Cheap Dinners and the Single Life

[Prof. Moriarty]

The problem with me, is that I have no freezer. Leftover's for tomorrow are fine in the fridge, but without a freezer I can't plan ahead too far.
...
Putting Taco Bell hot sauce on your Ramen tastes exactly like poverty

Not possible to put in a small freezer somewhere? Otherwise slow cooker is pointless because the amounts you would cook are too large.
Hotplate may still be a viable option though.

 

[Alacrity59]

Sorry for the stream of stuff. Not quite James Joyce cause I used a little punctuation.

For many years I made poached eggs for my wife and I in the microwave. I think you are doing your scrambled eggs there so nothing new. A plastic poacher thing is a couple of bucks. The Bacon too is pretty easy and quick but you need to watch it like a hawk (on a plate between two sheets of paper towel). Rice is also easy to make and you can keep some in the fridge for a couple of days m (for 2 cups of rice and 4 cups water I think it was 5 mins on full power and 15 minutes at 30% . . . was a long time ago). To reheat put some in a bowl spray with a little water and cover with cling film or a saucer or whatever you have that is microwave safe and nuke for a minute and see if it is warm enough. Veg fresh or frozen is great in the microwave. I always do this for brocolli, caulliflower, green/yellow beans etc. A good size portion for two people is rinsed with water and cooked in under 5 minutes. One of my first purchases of kitchen equipment was a Corning Casserole dish 1.5 liters that I have and use often to this day. (25 years old and looks new) Corn on the cob in particular is easy to do husk and all. Baked potato . . ***** it all over wrap in cling film and nuke for 5 minutes and turn over and nuke again for 5 minutes. With oven mitts take out of oven and unwrap. Split it open and whip up the insides with a fork and then dollop sour cream or butter and some chives. You can make pasta such as fusilli in the microwave. Cover the pasta in a bowl with warm water and cook for the package time plus 4 minutes or so (until done to your satisfaction . . . stopping to stir about every 3 minutes). Heat sauce by putting in a bowl and covering with a saucer (I do this a lot) and heat for a minute for two people's worth and 30 seconds for one persons worth.

 

[simon1]

You had cooking stuff? I lived in hotel rooms...the kind where the community bathroom was at the end of the hall. There was one in KC Mo that had an "en suite" shower though, and it did have a nice steam radiator for heat.

The guy that had the bigger "suite" at the end of the hall had a counter, a hot plate and an electric skillet. I went down the hall to eat every once in awhile...had to step over the passed out drunks though. I usually ate out.

Wow...just Wow. Wall of text. Paragraphs please.

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Wall_of_Text

Sorry for the stream of stuff. Not quite James Joyce cause I used a little punctuation.

For many years I made poached eggs for my wife and I in the microwave. I think you are doing your scrambled eggs there so nothing new. A plastic poacher thing is a couple of bucks. The Bacon too is pretty easy and quick but you need to watch it like a hawk (on a plate between two sheets of paper towel). Rice is also easy to make and you can keep some in the fridge for a couple of days m (for 2 cups of rice and 4 cups water I think it was 5 mins on full power and 15 minutes at 30% . . . was a long time ago). To reheat put some in a bowl spray with a little water and cover with cling film or a saucer or whatever you have that is microwave safe and nuke for a minute and see if it is warm enough. Veg fresh or frozen is great in the microwave. I always do this for brocolli, caulliflower, green/yellow beans etc. A good size portion for two people is rinsed with water and cooked in under 5 minutes. One of my first purchases of kitchen equipment was a Corning Casserole dish 1.5 liters that I have and use often to this day. (25 years old and looks new) Corn on the cob in particular is easy to do husk and all. Baked potato . . ***** it all over wrap in cling film and nuke for 5 minutes and turn over and nuke again for 5 minutes. With oven mitts take out of oven and unwrap. Split it open and whip up the insides with a fork and then dollop sour cream or butter and some chives. You can make pasta such as fusilli in the microwave. Cover the pasta in a bowl with warm water and cook for the package time plus 4 minutes or so (until done to your satisfaction . . . stopping to stir about every 3 minutes). Heat sauce by putting in a bowl and covering with a saucer (I do this a lot) and heat for a minute for two people's worth and 30 seconds for one persons worth.

 

[Alacrity59]

Paragraphs . . . na . . . can't deal with words over two syllables. Did I not seem sorry enough for that already? Critics . . harrumph.

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

Yeah I love poached eggs. I picked up some plastic Ramekins at Dollar Tree and microwave in them. Boiled eggs I need practice yet though. For rice, I found an awesome plastic steamer at Walmart for around nine bucks. Works better than the plug in rice cooker I had.

 

[simon1]

Paragraphs . . . na . . . can't deal with words over two syllables. Did I not seem sorry enough for that already? Critics . . harrumph.

I posted a link to a University of Michigan study when I was raggin' on Rob (OkieStubble) about his punctuation in another thread. He got a kick out of it.

http://www.themarysue.com/grammar-typo-study/

Actually, when I lived in apartments with a kitchen I cooked regular meals. The kitchens always had a refrigerator with a freezer so I could freeze some of the leftovers. Mom was a stay-at-home housewife so I learned to cook from her. I also used to burn some mesquite from my aunt's down to coals in a hibachi on the walkway outside the apartment, then cook steaks. Good thing I lived on the second floor or I'd probably have lost some steaks...people would always seem to walk by when they smelled the cooking.

