Cheap food that doesn't need much cookware?
May 17, 2011 4:33 PM Subscribe
Cheap food options that require a minimum of cookware?
I just moved into a dorm which I'll be living in for the next 3 weeks. I don't have a lot of suitcase space or cookware, but I need to prepare my own meals.
We have a microwave, oven and refrigerator. I have two microwavable containers and two plates. What recipes can I make that don't require much in the way of additional cookware?
I just moved into a dorm which I'll be living in for the next 3 weeks. I don't have a lot of suitcase space or cookware, but I need to prepare my own meals.
We have a microwave, oven and refrigerator. I have two microwavable containers and two plates. What recipes can I make that don't require much in the way of additional cookware?
The cheapest, most nutritionally dense food is brown rice and beans and there is infinite variety you can have.
Cook with curry powder for an Indian flavor.
Add cumin and cilantro for Mexican.
Add rosemary, thyme, and parmesan for Italian.
All you need is an oven and a pot.
posted by munchingzombie at 4:46 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
Cook with curry powder for an Indian flavor.
Add cumin and cilantro for Mexican.
Add rosemary, thyme, and parmesan for Italian.
All you need is an oven and a pot.
posted by munchingzombie at 4:46 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
Canned fish is super healthy and convenient for protein. I also like Uncle Ben's Ready Rice which you basically just put in the microwave for 90 seconds and it steams right in the bag.
posted by mxmm at 5:09 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mxmm at 5:09 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yeah you're going to need a pot. If it was longer you'd want a few more things but for three weeks a pot will do. You can make pasta, soups, add frozen veggies to ramen, make eggs, make omlettes, make rice and add canned beans, etc. Please don't forget to buy and eat fruit and salad - buying bagged is spendier but better than no salad!
posted by DarlingBri at 5:12 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by DarlingBri at 5:12 PM on May 17, 2011
Most grocery stores now sell cheap "steam-in-bag" veggies or "steam in bowl" frozen food. The veggies can be pretty good and you can eat them straight out of the bag if you don't mind roughing it a little. The steam in bowl frozen food works really well for frozen stuff, basically there's a big bowl containing frozen liquid/sauce with the veggies/meat/pasta/rice suspended above in a colander like piece. You pop it in the microwave and every thing comes out pretty evenly done and good.
Of course god knows what the effect of all this plastic is on you. The bowls are LDPE which should be pretty safe. The bags...well I don't know. But this is the best optimum I've found within the space of [cheap-fast-convenient-with vegetables]
posted by Chekhovian at 5:13 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Of course god knows what the effect of all this plastic is on you. The bowls are LDPE which should be pretty safe. The bags...well I don't know. But this is the best optimum I've found within the space of [cheap-fast-convenient-with vegetables]
posted by Chekhovian at 5:13 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Frozen vegetables: Freshest frozen, and they're best microwaved. No kidding.
Rice: Put rice in your microwaveable container. Cover with plastic wrap. Make some holes with a fork. Microwave for 3 mins at a time then stir. Repeat until rice is done (about 9 mins usually).
Best answer: Cooking En Papillote is without a doubt your best option. This is also known as Hobo Pack cooking. Basically, you put your food into a tinfoil wrap / bag you create and then add your ingredients and cook.
Here are some ideas. Preheat your oven to 400. Mix everything in a tinfoil bag. Cook for 35 mins:
Chicken with:
1. Diced potatoes, lemon slices, cumin, cilantro, red pepper, ginger, olive oil.
2. Butternut squash, dried red chili pepper, butter, pepper.
3. Leeks, thyme.
4. Tomatoes, basil, asparagus.
You get the idea... Any veggie, oil, acid / spices, meat or fish combo works.
Also: You may want to invest in a pot. Go to an ethnic food store. They sometimes have pots for as little as $10.
posted by xammerboy at 5:23 PM on May 17, 2011
Rice: Put rice in your microwaveable container. Cover with plastic wrap. Make some holes with a fork. Microwave for 3 mins at a time then stir. Repeat until rice is done (about 9 mins usually).
Best answer: Cooking En Papillote is without a doubt your best option. This is also known as Hobo Pack cooking. Basically, you put your food into a tinfoil wrap / bag you create and then add your ingredients and cook.
Here are some ideas. Preheat your oven to 400. Mix everything in a tinfoil bag. Cook for 35 mins:
Chicken with:
1. Diced potatoes, lemon slices, cumin, cilantro, red pepper, ginger, olive oil.
2. Butternut squash, dried red chili pepper, butter, pepper.
3. Leeks, thyme.
4. Tomatoes, basil, asparagus.
You get the idea... Any veggie, oil, acid / spices, meat or fish combo works.
Also: You may want to invest in a pot. Go to an ethnic food store. They sometimes have pots for as little as $10.
posted by xammerboy at 5:23 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: I lived out of a backpack in Los Angeles for a couple years and I would make my own food. I found lots of recipes that only require hot water to prep. They probably weren't very nutritious so I took a multivitamin.
My Equipment :
Microwave safe bowl,
Saucer( can be a lid to said bowl )
Spork
Small Electric Kettle (Its easy to find water and electricity)
I used powdered foods, premixed them in ziplock bags and wrote the ingredients and how many calories where in each bag.
Instant Mashed Potatoes
Powdered Cheese
Ramen Style Noodles
TVP or TSP
Instant Rice
Freeze dried vegetables
Freeze dried shirmp (Mexican isle of your local market)
Oatmeal or other instant grains (couscous)
Seasonings (Curries, Miso Paste, Bouillons)
I also found that oriental markets had a lot of instant noodles, soups, and powdered seasonings.
posted by digdan at 5:27 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
My Equipment :
Microwave safe bowl,
Saucer( can be a lid to said bowl )
Spork
Small Electric Kettle (Its easy to find water and electricity)
I used powdered foods, premixed them in ziplock bags and wrote the ingredients and how many calories where in each bag.
Instant Mashed Potatoes
Powdered Cheese
Ramen Style Noodles
TVP or TSP
Instant Rice
Freeze dried vegetables
Freeze dried shirmp (Mexican isle of your local market)
Oatmeal or other instant grains (couscous)
Seasonings (Curries, Miso Paste, Bouillons)
I also found that oriental markets had a lot of instant noodles, soups, and powdered seasonings.
posted by digdan at 5:27 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
if you're willing to buy a cast iron skillet (less than $20 on amazon) you can expand your options dramatically.
posted by juliapangolin at 5:32 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by juliapangolin at 5:32 PM on May 17, 2011
These pasta packets (also available in generic where I am, even cheaper) require a microwavable bowl, a microwave, and a fork to eat them. They also make rice as well as pasta. For further variety, you can slice up a vegetable (I often use yellow squash, for example) and just stick it in the bowl along with the pasta mix. I'll eat half one meal and half the next. You can also add drained canned tuna or canned chicken the same way; if you get the kind with the pop-top, you don't even need a can opener.
It's not fantastic nutritionally but if it's a short-term thing, well, it's really really easy and if you eat a lot of it for a few weeks it won't make you sick or anything.
Another cheap easy filling meal is drained canned fruit (peaches, apricots, cocktail fruit mix) over cottage cheese. One bowl, one eating utensil. Probably a little better for the body than pasta packets.
posted by galadriel at 5:34 PM on May 17, 2011
It's not fantastic nutritionally but if it's a short-term thing, well, it's really really easy and if you eat a lot of it for a few weeks it won't make you sick or anything.
