A Dinner of Herbs at Room Temperature

March 12, 2021 9:00 AM

It's going to take two to three weeks to get my new fridge delivered. Meanwhile, I need inexpensive, healthy meal ideas that don't require refrigeration or a time-consuming walk to the store every day. Hit me, ingenious meal planners of MeFi!
posted by orange swan to Food & Drink (22 answers total)

TastyBite Indian meal packets with rice are pretty good. I like the Channa Masala and Bombay Potatoes.
posted by pinochiette at 9:12 AM on March 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

My graduate school cheap meal was a handful of rice stirred into a can of stewed tomatoes, for ersatz Spanish rice. I baked it in the oven until the rice was done, but you could also do it stovetop or in the microwave.
posted by DrGail at 9:28 AM on March 12, 2021

How do you feel about legumes? Beans and lentils are canonical foods that are shelf stable and filling.

I don't have any recipes off the top of my head, but you can think in terms of a meal that you can make in a slow cooker that you'd be willing to eat all day. Depending on the model of slow cooker, they'll work for 12-24 hours, so you can start the next day's meal before bed, and have hot food for all three meals the next day.

This might be obvious, but putting out a call to friends to see if they might have a dorm fridge for the few weeks might be worth doing. Failing that, a good cooler can last a week with ice, particularly if you're keeping it inside and out of the sun. Having some ability to have fresh food and store leftovers helps preserve my sanity.
posted by Candleman at 9:32 AM on March 12, 2021 [5 favorites]

Pasta sauce with shelf-stable ingredients: tin of chopped tomatoes, tin of sliced mushrooms, tin of anchovies, a chopped garlic clove, a teaspoon of chilli flakes, a chopped onion. Bung it all in a pan, simmer it for as long as you like (the longer, the better, but it's pretty good even after ten minutes). I usually have enough leftovers to make a second meal, which I stick in the fridge overnight... but I have a much smaller appetite than most, and if I'm hungry, even I can eat the lot.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 9:33 AM on March 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

One of the big just-before-the-pandemic food stories last year was Alison Roman's caramelized shallot pasta (you can also find the recipe easily on many blogs if you don't have/want a NY Times account). The author is…controversial...but the dish is good and uses only pantry/shelf-stable ingredients.
posted by bcwinters at 9:43 AM on March 12, 2021

I don’t refrigerate my eggs, so eggs and fried diced potatoes.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:45 AM on March 12, 2021

Do you like sardines? The Youtuber known as Alex French Guy Cooking has some very good sardine recipes: 6 Creative Recipes Using 1 Can of Sardines ! (Part 1), 6 Creative Recipes Using 1 Can of Sardines !! (Part 2). The one with chimichurri sauce is outstanding.

Also, the book Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Survival Guide is an updated version of the out-of-print book Apocalypse Chow and might be worth looking at, even if you're not vegan. The authors live in Florida and have plenty of experience of being without power for days at a time after hurricanes.
posted by Lexica at 9:45 AM on March 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

It's possible to develop a taste for powdered milk, especially when used to add creaminess to recipes with sauces.
posted by flabdablet at 10:00 AM on March 12, 2021

I get a lot done with canned tomato products and jar/pouch sauces. There's also the entire array of jarred pasta sauces and "simmer" sauces - my Safeway-associated chain has some non-tomato/non-curry options like piccata and scampi, which could lend to all kinds of riffs. Most of them do not come in enormous sizes but would probably still make 2-4 servings, though.

Any chance you have a cooler big enough to hold a block of dry ice (if your grocery stores carry it) so you have a bit of cold storage for leftovers? That opens up eggs, yogurt, some additional sauces/condiments, a little cheese.

As long as you don't live somewhere already really hot, there's a lot of whole (or nearly-whole) produce you can store at room temp that isn't fruit - I routinely store cabbages in a bin for sometimes weeks (brussels sprouts are fussier if you can't get them still on the stalk, but still I can get some days before the leaves begin to yellow), whole cauliflower will go a week if it's good quality, broccoli and zucchini and eggplant will depend on how aged/mishandled they already were on the store shelves but sometimes last more than a week. And then there's tomatoes, winter squashes, potatoes, and root veg all meant to be stored in a cool dry place anyway. Aim for the smallest options so you're less likely to end up with a half-used eggplant or cauliflower and no way to store for later, also pick up some very small onions or just get shallots for the duration instead, plus green onions that can live in a jar of water.

Butter will be fine on the counter for a long while, peanut butter and tahini can live in the pantry. Avocadoes can stay out until ready to eat, as long as you think you can catch them in the 73 seconds between ripe and urgh.

