cold/ not cooked meals 30 March 2022 at 4:26PM in Old style MoneySaving 5 replies 1.8K views

cornishchick

I noticed lots of talk in the threads about non-cooked meals. 
I thought we could share some ideas for exciting or at least different and tasty ideas for sandwiches and salads ect.
or using up tinned foods. My go-to sandwich is normally an egg sarnie.. but I assume that wouldn't count as the eggs need cooking.. 
 apologies if this has already been done.

joedenise

When thinking about cold meals I think we also need to include things which we can bulk cook quickly, eg rice, pasta and then use hot with one meal and then add things to them for cold meals later like rice or pasta salad.

I like to make couscous with is easily made with some hot water when you make a cup of tea or coffee, it can be eaten hot or cold.  Cold with salad gives it a bit of bulk.  Likewise tinned potatoes.

Sandwiches using cold fillings are easier - tuna mayo; ham and tomato; grated cheese & carrot; ham and tomato.

Salads:  with LO cold meat from roasts, ham, tinned meats, tinned tuna or other fish.  Add some couscous or tinned potatoes for extra filling power.

cornishchick

joedenise said:

When thinking about cold meals I think we also need to include things which we can bulk cook quickly, eg rice, pasta and then use hot with one meal and then add things to them for cold meals later like rice or pasta salad.

I like to make couscous with is easily made with some hot water when you make a cup of tea or coffee, it can be eaten hot or cold.  Cold with salad gives it a bit of bulk.  Likewise tinned potatoes.

Sandwiches using cold fillings are easier - tuna mayo; ham and tomato; grated cheese & carrot; ham and tomato.

Salads:  with LO cold meat from roasts, ham, tinned meats, tinned tuna or other fish.  Add some couscous or tinned potatoes for extra filling power.

good point about the bulk/ or quick-cook foods. I agree and planned leftovers..  my friend and I call these overcooks.. 

Spendless

When I was working I 'upped' the quality of what I had for lunch to stop me spending in my hour's break at the retail park next door.
I would buy the following mixed salad leaves  (spinach, rocket, watercress), the mixed colour tomoatoes (not sure if they really taste different I just like the look!) a little cucumber and bell pepper. Then I would add some of a deli tub of pasta or rice, some flavoured coleslaw, some small cubes of cheese and then different flavoured chicken. I'd buy enough to last 5 days and check the dates to decide which to use first. Now I'm at home some of this can  be home made as I have more time 

goldfinches

I have a lovely alternative to mash that is made with either butter beans or cannellini beans which I got from Yotam Ottolenghi but I've also seen a Nigella recipe that's very similar.

You drain and rinse the contents of a tin of either type of beans and then put them into the bowl of a food processor along with a tbsp of lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of water and 1/2 tsp of sea salt and whiz them until they're smooth. You can warm them up in a saucepan or just eat them cold and they're delicious either way.

Nigella's recipe is a bit heavier on the oil and also includes some chopped rosemary and leaves the beans chunkier than Yotam's as she suggests you mash the beans with a fork. 

Whichever you do it is a very quick and easy alternative to mash and uses far less energy as well as being cheap too. One tin makes enough for two generous adult portions.

RAS

We used to make a similar dish as students, but with a tin of tuna and some of the oil mixed with two tins of beans. Great cold as a dip/spread. Or warmed. A similar mash is made with fresh or dried broad/fava beans but that requires cooking.

Other good mainframe bean dishes:

Tonno e faglio, beans, tuna and red onion with oil and vinegar or lemon juice.

Chickpea salad, my basic is just chick peas, oil and vinegar, chopped onion and whatever saladings I have available. So landcress, mache, bittercress, sorrel, wild garlic etc added just before eating. Can be made more interesting with anchovies or sardines, olives, or a chopped tomato added at the last minute.

Lentils, better home cooked than tinned as per the Jocasta Innes recipe I originally used with the oil and vinegar added to the warm lentils but..., otherwise as above. I think they go particularly well with anchovy and appreciate half a boiled egg per person as a foil.

Obviously you could add cold meats instead of tuna but then I'd suggest adding something flavourful as well.