Spinach, Bacon, Feta Microwave Quiche

One of the best things to come out of France is the quiche. This little pie is a great meal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, elevenses, afternoon tea, supper, midnight snack, . . . You get the picture. Depending on what you put in it, the quiche can be eaten any time, any where. Usually this dish takes over an hour to cook in the oven but we've cooked up one in less than 25 minutes. Here's how we did it:

Microwave Quiche?!?

Ingredients:
1 frozen pie crust
1/4 cup fresh spinach
a few basil leaves
1/4 chopped bacon
1/4 cup crumbled feta
4 large eggs
1/3 cup milk (or if you have richer tastes, cream)
salt, pepper, nutmeg


To start off spread the crust into a 9" glass pie dish and prick the bottom with a fork. Microwave for 2 minutes. Next roll the spinach and basil leaves and cut into thin strips. Sprinkle evenly in the crust along with the bacon and feta. Beat the 4 eggs with the milk and add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Remember to go easy on the salt because the cheese is pretty salty too. Pour the eggs evenly over the filling. Nuke for 2 minutes on high then 5 minutes at 50% power. Let stand in the microwave for 10 minutes. Cut into 6 segments and enjoy!

Quick Quiche!

This is yet another recipe that you can customize however you like. Just as long as you have about 3/4 cup of filling (e.g. spinach, bacon, feta) then you'll be okay. Now you could put 3/4 cup of just cheese and that would be totally fine. The crust comes out a little gummy but it's still a pretty tasty quiche.


Well that's it for now. Keep cooking and remember:


No kitchen, no problem!


-K&M

A Southern Belle's Perfect Chili

There is nothing better than chili on a rainy day. And chili is just not chili without cornbread. And since it's not raining here we had to cook up a storm of our own... But instead of rain this storm is made up of tasty chili. Here's how we did it:

Chili and Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (93/7)
1/2 onion
1 green bell pepper
1-28 oz can of diced tomatoes
2-16 oz cans of kidney beans
1-8 oz can of tomato sauce
garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin to taste
A package of your favorite cornbread mix


The Chili:
In a microwave safe container, nuke the beef for 2 minutes and 30 seconds then stir. Nuke for 2:30 and stir again then for 1:30 and drain off the grease. Add to the crockpot. Deseed the pepper and dice it along with the onion and put in the pot. Drain the beans and diced tomatoes and dump into the crockpot along with the tomato sauce. Cook on high heat for 5 hours. Top with sour cream and your favorite cheese and enjoy. Oh, and don't forget the cornbread!


The Cornbread:
This method of baking in the microwave should be familiar from our Ooey Gooey Microwave Brownies recipe because we made this cornbread the same way... Mix up the batter as per the directions then nuke for 9 minutes. Let the cornbread rest for at least 15 minutes so it can finish baking via carryover cooking. Cut into 9 squares and allow to cool further on a plate.


This chili isn't the spiciest thing on the planet but thanks to the cumin it's got a smoky heat of deliciousness. The sweetness of the cornbread brings a nice balance to the chili especially when it's crumbled up and mixed in along with the sour cream and cheese.


5 out of 5 scientists approve of this chili. The ratings were 8.8, 8.7, 8.0, 7.5 and 7.0. And we've had some pretty rocking chili in our lives. 


Well that's all for now. Keep cooking and remember:


No kitchen, no problem!


-K&M

The Most Awesome Thing a Toothbrush Can Do

Alright, here we go!

Everything you need

To pull out the bristles simply grasp with your needle-nose pliers  and...

twist until they come free. Use the pin, paperclip, or tweezers (pretty much whichever works for you) to dig out the little metal things holding the bristles in.

Nuke in a pan of warm water for 5 minutes

With a towel start bending you brush/bracelet...

until it looks something like that.

Now put it on your wrist to size it properly. Then drop it in some cold water to harden.

And there you have it.

