I was recently reading the blog No Love Sincerer, written by my bloggy friend, Charlene. She posed a challenge to other bloggers: to publish a recipe made only in the microwave. She has a friend who is currently living with only a microwave in his kitchen and looking for new ideas.
Besides always being ready for a challenge, I sympathize with having a make-do-and-microwave kitchen. From time to time I have found myself with no stove, or no oven, or neither. With just a microwave, you can still eat well.
This cauliflower recipe is a feature at our family Christmas dinners. (The picture above is from Christmas 2013.) My sister-in-law, Anna, makes it. It's a perfect time to use the microwave since the stove and oven are over-full already. She got the recipe from her mother, who has been making it for family celebrations since 1990. Anna thinks that her mother got it from a magazine in the late 1980s. It's reminiscent of the classic cauliflower cheese--but the grainy mustard makes it more interesting and less one-dimensional. There is not much sauce and thus the sweetness of the cauliflower is more evident.
Microwave Mustard Cauliflower
serves 6 as a side dish
The timing depends on the strength of your microwave (and how soft you like your cauliflower). Test with a sharp knife to see how soft it is.
1 head of cauliflower
2 T mayonnaise
2 T mustard
1/2 t onion powder (optional)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 c to 1/2 c (25 g to 50 g) grated cheese, for example, cheddar or mozzarella
Cut the core out of the cauliflower. Place in a large bowl and cover (with a plate or plastic wrap) and microwave for 7 to 9 minutes, until soft.
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Remove the lid or plastic wrap, and pour the mustard over the cauliflower, using a spatula to rub it all over. Sprinkle on the cheese.
Replace the lid or plastic wrap. Microwave for 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Here are some other microwave recipes:
- apple and cinnamon mini cake
- mixed bean chilli (from No Love Sincerer)
- cauliflower and basil hummus (from just blither balther)
- "macaroni" and cheese made with zucchini noodles (from Fluffy Chix Cook)
- pumpkin spice muffin (from Low Carb One Day)
- almond flour paleo bread (from Ancestral Chef)
- roasted winter squash (from A Blog About All Things Sweet, Healthy + Delicious)
- poached eggs (from The Frugal LowCarber)
What unexpected dish have you heard of being cooked in the microwave?
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