It can be useful for various disaster scenarios to have some powdered milk on hand anyway, which can help you be a little more creative in cooking.

Roasted veg + sauce + carb in all kinds of combinations should get you a good way through this. Definitely don't forget bread and tortillas (I can swear to the near-indefinite open-bag stability of Mission low-carb tortillas, but I think most commercial flour tortillas will survive a few days after opening).

Single serving packages of ramen, udon etc will make it easier to cook without leftovers. Stock for a few ultra-simple meals like baked beans on toast, canned soup, your favorite Chef Boyardee product. Check the canned and lunchbox-items areas for any kind of useful single-serving/shelf-stable products - pudding cups, little quesos and ranch cups and other dips, single-serving meat, meal kits like pizza or tacos. Sometimes you can even find modest-sized packages of shelf-stable condiment packets like jams, mayo/mustard, or dressing, which would all up your game quite a bit.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:08 AM on March 12, 2021 [3 favorites]

Crackers and tuna packets. Onions and garlic and potatoes (powdered, even). Mac and cheese. RO-TEL.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:27 AM on March 12, 2021

Some shelf-stable plant milks come in individual serving sizes. You could use those for granola, cereal, or oatmeal. Which of these tastes better is very individual. I find almond milk best for newbies, though I personally find the vanilla flavored ones obnoxious.

Also, though Lyn Never has good advice about storing vegetables at room temperature, you could also temporarily make your meals more fruit heavy than vegetable heavy. Lots of fruits do fine without refrigeration. Oatmeal and fruit could be a meal anytime of day.
posted by FencingGal at 10:36 AM on March 12, 2021

I'm going to second the ice and cooler recommendation. I have a soft-sided cooler that I use when I travel and it is great though the ice would have to be changed/added more frequently than a hard-sided cooler.

Herbs can be put in glasses of water to keep for several days if not a week or more.

There is regular milk in shelf-stable individual containers.

There are a lot of shelf stable meals and ingredients that are surprising if you wander the grocery store. Annie's has some shelf stable curries that could be doctored with extra spice, veggies, and herbs.

Boxed mac n cheese with water instead of milk plus butter (room temp) and a can of green beans or diced tomatoes.

The meal aisle in the grocery store has stuffing mix and rice or noodle "dinners" and other sides that can be mixed with cooked vegetables.

There is great quality canned tuna (Wild Planet is good) to mix into a salad with mayo (stock up on individual packets) plus diced celery.
posted by RoadScholar at 11:12 AM on March 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

Cook udon or soba noodles, add ripped up kale or other cooking greens to the last minute of cooking, drain all and toss with butter or soy sauce or hot sauce. Kale and other hardy greens can sit outside the fridge for a long while-- if they're getting cooked anway, it doesn't matter if they're wilted. Same with other vegetables like root veg and squash-- they don't be perfect perfect perfect after sitting on the counter for a week but if you're roasting them in the oven anyway, who cares?
posted by blnkfrnk at 11:58 AM on March 12, 2021

Nut butters don’t need to be refrigerated in the short term, same with jams, especially if you keep them tightly closed in a cool dry place. You might get some oil separation but you can just mix them up again. Obviously this is good for a PBJ sandwich but you can also mix it into hot cereals for flavor and creaminess without dairy and you can even use it to make a quick peanut dipping sauce with other shelf stable condiments for things like noodles or lettuce wraps.

Fruits that are perfectly fine for a few days on the counter include of course bananas if you get them green, apples, and most citrus. Winter pears like boscs are usually good for a week as well. Mangoes can take some time to ripen. Tomatoes are much better unrefrigerated anyway, and there are some good varieties that last pretty long with nice flavor, like the kumato. Be sure to keep some lemons and limes around for adding freshness to a lot of your canned and boxed products.
posted by Mizu at 12:00 PM on March 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

I use this recipe as a base for various concoctions

It uses evaporated milk to make a sauce for pasta, and it's quite delicious. The milk isn't in the ingredients but is listed in the method. I saute whatever vegetables I have on hand, then dump into a bowl, add the flour, milk, white wine. Bring to a boil till thick, and then dump the vegetables back in. Fresh basil is good, but dried is fine too.
posted by Ftsqg at 12:19 PM on March 12, 2021

Not cheap exactly, but less expensive than takeout - and shelf stable and reasonably healthy and definitely quick
https://shop.wegmans.com/product/154633/wegmans-quinoa-lentil-ancient-grain-blends-with-roasted-tomato-eggplant
posted by february at 12:26 PM on March 12, 2021

Following on Lyn Never‘s produce storage details - you’ll also save veg if you eat a whole one each day, rather than the very recipe-ish half of one, a cup of another. Roast half, boil half with lentils, season them differently, if the sameness gets to you.

