Hotel living -- Need to do something about food...

[LisaKinVA]

Suffice it to say, hotel kitchens were not designed to feed a family of 7.  The pots and pans are sparse and small...and who wants to go buy more, when you have perfectly good ones you simply can't access?  I will be buying the largest crock pot I can find in 220 this weekend (don't get too excited, its about 1/2 the size of my giant one...lol, but certainly better than nothing).

 

That will give me...a 1 qt. sauce pot, a 1.5 qt. "stock" pot, and a fry pan that will hold 3 fried eggs.  I have one 6x10 oven pan as well.  I have a strainer, several bowls (not for cooking), and soon, a crock-pot.

 

I have about 1 foot of prep-area (assuming the table is covered by school books...or computers, as it normally is...and the table area is also the main sitting area).

 

I'm just completely uninspired to cook *anything* -- but I am sick-to-death of opening canned blech and pretending it's just for a little while.  My kids also hate eating out, and now...being in our 3rd month of TQSA (temporary living arrangements), not having received any of our reimbursements, living on a 20% paycut (because we don't get post allowance while in TQSA), and having to spend money out of our own pocket to pay the hotel for November (because they are 3 weeks late with that payment as well)...we don't have extra money to eat out, either.

 

I need totally simple, almost zero prep, not-too-much-from scratch (I don't have most basic staples, because there is no where to store them, but do have access to Italian markets on a daily basis...as long as I can drag my sorry butt out to go, and can get to the commissary once or twice a week).  

 

(Please don't read this as a whine, I'm not feeling sorry for myself...), But inspire me to make something more than Canned Stew...and hopefully something we don't have to cook in shifts.  

 

I did buy a canned ham for Christmas (I've never had a canned ham...but trying to cook one here...with what I have access to...just was more than I could fathom.

 

Thank you for your inspiration (recipe ideas), etc.  

 

My family likes Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, American, Italian...we do pretty well with most foods :)

 

Lisa

[idnib]

What's the oven situation? And can only the oven pan go into it? Are the other pans oven-safe?

[LisaKinVA]

Tiny oven...fits 2 of those 6x10 pans

[Mama Geek]

Lisa, I have a small family just the 3 of us.  I do end up cooking meat in enough to put in dh's salad for lunch all week.  I would do sandwiches for lunch.  

I would get a 6 to 8 quart stock pot if you don't have one in the hotel.  That makes a lot of this easier.  We don't usually stay in places that have ovens so that is a big improvement.

 

I have done: 

Shepherds pie in a crock pot after boiling and mashing potatoes on the stove

Chili (stove or crockpot)

Soups

Pan fried meat (burgers, pork chops, boneless skinless chicken, etc)  I have a cajun seasoning that I like really well that I will put on any of these

Tacos

Spaghetti

Cabbage rolls in the crockpot although, I cheat and just layer the stuff instead of rolling it.  Also with a small oven you can do it in a casserole dish

I often cook rice as a side

I do a lot of canned veggies, but it isn't that difficult to do fresh or frozen

Beef stew in the crockpot

I found a small turkey and put it in the crock pot for Thanksgiving and you can do the same with chicken.  The whole trick crock potting is not to over cook stuff which means checking on it.

Shredded beef or chicken BBQ made in the crockpot

 

I hope this helps.  If I think of any other standard go to meals, I will post later.

 

 

 

 

[MariannNOVA]

Oh, my, Lisa........I have been following your landlord thread. Thoughts and prayers. Our situation was somewhat similar in that we were in an extended stay hotel (350 sq feet) with 2 adults, 3 kids, and our newly rescued dog. The oven was reminiscent of a metal box with a fire inside. It was also this time of year and everywhere the kids went, a tray of cookies was requested.

 

The crock pot idea is a good one........perhaps that is the way to go...........compile a list of crock pot recipes, and adopt that as your routine.

 

Hope your situation improves quickly.

[JuanitaL]

I feel for you - our longest stretch in some form of temporary cramped quarters was 13 weeks.

Sandwiches can be wrapped in foil and heated in the oven - it doesn't sound like much, but I think it really changes the taste. Foil dinners in the oven - think of Cracker Barrel's summer specials - chicken leg/thigh with vegetables. Buy a seasoned rotisserie chicken for one meal/ carcass in crockpot for broth to cook the next day's rice in. I had an electric griddle that I used a lot just because it was so easy - all kinds of meat/cheese combinations can be put in a folded over flour tortilla and cooked up quickly - my boys liked a smear of marinara with pepperoni and a slice of cheese. Leftover spaghetti and meat sauce in the crockpot gets an additional jarful of water added to it along with a bag of frozen, mixed vegetables for the next day's vegetable soup.

