No cooker

Swub

The cooker had a huge gas leak and was condemned by the gas man. It was scrapped the same day.

Some good ideas. Thank you x

Ladyluck1

I use my slow cooker lots!
Cook a whole chicken in there, wrap potatoes in foil and pop them in too, then after 6-8 hrs get them out.
Mash spuds and chop the chicken. Could cook veggies in microwave or in with chicken.
Stews, currys, cassroles in slow cooker too

Swub

How do I cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker please? Is it the same as a joint of meat ie just a little water in the bottom?

Crowdpleaser

Even easier. Take a chicken. Plonk it in. Put lid on. Switch to high for 4-5h. Get out. Eat. Xxx

lostinrates

Two months? Its doable. Especially of your daughter has a school meal for much of that time.


I'd be looking at hams in the slow cooker and having salad and cold ham days between days when you have had the name not, say as a sandwich.

SimilarLy, left overs of other meats had as a hot meal with veg, all the veg can be eaten with meat as a stew/casserole then other pieces of meat had with a salad next night

Also , no cooking solutions. The weather has already been lovely and might get lovelier still. Do you have a blender or hand blender? I live of gazpacho in the hot days, I make a jug up and have a glass for lunch/supper till the jug is gone, like a nicer, refreshing salad, but for little ones nicer in a bowl and with all the sprinkle bits of cubes of bread and extra veg, a better sit down meal. Other cold soups on hot days that can be cooked in the slow cooker then chilled, like vichyssoise are useful, cheap and rather chic. I also like chicken, coconut and lemon grass type soups cold.

The suggestion of barbecues if you have access to outside space is a great one, Again, to save on cost, things can be barbecued to use as sandwich or salad fillings for a couple of days in advance. And it can be diverse and healthy, doesn't have to be standard burger and sausages. Chicken and veg kebabs, fish, grilled veg, I adore grilled courgettes, but as I know from an enthusiastic husband on the fist bbqs of the year pretty much anything can be grilled outside if the will exists. .

SmarterNotHarder

Steam veg/potatoes in microwave - you just need a bowl with a lid and put half an inch of water in the bottom - I used a pyrex bowl joints in the SC, and you have a Sunday lunch with some made up gravy granules. You can cook stuffing in the microwave too, you just don't get the crispy top!

Do a batch of mince in the SC, add some lentils, and serve with pasta (Buy fresh pasta instead of dried and pour boiling water over it and cook on high in microwave for a couple of minutes)

You can do the same with the fresh pasta and pesto/pasta sauce bought or made in SC

Rice - I think this can be made in a SC or microwave, think instructions vary depending on amount but google your specific needs

If you add kidney beans to the leftover mince and add spicesa nd microwave until piping hot, you have Chilli, buy smart price "doritos" eat with chilli and sour cream.

Jacket Pots done in the microwave, have with grated cheese/beans/tinned tuna/leftover mince :P

Stuff on toast? You can do poached eggs in the microwave, think you put them in a bowl of water then stick them in.

You can also do steamed fish, but not sure you'd want to risk stinking out the microwave. might be worth considering the BBQ for that!

Also, can you borrow a cooker at friends/families homes a couple of times a week? That might take the edge off? for example, you might want to fry off some onions, celery and carrots to start off your base for soup in the SC, or brown some meat, that sort of thing and maybe do a rice pudding or something you can eat cold or reheat in the microwave later?

HTH

[Deleted User]

SmarterNotHarder wrote: »

You can do poached eggs in the microwave, think you put them in a bowl of water then stick them in.

Or get a microwave egg poacher.

Swub

Some brilliant suggestions. So glad I asked. Thank you all x

RAS

3 minute noodles cook in boiling water. Put them in a wide shallow bowl. Pour over boiling water, cover with a plate if possible. leave about 90 seconds, stir, re-cover and check after 3 minutes (eat a strand to check it is cooked). Drain.

Stir in sauce (pesto, heated through stir in sauce with veggies or some of the meat from a slow cooked meal). Eat.

CattOfTheGarage

RAS wrote: »

The issue with the slow cooker is that a lot of food needs to be brought to the boil first

Actually, this isn't true. It's one of those urban myths. Depending on the make, many slow cookers will even cook from frozen, you just need to turn the heat up and give it more time.

Check out the Crockpot 365 blog (Google it, I'm too new to post links), lots of easy recipes and a good laugh: