AIR FRYERS might be the latest foodie trend but former MasterChef winner Tim Anderson says the humble microwave will outlive it.
The kitchen staple has been around for 50 years and recently sales have soared due to rising energy bills.
Heroes of convenience, microwaves save time and money – and Tim’s new book, Microwave Meals: Delicious Recipes To Save Time, Effort And Energy, is packed with 60 recipes to help you raise your meal game.
From an easy garlic chicken dish that’s said to be one of former US president Bill Clinton’s faves to pasta classics and a three-minute emergency dessert, just pop the ingredients in the microwave and wait for the ping.
- Microwave Meals: Delicious Recipes To Save Time, Effort And Energy, by Tim Anderson (£16.99, Hardie Grant) is released next Thursday. Compiled by: Kirsty Spence. Photography: Sam Harris.
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
(Serves 4)
Takes: 15 minutes
YOU NEED:
75g lardons (pancetta or bacon)
1 tsp olive or vegetable oil
200g spaghetti
450ml water
2 eggs
50g pecorino cheese, finely grated, plus extra to serve if desired
Lots of black pepper
METHOD: Combine the lardons with the oil in a large bowl.
Stir well to coat and cook, uncovered, for two minutes and 30 seconds, stirring a couple of times throughout cooking to break them up.
Leave in the bowl to cool; don’t discard the rendered fat.
In a separate container, combine the spaghetti with the water and a spoonful of the fat from the rendered lardons.
Stir, cover and cook for 12 minutes, stirring again halfway through cooking.
Meanwhile, when the lardons and their fat have cooled, tip the eggs, pecorino cheese and pepper into the bowl, whisking well so the egg is beaten.
When the pasta is done cooking, remove the cover and stir it in its container to break up any clumps (it won’t be stuck together, but it needs to be loosened up before adding to the sauce).
Tip the cooked pasta along with any remaining pasta water (there won’t be much) into the egg mixture, and toss well using tongs, so the spaghetti is well coated.
Serve immediately. If you like, you can garnish with more pecorino cheese and pepper (but for me this is not necessary).
EMERGENCY MIXING BOWL COOKIE CAKE
(Serves 1-3)
Takes: 3 minutes
YOU NEED:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp milk
4 tbsp light brown sugar
6 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
4 tbsp breakfast cereal, desiccated coconut, flaked almonds, chopped pistachios or similar – or a mix
1 ⁄ 16 tsp baking powder*
1 ⁄ 16 tsp bicarbonate of soda*
Pinch salt
2 tbsp chocolate chips or chunks, milk or dark or a mix of both
Ice cream, as needed
* I don’t expect you to have a 1⁄16 teaspoon – just use a ¼ or ½ teaspoon and eyeball it.
METHOD: Combine the butter and milk in a pasta bowl or similar shallow dish and cook for 30 seconds so the butter melts and the milk warms up.
Whisk in the sugar, then add all of the remaining ingredients except the chocolate and ice cream, and mix well.
Fold in the chocolate chunks, tidy the edges of the bowl with a cloth or paper towel, then cook, uncovered for one minute to 90 seconds.
Leave to cool for one to two minutes, then enjoy straight from the bowl, with a scoop or two of ice cream on top.
PENNE WITH SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS
(Serves 3-4)
Takes: 24 minutes
YOU NEED:
200g penne
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
250ml water
400g tin tomatoes
60g pitted green olives
2 peppers, de-seeded and roughly chopped
300-400g sausages, pricked all over with a fork
Handful basil or flat-leaf parsley leaves, torn or chopped
Salt, to taste
Grated parmesan, to garnish
METHOD: Combine the penne, oil, garlic, chilli flakes, oregano, water and tomatoes in a large bowl and stir to mix.
Add the olives, peppers and sausages on top.
Cover and cook for 24 mins, stirring every eight minutes.
Stir in the basil at the end of cooking, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt as you like (for me it usually doesn’t need any).
Garnish with some grated parmesan.
FISH PIE MIX COCONUT CURRY
(Serves 4)
Takes: 20 minutes
YOU NEED:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2½cm fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
½ onion, grated or finely chopped
4 cardamom pods, crushed
1 finger chilli, split down the middle
1 small tomato, grated (and skin discarded)
½ lemongrass stalk, halved lengthways and bashed with a blunt object (optional)
Few fresh curry leaves or lime leaves, torn, or a handful of dried curry leaves (optional)
1 tsp mild curry powder
400g tin coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
500g baby new potatoes, washed and halved
Big handful coriander leaves, finely chopped
300-350g fish pie mix
Salt, to taste
1 lime, quartered
METHOD: Combine the oil, ginger and onion in a large bowl and cook, covered, for four minutes, stirring halfway through.
Add the cardamom, chilli, tomato, lemongrass and curry leaves or lime leaves (if using), stir, cover and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the curry powder, coconut milk, fish sauce and potatoes, re-cover and cook for 12 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
Retrieve five or six of the potato pieces from the liquid and mash them in a separate bowl, then return the mash to the curry and stir well (this will help thicken and bind the sauce).
Add most of the coriander and the fish pie mix, and stir well. Cover and cook for two to three minutes until the fish is just poached through.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt as needed.
Serve with the remaining coriander on top and lime wedges on the side. Serve with rice or parathas.
‘BILL CLINTON’ CHICKEN ORZO
(Serves 4)
Takes: 25 minutes
YOU NEED:
200g orzo
400ml water
40g butter
1 stock cube, crumbled (any kind, but chicken makes the most sense)
½ tsp each dried sage, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and pepper
¼ tsp salt
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 chicken thigh fillets
Few sprigs parsley, chopped (optional)
METHOD: Stir together all of the ingredients, except the chicken and parsley, in a large bowl, then lay the chicken on top of the pasta.
Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Stir before serving and garnish with the chopped parsley (if using).
HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH WITH YOGHURT MAYO
(Serves 2)
Takes: 6 minutes
YOU NEED:
For the sauce:
½ tbsp cayenne or similar hot chilli powder
1 tsp cornflour
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp garlic granules
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
For the chicken:
4 chicken skinless thigh fillets
1½ tbsp Greek yoghurt
1½ tbsp mayonnaise
2 burger buns, or 4 thick-cut slices white bread, lightly toasted
6 leaves iceberg lettuce
6-8 slices gherkin
Big handful salt and vinegar crisps, crushed
METHOD: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a large bowl and stir well, ensuring there are no lumps of cornflour.
Toss the chicken through the spice mixture, cover loosely and cook for six minutes, tossing the chicken twice throughout cooking.
Meanwhile, stir together the yoghurt and mayo and spread a little of it on the bottom burger buns or bread.
Lay a few leaves of iceberg lettuce on top of the buns, then lay the cooked chicken on the lettuce, including the sauce from the bowl.
Top with the gherkins, crisps and the remaining yoghurt mayo, followed by the remaining bun/bread.
