Microwave recipes that prove no-fuss cooking for one can actually be great
The idea of a “fast and fabulous” microwave mug recipe is irresistible: There’s little waiting or washing up, you don’t heat up the kitchen, and the mug is the perfect size when you’re cooking for one. It’s also an easy way to eat more homemade and less takeout without spending a lot of extra time. But up until recently, almost every mug recipe I tried was a letdown.
The reason: Microwave ovens typically cook by steaming — energy waves heat up the water in foods and steam them from the inside out. And steaming doesn’t develop much flavor.
I decided to try to think outside (or would it be inside?) the box and figure out how to make something better.
It took an “aha” moment and lots of follow-up experimentation, but I eventually came up with some quick breakfast, lunch, supper and dessert mugs (including individual berry cobblers) that passed my taste tests.
Here’s the how-to behind tastier mug recipes: Microwave ovens cannot only steam food, but in some situations can toast, fry and even caramelize.
With this in mind, I tried revamping traditional microwave recipes to include more toasting and frying.
Now for some caveats and tips. All four of these recipes were tested in a standard 1250-watt microwave oven. If yours has a lower wattage, dishes may need more zapping time; if it’s more powerful, they will probably require less.
Baggett is an author of nearly 20 cookbooks, including “The Art of Cooking With Lavender.”