-K&M

Sunday Microwave Brunch

Sunday mornings have always been a relaxing affair for us here in Storrs but not this one. Today we're so excited because we're making bacon and pancakes... In the microwave! Let's get started:

Sunday Morning Brunch

Ingredients:
-1 package of bacon
-your favorite pancake mix (we used bisquick shake and pour)


The Bacon:
Lay two paper towels on a microwave safe plate. Put 4 or 5 strips of bacon on the plate without overlapping them. Put another two paper towels on top. Nuke for 3:30 (for 4 strips) or 4:30 (for 5 strips). Be careful, the grease will be extraordinarily hot!

Bacon Love

The Pancakes:
Start off with your favorite pancake mix (or recipe if you have one). Pour enough batter for one pancake onto an ungreased microwave safe plate. Nuke for 1 minute to 1 minute and 20 seconds depending on the strength of your microwave and the size of your pancake. There's no need to flip it. You know it's done when it comes off the plate easily. 
Note: to avoid stuck on pancakes like this...

Pancake Fail

... Rinse off your plate between each use.


The bacon turns out surprisingly crispy. We suggest patting your strips after they've cooled a little (but still warm) so they don't get soggy with the grease. The pancakes came out a bit thin but still full of pancakey-goodness. It would be exceedingly simple to disperse your batter a little more and make crepes. To round out this breakfast so it looks just as tasty as it does in the picture try our 2 Minute Eggs recipe. Add OJ and enjoy!

Let's admire it again... So tasty...

So until next time, friends, keep cooking and remember:


No kitchen, no problem!


-K&M

Not Short on Taste Short Bread

What dessert screams summer more than strawberry short cake? And no we're not talking about the store-bought, overly sweet, dry cake topped with a practically jellied strawberry sauce - this is the real OG. We're going to tackle this titan of taste in two parts. (Don't you just love alliterations?)

Short Bread!

Ingredients:
1 lb of fresh strawberries
1/2 and 1/4 cup of sugar
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

The Strawberries:
Wash and cut the strawberries into bite sized chunks. Add the 1/4 cup of sugar and the lemon juice and mix well making sure that the strawberries are evenly coated. If you don't have a lemon then any citrus fruit would work - orange, lime, even a splash of lemonade. Let sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours. This is kind of like cheese and wine; the longer it sits, the more delectable it becomes.

The Short Bread:
Cream together the butter/margarine and the sugar. For those who don't know, this means mashing them together until it's light and fluffy. If you wish to avoid fork-shaped dents and cramps in your hand feel free to use a mixer. Next work in the flour 1 cup at a time. Add the vanilla and the cinnamon to taste. On an ungreased, round glass plate (we actually used a pie pan but it was a little hard to get out) spread half the dough into an even slab like a huge cookie. Prick the dough into 16 even sections. Nuke for 4 minutes and 30 seconds on medium high and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Cut along the dotted line (hey, it's kindergarden all over again) and serve with the strawberry sauce and a dollop of your favorite whipped cream.

Strawberry Shortcake!

This recipe makes dense, decadent short bread. With the cinnamon in the dough it tastes kind of like a little scone but hey, that is totally fine with us. If you prefer a fluffier base for your strawberries then try adding 1/2 tsp of baking powder to the flour before you incorporate it into the butter/sugar combo. Also putting a spoonful of the strawberry sauce in your glass of lemonade makes for a refreshing twist on the classic summertime staple.

So until next time, friends, keep cooking and remember:

No kitchen, no problem!

-K&M

Eggplant Lasagna

When the term "home cooking" is mentioned one of the first things that comes to mind is lasagna. Even though we have no kitchen we were determined to find a way to make this comfort food staple. Here's how we did it:

Microwave Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant

1 cup of ricotta cheese

1 egg

1-12 oz jar of pasta sauce

1 package of ready-to-bake lasagna noodles.

a handful of mozzarella cheese for the top

Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. Cover them with a paper towel and nuke for 4 to 6 minutes. Next beat the egg into the ricotta cheese. When the eggplant is done, spread some of the pasta sauce in the bottom of an 8"x 8" glass baking dish. Put a layer of noodles, about 1/3 of the ricotta/egg mixture, and a layer of eggplant. Continue the pattern until a) the dish is full or b) you run out of a component, finishing off with the red sauce and sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Loosely cover the dish with plastic wrap and nuke for 10 minutes. Let stand in the microwave for at least 3 minutes. Garnish with some fresh basil and enjoy!