It’s an opportunity to do well-paired comparisons of exactly how you prefer each veg, although that takes more spoons (literally and metaphorically).
posted by clew at 12:42 PM on March 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

This will be OK, specially if you can have a room that is not heated. My kitchen is deliberately unheated, meaning it will not get above 15 C before June, and I can leave butter, cheese and many other foods on the counter. Even if this isn't possible, don't worry.

Breakfast foods: bread doesn't need a fridge, neither do jams, butter, cheeses, eggs or bacon. Bacon is fine on the counter for a couple of days, specially if you buy the bacon in a whole piece. You can make porridge with water and put butter on top. Porridge made with müsli is delicious. Obviously fruit and fresh veg don't need a fridge.

What is lunch even in the age of corona? I very often make a spaghetti with oil, garlic and chili peppers. Back in the day of going to work somewhere else I would have the same sandwich every day, is this so different? And I love it and look forward to it. Similar treats could be fried rice, or peanutbutter and jam sandwiches, or BLT sandwiches. Or sandwiches made with canned foods. Like toast with sardines, jarred mayo and lemon are both fine on the counter. One of my personal favorites is toast with mayo, artichoke hearts and a bit of lemon juice. It is even better with bacon or ham, but the basic is delicious.

For both breakfast and lunch I recommend the North African/ Middle Eastern breakfast of ful. Thinking of the Middle East, shakshuka can be be made of counter-stable food, too. In my family, shashuka is good for every meal, and the variations are endless.

Most vegetables and bread are fine on the countertop for several days, even at room temperature. So maybe you could just do a vegan Spring. Pickled foods do fine on the countertop.
As mentioned above, whole pieces of bacon don't need refrigeration if you have a coolish space, and the same goes for all other cured meats, like sausages and pastrami.

You always need onions. Onions can be a meal in themselves and they are important elements in most cooking traditions.

The same with potatoes. Come to think of it, a Spanish tortilla with potatoes and onions is my personal favorite pantry meal of all times. In Europe, eggs are left on the counter. I wonder if fresh American eggs could be on the counter for a couple of days, or if you have to get pasteurized eggs? Any way, you can have eggs for an omelet.

To me, cabbage is really useful. I like pointy cabbage because it is easy to eat both raw and cooked. you can shred it for a salad or slaw, or use it in fried rice or as a steamed vegetable dish. With onions and garlic it is such a basic delicacy. Using different fats and dressings, it can be varied in so many ways. And you can use it for a Japanese pancake/omelet.

Lentils are the best pantry food. You can make all the dals, but also classic French puy lentil dishes, and Northern European split pea dishes. All of them can stand on the countertop for 48 hours if you don't include animal elements. And btw, if you do make a stew, you can cover it with any fat or vegetable oil, and it will keep for weeks in a cool environment.

Back to the pasta, a ton of pasta recipes are based on pantry staples, and right now it seems like Serious Eats is doing a pasta palooza. So there is a lot of inspiration there.
posted by mumimor at 2:46 PM on March 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

I'm a weirdo who actually uses canned foods a fair amount. Some combos that make a pretty decent toss+together and eat meal include:
Tuna+green beans+minced onion+vinaigrette
Rotel-style tomatoes+corn+chili beans (dress with oil and lime juice)
White beans+mixed vegetables+cheese, top with bread crumbs and heat in the oven until it browns
You can also do ramen with dried seaweed and some shredded carrot and cabbage--those will keep on the counter for several days. Sweet potatoes are also another good veg that doesn't need refrigeration
posted by drlith at 4:06 PM on March 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

I bought a 1.7 cubic foot bar fridge, for $11. while waiting for my goods to arrive. I got it from a reliable thrift store that guaranteed it would work, and it was clean. So, at least I could have some cold soy milk, eggs, meat, some leftovers. It was cheap and a lifesaver.
posted by Oyéah at 6:42 PM on March 12, 2021

Mori-nu makes shelf stable tofu. You can get it fast from Amazon or Target drive up.
posted by rdr at 3:03 AM on March 13, 2021

Tuna, as salad for sandwiches, or added to pasta with some spinach.
A lot of cheeses keep well without refrigeration, and are great on pasta with vegetables.
Mushrooms, many greens, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, butter, are fine for several days, longer if you have an entryway or cold spare room. I am happy with a microwaved sweet or white potato with butter, salt pepper.
I love roasted cauliflower - cut it up, toss with olive oil & hot sauce, roast on 400F or so, until some edges are very well done, tossing occasionally.
I make rice or wheat pilaf with chicken broth, onion, maybe some veg.
posted by theora55 at 12:13 PM on March 13, 2021