Green Beans steamed in a 700-watt microwave oven

Place a microwave-safe package of green beans in a dish, cut off one corner, and microwave for the amount of time suggested in the directions.  This is a one-pound bag and the directions specify 3 minutes.

A pound of "French Beans" microwaved in the bag

Because this oven is only 700 watts, I gave them 3 minutes, tried one when they had cooled for a few minutes, then gave them another three minutes.  They were still crunchy but not raw.  I think 5 minutes with no pause might be better.

The beans should still be crunchy enough to enjoy chilled with lemon, oil, and
garlic, or served warm with butter.  A versatile food,  easily prepared!

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

More experiments

Yes, it works.  Angel Hair pasta can be cooked in a coffee pot!

Higher up on the scale of iffy equipment, we've been trying various combinations of pasta, water, and time in the small microwave oven.  This is all working out pretty well too; The 2-quart Pyrex measuring pitcher is doing the heavy lifting again.

P.S. Alice has reminded me about Johnnie Depp ironing cheese sandwiches for Joon.

Plumbing the Mysteries

I have a special container for boiling pasta in the microwave oven.  It comes with arcane directions for measuring the pasta just so, then put water up to one of 4 lines, then microwave with the lid off.  I think it would work just as well in my large pyrex measuring cup, and anyway, the special pasta boiling container won't fit in the dorm-size oven... so watch this space.  Or anyway, watch this blog!  We are experimenting.

Fresh English Peas

We found fresh shelled English peas at Sam's Club, two 12-ounce packages bundled together.  We are going to steam them in a small microwave steamer, called a "Mini Steamer", in a 700 watt microwave oven.

To the mini steamer, add 1 cup of water below the basket.

Pour one 12-ounce bagful of fresh peas into the steamer basket. They fit nicely.  Cover the steamer.

Fresh English peas in a mini steamer

Directions on the package of peas call for 3 minutes, but, assuming that means a full-size oven, and because the peas are compactly held in this small steamer, I gave them 6 minutes.  That turned out to be about right.

(If you are cooking frozen peas, they are already partially cooked, but then you are starting the cooking process while they are still frozen.  The best thing to do is start with 3 minutes and then check.)

Empty cooked peas into a bowl and serve with butter or other seasoning, or chill for use in salad.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Rice Steamed in a Hot Pot

Another successful dormitory work-around!  Rice, steamed in the lowly hot pot.

We usually simmer rice in water, but in Asia, people sometimes soak the rice first, then steam it above boiling water.  It was worth a try!

Soak one and a half cups of medium grain white rice in 2 cups of water for 4 hours or more.  Drain, rinse, and drain again.

Set a steamer basket into the hot pot over a cup of water.  We lined the basket, bottom only, loosely with foil. (I suspect large leaves, such as cabbage leaves, would give better results as the steam could rise through the rice but haven't yet tried it.)

Distribute soaked rice around the steamer basket.

Steam with lid tightly shut until rice has softened - half an hour or more, adding water to the bottom of the pot in trickles as needed.

Hot Pot with fluffed white rice

Unplug the pot, fluff the rice with a fork, and close the lid.  Let the rice sit for awhile before serving, to steam and soften some more.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Microwave Popcorn

1.  There are alleged health risks in eating pop-in-the-bag microwave popcorn, though now it's been identified as the butter flavoring, one would think manufacturers will have changed the formula.  There are better reasons for avoiding that product:  too much trash is produced, and it's a waste of money!  The popcorn popper shown here produces popcorn as good or better at a fraction of the cost.

Popcorn Popper in 700 Watt Microwave Oven

2. Good news is, this microwave popcorn popper fits into the 700 watt oven and works fine! Mine is labelled "Orville Redenbacher" but I think it's made by Presto.   2 Tb. oil, 1/2 cup popcorn at 3 minutes 15 seconds popped it all with no scorching.

The popper will soon pay for itself in what you are not spending on those microwave bags.  The "concentrator" - a piece of glorified cardboard that fits in the bottom of the popper - can be used many times before it must be replaced.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Vegetarian Soup Cooked in a Small Microwave Oven

Planning a diet both adequate and interesting using only appliances permitted in a dormitory room is a challenge!  Warming up chicken noodle soup gets old in a hurry.

Our goal with this soup, as with other recipes here, is to prepare a meal from scratch, using mostly fresh ingredients, in an appliance permitted by campus housing in most dorms. In this instance we want a vegetarian soup, and really, vegan stock is a challenge in any circumstance because the broth tends to seem thin and unsatifying.  We've been reading and experimenting, and we've learned that taking care to add ingredients high in glutamates ("umami") as well as those high in flavor helps greatly.

4-5 cups cut-up seasoning veggies to be microwaved

This soup was made in a Pyrex container in a 700 watt (dorm-room size) microwave. It could be done in a hot pot if the recipe is cut in half. This is just the basic soup; once it's prepared, other ingredients - beans and greens - can be added, and the soup heated for a few more minutes.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
Several fresh mushrooms, cut up
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Put all this (loosely) into a 2-quart pyrex container with lid. It should be 4-5 cups; if much less than that, either add more veggies or reduce cooking time.  Mix to coat all ingredients with oil.  Place lid loosely on the container, to capture spatters but allowing steam to escape.

Microwave 15 minutes in a small (700 watt) oven; adjust time downward if your oven is full-size.  Pause occasionally to check and to stir.  The objective here is to wilt the vegetables, and then to lightly saute them.

Then add:

1 small can tomato paste
1 cup frozen green peas
Water to the 6-cup level

Microwave with lid on for 15 minutes.

