Meal ideas with no oven? :)

Helen2k8

I haven't had an oven for a year now

What would you normally cook on hob? In oven?

I do a lot of steam-sauteeing i.e. start off shallow frying your veg, add a splash of water once they're coloured, then lid on and steam until cooked through.
A griddle pan is good for e.g. chops that you might normally put in oven.
Casseroles etc go in slow cooker.
Spuds can be "baked" in the microwave - not crispy though.
Only thing I can't do is a big roast joint really.

Popperwell

epskie wrote: »

Hello,

My oven is goosed. I have needed an entire new kitchen since we bought this house 2 years ago. I'm not going to replace the oven until I get a new kitchen installed so in the meantime I'm using my hobs, my microwave and my slow cooker.

Any good meal suggestions please? We are family of four, meat eaters

Many thanks

So many links to sites with easy great recipes all over the MSE site and web but you are basically doing what I do and have mostly the same kitchen gadgets...if your microwave had been a combi microwave you might be able to do without the cooker.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

If you really, really want something roasted/baked, then, as you've got a house, you could always take advantage of it being the end of the summer season at the garden centre and get yourself a chimnea or barbeque with a lid.

I've got a little bucket one just as a backup in the event of the oven going pouuuuuuuffffffff on Christmas Eve (it did that on Boxing Day 2 years ago). It took two months before a replacement was sorted out.



Other than that, there isn't much that can't be done on the hob instead. For roast chicken, just cut along the backbone and then open it out, cut side down, flatten it with a thump and a crunch and then place it skin side down in a wok on a low heat and put the lid on.

That gives you roast chicken in far less time, it's more tender, and you get the best stock imaginable, as all you do is lift off the juicy, delicious meat for your meal and then add water and it bubbles away happily.

whitesatin

Look on Ebay and you will find lots of halogen ovens. I bought one for a standby and it was quite good. Just and idea.

Popperwell

whitesatin wrote: »

Look on Ebay and you will find lots of halogen ovens. I bought one for a standby and it was quite good. Just and idea.

Alot of us on here have a halogen oven and many of us went for the Andrew James on on Amazon where you get a recipe book,al the accessories and a spare bulb if the original blows...last time I looked it was approx £30. You can do just about anything in it and they say it is cheaper than a main oven...

Popperwell

Helen2k8 wrote: »

Only thing I can't do is a big roast joint really.

Suppose you could half it and keep some back for another day...if your microwave was a combi you probably could do the roast...

Helen2k8

Popperwell wrote: »

Suppose you could half it and keep some back for another day...if your microwave was a combi you probably could do the roast...

It is a combi, but is a bit weedy. Rack of lamb (well, mutton) took 50 minutes today!

epskie

Wow that halogen oven sounds great! So can you do wedges, Yorkshire puds, roast potatoes etc in there?

Helen2k8

I have a halogen but it's gathering dust - I found it was burning on top and raw underneath, at many different settings/times/recipes.

Popperwell

Helen2k8 wrote: »

It is a combi, but is a bit weedy. Rack of lamb (well, mutton) took 50 minutes today!

Then again as a microwave is smaller so takes less space to warm up, perhaps that uses less energy than a main over?
I hear good things about halogen ovens but it might depend on the make?

I have one but haven't used it yet...