A challenge for you - microwave meals for one with limited equipment

Kathy535

Hi. I stay away from home for work each week and am fed up with the hotel lifestyle, eating out is unhealthy and eating a sandwich in my room is sad. I've booked into a place which offers a microwave in the room (a full apartment now being out of my price range) and after Christmas I'll be there each week.

So, I'm here for a trial stay. Basically I get: a small microwave, a fridge, a small sink, crockery and eating cutlery for two. I can bring down light basics like a sharp knife, measuring spoons, salt and pepper, possibly even scales but I have no idea what to cook in a microwave other than ready meals (which are not really that great imo).

Tonight I had a half pack of microwaveable rice with sliced chicken and pasta sauce. It was .... Ok.

Can anyone suggest some interesting (and possibly healthy) microwave meals for one with the equipment I have or could bring with me (ie not too heavy)? I'd be most grateful.

Thank you.

double_mummy

try the OS board

gadjah543

We lived for a year with no kitchen and just a microwave to cook with. Get yourself a good recipe book and you will be amazed at what you can cook. Even now I have a fully functioning kitchen, I couldn't live without my microwave.

valk_scot

Personally I'd hit M&S for some of their healthier ready meals and a bag of salad, if budget allowed. Or bring a couple of home made meals with me at the start of the week, if you freeze them they'll last for the journey in a coolbag. Then there's baked potatoes of course, I like them, also cold salad type meals. That would do me, with minimal effort.

aneres

I second bringing things like Chilli or Curry for the first couple of days.

Could you take a toaster so you could have things like beans on toast etc.

I don't know how much effort you want to put in but there are some recipes here...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/microwave_recipes

http://www.microwaveassociation.org.uk/recipes/

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1243/microwave-jambalaya

Dozey_crow

I echo the advise about re posting on old style... They have great ideas there. If it was me I would make a meal of instant mash (kettle), tinned veg and veggie sausage which can both be microwaved.. But then I am probably the most unimaginative cook on the planet :-)

Ooooo.. Forgot and jacket potato's... Mmmmm lots of options there! Also thinking of it if you cooked chilli\ bolognaise out homemade pizza and froze it it would take a couple of days to defrost in the fridge.. Could be useful.

embob74

Could you batch cook meals, freeze them and just grab and go on Monday morning. It will probably stay frozen for 24 hours in a fridge so you could have 4 days worth but definitely 3.
Most things freeze - you can mix potatoes and veg, rice (but be extra sure to cook it well) and pasta is fine if covered in a sauce.

AubreyMac

When I went on holiday and stayed in a hotel, I researched ways to save a bit of money on food.

One tip I did use was to wrap a sandwich in foil then use the iron to make toasted sandwich!

One time when my cooker broke down, I used the kettle to boil frankfurters and noodles.

I think you'll have to bring a load of packed home made dinners and flasks of soups.

Spendless

Do you mean you are away Mon-Thurs or just odd nights during a week? If it's odd nights, I'd go with preparing some meals, one pot ones are good, stews, tangines, chilli, bolognaise freezing them into portions and taking one with you.

lostinrates

My DH has a mon-fri job away from home.

The thing with batch cooking and taking stuff is if you travel by train its cumbersome to take a working week's worth of food. Even by car, if unloading and loading completely each week it cannot be too easy.

DH is in a food position because he can eat at work if working overtime, and he works overtime all the time, but he often prefers to use the week to eat more raw food than I can eat nowadays ( health condition) and balances that with junk food ( which I also cannot eat due to health!)

onlyroz

If you could take a small electric ring and a small pan then you could cook almost anything - eg a bag of microwave rice/potatoes/pasta and a curry/stew/pasta sauce.