Come Dine With Me

Do you hate the culinary limitations imposed upon your student lives by the microwave? Well you are not alone: being the primary tool provided by most colleges for cooking, Cambridge nights-in too often involve highly dubious microwave ready-meals, from anaemic and liquidy chicken madras to limp lasagne replete with suspect mince ‘meat’.  

Enough is enough: it is time to stop cursing the oven-boasting Murray Edwards (clearly the product of some obscure sexism), wave goodbye to ready-meals, and learn to make the best of a bad lot.

Below are the instructions for the creation of a three course meal that pushes the microwave to its limits and demonstrates its little known ability to facilitate classy culinary experiences. Ok, so char-grilled steaks and roast potatoes might be off the menu, but here is the proof of a viable alternative, from Parmesan Mushrooms, Lime Tarragon Fillets to Banana Walnut Cake.
Please enjoy responsibly.

Starter Option #1: Parmesan Mushrooms

25g butter
4 flat mushrooms
½ small garlic clove skinned and crushed
35g fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
grated nutmeg
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Step #1: Put half the butter in a small bowl and microwave until melted. Finely chop the mushroom stalks and one whole mushroom and stir it into the melted butter with the garlic. Microwave the mixture for 1 ½ minutes and stir once.

Step #2: Stir in the breadcrumbs, half of the Parmesan cheese and the lemon juice. Mix together well and season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Stir in half the parsley.

Step #3: Put the mushroom caps on a microwave safe plate and spoon in the stuffing mixture. Sprinkle on the rest of the Parmesan and parsley and dot with the last of the butter.

Step #4: Microwave on a high setting for 3 to5 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked.

Starter Option #2: Cran-brie Toasts

1 whole brie cheese.
100 g sliced almonds, toasted.
1to 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
4 slices of bread.

Step #1: Place brie on a microwaveable serving plate, spread the cranberry sauce on top, and cover with almonds.

Step #2: Microwave on high setting for 1 to 1 ½ minutes – IMPORTANT: do this in 30 second bursts to prevent cheese overheating. Set aside.

Step #3: Toast the bread. Remove the crusts and cut each slice into 8 triangles (i.e. into 4 diagonally, then half each quarter again).
 
Step #4: Serve the Cran-brie on a large plate with the toasts arranged around it.

Main Option #1: Lime Tarragon Fillets

 2 white fish fillets
1 tbsp. margarine
1 tbsp. lime juice
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dried tarragon leaves
4 slices lime

Step #1: Arrange fillets in microwave safe baking dish. Cover with waxed paper.

Step #2: Microwave on high setting for 4 to 4 ½ minutes or until fish is cooked (it should come apart easily), rotating the dish once. Then set aside.

Step #3: Combine margarine, juice, salt, and tarragon in 1 microwave safe cup. Microwave on high setting, uncovered, for 30 to 45 seconds or until melted.

Step #4: Arrange fillets on serving plate. Stir the tarragon sauce you have just made, and spoon onto fillets. Garnish with lime slices.

Vegetarian Main Option #2: Aubergine Croquettes

2 medium aubergines, peeled and diced
150g grated Gruyère cheese, chedder or any other cheese thant tickles your fancy
125g dried breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 handful chopped fresh parsley
½ small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
250ml olive oil

Step #1: Microwave each aubergine in a microwave safe on a high settingfor 3 minutes. Turn aubergine over and microwave for another 2 minutes. The aubergines should be tender, but if they are not, cook for another 2 minutes. Drain any liquid from the aubergines and mash.

Step #2:  Combine cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley, onion, garlic, salt and pepper with the mashed aubergine. Mix well.

Step #3: Shape the aubergine mixture into patties. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Drop aubergine patties one at a time into pan. Fry both sides of each patty until golden brown, which should take approximately 5 minutes on each side.

Dessert Option #1 for those in a hurry: Baked Apples

2 baking apples
1 tbsp. brown sugar
½ tbsp. butter

Step #1: Core apples and fill the cavities with the sugar and butter.

Step#2: Place on microwave safe baking dish and with Cover with wax paper for crunch, or plastic for soft.

Step #3: Microwave on high setting 2 ½ to 4 minutes, or until fork tender, rotating after ½ cooking time. Let stand 2 minutes.

Dessert Option #2 for the dedicated: Banana Walnut Cake

115g soft brown sugar
55g butter
3 ripe medium bananas
115g soft tub margarine
115g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
2 tbsp milk
115g self-raising flour
50g roughly chopped walnuts

Step #1: Put the brown sugar and butter into a bowl and cook on the hob for about 2 minutes, keep stirring until the butter has melted. Pour into a deep dish and tip to coat the base.
 

Step #2: Cut the bananas into thick slices and arrange on the ‘caramel’ you have just made.

Step #3: Put the margarine, caster sugar, eggs and milk into a bowl and sift the flour over it. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and light. Stir in the walnuts and then spoon the mixture over the bananas.

Step #4 Microwave on high setting for about 12 min or until the surface is still slightly moist and the cake beneath is cooked. Leave to stand for at least 5 min