How do you cook without a kitchen?

As those close to me know, I have no kitchen at the moment. I mean, I have the physical room, but it has been stripped of almost all appliances, cabinets, and even the kitchen sink. I do have my fridge, thank goodness, and a limited supply of electric outlets.

Some might think this would pose a challenge to a cook such as myself. HA! While it has not been easy, I am managing to "cook" and eat relatively well with limited culinary support.

Here are some sample meals I whipped up/put together:

The Wendy's Special
I purchased plain baked potatoes, one cup of chili and side salads from Wendy's. At home I topped my potato with salsa and a bit of previously made guacamole and Sir Cakewalk's with the chili (he eats meat, I don't). On the salad I used a bottled light dressing and sprinkled it with feta cheese. I didn't have to make or cook anything, it was healthy, it only cost around $5, and I had no dirty dishes to wash in the tub after.

Pizza Night
Last week we bought a small thin crust pizza while it was on sale, knowing we might need it when our kitchen was gutted. We cooked it in the toaster oven, which we plugged into an outlet and rested on our washer in the basement (space is a hot commodity.) While it was cooking, I put some mixed greens into two bowls. The greens were a bag of organic herb mix from Trader Joe's. I'm not usually a fan of salad from a bag. They are over priced and often go bad very quickly. But, sometimes it is nice to use when you can't prep the veggies yourself. On each "salad" I added a little red wine vinegarette from a bottle. We each had a bowl of greens that didn't need any additional veggies (which would've required a cutting board, knives, etc), half the pizza and a glass of red wine from TJ's. Total cost was about $8, including the wine, but not including the dressing because I already had it. It did dirty a few dishes, but it was worth it.

Slow Cooker Soup
I have not made this yet, but I might soon. If I did, I would plug in my slow cooker. Then I would put in a few cups of water and a few bouillon cubes. I would add some frozen veggies like lima beans, corn, or any other veggies from leftovers left in the fridge or maybe a can of tomatoes. I would finish it off with some basic herbs (whatever I can reach from the box where I tossed everything.) Then, I would leave it to simmer while I head off to a hard day's labor.

It's Electric!
If you have an electric wok or skillet, now is the time to use it. These things are pretty cheap appliances and are great to cook with. I love using my wok for a quick and healthy stir fry. You could also use the skillet to make eggs for an easy "breakfast for dinner" meal, to make a sauce for pasta (assuming you have the means to cook the pasta itself), or really to cook about anything you would cook in a standard pot. Most heat very quickly and evenly, are nonstick and easy to clean.

The Last Resort
If all else fails, I can always go out to eat. To save money and watch the portion sizes, Sir Cakewalk and I like to share entrees. If we're looking for something quick, we might share the Blazing Noodles with tofu and veggies from Pei Wei. Otherwise we might split a dish at our favorite ethnic restaurant.

Putting together a healthy meal does not have to be time intensive or require slaving over a hot stove. I mean, that's good fun, but not always feasible, right? So look for easy ways to make a meal at home...even if it requires a bit of "cheating."


Luckily this is all short lived. Soon I will have a beautiful, spacious, new kitchen fully equipped for hosting dinner parties and/or cooking classes!