"No-Cook" Recipes

Our kitchen has been out of commission for a couple of weeks now. I’ve been practicing the art of “no-cook” recipes. We set up a little table for our coffee machine, toaster, and microwave. With those three appliances, breakfast is pretty much the same as it was before. Toasted bagels and English muffins, spread generously with butter and jam (or both!), bowls of cereal, lots of fresh fruit, and never enough coffee.

Lunch and dinner are a bit trickier. Our only usable sink is the one in the bathroom, so I’ve been trying to not dirty too many dishes. Cooking with the microwave has honestly been fun and reminds me of living in a college dorm.

When I was a freshman, I coached an under-12 girls’ volleyball team who practiced during the hours that the university dining hall was open for dinner. Twice a week I came home from practice and hungrily made something to eat using only a microwave and a mini fridge. Boxed mac ‘n’ cheese was a staple. (I like Annie’s white cheddar shells and I always add the optional butter plus a good amount of freshly ground black pepper.)

This past week, I tried Trader Joe’s soup dumplings, cooked in the microwave, and they were so delicious that I went back to TJ’s the next day to buy more. I think one of the secrets to “no-cook” recipes is that when you put in even a tiny bit of extra care and attention to details like garnishing and presentation of the food, your effort goes a long way. For those soup dumplings, I put them steaming hot in a bowl, splashed them with equal parts soy sauce and rice vinegar, and spooned Fly by Jing’s chili crisp on top. Glorious!

My cookbook Boards, Platters, Plates is full of ideas for “no-cook” recipes that are really more like a combination of foraging for good ingredients and composing them beautifully on a platter. Our meals lately haven’t been quite as gorgeous as this cheese board in Boards, Platters, Plates, but the effortless, casual vibe is what we’re aiming for.

What are you favorite “no-cook” recipes? I’d love to know.

{Cheese board photograph by Erin Scott}