World Food and Wine
what people eat and drink worldwide

Meals with no stove

There are some delicious meals you can make without turning on the stove, although it often means heating the grill on the patio.

Oh the dreaded thought of turning on the stove when it’s 90+ F outside. There’s got to be some other way to make delicious, satisfying meals for your family without slaving over a hot stove! There are! I’m going to give you some delicious meal ideas for dinner that will not only keep you out of the kitchen, but will satisfy just about every appetite.

Summer is the time for grilling. (Unless you live in the Northern Hemisphere and fall in with those of us who tend to grill year ‘round, in the snow…but that’s another story.) There is nothing like a lip-smacking grilled steak, grilled chicken breast or grilled hamburger. They are delicious and better for you than cooking inside because the fat and grease is allowed to drain off, where when cooked in a pan, the meat soaks up all that fat and grease. Yuk! While grilling up your favorite meat, here are some unique side dishes you can grill alongside the meat that your family will love and ask for over and over again.

Grilled potatoes

The number one side dish in our for many grill specialists is grilled potatoes. They are easy, yet oh so delicious.

Ingredients

  • Obviously potatoes, cut into bit size pieces. I use one medium potato per person. I usually make a couple extra for leftovers. (My hubby is the leftover king; he takes them to work in his lunch which means we don’t waste much.) We leave the skin on, but you can peel them if you so choose.
  • Garlic Powder and pepper: I sprinkle some over each potato, but you can season to your taste though.
  • Butter: 2 pats of butter for each envelope or a 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
  • Onion: Chopped, enough to flavor each potato envelope (optional).
  • Any other seasoning or vegetables you prefer.

You will need

Aluminum foil: Tear off 6 inch rectangles, large enough to make a nice envelope for the potatoes.

Procedure

  1. Like I said above, but will repeat in case you didn’t catch it, cut the potatoes into bite size pieces, placing 1 cut up potato on 1 piece of aluminum foil. (If you have small potatoes, you can use two per one piece of aluminum foil). Add the onion. Sprinkle with your favorite seasonings and top with 2 pats of butter or the olive oil. Fold the aluminum foil over to make a nice envelope around them so it won’t open on the grill.
  2. The potatoes usually take about 15 minutes longer than the meat so prepare them first and get them going and then grill your meat.

You can use this same type of recipe for just about any of your favorite veggies like a delicious yellow or zucchini squash, red, green or yellow peppers and so on. Use your imagination. You can mix up as many different types of veggies as you want.

Not your typical corn on the cob

Most of you have at least heard of, if not eaten, grilled corn on the cob. This is another grilling favorite. How about a little twist on the traditional grilled corn on the cob? Here’s a delicious recipe that is sure to please.

Ingredients

  • Corn on the cob, in the husks
  • Butter, softened
  • Bacon bits
  • Chopped chives

Procedure

  1. Pull back the husks from the corn, but do not remove completely. Remove the silk and soak in cold water for about 30 minutes.
  2. Brush on butter over the corn and replace the husks around the buttered corn.
  3. Grill, turning frequently to avoid burning, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Serve with the bacon bits and chives.

Veggie kebabs

Veggie kebabs are fun, colorful and delicious and healthy. They are also a great way to get your kids to eat more veggies because they come on a stick. It's just a mystery why kids like to eat things on a stick but they do so what better way to get some veggies in them.

There are a variety of veggies you can use for veggie kebabs, so choose your favorites, or veggies you’ve been trying to get your kids to eat! Some suggestions are:

Tomatoes: cut into quarters
Cucumbers: sliced into one inch thick pieces
Mushrooms: whole
Onions: cut into quarters
Peppers, green, red or yellow: Slice the pepper into quarters and remove the seeds
Zucchini squash: sliced into one inch thick pieces
Yellow squash: sliced into one inch thick pieces
Broccoli: Use pieces big enough to stay on the stick
Cauliflower: Again, you will need to use pieces that won’t break when you put them on the stick.
Carrots: baby carrots work great or slice regular size carrots into one inch size pieces.

Procedure

  1. Put the veggies on the stick by inserting the stick in the center. For crispier veggies you will need to be more careful when inserting the stick into it so they won’t break. Alternate veggies as you place them on the sticks. You can have any variety of veggies you like in any order you like. I like to put a piece of onion in between each veggie piece for flavor, but that’s me, I like onions. Some like a piece of pepper between each, which is good too. Use your imagination; use a variety of color like green, red and orange. This will entice your kids even more.
  2. Brush each veggie with olive oil before placing on the grill and be sure to leave enough room on the stick for handling! When grilling, turn frequently to prevent burning. I prefer a little burnt flavor around the edges, but again, that’s me! Grill them to your families taste.
  3. Veggie kebabs are a great side dish for any meat including steak, chicken and hamburgers; they brighten up a plate and are full of flavor and yummy healthiness.

Besides the grill

So, besides grilling what else could you make that doesn’t require a stove, oven or grill? Oh, I know, how about an easy recipes you can microwave?

Chips and cheese

As children like to name them although most people call them nachos. Serve them as a snack when they don’t have any meat on them. If you have any leftover taco meat, you can add it to them for a yummy, easy to make, dinner everyone will love.

Procedure

  1. Spread some tortilla chips on a plate.
  2. If adding leftover taco meat, do it here.
  3. Sprinkle shredded cheese over each chip.
  4. Microwave for 30 to 45 seconds.
  5. Top with your favorite nacho toppings like salsa, sour cream, olives, tomatoes, lettuce and jalapenos.

These are an easy, delicious and great way to use leftover taco meat, if you decide to do that. They are great no matter which way you choose to go.

Don't forget the salad

Another summertime meal idea is to serve salad as a main dish! You can use your favorite veggies and top with a piece of that grilled chicken or steak, cut into slices. It’s common for some to eat this when trying to shed some pounds too. Not only is it great for staying out of the kitchen on a hot summer’s day, but it’s also a healthy, high protein meal.