Need help with cheap simple meals without a microwave
Hello.
My microwave died in spectacular fashion today. It was the lifeblood of my kitchen. I've had it so long I've forgotten how to cook without one. And I can't afford to buy a new one. I was going to post in eatcheapandhealthy but that place looks as dead as my microwave. I don't know what I'm going to do.
Jamie Oliver often went on about cheap recipes... that required 30 ingredients and a bunch of equipment I don't have. These are not helpful. I need recipes that are cheap to shop for, cheap on electricity usage, easy to prepare with limited equipment, and it would be a bonus if they are healthy and tasty. I know I'm being picky, but I don't have much to work with.
I figured this would be the community to ask because to cook well, you need to know stuff that a bad cook wouldn't know. I hope I can get a few useful ideas. Thanks.
Lots of straightforward recipes, and they all have price breakdowns for the ingredients, cost per dish and cost per serving. There is even a category for meals under $10. You do have to keep in mind those are the local prices for the blog author and I've found it can vary for my region, but it is still a helpful guideline.
I've been looking for a site like this for years! There are are a lot of cooking sites that claim to be cHeAp aNd eAsY and they're not. This looks really useful. As you say, not every detail will suit me and I'll have to be resourceful, but it's a very useful guide. Cheers!
Do you have a kettle? Either electric or stovetop. There are plenty of just add hot boiling water foods our there for when you are too tired to really cook. Ramen, oatmeal, freeze dried soups. I'm not much of a cook, but I love my kettle.
I love making easy upgraded Ramen especially for lunch. Dry noodles, various Asian style sauces with whatever vegetable I have on hand? Pour some boiling water over it and you got a great lunch or dinner.
Charity shops here don't accept electrical goods, because people were donating dangerous things like what my microwave was until very recently. I love stews so I'll keep an eye out and maybe I'll get lucky somehow. Cheers.
Have you got any local community sale type places? Things like gumtree, nextdoor, craigs list or facebook might be worth checking.
I can vouch for the idea of a slow cooker. I'm pretty sure you could chuck in an old shoe, some random herbs, some root veg and a few hours later have enough tasty food to serve a small army.
This is 100% the answer. If you’re looking for cheap and easy, a slow cooker is the way to go. Throw shit into a pot. Set it on low before you leave for work. When you get back from work, you’ll have a perfectly done meal that will likely last for the next two or three days at least.
Stir fry is one of my big go-tos. All you need is a pan and spatula or tongs, whatever veg you have on hand, oil, salt. You can mix in seasonings but honestly if cooked well I don't find it to be that necessary. Fried rice or rice stuff is in a similar vein. Cook whatever random stuff you have around, remove from the pan, start frying the rice, throw in an egg, add it all back into the pan briefly.
Street tacos are baller and you can put all kinds of things in them and make them work with just about any dietary restrictions. I prefer to go heavy handed with the seasoning but you can make it work with only a couple spices. Best with two pans, one to heat up the tortillas. Making pico de gallo is good knife skill practice and extra can the thrown on nachos directly or quickly turned into salsa.
All the soup and then some seriously there are so many great soup recipes and tricks. I love egg drop because it can be as simple as broth and an egg, though usually I put in some frozen veg and thicken with corn starch. If you eat meat and have these in your area, you can grab one of those hot held roast chickens for cheap. Lazily process it, throw all the bones and whatever is stuck to them into a pot and make a quick and cheap stock. Plus now there is a bunch of chicken laying around ready to be a chicken noodle or chicken tortilla soup.
If your stove has an oven: Ratatouille is surprisingly easy to make, costs basically nothing, and can be done in an oven or a slow cooker. Jalapeno poppers can also be weirdly cheap and easy to make. Really anything where a main component is a veg and you put it in the oven. Roast broccoli only needs oil and salt to come out great.
I like to make savory oatmeal and have pre-measured containers for breakfast prep. Oats, salt, pepper, brewers yeast. Just add water. I mix in cream cheese and put a fried egg on top. It's cheap and filling and you can really push what you're adding to them and at worse still come out with something okay enough.
