No hob - help!!

Zziggi

Hob is completely out of action for at least 3 weeks. I have an electric cooker and a microwave. What on earth can i cook??? I never knew that i whacked a pan on the hob so much until i'm left with out it.

Can i cook rice & pasta in a microwave? How?

Can i make custard in a microwave (i use milk & bird's custard powder)

Any meal suggestions?

squeaky

Rice and pasta will be in your microwave book and if you can't find it a simple search here will find discussions on cooking rice inclucing microwave options, and the same again for pasta.

Custard I mix the dry ingredients as per normal with a little milk, heat the milk to boiling in the machine, add to the mix, and then give it about a minute on medium stiring once.

Chris25

Here's a couple of sites that might help
http://www.recipezaar.com/r/153/144
http://www.nancyskitchen.com/microwave_recipes.htm

Becles

Have you got a slow cooker? There's loads of recipes for stews and casseroles in the mega index.

Have you got a George Foreman electric grill? That would give you more options too.

If not, both are very good investments. I use mine loads!

researcher

Zziggi wrote:

Hob is completely out of action for at least 3 weeks.

Have you considered buying a single burner camping gaz stove - I've kept one for years as a fall back for if there are power cuts. I think you can get them for around £15, although I'm sure another SME will know the best place to get one. Maybe you've got friends/relatives who camp, if so maybe they have one you could borrow?

halloweenqueen_2

You can over bake sausages, burgers etc. Custard just mix to a paste like normal add the rest of the milk and stir - gives instructions on the tin.
Can you borrow a book on microwave cooking fro the library.
Steamers are brilliant, I only ever cook veggies with that and when we have a roast dinner apart from the gravy I don't touch the hob. You can get one quite cheaply - i was a bit dubious at first but wouldn't be without one now, of course you can also do rice in it, 1 cup rice to 1 and half water - perfect!
Instead of pasta = what about chinese noodles - they go great with bolognese, you just put them in a bowl tip hot water on them and they cook themselves!
Hope that helps, good luck, you are getting dangerously close to the xmas dinner with no hob!!!!!!!

Zziggi

Thank you everyone.

I've dug the steamer out, used the slow cooker and asked a relative for a camping stove.

.... and also got on to the company to fit my hob PDQ!!!!! :mad: :mad:

Zziggi

squeaky wrote:

Rice and pasta will be in your microwave book and if you can't find it a simple search here will find discussions on cooking rice inclucing microwave options, and the same again for pasta.

Yeah i know... except i lost the instruction booklet.

squeaky

Nice one. I know I shouldn't laugh, sorry.

OK, if you let us know the make and power rating of your MW then someone with the same one can jot down times for you...

There's also an older thread that might be of general help too:-


Cooking without a kitchen

MATH

I love my micro which leaves my hob pretty redundant most of the time. For a couple of weeks you should be able to manage fine without resorting to pot noodle:snow_laug

LG Rice

Measure by volume ie 1/2 pt of rice in a pyrex dish. Season and pour over double the volume of BOILING water to rice. Give a quick stir and cook uncopvered on full power for 12-15 mins. Stir once or twice during cooking. Rinse under boiling water once cooked if desired.

Pasta

Put pasta in pyrex dish and pour over enough BOILING water to cover and then some. Give a quick stir and cooked uncovered on full power for 10-12 mins. Stir once or twice during cooking and drain when cooked.

Milk

For custards and sauces work on the principle that aprox 8mins will bring a pint of chilled milk to the boil. I favour the all in one method where you whizz the flour/custard powder into cold milk and then cook for upto 8 mins on full power. Stiring/whizzing frequently especially for the last few mins of cooking cos it can soon boil over (just like a pan)

Vegetables

I cook loads of veggies in the micro. Cabbage is particulalry good this way never soggy and keeps it colour really well. Make sure all the veggies are roughly the same size. Add 2-4 tbsp of water to the dish, cover and cook on full power sitirng once or twice during the cooking. 10-12 mins is about right for a medium covered dish full but it is best to keep checking and take out as soon as they are cooked.
If your micro is super-sized (mine is:p ) you can double decker your pyrex dishes and cook two together.

Potatoes and other starchy roots

I cook these the same as veggies but double the amount of water. Much more cost effective to par-cook tatteis for roasting this way that fire up the hob.

Stews & Casseroles

I blast on full power for 10-15 mins until the whole dish is hot then turn to defrost (my micro only has full and defrost) and cook slowly for up to an hour until everything is tender. If I want to add dumplings I chuck them in and crank the power back to full and cook for 10 mins.
HTH Luv MATH

jcr16

jacket spuds cooked in a microwave are yummy. depending on size they take on average about 15min's. i generally !!!!!! them all over and then cook for 5 mins at a time. then u can heat baked beans up in microwave and hey presto a yummy meal cooked in min's, fills u up and cheap also.