Cooking with just an oven

elliebn

Long story short, I've recently moved into our newly built house and our kitchen isn't exactly ready. We have an oven and a microwave and won't have our gas hob connected for another few weeks.

Apart from roasting chicken, pork, beef and vegetables, I have been grilling fish, steak and sausages. I'm not really an expert with the microwave I usually heat up dinners in it but am willing to learn. Just wondering if anyone had any tips or ideas when cooking with just an oven. Most of the dishes that i would love to cook like stews, lasagne, shepherds pie all need some hob preparation before they make it to the oven.

Thanking all you wise people

Ellie

BuffyBot

Home made pizza, flans and quiches are a possibility. Perhaps buy a steamer for a couple of quid? Vegetables, potatoes and fish all do fantastically in it.

spurious

Curries. Use those Sharwood's jars, chop up some veg and meat and leave to cook like a casserole for a couple of hours. Buy rice from the Chinese or use Naan bread.

Ovens are my favourite way to cook - just leave them to do their thing.

Asiaprod

Do a Goggle search for Microwave Recipes. There are many to choose from, unfortunately mine would be Japanese recipes.

The Hill Billy

If you get stuck you could buy a two-ring portable electric hob. I saw one in my local hardware store yesterday so they must be relatively easy to come by.

The Sweeper

Embrace a healthy lifestyle for a few weeks - grill everything and serve it with salad.

You can also buy microwaveable carbohydrates - e.g. 3-minute-rice - from the supermarkets.

My off the cuff suggestions using just oven/grill and microwave would include:

• steak, baked potato and salad
• pork chops and baked apple with a baked potato
• lamb chops and mash with peas (bake spud in microwave, scoop out of skin, mash, nuke peas in microwave too)
• corn on the cob - microwaves surprisingly well - splash with some water, nuke for about 5 - 6 mins depending on size and number

If you're missing veggies, either buy frozen and follow the instructions on nuking in the microwave, or chop up from fresh and nuke them yourself. Generally, with veg and microwaves, the best bet is to chop them, put them in a microwaveable bowl, put a little water in the bottom of the bowl (this superheats and helps steam the veg in the microwave), cover and nuke - I'd start with 3 mins on my microwave, then test them for cookedness, but it depends what category your own is.

elliebn

Thanks guys,

I would be more of a veg lover than a meat eater so i was missing my greens and stir fry type dinners, I have attempted some steamed veg in the microwave and it actually turns out alright so at least I won't starve.

We have borrowed a portable single hob gas ring that takes butane gas cans but its been hard to find refills for it and it only seems to last about an hour at a time so I try not to rely on it too much.

Asiaprod, I have only ever attempted making tempura, sushi and of course noodles but any kind of japenese recipes would be great to have for the future in my fully working kitchen, so if you didn't mind and had some spare time maybe start a thread.

Thanks again

Ellie

Tazz T

Rice comes out great done in the oven.

Try doing a biryiani.

rubadub

You can do your stews, lasagne etc in the oven. Get a good thick metal baking tray, get it roasting hot and sprinkle the mince or diced meat on it. Then bake for a few mins, this will brown it, do onions etc the same.

I only use the microwave for stuff with lots of liquid.

Geordie_Girl

You'll get refills for the butane cooker in Argos (under their camping section) or in camping shops.