This recipe is an easy way to sneak vegetables in your diet because, let's face it, according to the world none of us get enough veggies. It would also be really good with zucchini or squash or carrots or anything like that. And the best part is the fact that it takes less time to make than in a conventional oven and it is just as awesome.

6 out of 6 scientists (3 biologists and 3 chemists - a nice healthy mix) agree that this lasagna was quite good. 1 of the scientists dislikes eggplant and she still thought it was tasty!

Well until next time, keep cooking and remember:

No kitchen, no problem!

-K&M

"Ramen can be good?!"

We know you've tried it at least once in your life - whether you liked it or not. The crinkly dried noodles in the outrageously salty bullion broth... You either love them or you hate them. I am on Team Ramen all the way so when Madison said she had a way to make it better I couldn't believe my ears.

Ramen Heaven

Ingredients:

-1 pack of chicken flavor ramen (trust... the other flavors are gross with this)

-1 egg

-1 slice of (preferably white) American cheese (the processed, shrink-wrapped kind)

Nuke enough water to cover your ramen block for 2 minutes. Add the ramen and heat for 1:30 and stir. Continue nuking for 2 minutes. Drain most of the water and add the flavor packet while stirring. Add the raw egg and the cheese (make sure you rip up your slice) and mix for even distribution. Nuke for 45 seconds, stir, repeat until the egg is cooked through. Mix again because the egg tends to fall to the bottom and nom to your heart's content.

NOM!!!

These are some seriously tasty noodles! This was the first time we prepared them in the microwave as opposed to the stove top version and we are happy to report that they taste exactly the same - aka awesome. Another good addition to this would be some shredded chicken or, if you're a Ponyo fan, HAM!

--Please excuse Kate, she recently watched Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo and has been quoting it nonstop--

Well that's all for now. Keep cooking, friends, and remember:

No kitchen, no problem!

-K&M

2 Minute Eggs

Yeah, yeah, we know what you're thinking... "Eggs from a microwave?!?" But stow your misconceptions because these eggs come out perfectly fluffy and delicious. And the best part about them is you can customize them however you like!

Super fluffy microwave eggs!

Ingredients:
-egg(s)
-milk
-salt and pepper
-cheese
-whatever else you want to pop in there

Crack the eggs into a microwave safe bowl and scramble them. Add about a tablespoon of milk and a healthy pinch of the cheese of your choice. We added a little bit of diced onion but some red pepper would be an excellent addition. Want to add some crumpled bacon? Oh yeah, go for it my friends! Nuke the eggs for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat this until the eggs are done. For one egg it takes about 1:15, for two it's closer to 2 minutes. The cook time depends on how many eggs you have and the strength of your microwave. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

This recipe is great for breakfast or a midnight snack seeing as it takes the same amount of time to cook and eat it! So until next time, keep cooking and remember:

No kitchen, no problem!

-K&M

Holy Guacamole, Batman!

We are of the belief that if you add avocado to pretty much anything, it will instantly become awesome. That being said one of our favorite snacks is chips and guacamole. It's so simple to make and it only takes five minutes!

The makings of the best dip to come out of a Mexican restaurant since queso.

Ingredients:
-1 ripe avocado (dark green and kinda squishy)
-1/4 of a lemon or lime's juice
-1/4 cup of your favorite chunky salsa
-salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
-fresh cilantro if available


To those out of the loop peeling an avocado can be a slippery, squishy mess. The best way to do it is to slice it longways and twist the halves apart. Then take the half with the pit in it and whack the pit with your knife (we would suggest you protect your hand with a kitchen towel) then twist to remove. Take a large spoon and scoop the meat out of the skin. Mash the avocado then add the juice, salsa, and seasonings to taste. If you don't have fresh cilantro don't add the dry version - it's just not tasty. Serve with your favorite chips and let the party begin!

The best thing an avocado can aspire to be.

Yes, we know that this guacamole kinda looks like baby food gone bad but don't be fooled! The addition of the salsa brings a subtle heat to the cool, fresh flavor of the avocado that we're sure you will absolutely love. This recipe serves four grazers or two hungry college students a snack chocked full of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids!


