It’s been a month – 4 weeks since the start of your college career and you’re so tired of a Mc Anything that you feel as if you could scream… You can’t remember clearly the last day you ate a meal in less than 10 or 15 minutes, and you’re longing for a good home cooked meal.
The bad news – perhaps you’ll have to wait until the next holiday to get that longed for taste of Grandma’s meat loaf or Mom’s apple pie, and to have the time to savor it.
The Good news – if you have $5.00 to spare, the time it takes to watch your favorite sitcom or read the latest chapter assignment and a microwave, you’re all set to be as close to a home cooked meal as you can get without busting your budget or taking too much of that precious commodity – time.
Microwaves are not often lauded for their ability to produce world class four star meals; however, they do come through in a pinch, and in a recent survey was named by approximately 75% of respondents as the best invention of a kitchen appliance of the 20th century.
With one of these trusty gadgets by your side, you’ll never have a bad bag of microwave “movie style” buttered popcorn, but that’s not all it can do.
Try not overlook the attributes of this appliance, you can get more mileage out of it than previously expected – especially while living the “college life”, when you want to eat a good meal, but you just don’t have the time, the money or the energy to invest in slaving over a hot stove, or maybe you don’t have one in your dorm.
In an attempt to help you look at your microwave in a new light and with more adoring and appreciative eyes here is a recipe for Rapid Ratatouille from Juan Carlos Cruz, found on www.foodnetwork.com, where there are several more microwave recipes to be found. May I also suggest a few books about microwave cooking that may set you on your way to declaring to anyone who will hear you “I love my microwave!”
Rapid Ratatouille
1 cup – small diced eggplant
1 cup – small diced roasted or fresh red bell pepper (you can use the kind that come bottled)
1 cup – small diced zucchini
1 cup – small diced yellow squash
1 cup – small diced Roma tomatoes
2 Tblspns – balsamic vinegar
Mix all the ingredients together in a microwave–safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for two minutes. (You can also use a medium sized Pyrex dish with a lid). Stir ingredients and microwave for another 3 minutes. Serve warm.
Recipe courtesy of Juan Carlos Cruz, Copyright 2003 Television Food Network
*Chefs note: It is quite easy to substitute a bag of frozen or fresh, pre-cut Italian Style vegetables, or any vegetable combination you prefer. Cooking times may vary dependent on the microwave, and the size of container used.
Copyright - Alison West 2011
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