6 simple meals you can make without an oven (plus, the easiest dessert you’ll ever make)

 

You can’t beat a good Sunday roast but who wants to go to all of that effort on a dreary midweek evening? Whether you’ve just started uni and you’re still coming to terms with the shared kitchen or you’re simply looking for the easiest meals you can knock up with minimal fuss, these simple recipes are bound to be right up your street.

 

Nutritious, delicious and hardly anything to wash up afterwards? Count us in.

 

Easy peasy paella

 

Think of paella and you probably think of sunshine, sangria and sophisticated Spanish chefs, right? Thankfully, you don’t need any of those things to create this easy, peasy recipe. Simply grab a pan and a handful of ingredients and you’ll get all of the flavour with hardly any of the work. Have it for a solo dinner on a Tuesday night (that’s how simple it is) or invite some friends round and pretend you had that chef training after all.

 

paella pan

 

Ingredients

  • Olive oil

  • Red onion (halved and thinly sliced)

  • 250g sliced chorizo

  • 450g microwavable basmati rice

  • 200g frozen (cooked and peeled) prawns

  • 130g frozen peas

  • 2 chopped tomatoes

  • Fresh parsley chopped

 

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a pan (a paella dish would be nice but a large frying pan will do).

  2. Cook the onions for five minutes or until softened.

  3. Add chorizo and cook for another couple of minutes until browned.

  4. Add in rice, prawns and peas and cook for four minutes or until peas are tender.

  5. Stir through the chopped tomato and chopped parsley to taste.

 

Et voila (or ahí tienes as the Spanish might say), it’s easy, peasy paella.

 

 

Simple Spaghetti Bolognese

 

If the fun of fresher’s week is long over and you’re starting to feel a little homesick, then a tasty dish “just how mama used to make it” will get you lecture-ready in no time. This classic Italian dish is hearty, nutritious and won’t require a complex convection oven to create. In fact, it’s so simple, one pan will do.

 

pasta bolognese cooked

 

Ingredients:

  • Olive oil

  • 500g beef or veggie mince

  • 2tbsp tomato purée

  • 125ml red wine

  • 400g jar of Bolognese pasta sauce

  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

  • 500ml of chicken stock

  • 375g fresh spaghetti or fettuccine

  • Parsley and parmesan to serve

 

Method

  1. Heat the oil and add the mince. Break apart any lumps and cook for five minutes or until beef mince changes colour. Season well.

  2. Add tomato paste and stir in for one minute.

  3. Add the red wine and simmer until nearly evaporated.

  4. Add pasta sauce and rosemary. Simmer for five minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly.

  5. Stir in the stock, along with the pasta and cook for five minutes or until the pasta is tender.

  6. Season with pepper and serve with parsley and a healthy smattering of parmesan.

 

Moreish miso rice bowl

 

Miso bowls are very in right now. If you’re looking to impress without making much effort, then this moreish miso recipe is sure to float your boat. What’s more, it’s genuinely packed full of nutrients and is very low in fat. So THAT’S why it’s so in.

 

rice bowl

 

Ingredients

  • Tender stem broccoli trimmed

  • Sesame oil

  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • ¼tsp dried chilli flakes

  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced

  • 150g oyster mushrooms

  • 4 eggs

  • 450g microwave brown rice (cooked)

  • Sesame seeds

 

Dressing

  • 1tsp miso paste

  • 2tsp mirin seasoning

  • 1.5tsp fresh ginger

  • Soy sauce

  • Sesame oil

 

Method

  1. Make miso dressing by whisking all dressing ingredients together. Set aside.

  2. Microwave tender stem in a covered bowl for two minutes.

  3. Heat sesame oil in a pan and add garlic, chilli and white parts of shallots, fry for 1 minute.

  4. Add mushrooms, broccoli and soy sauce and cook for two minutes.

  5. Microwave rice.

  6. Heat oil in a pan and fry eggs on both sides for around 2 minutes each.

  7. Divide rice between serving bowls. Top with veg and eggs and drizzle with miso dressing.

  8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and remaining shallots.

 

Quicky cuppa quiche

 

If the recipes so far all seem a little complex for your culinary prowess then panic not, we’ve got a quicky meal that will require little more than a microwave and a mug. A perfect snack or lazy brunch, this will fill you up without taking up too much of your precious time.

 

eggs cracked

 

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs

  • 40g self-raising flour

  • 30g sliced ham (torn into strips)

  • 1 finely-sliced spring onion

  • 2tbsp shredded parmesan

  • 1tbsp grated cheddar

  • 1tsp roughly chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 cherry tomato chopped

 

Method

  1. Crack the eggs into a bowl.

  2. Add in flour and mix until well combined.

  3. Add the ham, spring onion, parmesan, grated cheddar and parsley and stir until mixed in.

  4. Spoon the mixture into a large mug.

  5. Pop cherry tomato on top along with extra cheddar.

  6. Microwave on high for two and a half minutes until egg is set and the quiche is puffed.

 

Speedy veggie curry

 

sppedy curry recipe

 

Trying to eat less meat or cooking for a vegetarian? This speedy veggie curry has all the flavour with none of the faff. All you need is a large saucepan and a load of your favourite veggies. Add some microwave rice or a grilled naan bread on the side and you’re veggie dinner date ready.

 

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil

  • 1 thickly sliced red onion

  • 1 crushed garlic clove

  • 2 tablespoons curry paste

  • 1 medium pepper, cut into chunks

  • 300g cauliflower, cut into small florets

  • 150g button mushrooms, quartered

  • 330g can chopped tomatoes

  • 250ml vegetable stock

  • 150g green beans, trimmed

  • 400g can brown lentils, drained, rinsed

  • Fresh coriander leaves, to serve

  • Plain yoghurt, to serve

 

Method

  1. In a bowl, mix together sugar, butter, flour, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla essence until light and creamy.

  2. Spoon into a microwavable bowl.

  3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Turn, then microwave for 1 minute more.

  4. Leave to stand while you heat lemon curd in microwave for 30 seconds.

  5. Pour warm lemon curd over cake and serve with vanilla ice cream.

The world’s easiest lemon pudding

 

You could be forgiven for thinking you need an oven for dessert, after all, cakes, pies, pastries would all be nothing without one, or so you’d think… We’ve got the simplest dessert you can hope to make and it’s actually really quite delicious.

 

Ingredients

  • 100g caster sugar

  • 100g softened butter

  • 100g self-raising flour

  • 2 eggs

  • Zest of 1 lemon

  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

  • 4tbsp lemon curd

  • Vanilla ice cream to serve (optional)

Method

  1. In a bowl, mix together sugar, butter, flour, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla essence until light and creamy.

  2. Spoon into a microwavable bowl.

  3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Turn, then microwave for 1 minute more.

  4. Leave to stand while you heat lemon curd in microwave for 30 seconds.

  5. Pour warm lemon curd over cake and serve with vanilla ice cream.

 

So, there you have it, six simple and delicious meals that you can make at home without needing to turn the oven on. Proof if you still needed it that tasty food doesn’t require a Michelin star, or an oven for that matter.

 

If you’re looking for further mealtime inspiration, head over to the Breville homepage. We’ve a whole range of kitchen essentials that can take the hard work out of creating brilliant dishes for the whole family.

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