So keep cooking, friends, and remember:


No kitchen, no problem!


-K&M

Double Rainbow Ribs

These ribs are so tender they literally fall off the bone. The prep time for this is about ten minutes and, let's face it, that's pretty much all the work. Since these babies are cooked in a crock pot this recipe is exceedingly easy.

Double Rainbow Ribs

Ingredients:

-four pounds of bone in pork ribs

-one can of condensed tomato soup
-1/2 cup of vinegar (any will do- we used apple cider)
-1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
-1/2 onion
-1 Tbs soy sauce
-garlic powder
-chili powder
-salt and pepper


The night before, chop the onion into fine slices. The smaller the better that way you won't bite into a huge piece and get punched in the taste buds by overpowering onion flavor. Add them to the crock pot along with the can of tomato soup, the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and seasonings to taste. Whisk to combine. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add no more than 1/2 of the soup can of water. Next trim any excess fat and gristle from the ribs. Arrange the ribs in the crock pot so that they are all submerged in the sauce of goodness. Cover and let them marinate in the refrigerator overnight.


The next morning turn the crock pot on low and cover. Now you're free to do whatever you need and/or want to do all day. These ribs will cook for 8 to 9 hours all on their own. During that last hour make sure the ribs are tender and cooked to your desired doneness. Before partaking in the deliciousness make sure you look out for the tiny little bones that will be floating around in you barbecue. They are highly unappetizing and tend to be very sharp. 


Caution: They will be HOT!


Yes, that's it. That's how easy it is to make fall off the bone, juicy ribs. Four out of four chemists said these were absolutely delicious and make one helluva sandwich. Two out of two graduate students were thrilled saying "these are better than what I get at home."


We hope you really enjoy them. And, as always, remember:


No kitchen, no problem!


-K&M


P.S. These are called "Double Rainbow Ribs" because as Madison and I were pulling them out of the pot we saw a double rainbow outside our window. As if these ribs needed any help being awesome.

It's hard to see but there's a second rainbow to the left of the really bright obvious one.
If you look close enough you can see that the second rainbow's colors are reversed.

The Mother of All Instant Mac & Cheese

No seriously, it's gonna be awesome.

All necessary ingredients

Add milk to line with a little bit of water.
DO NOT GO ABOVE THE LINE.
YOU WILL HAVE TO CLEAN YOUR MICROWAVE.

Nuke for a total of three minutes, mixing at intervals.

Enjoy!

-K&M

Quick hello!

Weekend Travels

 Hey guys! Just a quick hello from Kate and I, since we have been gone all weekend in our respective favorite cities. We will be back tomorrow with a food improvement so make sure to check back tomorrow night!

See you later!
-K & M

Adelaide

We have a new baby in our kitchen nook! She is a bouncing baby crockpot (seriously though, it's only 4Qt!) She is blue, and shiny and we cannot wait to use her!

We are thinking about making ribs in her next week so we are QUITE excited! If you have any good crockpot recipes, please, send them our way! We would love to make them!

Dream Pasta

So this stuff is pretty much Mac 'n' Cheese dressed up to the nines. Making this bad boy comes in two parts: the pasta and the sauce. But first off, let's talk a little more about the cheese sauce. This Béchamel sauce is one of the five "mother suaces" in French cooking and it is a standard for many cheese based dishes. What makes this a Béchamel is the fact that it's made from a flour-butter mixture called a roux. But enough about that, let's get cooking.