I hope these are the kinds of things you're looking for and they get some ideas going. If you have questions about anything or need inspiration let me know! I've been living with a chef for a lot of years and have a decent bit of knowledge I can share
The stir-fry thing sounds good. It will give me a break from rice!
I've been frying stuff in margarine because it's cheaper, and the vast array of cooking oils confuse me. I read one oil is used for one particular type of frying, and another for a different type of cooking, etc. Is there a cheap cooking oil that's OK to use for frying lots of different things?
If anyone is interested in stir frying correctly you should read The Wok which goes over the technique and recipes. The short summary is high heat and short time and make sure everything is prepared ahead of time.
I made a quick vegetable stir dry last week with broccoli, mushrooms and beans (the only three vegetables in the fridge). The entire thing was 10 minutes on the pan from frying the mushrooms for 1 minute before adding the broccoli and beans and cooking for 30 seconds. I added salt along the way and finished with cooking wine and soy sauce for a sauce for 1 minute. Everything then sat in the wok off the heat for 5 minutes while I cleaned and plated. The vegetables were cooked but still had a snap and it was delicious. When used correctly its the perfect pan for everything
Depending on the wok construction sometimes they work really poorly with electric stoves, getting super hot right at the bottom and not so much on the sides. Generally though they are quite versatile. One of my favorite tricks is using one to fry an egg to keep the yolk centered
First off, I'm really sorry. There are a lot of things you can do just using a hob and one or two pans. One of my recent go-to meals involves frying up some vegetables (courgette/zucchini, peppers, some sweet potato etc), flavouring with some spices (cumin, dried chili) and herbs (thyme, basil) and then stiring that into some rice that's been cooked in a saucepan with the lid on.
Add some egg and stir the rice through the vegetables in the frying pan if you want to make it egg-fried rice.
That sounds much tastier (and healthier) than my efforts cooking rice. Basil and rice made me think of tinned tomatoes - imo basil and tomato go together like orchestral strings and piano. No idea what a hob is, I'll have to google. Thanks for the suggestion!
Sander Katz has a book called "The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved" which holds up the microwave as the prime example of what is wrong with modern eating.
I suggest looking into cooking with cast iron skillets. There are tons of great and simple foods you can make with couple of inexpensive cast iron pans. There used to be a cast iron cookery subreddit. There may be one here, I haven't looked yet.
Another essential is a good wok. (cast iron or otherwise) Basically you throw a bunch of semi-random stuff and some sauce iron seasoning in a wok and heat it up. The variations are endless, quick, and often tasty once you get the hang of it.
suggest looking into cooking with cast iron skillets. There are tons of great and simple foods you can make with couple of inexpensive cast iron pans.
I have several cast iron pans, and I cook with them regularly. That being said, cast iron is more expensive, more time consuming, and requires more skill to cook with than a set of cheap non-stick.
Just like with most higher quality tools, there's just a steeper learning curve to cast iron than what I think op is really looking for.
The same is kinda true for cooking with a wok, unless you have a pretty high output gas range, a wok isn't really going to function as intended. Woks need to be heated enough to where you are basically flash frying your ingredients. If not the oil just soaks into your food, making everything soggy with oil.
I think you may be underestimating your abilities in the kitchen, and maybe overestimating op's. Though i think that's fairly common nowadays. I find that most people under 40 are either very proficient or very lost in the kitchen, not a lot in-between.
I don't know a single person who owns a microwave. My parents had one in the 90's, but used it like twice. I honestly don't even see the point, except when you like microwave food that comes in a plastic container, which again, i don't know who would ever be willing to eat. The only thing i ever heard was to warm things up, and even then, good job on saving a minute.
Microwaves are very efficient at heating food. Much more so than an oven or hob. They may not win awards for making things taste great but they're incredibly useful when trying to cook with a limited budget.
My household makes pasta ala pomodoro once a week which is delicious and cheap. You cook whatever pasta you want al dente (still a little hard). While that's happening you cook tomatoes in a pan with salt until it's mostly sauce. Add in a ladle or two of the pasta water and cook the pasta down in the sauce. Add fresh basil at the end with pepper and cheese (we use burrata).