 

[Extrawurst]

Buy a hot plate like suggested, like a single induction plate and at least one pan and a pot.
Get rid of that microwave which has absolutely nothing to do with cooking and also that stupid plastic tableware.
Can't help with a fridge when there's no room for it.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Buy a hot plate like suggested, like a single induction plate and at least one pan and a pot.
Get rid of that microwave which has absolutely nothing to do with cooking and also that stupid plastic tableware.
Can't help with a fridge when there's no space for it.

Yep, then you can boil spaghetti and drop in some butter, parmesan cheese, and eggs.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

+1 on the hot plate.

Soup du jour is simple and easy.

Chicken broth
ginger
garlic
star anise
cinnamon stick
lemon peel or lemon grass
Splash of fish sauce
coconut milk
noodles
meat of your choice

Simmer the first 8 ingredients for 30 minutes then strain. Throw in noodles and cooked meats until heated through. Garnish with scallions and boiled eggs slices. Eat with chopsticks.

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

I do have a hot plate in the cupboard, the only time I use it though is to boil eggs sometimes. I'd use it more, but space. And once you get good at it, a lot can be done in a microwave. It's like shaving. There's some what of an 'art', and every body has different results.

 

[mrb7]

Putting Taco Bell hot sauce on your Ramen tastes exactly like poverty

This I have done. It's not a repeat recipe.

In a small fridge you could keep leftovers two days. Don't limit yourself to one day. Much past that doesn't work well.

Lack of a freezer is probably a great thing. Forces you to keep rotation. You'll likely be better for it.

If you can, I suggest you throw out the two slice toaster and buy a toaster over. Also I suggest you look at the new "multi-cookers" that abound today. You can boil rice or use it as a crock pot slow cooker. Or a number of other things.

Between a crock pot, a toaster oven, and a microwave you can respectfully, although simply, feed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth should she decide to call on you. No need to apologize. If you can do that, you can feed a date easily enough.

There are whole series of "Gourmet Slow-Cooker" and "Gourmet Toaster Oven" books on Amazon or your local bookstore.

Plan your menu to exploit two day turn around. For example on Monday boil enough rice so that on Wednesday you can use the multi cooker to make a stew to eat with the leftover rice. Use your imagination for more.

A set of toaster oven pans comes with a small loaf pan. A pound and a half meatloaf for dinner. Meatloaf sandwiches the next.

Check the cast iron cornbread thread for recipes you can reduce to the smaller baking pan size. Won't be cast iron, but it will be good.

Get yourself a Kuhn 12 cup Fourth Burner pot. It's tall and skinny, so it's not gargantuan if you try to use the hot plate. And it works on an induction plate if you get one.

MB

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

Good advice! I do have a toaster oven as well, a fairly larger good one, but because of space I keep it away until a day shows up where I'll need it and then I bring it out just for a bit.

 

[oc_in_fw]

You ain't lived until you've had a peanut butter and mustard (plain yellow mustard) sandwich. It sounds strange, but the tart and sweet go well together.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

Good advice! I do have a toaster oven as well, a fairly larger good one, but because of space I keep it away until a day shows up where I'll need it and then I bring it out just for a bit.

A toaster oven can be used to cook fish as well.

 

[oc_in_fw]

A toaster oven can be used to cook fish as well.

You know what the problem with fish is? It has fish in it.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

You know what the problem with fish is? It has fish in it.

You're just not doing it right.

​....that's what she said.

 

[dpm802]

Buy a hot plate like suggested, like a single induction plate and at least one pan and a pot.

+1 on the induction plate ... I finally got one four years ago and now it is the only thing I use to cook with. The glass-top electric stove is just used for extra counterspace. A good brand to have is the Max Burton ... http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...nduction&sprefix=max+burton+induction,aps,213 No matter what brand or model you choose, be sure to get one with a metal frame, not a plastic one, because sooner or later you will slide the hot skillet over the edge and melt it.

And you'll need cast-iron or stainless steel cookware to go with induction. I like the Lodge brand of cast iron. The have a lot of custom-fit accessories like glass lids and silicon handles that really dress up the cookware and make it much easier to handle.

Get rid of that microwave which has absolutely nothing to do with cooking and also that stupid plastic tableware.
Can't help with a fridge when there's no room for it.

+1 ... I only use my microwave to reheat leftovers and prepare instant oatmeal. For actual cooking, a toaster oven will make all your food taste better, although you do have to wait for it. Be sure to get one that has a convection fan built in.

 

[August West]

I remember the days before they treated dumpsters like Fort Knox. The local McDonald's put all their unsold burgers in plastic bags and pitched them.

The bottle may have been dusty but the liquor was clean.

 

[oc_in_fw]

You're just not doing it right.

​....that's what she said.

I really don't dislike fish, I just don't eat it very often, and never on Friday.

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

Fish never crosses my mind to make at home. That certainly doesn't sound like a bad idea at all!