No Oven/stove Easy Recipes

Updated on April 20, 2011
F.H. asks from Gilbert, AZ
9 answers

Hi Mamas, Ok, I live in the desert and its going to be freaking hot again soon! So I don't want to cook on the stove or use the oven and I definately don't want to stand outside and grill....

So, please share your easy no heat recipes with me. I just made tostadas for the first time! So easy! Bought the crunchy shells already made, can of refried beans, lettuce and cheese...yeah! The whole family loved it and it only took zapping the beans in the microwave....thats what I'm looking for...

Oh, and our family eats pretty much anything....kids don't like veggies, but LOVE salad...go figure....looking forward to some new ideas...THANKS MAMAS!!!

1 mom found this helpful

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So What Happened?

We do have the a/c on in the house but our electric bill gets to be over $400 in the summer so I don't want it trying to cool off the house any more than it has to! And there is NO WAY I would even ask hubby to stand outside and grill. The hottest part of the day here is 5pm and its usually over 105 and sometimes 115 or hotter. I do have a few crockpot meals that we eat in winter but since we swim every day in the summer, its kind of gross to come in from swimming to eat something hot...so that's why I'm looking for easy and I guess I should have said "cool" meals to make. I think we will be living off salads, sandwiches, fruits, etc. I'm going to google rice and bean recipes too. Thanks moms...keep them coming!

Featured Answers

R.D.

answers from Richmond on

Recently made veggies wraps, but I cheated and put pre-cooked chicken in there (like the kind you put on salads)... My fiance whined that it wasn't 'filling' enough and it was 'too healthy'... but he couldn't finish the 2 I made him and asked me to make them again... hmm ;)

Get wheat tortillas, spread them with either plain or onion and chive cream cheese. Sprinkle in shredded fresh carrots, red and yellow pepper, and baby spinach. Like I said, I threw chicken in there ;) Top with a few slices of Monterey Jack cheese, and roll those suckers up! Yum :)

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

I grew up in South Texas and my Granny would use the crock pot, but set it outside on the porch!

3 moms found this helpful

T.L.

answers from St. Louis on

During the hot months we live on cold sandwiches and fresh fruit. Sometimes I will fry french fries, but like you said who wants to stand over a hot stove.

2 moms found this helpful

M.M.

answers from Detroit on

Use the crock pot for things like whole chicken, pork loin or any other kind of meat. You can throw potatoes or carrots in there too. Will not heat up the house. If you want to serve with rice, most can be made in the microwave.

Turkey Taco Salad....ground turkey, taco seasoning, tomatoes, lettuce, onion and chesse. Mix it together and serve with salsa or Ranch dressing.

Tuna Fish on toast with a side of coleslaw, potatoe salad or a pickle.

We use our toaster oven a LOT. We cook chicken breasts in there often....fill pan 1/2 way with water put the chicken on there and season and you are good to go in 35 mins or so. Again, this does not heat up the house.

Cook noodles in the morning (before it gets too hot out) and dump a jar of spagetti sauce over the top. Just heat up at dinner time.

1 mom found this helpful

T.K.

answers from Dallas on

It's hot in Texas too!
George Foreman grill. Chicken tenders are the perfect size for the foreman grill. They cook up quick and you can season them 100 differant ways. Cut it up to put in wraps or on top of chicken. Petite Sriloins cook well on the grill too. Adds zero heat to the kitchen and is a healthier cooking method.
Continue that tex mex thing on and you have a ton of possibilities. Roll the beans and all up in a giant whole wheat tortilla and you have healthy burritos.
Buy azteca salad shells in the refrigerated section. They do take 10 min to bake, but you can do them early in the morning before it gets hot - and have taco salad for dinner.
Use your foreman grilled chicken or steak and bell peppers on a tortilla for fajitas.
Put everything on tortilla chips and zap in the microwave for nachos.
Cut the chicken up and put it with some cheese and put that on foreman grill to make quesadillas.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.L.

answers from Phoenix on

I was in your shoes once when my kitchen was being remodeled. Had to live in the garage with my electric fry pan and microwave oven. My suggestion would be to get out the cookbook that came with your microwave oven and see if there are some recipes you haven't thought of. You could cook something in the morning and refrigerate it for later. I made spaghetti pasta in the micro following the directions and it came out perfect.

1 mom found this helpful

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Sandwiches* and fruit, crock pot meals (they don't heat up the whole kitchen) and use an outdoor grill as much as possible. I like to marinate the meat all day and then let my hubby stand over the hot grill at night :)
Also cold pasta/potato/vege salads are good, just do the boiling/steaming in the morning before it gets too hot.
*experiment with different rolls, spreads and toppings to keep them interesting, some of my current favorites are roast beef (leftover from the crock pot) with bbq sauce, sliced grilled chicken breast (leftover from the grill) with provolone and pesto mayo, and turkey with a thin layer of cream cheese, lettuce and cranberry sauce, yummmm :)

1 mom found this helpful
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G.G.

answers from Flagstaff on

i like cold salads like egg salads, tuna salads, sushi, veggies and dip night, smoothies..

1 mom found this helpful
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J.J.

answers from Phoenix on

we love pasta salad. You only need to cook the pasta. Add cucumber, red onions, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, olives, garbanzo beans and dressing. We use th Kraft parmesan vinagrette. Feel free to substitute ingredients. Add, sunflower seeds, etc. How about chicken caesar salad? Use a rotisserie chicken already cooked. You can google recipes for asian salad and use the store bought cooked chicken, rice, mandarin oranges, etc. You'd only have to cook the rice.

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