It takes almost 30 minutes and it's cheap. You can use fresh romas which we usually do but canned san marzanos as well. With this as a base you can add anything you want to your sauce to change it up.
I love fancying up basic meals like Kraft Mac and cheese. We sometimes throw in leftover cooked sausage in with it and broccoli which I blanched in the pasta water. Cook them all down in the same liquids as the package to make fancy Mac and cheese.
Get a big bag of basmati or jasmin rice and get a rice cooker. Where I live a bag of jasmin rice is 36 euro for 18 kilo. You can eat rice with omelettes, wok chicken, shrimp and vegggies or what not, next day make fried rice.
Tons of video's on youtube with people sharing their home made rice dishes.
Edit: A wise man once said “red beans and rice, I could eat a plate twice”
The ones here don't accept electrical appliances, because they're not able to vouch for their safety (for example, if it spazzes out like my microwave did).
I recommend a rice cooker, they are fairly cheap and very handy. Rice is really cheap in bulk and neutral enough to work with almost any dish. With a cooker you can make quick low effort carbs (filling) to accompany whatever else you have at hand. Dump it in a pan with some veggies, heat and stir. Perhaps add an egg or two, seasoning of course. A quite healthy and cheap meal, which is also very easy to make and can be adjusted to your tastes no problem.
Yeah I used the microwave mainly for rice. It exploded today as I was trying to cook rice. I cooked it on stovetop, it turned out not too bad. I got really sick of rice because it never tasted any good. I guess that's about herbs and spices and stuff. I will see if I can find an affordable rice cooker. Thanks for the suggestion.
My unpopular cooking opinion is that a rice cooker is not nearly as critical as many people make it out to be. Making it on the stovetop (or in the oven) results in perfectly acceptable rice especially if you are on a budget and could use that money for other equpment. I eat a fair amount of rice and my rice cooker was the last of the small appliances I bought.
The secret to cooking good rice is to soak it in water (even 5 minutes will do) and then rinse it to remove the excess starch. Then add fresh water and cook it. Don't take the lid off the pan so the steam cooks it properly. A rice cooker will simplify this process but all you really need is a pan with a lid.
Rice cookers are a waste of space and money, plus they're largely a unitasker. For that money I could add to my general kitchen utensil collection that could be used for many things.
While I don't fully agree with Alton Brown's "no unitaskers in kitchen", it's a great starting point, especially for new cooks with few tools. Today I tolerate a few unitaskers because I already have a full complement of general purpose tools.
I can make rice in one of my pots in the same time a rice cooker takes - there's no magic bullet, rice takes the time it takes. And for a new cook, learning to pay attention instead of offloading to a tool makes for great practice.
Simply put water and rice in a pan, turn on the heat, and set a timer. Of course, I had to figure out the heat and time, but that only took watching it a couple times.
I made some last night, while the rest of dinner was in the oven - because I saw the recipe had a 45 minute oven time, I knew that would be the perfect time to make the rice. Easy-peasy.
Just dropping in to thank everyone for the ideas, encouragement etc, and a bit of an update.
I bought some onions and added them to my edible-but-not-very-tasty rice, and fried them together, and it tastes a million times better. I have pasta and tuna as backups, and will keep referring back to this thread every time I shop. The positivity in the thread also got me to clean my fridge, which was absolutely filthy (I don't even know how it got like that) to mark the beginning of new kitchen habits. The fridge is still depressingly bare, but it's clean and that makes it less depressing haha. It's nice having more bench space where the microwave was... it almost looks like a kitchen now.
As far as cheap quick and easy it's hard to beat Midwestern style "salads". Egg salad is something I eat fairly often. Mix hard boiled eggs, mayo or miracle whip (I use light), and sweet pickle relish in whatever proportions you prefer. I generally add some frozen peas and top mine with Tajin powder but you can add veggies, nuts, seeds, cheese, seasonings or sauces... whatever you want to customize it. To make a different kind of "salad" replace the eggs with ground, chopped, or shredded meat (home cooked, deli, or canned) of whatever type you prefer or a can of beans with the liquid drained. It can be made into sandwiches, wrapped in a tortilla, used as a dip, served over rice, noodles, cooked or fresh veggies, it can be eaten cold or hot, if you add a lot of veggies, pasta, or rice and some liquid it can be baked off as a casserole maybe topped with cheese. The meat/eggs/beans should be cooked before they go in so all you have to do is dump it in a bowl and mix it up.
