Bilderback Leslie - Mug meals: more than 100 no-fuss ways to make a delicious microwave meal in minutes

more than 100 no-fuss ways to make a delicious
microwave meal in minutes PHOTOGRAPHS BY TERI LYN FISHER The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the authors copyright, please notify the publisher at: http://us.macmillanusa.com/piracy. This book is for everyone, but especially college students.
When I wrote it I had two children living in college dorms.
I saw the contents of those tiny refrigerators,
and I think its high time yall learn how to cook more than cereal
and Cup O Noodles. Youll thank me later. Welcome to Mug Meals! You are about to embark on a culinary voyage of discovery.

That appliance you thought was only for reheating the mornings coffee actually can cook real food. Not store-bought frozen dinners. Not last nights doggy bag, but real food, made from fresh ingredients. You will soon find your kitchen filled with good food that tastes great and is good for you. Did I just blow your mind? These recipes have been developed with several kinds of cooks in mind: For the cook with limited equipmentcollege students, hotel residents, motor home travelersthese recipes provide satisfying, whole-food meals that are completely microwaveable. The majority of these recipes use only a knife, a mug, and a fork.

For busy people with a packed schedule, these recipes are, for the most part, finished in 5 to 10 minutes. For kids who are not ready to use the stove, the microwave offers real cooking without scary flames. Because it is real cooking, and not merely reheating, it teaches real cooking techniques. But because the mugs do get hot, it helps to teach caution during the preparation of foods. These recipes are a nice prerequisite to using the real stove. For people focusing on portion size, these mug-size meals emphasize flavor over quantity, and demonstrate just how satisfying a standard portion can be.

This is not merely fast food. If all you are concerned about is speed, you could buy a frozen dinner for the microwave and zap it. These recipes are real cooking in small amounts. Yes, its quick, but the time saved is not correlated to poor nutrition or loss of flavor.

Ingredients and Measurements Recipe books are very useful (says the cookbook author), but they are by no means iron-clad. While specific measurements of things like chopped vegetables, herbs, and seasonings are given in the recipes here, cooks should feel empowered to eyeball it.

There are few cases where slight variations will make any difference in the finished product. So if you like your food herbier or veggi-er or meatier, or saltier, then you should make it that way. Part of the benefit of mug cooking is convenience. This makes it the perfect vehicle for leftovers and precooked foods. In this age of extreme food waste, its nice to have a cache of recipes that facilitate leftover use. In this spirit, if you dont have a specific ingredient on hand, I have provided lots of options for substitutions.

The same is true for spices, herbs, and various condiments. If you dont have a specific ingredient on hand, dont make a special trip to the store. Use what you have. After all, necessity breeds creativity. Mugs These mug recipes were designed to be made in mugs. But heres a secretthey do not have to be cooked in mugs.

Any microwave-safe vessel that fits in your microwave will work. Feel free to cook in a bowl, or a glass loaf pan, or a recycled Cool Whip container. Its all good! Large and jumbo mugs are generally the container of choice for these recipes. This refers to vessels sometimes called cappuccino mugs, soup mugs or souvenir mugs. When the recipe calls for a large mug, it should have a capacity of at least 12 to 14 ounces (1 to 1 cups). A jumbo mug should hold at least 16 to 20 ounces (2 to 2 cups).

The size is usually specified so that the contents will not boil up and over, messing up your microwave. Microwaves Just as there are no standard mug sizes, there are no standard microwave ovens. Some offer various settings, while others have only an on and off setting. But they all work the same way. The microwave radiation is absorbed by water in the food, setting the molecules into motion. But the various microwave oven models and settings cook at different rates.

For this reason, cooking times in this book are given in a range. Always start with the shorter time first. Then check your mug meal, and continue cooking if necessary in 10- to 15-second increments. After a couple mug meals you will understand how long it takes your microwave to cook. One more thing about microwave ovensthey do not get much hotter than the temperature of boiling water, which is 212F. This means that foods do not brown much.

This is most noticeable in microwave baking, and when you microwave meats. Some of these items will not look like the foods that come out of your standard oven or are cooked on your stovetop. Dont let that put you off. They taste great, and serve the purpose here, which is widening your microwave repertoire. These recipes are not something youll see referenced in the Zagat Guide, but they will enable you to eat a fresh, homemade meal with limited resources. Thinking Ahead Several recipes call for ingredients that need to be precooked.

There are directions for microwaving single portions in a mug, but consider cooking larger batches. If pasta, grains, meat, poultry, and seafood are cooked ahead and stored in single portions, whipping up a mug meal is even quicker. Ziplock bags of cooked pasta, grains, and meats are easily frozen for several weeks. Cleanup Much of the time saved by microwaving mug meals is in the cleanup. No large pots, pans, or skillets to scour. No multiple tools and gadgets to clean.

No greasy, splattered stovetops to wipe down. However, the mugs will get dirty in a big way. Especially when prolonged cooking is involved, the mugs get caked with cooked foods. The best, and easiest, way to clean this mess up is to soak them. Fill the mugs completely to the rim with water and set aside. After a good soaking, use a brush to scrub out the residue.

Dont leave it up to the dishwashing machine. Even if your dishwasher is a superdeluxe model, it will not be able to scrub out food cooked on by a microwave. Finally Use these recipes as a jumping-off point. Once you come to terms with the ease of microwave cooking in small batches, the possibilities are endless. Be creative! Have fun! Get healthy! You can also use the methods you learn here to help in your regular cooking. Quick-cooking vegetables, sauces, and proteins can speed up prep for larger meals cooked on a standard stove.

Next time you tackle a big dinner party, put some mug meal technology to use. Now, get cooking!