[ThisIsTheDay]

While I know that there's no comparison, I'm thinking of my daughter who is currently eating a lot of food in her dorm with just a microwave and fridge.  She makes a lot of quesadillas in the microwave; you could add different veggies for variety.  Add pizza sauce and you can make mini kid-size pizzas (still one of my favorites!).  You could bake potatoes ahead of time (oven, crockpot or microwave) for a lunch or dinner baked potato "bar" for lunches or snacks. How about egg dishes, omelets, or fried eggs over any kind of potatoes, or fried egg sandwiches that you could add greens and or cheese to. 

 

I read the latest in your housing situation, Lisa, at least up to the point where you were going to have an Italian speaking friend intervene.  What a mess, and what a shock that the ones who are supposed to "help" you are doing this.  :(

[Ravin]

Egg casseroles and crock pot hot cereal for breakfasts. Pancakes can be made ahead and rewarmed in the oven.

 

Bread, cheese, sliced meats, fruit at lunch. Lots of salads. Crock pot pasta dishes. Soups are great this time of year. Enough to go around with the crock pot, if served with fresh bread and salad.

[Ottakee]

Can you buy a larger electric frying pan? That would double as a griddle and a way to make more food at a time.

 

What ingredients can you get a reasonable cost? If you could get a larger stock pot and strainer you could make all manner of pastas by making the sauce in the crock pot and putting it over the cooked pasta and then add fresh or canned fruits and veggies.

[FaithManor]

I think one thing I'd be tempted to do is pick an afternoon to do some cooking that can be stored in the frig. One thing would be rice. I would try to cook a few days worth of rice because it keeps so well and use that as a basis for something cooked in the crockpot. Mexican soup/gumbo over rice. Chicken  over rice, egg drop soup over rice, etc. When we travel we do like to eat "sandwiches" that are actually fillings such as chicken salad and veggies in tortillas with ranch dressing or something like that. Maybe you could keep the cooking to a minimum by making up some tuna salad, chicken salad, and egg salad at the beginning of the week. Tortillas take up less room than loaves of bread, and stack nicely in the refrigerator. You could also make a Mexican dip in the crock pot and let everyone either spread it on the tortillas or get a bag of chips.

 

If possible, maybe the kids can get used to the idea of simple things like small pieces of chicken breasts done in the crock pot, or lamb chops or (not really certain what meats you can get in Italy that are affordable) with mostly fresh veggies, salads, and fruits and kind of fend for themselves. Until you get into a house, if everyone could just eat fresh sides and then leave only something small to do in the crockpots, that would maybe help a lot.

 

:grouphug: So sorry you are going through this. If I can find my recipe for Mexican gumbo before I leave to grocery shop, I'll put it in this thread.

 

[FaithManor]

Found it! I think you could do this by stir frying the vegetables first, and then tossing everything in the crock pot on low for the day.

 

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup each diced red
1 cup green bell pepper
1 cup white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 tablespoons ground cumin
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
3 small cans of chopped green chile peppers, drained
4 (14-oz.) cans vegetable broth
1/2 cup lime juice
3 cups cooked white rice
3 cup cooked black beans
1 (16-oz.) container pico de gallo

 

[J-rap]

I haven't seen all of your posts lately, but weren't you going to be in a house by now?  Sorry that has taken awhile!  I'd say crockpot is the way to go, and I maybe wouldn't even bother with anything else!  You can really do almost anything in a crockpot, and supplement it with some of the delicious bread and cheese they have there.

 

Here is one crockpot recipe we just learned about this that we love!  It's lasagne:

 

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/slow-cooker-spinach-and-ricotta-lasagna-with-romaine-salad-00000000052378/

 

I also get a lot of slow cooker recipes on this site:

 

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

 

We recently stayed in a hotel and had to prepare food for 20 every day.  We used an electric roaster.  It's probably bigger than you need, although maybe they come in different sizes.  I think they heat faster/hotter than the slow cooker, but you can also use them the same as you would a slow cooker, as far as I know.  (Maybe need to stir more often....  we learned that the sides got a lot hotter.)

[Garga]

Bean enchilladas in the microwave or oven

 

1 can refried beans

2 cans enchillada sauce (green or red, your choice. I like green.)

1 onion

cheese

10 soft tortilla shells

tomato, chopped (for topping)

optional: rice, chicken, whatever other clever thing you come up with.

 

Mix the refried beans, ONE can of enchillada sauce, onion, and any of the optionals in a bowl.

 

Microwave instructions:

Spread some of the mixture in the middle of 1-2 shells. Roll the shells. Drizzle with the other can of enchillada sauce and top with cheese. Microwave 3 minutes. Top with tomato. Voila. One person's dinner is done.

 

Oven instructions:

Spread some of the mixture on all 10 shells. Roll the shells. Put in baking pan. Drizzle with the 2nd can of enchillad sauce and top with cheese. Bake until hot. I never do it this way, so I don't know how long. Half an hour? Top with tomato. Voila. All 10 enchilladas are done.

[prairiewindmomma]

I'd actually plan to eat as fresh as possible to minimize cooking....