For a dessert "salad" there is cottage cheese salad. Mix a tub of cottage cheese, a can of fruit (pineapple is the norm but I use oranges because I don't like pineapple and it's suppose to be drained but I don't), and a small package of flavored gelatin (sugar free store brand works fine) in a large bowl then fold in a tub of whipped cream. Sometimes I add some cherries and/or walnuts. Any fruits, nuts, or seeds can be added. It has to be refrigerated for a couple hours so the gelatin can set up.
Toss cubed Tofu and some hardy veggies in oil with some spices. Back at 350 (Tofu may need longer than your veggies, depending on what you pick). Serve over Quinoa or with bread.
Lots of good ideas. I haven't seen the basics such as Mac and cheese and even hamburger helper. They aren't great for you but if you don't have a lot of money or are just feeling lazy that day, it's an option. Grilled cheese/sandwiches and Soups also come to mind.
Assuming you have an oven, you can bake a lot of the things you would normally put in a microwave. Pizza rolls, chicken nuggets, chicken patties, whatever. Usually there is baking instructions next to the microwave instructions and even air fryer now. Browse through the frozen section and see what catches your eye. Might find something new to try. You can find frozen ravioli in the freezer section you just need to boil in water and add sauce (when they float, they're done.)
It's been mentioned but pasta and a sauce and protein of your choice is a winner. You can buy canned or take the opportunity to learn how to make some. Usually, the more from scrap you can make it the cheaper it will be. A lot of times recipes do go nuts and have some ingredients I don't have on hand, usually it's not a big deal to skip one as long as it isn't like a main one. Like for spaghetti sauce you probably want oregano and wouldn't want to skip it. Sometimes trying new stuff is trial and error. Very rarely is it inedible if you screw up, it'll just be "off." it's just part of the learning process. You can also look into substituting an ingredient if you don't have that exact one. I've learned how to make due with milk if I don't have something like half and half which is something I don't just have sitting around in my refrigerator.
Nof sure what country you are in but in the US, there are stores like Ross and Ollie's that buy good from other stores at a discount because that other store wants it gone. If you have something like that it's worth a look. I got an 80$ hand mixer for 20$ and a coffee maker for half off. My mother in law has bought several air fryers as gifts for like 20$. Browse through one of these from time to time and you might find a good deal on a microwave. They usually have lots of pots and pans too either as sets or single pans if you need one. If you're not sure what a good pan looks like then do a little research. I think Alton Brown had a Good Eats episode just on pans that was very informative.
Last thing that comes to mind is while you're cooking on your stove, keep an eye on Facebook marketplace to see if someone is selling a microwave if that is something you are willing to do.
Here's my favorite quick and not-too-tricky recipe for beef chilli. It's healthy, delicious, and can last you for days. The only equipment you need is a stove, a large pot, a ladle or spatula, and a can opener.
1. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to pot, on medium heat
2. Add 1/2 large white onion (chopped) and 1 bell pepper (chopped) and cook on medium heat for about four minutes (while stirring regularly).
3. Add 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped) and 2 tbsp of tomato paste. Stir everything and cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Add 2 lb of ground beef and cook until broken up and browned (about 7 minutes on med-high).
5. Add 2 can of chopped tomatoes & 1 can of tomato sauce
6. Add 1 can of black beans
7. Add 1 can of pinto beans
8. Add 1 can of kidney beans
9. Season with 2 tbsp. chili powder.
10. Season with 1 tbsp dried oregano
11. Season with 2 tbsp ground cumin
12. Season with 2 tbsp ground coriander
13. Add salt, pepper, and (optional) Worcestershire sauce to taste
14. Continue to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring thoroughly once every five minutes
I used to live off of Spanish tortilla when I was a student. All you need is potato, egg, onion, salt and pepper, and a bit of cooking oil for your pan. You can also add other ingredients like muahrooms, tomatoes, sausage, or bacon when you have it.
