Cooking always feels like more of a hassle on dark, winter weeknights. Before we even have a chance to leave the damn office, bam, it's bleak out there. At the end of these long, cold days, the last thing we really want is to spend another hour on our feet in the kitchen. Even though colder weather calls for comforting food, those hot dishes equal too much time and energy that we just don't want to muster. But what if we could quickly throw together a week’s worth of no-cook, cold-weather meals in one sitting? We're not talking about sad salads or mediocre ham and cheese sandwiches, either. We mean seasonal meals that are festive and comforting AF — all achieved easily without any prolonged hob, slow cooker, or oven meddling.
I myself wondered how such a food feat would even be possible — as my past no-cook meal experiments always synced up with cool dishes and warmer weather. But with a little seasonal ingredient creativity and a solid game-plan for ingredient overlap (a rotisserie chicken is your best friend), pre-planning a week’s worth of inventive autumn and winter dishes was an achievable reality.
Scroll on to watch me assemble the seven recipes ahead that are grab-and-go, cold-weather dining goals: from sandwiches and wraps, to pumpkin puree zoodles, microwave soups, cranberry walnut tuna salads, and more. Get geared up to fill your favourite Tupperwares with a week's worth of comforting, no-cook lunches and dinners — no hob, slow cooker, or oven necessary.
My No-Cook, Cold-Weather Shopping List
Find everything I needed for a week's worth of meals, below (excluding salt, pepper, olive oil, and spices):
Produce
1. Arugula
2. Kale
3. Apples
4. Avocados
5. Pomegranate seeds
6. Feta
7. Rotisserie chicken
8. Greek yoghurt
9. Courgette pasta
10. Brie cheese
11. Feta
12. Lemon
Pantry
1. Dijon mustard
2. Canned tuna
3. Canned white beans
4. Canned corn
5. Pumpkin seeds
6. Whole wheat pittas (or bread)
7. Sandwich wraps
8. Dried cranberries
9. Canned cranberry sauce
10. Canned pumpkin puree
11. Vegetable or chicken stock
Chicken Sandwich With Apples, Arugula, Brie, & Avocado Cranberry Mash
Serves 1
Adding slices of brie and a little bit of canned cranberry sauce dressed up an average chicken sandwich and gave it some comforting Thanksgiving leftover vibes.
Ingredients
2-3 large slices of rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 avocado, sliced
1-2 tbsp of canned cranberry sauce
2-3 thin slices of brie cheese
2-3 thin slices of apple (e.g. gala, fuji, granny smith, etc.)
Handful of arugula
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Mash avocado with canned cranberry sauce and spread it on whole wheat pitta halves (toasted or un-toasted). Proceed by layering arugula, rotisserie chicken pieces, brie, and sliced apples on one half before adding salt and pepper and sandwiching together.
2. Slice in half and store in a sealable freezer bag, wrap with aluminum foil, or place inside a tupperware container. Refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Buxton.
Chicken Wrap With Arugula, Pumpkin Puree, Cranberry Sauce, & Pumpkin Seeds
Serves 1
Give your lunchtime wrap an extra layer of comfort flavour and crunch with a pumpkin puree, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin seed spread.
Ingredients
1 sandwich wrap
A portion of rotisserie chicken, shredded
Handful of arugula
1-2 tbsp pumpkin puree
1-2 tbsp canned cranberry sauce
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Mix pumpkin puree, cranberry sauce, and olive oil together in a small bowl before spreading atop sandwich wrap. Season with salt and pepper and then top smeared wrap with chicken, arugula, and pumpkin seeds before rolling up.
2. Slice in half and store in a sealable freezer bag, wrap with aluminium foil, or place inside a tupperware container. Refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Buxton.
Pumpkin Puree Soup Topped With Feta & Pumpkin Seeds
Serves 1-2
No-effort, seasonal soup is achievable with a little help from a can of pumpkin puree and your microwave!
Ingredients
2 cups (480ml) of vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups (480ml) of water
1-2 cups (240-480ml) of pumpkin puree (depending on desired thickness)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp garlic (or onion) power
1-2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1-2 tbsp feta, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients (except for pumpkin seeds, feta, and salt and pepper) in a microwave safe container and heat on high covered for 1-2 minutes. Remove and stir in salt and pepper to taste.
2. Store inside a tupperware container, refrigerate, and remove to reheat (or enjoy cold) and top with pumpkin seeds and feta when ready to enjoy.
Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Buxton.
Kale-Arugula Salad With Corn, White Beans, Feta, Pom Seeds, & Pumpkin Seeds
Serves 1-2
Pomegranate seeds (a.k.a. winter jewels) are a bright, sweet, and festive addition to what otherwise may have been yet another sad salad situation.
Ingredients
Generous helping of kale, shredded
Generous helping of arugula
60g canned corn
60g canellini beans
1-2 tbsp feta
1-2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
1-2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1/2 avocado, sliced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Mix kale and arugula with corn, white beans, feta, pom seeds, and pumpkin seeds, then top with sliced avocado and season with salt and pepper.
2. Store inside a tupperware container and refrigerate. When ready to enjoy, remove and dress with olive oil and lemon juice.
Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Buxton.
Pumpkin Zoodles With Corn, Feta, & Pumpkin Seeds
Serves 1
Enjoy these festive and crunchy zoodles coated in a pumpkin puree sauce either cold or heated up quickly in the microwave.
Ingredients
250-500g of courgette pasta, spiralised
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic/onion powder
1/4 cup canned corn
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp feta
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Mix pumpkin puree, olive oil, chile powder, and garlic/onion powder together in a small microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds. Remove and coat the pasta and canned corn with sauce mixture before seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Store inside a tupperware container and refrigerate. When ready to enjoy, remove and reheat (or enjoy cold) before topping with pumpkin seeds and feta.
Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Buxton.
Cranberry & Pumpkin Seed Tuna Salad Served Over Arugula
Serves 1
Dress your tuna salad up for the chilly season with an addition of sweet dried cranberries and roasted pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients
1 can of tuna (150g)
2 tbsp dried cranberries
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups of arugula
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Whisk together Greek yoghurt, olive oil, lemon juice and use mixture to coat canned tuna, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
2. Store inside a tupperware container and refrigerate. When ready to enjoy, remove and place atop bed of arugula and season with salt and pepper.
Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Buxton.
Kitchen Sink Caesar With Pom Seeds, Feta, Corn, Apples, Cranberries, & Pumpkin Seeds
Serves 1-2
Give your usual salad a wintry upgrade by throwing in a mix of your leftover no-cook, cold-weather meal ingredients.
Ingredients
A generous helping of kale, shredded
120g rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 apple, thinly sliced (e.g. gala, fuji, granny smith, etc.)
2 tbsp of pomegranate seeds
1-2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds
1-2 tbsp of dried cranberries
60g canned corn
2-3 tbsp feta
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Mix together kale, chicken, corn, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and feta and top with apple slices.
2. Store inside a tupperware container and refrigerate. When ready to enjoy, remove and coat with caesar dressing (dijon, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper whisked together).
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