In its purest sense, no-cook means mixing together raw foods and those that have already been cooked—such as leftover or rotisserie chicken, canned or premade beans, or hard-boiled eggs—into a tasty assembled dish.
But to give you a little more flexibility, we also decided that heating ingredients in a microwave counted as not cooking, too. However you look at it, these nine easy ideas will have you eating a healthy meal in minutes.
Breakfast bowl: Top ¾ cup prepared bulgur with ½ cup milk. Add ½ cup frozen blueberries and a sprinkling of rolled oats. Heat in microwave and stir.
Microwave omelet: Spray a microwave-safe mug with cooking spray. Whisk 2 eggs in the cup. Add vegetables such as baby spinach and tomatoes (fresh or frozen). Microwave 1 minute on high. If egg is not yet set, continue cooking for 30-second intervals until it is set.
Burrito bowl: Prepare ¾ cup frozen brown rice in a microwave. Top with ½ cup black beans and 1 cup baby spinach. Heat in microwave until greens are wilted. Top with salsa and sliced avocado.
Loaded sweet potato: Pierce sweet potato with a fork four times and microwave for 5 minutes, or until fork-tender. Split down the middle. Top with microwaved frozen broccoli, chopped tomatoes, a dollop of plain yogurt, and chopped chives.
Simple chicken souvlaki: Stuff 2 whole-wheat pita halves with precooked chicken strips, heated in microwave. Add sliced tomato. Serve with tzatziki sauce: ½ cup plain yogurt mixed with ½ small cucumber, thinly sliced; ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped; and a little garlic powder and lemon juice.
Sushi hand rolls: Prepare ½ cup frozen brown rice or quinoa in microwave. Spread onto 2 sheets of roasted seaweed. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp. rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Add flaked canned salmon and a slice each of avocado and cucumber. Roll into a cone shape. Serve with frozen microwaved edamame.
Mediterranean salad: Toss ½ cup cooked quinoa with ½ cup chickpeas; 1 small tomato, chopped; ½ cucumber, chopped; 1 cup arugula; and ¼ cup each chopped parsley and mint. Dress with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice. Top with toasted whole-wheat pita strips.
Tapas plate: Marinate ½ cup chickpeas in 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1½ tsp. red wine vinegar, and a sprinkling of dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Serve with 1 ounce cheddar or manchego cheese, sliced cucumber, sliced red bell pepper, a few olives, and a sliced whole-wheat pita.
Panzanella salad: In a bowl, combine 1 cup cubes day-old hearty whole-grain bread with ½ cup sliced cherry tomatoes, 3 small mozzarella balls sliced in half (1 ounce), and ½ cup frozen corn (heated in the microwave then cooled to room temperature). Toss with 1½ Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, and torn fresh basil leaves.
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Health