I get lots of requests to make recipes for one person and making meals in a mug and a microwave can actually work perfectly! Here’s three microwave mug recipes for you to try – a mug cake sticky toffee pudding, cold beef thai style salad and a chicken stew complete with dumplings! Messy, but fun. Please remember I am using an 800w microwave, for your microwave you may not need to do it as long, it could cook quicker if you have a more powerful microwave so it is really about keeping your eye on it.
It’s also worth noting you should play around with the quantities by eye, by all means add more if you are using a larger mug, just be aware that it could get messy!
Thai beef salad
Start off by cooking the noodles, fresh ones will cook very quick indeed. So fill the mug up with the noodles and add boiling water, leave it to stand for a few minutes, then carefully drain off, rinse the noodles with cold water to stop them cooking, then rinse again. Take out the mug to one side.
Grab the empty mug (or a spare mug is easier) and mix the three sauce ingredients together, tweak to your liking, add in all the vegetables, herbs, nuts and beef and mix well, slowly add in the noodles in little batches lifting with a fork to coat well. Keep going until all the noodles are in the mug and well coated. Garnish with extra herbs and nuts.
Chicken stew
Add half the stock to a mug, add in the onion, carrots and potatoes. Cover with cling film, pierce with a fork and microwave for 2 minutes. Take the cling film off, give it a gentle stir and microwave for a further 2 minutes. It may be a good idea to use a microwave safe plate under the mug if needed.
Once done stir in the remaining ingredients for the stew in with the vegetables – the remaining stock, gravy granules, chicken and herbs – it will smell amazing!
Make the dumplings in a spare mug or ramekin by mixing all the ingredients together, they should form a dough ball! Divide it into 2/3 pieces, sit on top of the mug with the rest of the stew ingredients. Microwave covered in cling film for a good 2 minutes or until the dough balls are cooked through. Serve after cooling for a few minutes – so good!
Sticky toffee pudding
Get your dates and put them into the mug. Add the boiling water from the kettle and microwave for 25-30 seconds. Take out and add the bicarb of soda, just add this on it’s own for now as it will fizz up at first so you don’t want all your ingredients to spill out.
Next add the sugar, flour, egg and butter, stirring a little to mix it all then microwave for 90 seconds. Maybe put a plate underneath it to catch any spillages and open it if you like for a few seconds if it is going crazy! It should be very spongy and risen once done, let it cool.
In a separate mug meanwhile, put the sugar, crème fraiche and butter together. Give it a gentle stir then microwave for 45-60 seconds, stopping halfway through for a little stir.
Poke some holes into the sponge with a bamboo skewer, then pour the sauce all over it! Delicious!