Being a student is tough, so why make it harder by trying to prepare intricate (read: expensive) meals? Now, with the exams fast approaching, cooking meals can be a hassle and delivery services are so easy… But why waste your money on greasy takeaways when you can produce amazing food without the fuss? However, cooking meals may prove to be difficult as most students only have access to a microwave. In order to make all of this easier, I am going to share my three favourite “fail-proof” microwave recipes: tomato soup, pasta carbonara (for a fancier meal) and finally, a chocolate mug cake.
Tomato Soup
For two bowls of tomato soup, these are the ingredients you will need:
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1 tbsp butter
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1 clove garlic
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A can of tomatoes (chopped/diced/whole)
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1 tbsp tomato purée
In a large microwave safe dish, crush the garlic and add the butter. Heat this for approximately 30 seconds, then add the can of tomatoes, along with the purée and half a cup of water (you may increase or decrease the amount of water to taste). Thereafter, microwave the mixture again for 3 minutes, ensuring to stir every minute. If you have a hand blender, you can blitz everything together to make a smooth soup, however, it tastes delicious deprived of this step as well. Lastly, lightly season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Pasta Carbonara
For four servings of pasta carbonara, these are the ingredients you will need:
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500g pasta (I prefer spaghetti)
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200g smoked bacon, cubed
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3 eggs
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150g cheese of choice (I enjoy a mixture of parmesan and pecorino)
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A dash of oil
Place the pasta in a microwave safe dish with a dash of salt and cover with water (there should be at least a centimetre of water above the pasta) and cook in the microwave for 10 minutes. Test the pasta to see if it is soft enough. If not, microwave for a further 2 minutes, and check again, continue doing so until it is cooked. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, cheese and cubed bacon until combined and season with black pepper. Thereafter, drain the water from the pasta, leaving a few teaspoons of water with the pasta (this will prevent the pasta from clumping together). Then, add the egg mixture to the pasta and mix it all together. Lastly, put everything back into the microwave for a further 2 minutes. Your dish is now complete. Additional cheese can be added according to taste and voilà!
Chocolate Mug Cake
For a single serving of chocolate mug cake, you will need:
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1 tbsp butter
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Half a slab of milk chocolate (roughly 6 squares)
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1 egg
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2 tbsp sugar (I prefer sweetener, but it does not matter)
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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4 tbsp cake/plain flour
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½ tsp baking powder
In a microwave safe mug, melt the butter and chocolate together, for approximately 30 to 40 seconds. Thereafter, add all the other ingredients to the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly. Lastly, microwave the mixture for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Allow the cake to cool slightly before eating.
So there you have it! My three easy microwave-friendly recipes, to make this stressful period a little easier. Now that you have food to fuel your brain, it is time to chow that exam!