Now remove 3 cups of the mixture (half of it) for use in another meal.  Freeze it, perhaps.
To the 3 cups remaining in the container, add some fresh ingredients:

Fresh chopped parsley
Chopped green onion
1 regular tomato or a few small ripe tomatoes, cut up

Microwave 5 more minutes.

The soup now is ready to eat!

Basic soup, ready for addition of some fresh ingredients.

To make minestrone, add a few spoonsful of beans and some chopped greens, such as cabbage, and microwave a few more minutes.

We haven't mentioned seasoning! With an herb or two you can give this basic soup the character of your favorite ethnic cuisine.

Salt and pepper to taste.
 Common soup seasonings are bay leaf, and any combination of fragrant herbs. If you want Italian flavors, basil and oregano are the usual. For a more northern experience, try dillweed, or go south with cumin.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Meatballs with Pasta Cooked in a Hot Pot

That little hot pot, meant for warming up canned soup,  can do so much more with some planning.  Here we've made Italian dinner for two!  Just add salad, some crusty bread with olive oil, two candles and a bottle of wine.

Meatballs and Pasta cooked in a hot pot

In a mixing bowl, mix together by hand:

2/3 pound lean ground beef
1 small can tomato paste
1 egg
[breadcrumbs, optional]
Italian seasoning blend, to taste
1 tsp salt

Other ingredients will be needed:

1 bell pepper
1 small can tomato paste
1//4 lb pasta - spirals, bowties, or similar small shape

Form meat mixture into walnut-size meatballs

Insert a steamer basket into the hot pot, and add about 1 - 1/2 cups water under it.

Cut a bell pepper into 1-inch strips, and line the bottom of the basket with half the strips. Cover the pepper strips with half of the meatballs.  Then another layer of bell pepper and the remainder of the meatballs.

Plug in the hot pot and bring it to a boil.  Because the meatballs are not down in the water but are above it, steaming, they won't cook except when the water is boiling.  Turn the dial down a bit when the water boils, then back up when it stops boiling.  Trickle water down the spout when you can hear it boiling but can't see water in the spout.  You want to keep the water level about the same as it was at the start.

Meatballs on a steamer basket in the hot pot

Half an hour or so later the meatballs will be done.   Gently lift the meatballs out of the pot with tongs. Slice the cooked peppers into small pieces and set them aside for the sauce.

Liquid from under the steamer basket is brothy and flavorful, a good base for the sauce.  Pour it into a small bowl and add to it one can of tomato paste. Salt and season to taste.

Clean the pot and the steamer basket, then fill with water to about 2 inches from the top.  Salt, and bring the water to a boil.  Pour in about 1/4 lb. of pasta.   Leave the lid ajar, or open!  Otherwise it will boil over.  Boil until the pasta is cooked but still firm "al dente", stirring occasionally.  Water must be added as it rapidly boils away!

Unplug the pot, close the lid, and pour out the hot water.  Add an ounce or two of cold water to cool the bottom of the pot and then let it stand for a few minutes to drain.  Pour out the water again and dump the pasta, steamer basket and all,  into a bowl, then lift the basket off of the pasta.

Boiling pasta in a hot pot, with steamer basket

Return sauce with cooked pepper pieces and meatballs to the pot.  Heat gently to a simmer.  Spread the cooked pasta over the meatballs and continue to heat on "low" for a few minutes. Turn off the pot and serve.

Serves two generously.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

Thai-style Chicken and Coconut Milk

A Thai style soup with ingredients of canned foods, which could be made in a snack corner in a dorm room where there is no refrigeration. We used a slow cooker,  but it could have been done just as easily in a microwave oven or even in a hot pot.

Thai-style chicken and coconut milk soup from cans

Refrigerated ingredients were: 1 lemon, one carrot, and a bit of ginger.  While a fresh lemon is best, lemon juice in packets could be used in a pinch, and the carrot and the ginger could be done without.  Lemon slices can be "harvested" from the cafeteria, probably...

Ingredients:

Cans:
Chicken breast
Chicken broth
Mushrooms
Green beans
Coconut milk

Fresh:
Carrot
Garlic
Ginger (optional)
Cilantro (optional)
Lemon

Flavorings:
2 Tb. Fish Sauce
1 Tb Chinese chili sauce
Parsley flakes
Onion powder

Pour chicken and broth into the cooking vessel.
Drain and add mushrooms.
Drain, chop up, and add green beans.
Chop and add carrots, garlic, and ginger.
Add the flavorings.

Heat to boiling, turn down to a simmer, and cook until the carrot is soft.

Turn off the heat and stir in the can of coconut milk and the lemon juice.
Add Cilantro if you have it.

Chicken and Coconut Milk Soup

A rich, elegant Asian style soup, much nicer than you would expect from a stack of cans!

Serve alone or with rice.

To see a full set of photographs showing how this dish was made, go to this set on flickr.   (It will open in a new tab or window; to return to this page, just close it.) The small pictures are thumbnails; click on each one to see it full-size, and to read the comments under it.  If you prefer to use the slideshow feature, you won't see the captions unless you click on "show info" (top right).

New Toys

We have some new microwave toys yet to be tried.  Any day now!  The microwave rice cooker is a winner, as it turns out.  Meanwhile I am figuring out the newly approved amazon.com connection... which will appear here, when this bloggy offshoot has become more formed, and populated.

We've managed vegan soup from scratch in the tiny microwave oven!  Recipe and photos forthcoming.  We did the whole thing in a 2-quart Pyrex measuring cup "with red lid" (the redness of it seems to be important, for some reason.)