Another cheap easy filling meal is drained canned fruit (peaches, apricots, cocktail fruit mix) over cottage cheese. One bowl, one eating utensil. Probably a little better for the body than pasta packets.
posted by galadriel at 5:34 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: I would buy a 4 c. measuring cup. You can cook a lot of things in it in the microwave (soup, Beefaroni, veggies, etc.) and eat out of it.
posted by bolognius maximus at 5:49 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by bolognius maximus at 5:49 PM on May 17, 2011
That should read "4 cup glass Pyrex measuring cup".
posted by bolognius maximus at 5:49 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by bolognius maximus at 5:49 PM on May 17, 2011
Couscous would work easily in your situation. All you need to do is pour boiling liquid over it and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes or so. You can then throw almost anything in it to make it into a one-dish meal. (It's also great as a side, too.) Stores that sell food in bulk often have couscous; it's cheaper that way, and you can also buy as little or as much as you want.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:56 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by Room 641-A at 5:56 PM on May 17, 2011
1. Obtain crock pot.
2. Put anything in it.
3. Wait 6-8 hours.
4. Eat contents of the crock pot for the whole week.
posted by entropone at 6:01 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
2. Put anything in it.
3. Wait 6-8 hours.
4. Eat contents of the crock pot for the whole week.
posted by entropone at 6:01 PM on May 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure where you're from, but here in Australia we can get single-serving "cups" of almost cooked brown or white rice that just needs to be microwaved for 40 seconds. I practically live on the brown rice version of this for weeknights: I microwave one, dump it in a bowl, then mix in all sorts of stuff to make a slightly warm salad thing (usually canned beans & cheese plus (depending what I have on hand) canned corn, fresh chopped tomatos, salsa, chopped raw cabbage, grated raw carrots, chopped raw mushrooms, canned peas, or canned capsicum; my non-vegetarian boyfriend also adds things like canned tuna, or chopped up pre-cooked turkey roast things). It's quick, easy and you don't need to really cook anything (a bonus for the nighttime famished angry bear than is me).
I have also done this type of thing with couscous (also quick and easy, as per Room 641-A's comment) and quinoa (harder, cause you have to cook the quinoa and therefore would need a pot).
posted by snap, crackle and pop at 6:20 PM on May 17, 2011
I have also done this type of thing with couscous (also quick and easy, as per Room 641-A's comment) and quinoa (harder, cause you have to cook the quinoa and therefore would need a pot).
posted by snap, crackle and pop at 6:20 PM on May 17, 2011
Soak a package of dried beans overnight in a pot of water. Pour off the water and add beef or chicken broth to cover. (Swanson's Organic is best, but bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water work fine.) Heat to a boil, cover and simmer slowly until done, 2 to 3 hours depending on the type and age of the beans. Check every 1/2 hour or so to make sure the liquid stays even with the top of the beans.
If you have a big enough pot, add a sawed-up soup bone or a smoked pig's knuckle.
Very filling, very delicious and VERY cheap.
posted by KRS at 7:07 PM on May 17, 2011
If you have a big enough pot, add a sawed-up soup bone or a smoked pig's knuckle.
Very filling, very delicious and VERY cheap.
posted by KRS at 7:07 PM on May 17, 2011
Response by poster: It sounds like I'm buying a pot and a microwavable bowl and/or measuring cup, then.
posted by LSK at 7:09 PM on May 17, 2011
posted by LSK at 7:09 PM on May 17, 2011
Best answer: I just spent about six weeks in temporary moving circumstances, and cooked 90% of my food in a large (10-12") nonstick frying pan with lid (Big Lots, $11). Everything else was either microwaved or baked in the same 8" Pyrex baking dish. I didn't have much storage space, either, so I kept most shelf-stable items in two grocery bags that sat inside the fry pan and baking dish when not in use.
That deep frying pan with the lid means you can saute, fry, poach, boil, and even sorta-steam. Just make sure you don't use metal tools in it and the surface will stay pristine. The nonstick also means easy to clean. The Pyrex won't be quite so forgiving to clean, but expands your options dramatically since you'll have an oven and microwave.
You can go a long long way on frozen veg, canned veg and beans, dry beans (lentils are fast, cheap, easy, and flexible; most other dry beans need some commitment) and pasta, and rice in regular, quick, 90-second, and frozen varieties. If you have Trader Joe's where you are, even better. Eggs are cheap animal protein, along with chicken thighs and tuna.