I survived on fruit growing in my neighborhood and a potato a day for a while. I was extremely broke. During this time, I walked between two grocery stores logging prices for basics between the two and buying the cheaper items to stretch my budget. I know what it means to be desperate to make it work on low or no funds. Keep your head up cause life can improve. I wish you the best.
Russet potatoes are filling and cheap. They can be seasoned for flavor with whatever you might have. Pour oil over one and sprinkle whatever seasoning you have, wrap it in aluminum foil and bake for 63 minutes at 425°. Or do the cheaper version without spices and aluminum foil. It's still a large portion of food.
Noodles are cheap. I have an adequate budget now, but I still eat noodles for breakfast almost every day (M-F) cause I like them and they're easy. Distinguish between rice noodles and pasta noodles (wheat). They aren't the same and probably provide different nutrients. Eggs are also fairly cheap (except when they weren't) and can be cooked a bunch of ways. Rice is cheap, though a westener's diet might find it bland over time. Beans are supposed to be a top protein source. If you eat red meat, probably look for hamburger and find ways to work that in.
The biggest take away is that once you have the skills, you can work with any tools. Better tools just make it easier. Work on learning how to cook, it sounds like you have some basic cookware that can probably work for many things.
For example, I have extensive cookware, in cast iron and stainless. A few inexpensive non-stick aluminum too. I've had anodized aluminum.
They all cook a little different, but I could probably make most of my 300+ recipes in any of them (stuff with rubber handles can't go in the oven). It would just take a little re-thinking to work around how each pan/pot works.
I can brown on non-stick, and even develop fond (which is tricky).
As other have said, your best bang-for-the-buck will be inexpensive sets or cast iron. Keep in mind that inexpensive non-stick is trickier to work with (mostly because the pans are thin, so controlling heat is harder), and they wear out faster than better cookware. I've replaced quite a few over the years.
After decades of cooking and trying the "latest fad", I lean heavily toward stainless, but only a few brands. There's a lot of crap stainless out there, selling cheap... And in this case you get what you pay for.
These folks did some good research on stainless, and explain the difference more concisely than I can. Their research comports with a lot of other reviews and docs I've read over the years - I've even cooked with some of these brands, like the Cuisinart (which I own), the Tramontina (which I've gifted), and also a brand not listed - Heston (which is quite expensive, but really nice). My experience is they all cooked the same, which is to say they heat surprisingly quickly, hold heat well (similar to cast iron, though not as much thermal mass), make browning a snap, and require surprisingly lower burner settings than even good anodized aluminum.
Plus stainless is a breeze to clean - a quick deglaze and everything comes right out. I'd even argue it can run through the dishwasher (though it may dull a little, it'll cook the same).
To come full circle, look for easy, one-dish recipes as a great place to start.
I think both America's Test Kitchen/Cooks Country and Good Eats are great places to start to learn how to cook. ATK/Cooks Country has a bunch of recipes, and they design them to be simpler than what you'd find in something like The Joy of Cooking, while explaining how they changed a recipe or process. Good Eats is great for learning how's and why's, what's going on when doing certain things - Alton is big on visualizing the chemistry and process of cooking.
One downside to no microwave for a single person is reheating leftovers becomes more challenging. Lots of dishes, especially casserole/stews, etc, reheat very readily in a microwave. Which reduces your cooking effort - you can make a pot of stuff, throw it in the fridge and have it for dinner tomorrow too. I do this, even freezing portions so I can have it next week (so I don't get bored eating the same thing 3 days in a row).
Edit: find an inexpensive 4 quart pot to add to your collection. It's a very useful size - great for boiling water for pasta, potatoes, etc.
I don't judge, but cooking exclusively in a microwave... 🤢 Personally, no thanks. I'm guessing/hoping you didn't cook steak and stuff like that in there.