

We put all the camping equipment up on the patio and were so lucky that it didn't rain at all for all that time. I was used to cooking on a 2-ring gas camping stove, with regular use of the pressure cooker, and I'm pretty sure that back then we didn't have a microwave. So cooking was no problem, but the washing up by hand got really tedious.

These days with all the new gadgets available - it would be a doddle, and quite fun!