INGREDIENTS
Pasta: (for one serving)
2 oz of your favorite pasta (we used rotini)
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
~~~~~~~~~~
Sauce:
2 Tbs butter (can sub vegetable oil)
2 Tbs flour
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup milk
1 diced, unseeded tomato
1 tsp each of salt, nutmeg, oregano, and pepper

The Pasta:
Heat the water on high power for 3 minutes. Add the salt, vegetable oil and the pasta. Cook another 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking and to check the firmness of the pasta. Fish out the pasta (or use a colander if your kitchen nook comes equipped with one, sadly ours does not) and set aside.

Whisk pirates unite!

The Béchamel Sauce:
 Melt the butter for 30 seconds (skip if you're using veg. oil) then whisk in the flour. Nuke for 30 seconds and mix in the milk. Heat for 90 seconds and stir. Alternate between heat and stirring until the sauce becomes lightly thick. Add the shredded cheese mix in to the sauce, and heat for another 30 seconds.

At this point add the nutmeg, oregano, and season to your liking. Add the pasta and tomatoes, heat for another 20 seconds and you have your dream pasta ready to eat!

***Note*** Make sure you are careful taking the dish out of the microwave because it may be very hot!

3 out of 3 chemists agree that it was delicious. One chef would like to add, that the sauce was a little grainy, due to the cheapness of the mozzarella used. Lesson learned: don't be stingy with your cheese.

This is a ridiculously easy recipe and it can be modified in so many ways! Different cheeses will add different flavors and textures while different vegetables like squashes or peppers will add a different kind of pop! Also meat, any kind will do, especially bacon would be a good addition. Next time we make this we are going to use chopped spinache, with a light cheese which we think will taste just as delicious.

If you try this recipe out let us know how you made it! We would love to try your methods!

Until next time, don't forget:

No kitchen, no problem!

-K & M

Ooey Gooey Microwave Brownies

Hello there everyone! For our first recipe we thought we would start off with something simple so here's how to make Ooey Gooey Microwave Brownies:

Ooey Gooey Microwave Brownies

Ingredients:

-your favorite box mix (hey, there's no shame in it)

-one packet of Starbucks Via Ready Brew*

-cinnamon

-all the necessary ingredients for cake-like brownies

-one 9" x 9" microwave safe baking dish (make sure it can rotate for even cooking)

Start off with your favorite box mix (if there's an option go for the "cake-like" consistency- these babies are fudgy enough as it is). Add the Starbucks Via* (or something like it) and a teaspoon of cinnamon then mix well. Follow the instructions on the back of the box. Pour into a greased microwave safe dish approximately 9"x 9".

IMPORTANT: do NOT under any circumstances use a METAL baking dish. It will cause sparks and possibly set the microwave on fire. Remember, NO METAL!! Glass and ceramic are the best.

Nuke your batter for 9 minutes and let it rest for 15 minutes. Letting them rest is important because not only will they be very hot after the 9 minutes but they will also be underdone. These 15 minutes are devoted to carryover cooking. After letting them sit, cut into 9 squares and let cool further on a plate. Enjoy!

*the Via is completely optional. If you don't have any available you can sub the water in the directions with coffee. Or if you prefer peanut butter, soften 1/4 cup for 20 seconds and stir into the batter before nuking. (that would work with carmel as well)

4 out of 5 chemists thought they were awesome! One lonely chemist thought they were too mushy but hey, what does he know? After the taste test, we let the brownies sit uncovered and they firmed up beautifully.

But don't take our word for it, try them yourself and let us know what you think. We would love your feedback!

Well until next time, friends, keep cooking. And remember: No kitchen, no problem!

-K & M

Live from UConn.

Welcome to the newest blog on the block, and it's all about food. We are excited to get started for we have become very hungry this last week, living off of peanut butter and bananas, carrots and wheat thins, or any free food we can get a hold of. (Thank you Dr. Brückner.) And then it dawned on us, though we have no kitchen available to us, we do have a microwave.

Our kitchen nook is equipped with the finest technological advance since sliced bread, the microwave. With this tool and our newly acquired crockpot we will be cooking up a storm of deliciousness.

The Kitchen Nook

So, we are availing ourselves of all student union markets, subways, and liquor stores in the area...well maybe not that last one, for our microwave cooking. But this isn't your everyday microwave reheating. This is microwave cooking at it's finest. We will have at least one new recipe every week, quick and easy, but still outrageously tasty. We'll be spicing up the good old microwavable packets of food from your local grocery store. And we will document all of our hits, and misses that we serve up. Of course, we'll share the reactions of our guinea pigs, actually just the guys across the hall (they can't complain, they're getting free food.)

It will be an exciting 10 weeks while we are here at UConn, and remember:

No kitchen, no problem!

-K & M