 

Salads with bread and cold cuts and cheese

Pasta with olive oil and basil or sage (if you buy fresh ravioli they boil in 4 minutes!)

Yogurt and pastries for breakfast with hardboiled eggs

Fish and baked potatoes (oven cook the fish, potatoes in the crockpot)

 

You don't have anything big enough to make soups. Your pans are big enough to bake meats, and so would your crockpot.

 

I'd just plan to do no cook breakfasts, salads and sandwiches for lunch, and meat + veg or pasta + veg for supper. It may be formulaic, but when I lived abroad I had no oven, one burner, and two pots. If you could buy a big soup pot, life would be easier. Or a ricemaker.

[idnib]

I think I would use the oven pans for potatoes and then use the small pots or pans for frying up some meat, fish, or eggs while the potato casserole baked.

 

We would also be eating more baked potatoes and roasted veggies.

 

Agree about low-cook eating as much as possible: fresh fruits, cold cuts, boiled or deviled eggs, sandwiches of tuna or other canned fish...

[gingersmom]

Lasagna

quiche

meatball/sausage heroes

[tabinfl]

Check out a camping cookbook? Might be some things in there you can adapt to stovetop or oven using tinfoil and small pans?

[trulycrabby]

Hobo dinners cooked in the crock pot:

 

Ground beef, chicken, or turkey; I wold just put it in the bottom of the crock pot

Put carrots,onions, peas, whatever vegetable your family likes in a layer on top of the meat. Then, put sliced potatoes on top of the other veggies. Season with salt and pepper, maybe sprinkle the potatoes with parmesean cheese.

 

Does your family like fish? As I recall, there is an abundance of wonderful, very fresh fish in local outdoor markets. Just saute, or even cook in the crock pot with a fresh veggie and rice, and there's dinner.

 

Is polenta or coarsely cround corn meal available there? You could have ham and grits, which is basically coarsely ground corn meal cooked in water over low heat for an hour or two until the consistency resembles cream of wheat. Add salt, butter, and cheese, and it is very good. Easy to prepare, too.

[Lanny]

You can make "Arroz con Pollo" (Rice with Chicken).   I believe that is pretty easy to prepare, although I do not cook, and it is an inexpensive dish. A few days ago, my wife told me to buy a Chicken Breast and then I asked her what else she would need, to make "arroz con pollo".  I think a Red Pepper, a kind of beans (long) that I can't remember the name of, in English, as I write this, "Habichuela" in Spanish, maybe those are called "String Beans"?;  a few hot dogs, etc. It makes a great meal. For your family, you might need to buy 2 large chicken breasts and you could probably eat that for Lunch or Dinner, 2 days in a row...   :-)   Serve with 2 pieces of toast and  that is a complete meal... Very filling...

[Swimtaxi234]

Is your husband active duty military?  If so and the base is a US base, have you tried to borrow supplies from Airman's Attic?  We have borrowed pots, pans, cups, etc. until our household goods arrived.

[Liz CA]

What happened during the phone conference regarding the house rental? Is this chapter closed now or still on the table?

 

Cook ahead several cups of rice. It stores nicely in the fridge. Add in different veggies and meat as you like. Do you have some refrigerator space?

[Jennifer132]

You can do a shredded chicken taco with your crockpot. Just place the checked breasts in the crockpot, pour a generous amount of salsa on top and cook it until it'll shred with a fork. Shred some cheese and put it all in a corn or flour tortilla. You can also do BBQ chicken in the same way with chicken breasts and BBQ sauce. Once you shred it, put it on a hamburger bun or over rice or noodles.

[Twigs]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:  (I'm no help with cooking.)

[bolt.]

I think I would start pre-cooking my proteins as "not" a part of preparing the meal -- just as an hour long chore to run through a quantity of whatever (chicken breasts, beef cubes... anything you like) and then chill some and use some. (Or run them through the crock pot in time for supper, but enough for 2 or 3 suppers.

 

Then plan a certain number of meals that spring from that protien -- either warmed or cold. Lots of fresh veggies, salads, etc. -- but one cooked veggie per meal isn't a problem. Breads as the starch of the meal, or whole microwaved potatoes, or pre-cooked rice (as mentioned).

 

Try to think of meals like a formula, with individual items: not as a recipe for one item.

 

(Protein+spice/sauce/style) + 2 or 3 individual veggies + a starch = supper

[littlebug42]

I like doing pot roast type dishes in the crock pot.  Beef or pork roast (or a whole chicken), some broth, potatoes (whole), onions, carrots.  Whatever veggies you like. I would also look at soups.  

[Ausmumof3]

That sounds so frustrating. I think I would look for a big electric frypan too. Then we'd have a lot of salads with fried or grilled meat. You can do stirfry in it, pancakes, potato chips etc. even roasts though you have your crockpot for that.

[elfgivas]

if you can acquire a camping stove, and cheap camping pots, then you can make all sorts of things. 

 

hth,

ann