Anyhow, the desire to bake was overwhelming - despite yesterday's fiasco which started with me trying to bake a pound cake and ended with me turning out a pound pancake( more on that some other time). So I quickly looked up some microwave recipes for both the dishes and set to work. I must say, I am quite pleased with how they turned out, though I have ordered a new oven which should be winging it to my house pretty soon.
Mac and cheese: My kids love cheesy pasta sauce, and I insist on their getting their requisite servings of veg. So here's a somewhat gourmet yet healthy version of mac and cheese:
2 cups mixed vegetables - carrots, beans, peas, yellow and red bell peppers - diced
1 large onion, diced
3 tbsp flour
1.5 tbsp butter or ghee
Salt to taste
2 tsp herbs - fresh or dried - basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram
1 pod garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil pomace
1 cup of mixed cheese - cheddar, mozzarella, romano, parmesan, any other hard cheese you'd like ( leicester...)
1 cup low fat milk
1 tsp mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil. Add the crushed garlic, then the onions and saute till onions are translucent and soft. Add in the other vegetables and the herbs and saute briefly ( 2-3 mts). Then cover and cook until the vegetables are al dente - cooked but still with a bite.
Meanwhile, put 4 cups of water into a saucepan to heat; add salt. Once the water starts boiling, put in the penne and cook for about 8 mts, until the penne is al dente as well, then drain well.
Heat the butter in a saucepan. When hot, turn the heat down and add the flour. Stir until the mixture forms soft lumps, then turn the heat off. Add a little bit of the milk and make a paste of the mixture. Then add the rest of the milk, mustard, salt and pepper and start heating the mixture, stirring so no lumps are formed. Then add in the cheese and stor on a low flame, until the cheese is melted.
Mix the vegetables, pasta and cheese sauce and put into a microwave-safe dish. Top with a little parmesan, if you're feeling indulgent, and breadcrumbs for added crunch. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, then let sit for another minute or so before serving.
Weigh 3 eggs, in their shells. Use the same weight of butter, sugar and self-raising flour.
Cream the butter until pale and fluffy. Add in the sugar and beat the butter and sugar together. Add a tsp of vanilla extract. Beat the eggs one by one and add them to the butter-sugar mixture one by one. Then fold in the flour, a little at a time. Add half a cup of milk to keep the mixture extra moist for the microwave.
Pour into a microwave-safe vessel and bake for 6 minutes.
Cut the cake into two horizontal halves and sandwich together with raspberry jam.
I served this with caramelised oranges, and it tasted divine.
Caramelised oranges:
110 gms caster sugar
100 ml orange juice
3 oranges, peeled and segmented
Melt the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt over medium heat. Never stir the pan, just swirl it as the sugar starts caramelising. Meanwhile, heat the orange juice on another burner, and bring it to the boil. As soon as the caramel turns golden brown, pour in the hot orange juice carefully ( it will sputter, so be careful) and stir until the mixture becomes a smooth liquid. Add in the orange segments and let sit.
Spread some of the caramelised OJ onto the cake top.
Serve the cake with the caramelised oranges on the side.
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