Any recipe that helps save money and energy right now is more than welcome. I was delighted to work with BBC Good Food on 5 microwave recipes for their September 2022 magazine in during the terrible cost of living crisis in the UK. Many are struggling as the cost of food continues to spiral out of control with, as I write (October 22), no end in sight. It is a distressing tie for everyone, and I can only hope that there will be an end to this soon 😔.
The microwave is often seen as a way to heat up, defrost or whip up a bowl of instant porridge but with a little thought, microwave recipes can also become as much part of your scratch cooking too.
From chocolate cake to butternut squash risotto, microwaves can add an extra dimension to your cooking, while saving valuable time and electricity costs. They’re more energy-efficient than turning on the oven – a jacket potato can be ready in just 10 minutes if you use the microwave rather than baking it in the oven for an hour. They are the workhorse of a busy kitchen, and it’s no surprise that 93% of households own one.
My favourite for sure is the curry from scratch and on the table in 20 minutes. The curry is rich with nourishing spices, spinach, coriander, chickpeas and coconut in thick tomato sauce. All then finished with lime juice for extra zing. All you need is steamed basmati rice or a couple of naans to go alongside. Seriously, what could be easier?
Copyright belongs to BBC Good Food, so rather than replicating it here, I have posted the links to them below.
Microwave Recipes on BBC Good Food
- Microwave jacket potato with Swedish prawn salad recipe
- Microwave macaroni cheese
- Microwave mug omelette
- Microwave brownies
- Microwave vegetable curry