Huevos Rancheros is one of the recipes in Leslie Bilderback's cookbook "Mug Meals."
Think outside the pot. All you need for a meal is a ceramic mug, a microwave and a few simple ingredients.
The concept of creating simple meals and desserts in a mug in not new. Although the trend has made college life easier, where few dorm rooms offer full kitchens, it’s no longer just for broke students heating up eggs before 8 a.m. classes.
There are dozens of cookbooks about making meals in mugs, covering everything from cake and other desserts to soups and chicken pot pie.
“Sadly, we all seem to be time-poor and often want quick food solutions. Plus it’s great for after school snacks, people on their own, quick suppers and so on,” Wendy Hobson, author of “Meals in a Mug: 100 Delicious Recipes Ready to Eat in Minutes,” wrote in an email interview.
Hobson, who lives in United Kingdom, explained that any food that normally heats up well in a microwave usually works for a mug recipe, too.
Making meals in mugs is an easy way for someone who has smaller appliances and less space to work with, such as college students, travelers or older adults cooking for one, said cookbook author Leslie Bilderback.
The author, who wrote “Mug Cakes: 100 Speedy Microwave Treats to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth” and “Mug Meals: More Than 100 No-Fuss Ways to Make a Delicious Microwave Meal in Minutes,” said the meals in a mug trend is growing because cooking with a microwave leaves room for experimentation. People can tweak recipes to be healthier or to match taste preferences.
But not everything works well in a mug. Bilderback explained that when she was testing recipes, nothing frustrated her more than working with pastas and grains.
“I thought, ‘I’m gonna have miracle mac and cheese,’ but it doesn’t work that way. You have to really give that pasta time to absorb that moisture,” she said. Pastas and rice are still easier to make on a stove top, Bilderback said, and only recommended microwaving them then no stove is available.
However, the easiest thing to make in a mug is eggs, according to Bilderback.
“I don’t even take my frying pan out anymore when I am making breakfast,” she said.
Huevos Rancheros
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 scallion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons salsa
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 to 6 tortilla chips
Sour cream, for serving
Procedure:
1. In a jumbo mug, combine the oil, scallion, tomato, cumin, and heat in the microwave for 1 minute until scallion is translucent and the tomato softened.
2. Stir in the avocado, salsa, cilantro, Tabasco, cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Insert the tortilla chips and nestle them down into the egg mixture.
3. Microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes until the egg has set. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream.
Cook’s notes: Add 1/4 cup of chopped leftover carne asada, chicken, turkey, or shrimp for a heartier huevo. You can also use Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, goat, feta, or authentic Mexican cotija cheese for the recipe.
Source: “Mug Meals” by Leslie Bilderback
Chicken Chilaquiles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 scallion, minced
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken meat
1 tablespoon salsa or pico de gallo
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of Tabasco Sauce
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 small tomato, diced
8-10 tortilla chips
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Procedure:
1. In a large mug, combine the oil, jalapeno, scallion, and garlic and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the cilantro, tomato, cumin, Tabasco, salt, and pepper and mix well.
2. In a jumbo mug, layer 1 to 2 chips, 2 to 3 pieces of chicken, 1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of the vegetable mixture, and 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese. Repeat until all the ingredients are used.
3. Finish with a tablespoon of salsa, and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through. Serve immediately.
Source: “Mug Meals” by Leslie Bilderback
Squidgy chocolate mug cake
4 tablespoons self-raising flour
4 tablespoons light soft brown sugar
3 tablespoons chocolate and nut spread
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
Procedure:
1. Mix all ingredients together in a large mug or cup.
2. Microwave for 3 minutes. Turn out and eat while still warm.
Source: Wendy Hobson
Contact the writer: dgomez@pressenterprise.com
