A countertop microwave is a must-have in the kitchen. There is no easier way to reheat last night’s meal, and there’s no better way to heat up a frozen meal when you’re on the run.
However, you’re doing your microwave a disservice. The countertop microwave can do a lot more than nuke leftovers. It can actually cook food. It can get the job done faster than traditional methods, and in some cases, it can cook some food better than the original!
Eggs, Prepared in More Ways Than One
What do you eat for breakfast before work? Many people grab a granola bar on their way out the door, while others skip the most important meal of the day altogether. After all, cooking things like eggs takes time.
Not when you use the microwave!
Making scrambled eggs in the microwave is easy, and it takes just minutes. Plus, you can cook the eggs in the same microwave-safe container you’re going to eat from, reducing the number of dirty dishes.
The microwave isn’t just for scrambled eggs. It can make cooking poached eggs a lot easier too.
There’s no need to get a pot of water to just the right temperature on the stove, swirl the water just so, and hope your poached egg comes out perfect. Making a poached egg in the microwave includes the following steps:
- Fill a mug with 1/3 cup of water
- Add a splash of vinegar
- Crack and egg in the mug
- Pierce the yolk to prevent an explosion
- Cover the mug with a small plate
- Place in the microwave for one minute
Bacon
Eggs make a great meal for breakfast, but the very best breakfasts include more than one ingredient. There are many people that would say breakfast just isn’t complete without a little bacon!
There are many ways to cook bacon. You can fry it up on the stovetop if you like doing things the old-fashioned way. If you’re cooking bacon for a crowd, you might want to consider using the oven. If you want to make bacon the fast and easy way, put it in the microwave.
Microwave bacon only takes four to six minutes, with no flipping involved, so you can do something else instead of standing over a cast iron skillet. It’s also the best way to get the crispiest bacon possible without burning it!
Salmon
Salmon is a popular health food. It comes with many benefits, including high protein content and plenty of heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids. However, it is largely relegated to nice dinners out on Saturday night.
Why not make salmon a bigger part of your weekly diet? It’s easy when it can be put in the microwave!
According to cooktasteeat.com, some of the microwaves can successfully replace stove or the oven and instead of placing the salmon in a skillet on the stove, or torturing yourself checking it in the oven to make sure it’s cooked just right, pop it in the microwave. The secret is to cover the plate with cling film to steam your salmon to the perfect doneness. It only takes a few minutes, making it a quick weeknight solution that’s better than pulling through the drive-thru.
Pasta
There are a lot of rules when it comes to cooking pasta. Rules you don’t have to follow, especially if you’re cooking for the kids, or you want to save a little money on vacation by using the hotel room microwave.
With a microwavable container and some cold water, you can turn those hard noodles into something edible. Play around with the time it spends in the microwave, and you can cook your pasta to the perfect doneness each and every time.
Cake
Craving something sweet? There are no need to bake so many cookies that your diet is ruined for the rest of the week. You can actually make a cake in the microwave!
There are many microwave mug cake recipes to choose from, ensuring there’s a delicious cake that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Choose from recipes that include:
- Banana cake
- Chocolate cookie dough cake
- Double chocolate cake
- Red velvet cake
- Salted caramel cake
- Tres leches cake
- Pumpkin spice cake
- Lemon cake
Not only are these cakes great for a weeknight treat, but they also have a great presentation when placed in decorative mugs, making them great for dinner parties!
Don’t let the microwave sit lonely and unused on your countertop. Give your stove and oven a break and put your microwave to good use. With these delicious recipe ideas, you’ll wonder why you didn’t give it a try sooner!