If I was on my way to a deserted island and only got one pot, it would be the nonstick fry pan. I had pretty much forsaken nonstick for years, but that thing is a damn workhorse.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:10 PM on May 17, 2011
That deep frying pan with the lid means you can saute, fry, poach, boil, and even sorta-steam. Just make sure you don't use metal tools in it and the surface will stay pristine. The nonstick also means easy to clean. The Pyrex won't be quite so forgiving to clean, but expands your options dramatically since you'll have an oven and microwave.
You can go a long long way on frozen veg, canned veg and beans, dry beans (lentils are fast, cheap, easy, and flexible; most other dry beans need some commitment) and pasta, and rice in regular, quick, 90-second, and frozen varieties. If you have Trader Joe's where you are, even better. Eggs are cheap animal protein, along with chicken thighs and tuna.
If I was on my way to a deserted island and only got one pot, it would be the nonstick fry pan. I had pretty much forsaken nonstick for years, but that thing is a damn workhorse.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:10 PM on May 17, 2011
It sounds like I'm buying a pot and a microwavable bowl and/or measuring cup, then.
Get them at a thrift store. If money is tight, you might ask the store for a discount. When you move on you can donate the items back to the store.
posted by valannc at 10:38 PM on May 17, 2011
Get them at a thrift store. If money is tight, you might ask the store for a discount. When you move on you can donate the items back to the store.
posted by valannc at 10:38 PM on May 17, 2011
Eggs:
Stir a raw egg into hot soup or hot rice.
If you get a pot, you can make hard-boiled eggs. Peel and eat, chop up for a salad topping, make egg salad.
Potatoes:
Bake several potatoes to keep on hand.
Take-out food can be cheap if you stretch it. Add chopped cooked veggies and rice to a take-out soup.
posted by valannc at 10:52 PM on May 17, 2011
Stir a raw egg into hot soup or hot rice.
If you get a pot, you can make hard-boiled eggs. Peel and eat, chop up for a salad topping, make egg salad.
Potatoes:
Bake several potatoes to keep on hand.
Take-out food can be cheap if you stretch it. Add chopped cooked veggies and rice to a take-out soup.
posted by valannc at 10:52 PM on May 17, 2011
You could buy a cast iron frying pan at Walmart or whatever for $15-20. It would last you for the rest of your life.
A cheap chef's knife (<>
A piece of pine for a cutting board wouldn't be bad.
You don't need much more than that too cook a lot of stuff!
Spices are a cheap way to make simple food taste amazing. Cumin, cardamom, curry, good salt and pepper.
posted by sully75 at 12:44 AM on May 18, 2011
A cheap chef's knife (<>
A piece of pine for a cutting board wouldn't be bad.
You don't need much more than that too cook a lot of stuff!
Spices are a cheap way to make simple food taste amazing. Cumin, cardamom, curry, good salt and pepper.
posted by sully75 at 12:44 AM on May 18, 2011
If you were going to get just one thing, I'd consider making that thing a crock pot. You basically wind up just dumping all the ingredients in there, turning it on, and walking away for a few hours. Stews and soups obviously, but you can do vegetables and entrees this way too.
posted by valkyryn at 3:35 AM on May 18, 2011
posted by valkyryn at 3:35 AM on May 18, 2011
You can substitute quinoa for rice in most cases. Its much more nutrient-dense and is very tasty. Its also tiny (expands to 4x its size!) so it stores easily. Buy a brand that says it is pre-washed/rinsed so you don't have to mess w/ a colander.
Quinoa w/ black beans and corn and onions (can buy frozen and pre-chopped) is sooo good.
posted by sleepykitties at 4:28 AM on May 18, 2011
Quinoa w/ black beans and corn and onions (can buy frozen and pre-chopped) is sooo good.
posted by sleepykitties at 4:28 AM on May 18, 2011
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Serve with ramen, rice and beans, or pasta. For protein, you could get a big bag of chicken thighs to bake or microwave, or a dozen eggs a week, or canned salmon or tuna, etc. Don't forget to eat some fruit and drink some water.
posted by MidSouthern Mouth at 4:41 PM on May 17, 2011 [2 favorites]