No-Cook Cookbook: a homage to cold meals

If you’ve ever dreamed of making a full meal without ever having to turn on an oven, then the No-Cook Cookbook is the title for you. Author Susie Theodorou draws upon her experience as a food writer (her previous work includes Mediterranean: Naturally Nutritious Recipes From the World’s Healthiest Diet) and her Greek-Cypriot heritage to create a homage to cold dishes.

While the book is principally aimed at the time-poor home cook, all the recipes are equally applicable for busy hospitality venues, particularly those with limited space or resources. Theodorou demonstrates that taste and quality need not be sacrificed on the altar of convenience.

The simple ethos of prepping and assembling runs through the text, with clear instructions on how a few fresh ingredients can complement long-life shelf staples. Recipes make use of global influences, blending Theodorou’s native Mediterranean cuisine with Middle Eastern, Asian and South American flavours, and the recipes for grazing platters, grain bowls, salads and sandwiches fit perfectly for those serving lunches, starters and sharers.

Within the ‘pantry essentials’ chapter Theodorou outlines ‘flavour game changers’ that elevate dishes, such as chilli crisp, furikake and togarashi Japanese seasoning blends, pomegranate molasses and sriracha. This section also details key technique and equipment tips, such as using a microplane to grate garlic into a paste in seconds or smashing cucumbers with the flat side of a chopping knife, which allows added spices and flavours to penetrate the vegetable’s thick skin.

Dressings like zhoug or salsa verde are deployed to liven up many of the recipes, with sections focusing on hero ingredients including rotisserie chicken, cold cuts, grains and pulses and cheese, with suggestions for accompaniments.

While the bulk of the book concentrates on savoury dishes, the dessert section – ‘something to finish’ – brings the same quick ‘prep and assemble’ philosophy, with recipes combining semi dried fruit or sweet preserves with salty snacking foods to create unique concoctions.

The final chapter, ‘suggested menus’, pulls together combinations of the book’s dishes to produce full meal ideas. It’s the ideal compendium for devising quickly-served fresh menus.

No-Cook Cookbook by Susie Theodorou (Hardie Grant, £20) Photography by Alex Lau

Make the Chicken Tostada Night recipe from the book here