Whether it’s the height of summer, a camping adventure or feeding a hungry family after a long day out, a no cook meal is the quick and easy solution. Our collection includes no cook dinners, sides, snacks and a few desserts to finish. And they’re all delicious and achievable. We have chicken, seafood, cured meats, protein-rich vegetarian options and more to satisfy hunger fast!
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Quick tips for no cook food
A storebought barbecued chicken is a favourite for easy no cook dinners and lunches. It’s convenient, tasty and can go a long way to feed a family. You’ll see it featured in a few of our fresh summer salads. Another way to make your go-to salads more substantial is to take a shortcut with quick microwave rice instead of cooking rice on the stove.
How to toast nuts in the microwave
These no cook dinners are easy to throw together without turning up the heat – with a couple of exceptions. Some recipe methods may include toasting nuts in a frying pan for a couple of minutes. But when it’s too hot to turn on the stove, you can skip it or toast them in the microwave instead, says our Food Director Fran Abdallaoui.
“Simply place the nuts in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high power in one-minute intervals, checking and stirring, until golden,” explains Abdallaoui.
“Depending on your microwave and type of nuts, this could take about 3 minutes.
“If you’re toasting nuts with skins on like natural almonds, pecans or walnuts it can be tricky to know when they’re perfectly toasted.
“To check, take a nut out of the microwave and cut it in half and if it looks lightly golden brown and smells toasty, they’re good to go! Take care when removing the plate from the microwave as it will be hot!”
Enjoy these light, refreshing chicken and mango rice paper rolls on a warm summer’s afternoon. A Vietnamese classic, the rolls are wonderful served as finger food with a zesty chilli lime dipping sauce.
This crunchy noodle coleslaw is a great dish for picnics, just pack each salad ingredient in a separate sandwich bag, take the dressing in its jar and toss it all together when ready to eat.
Gourmet sandwiches worthy of any picnic, these are two very different fillings which both work extremely well stuffed in a fluffy baguette. Italian flavours are channeled with fresh salami and antipasto veggies, while an zesty chilli lime sauce and shredded chicken creates a Vietnamese style lunch.
You could use turkey pastrami as an alternative and add 2 teaspoons of cranberry sauce to the coleslaw. If taking to work for lunch, package coleslaw in a separate container and assemble the sandwich just before eating. If you have one, use a mandoline to cut the vegetables into matchsticks, or you can coarsely grate them.
This recipe is also nut-free and egg-free. Did you know? Lebanese cucumbers are short, slender and thin-skinned, and are probably the most popular variety because of their tender, edible skin, tiny, yielding seeds and sweet, fresh taste. Note
Team your favourite fresh summer fruit with creamy ricotta, fresh spinach leaves, basil and chilli for a unique, delicious side dish for any outdoor gathering.
For a super quick and tasty lunch or dinner recipe, try our hot smoked salmon salad with an Asian style sesame dressing. There’s no cooking required, perfect for throw-together work meals.
Use any rice you like for this recipe, just make sure it’s cooked properly so every grain is separate. You could use about 3½ cups of cold leftover rice if you happen to have it, if not cook, rinse and drain the rice the day before the picnic. Keep the rice in the fridge. Assemble […]
Be careful when working with silken tofu as it is very soft and breaks easily. Use a mix of basil and mint leaves if you cannot find japanese mint. Note
These heavenly peanut and honey ice-cream sandwiches are the sweet treat that has been missing from your life! Quick and easy to prepare, and oh-so-delicious!
This quick and simple dessert is perfect for any time of the year. The combination of berries, custard and crunchy biscotti works beautifully together.
The quality of store bought meringue is excellent, and once smothered fresh blackberries, yoghurt and cream your guests won’t know the difference. For a grown up version, splash a little blackberry liqueur such as crème de mûre for a boozy twist.
