How to Cook for a Whole Day Using Just Your Microwave!

When Amber is not home, I often wonder how I ever cooked for just Hubby and myself before she was old enough to eat dinners with us.  I have no desire to heat up the oven or our home for the two of us, but don’t want to use convenience foods at every meal.

Thus I was on the lookout for quality microwave cookware that would enable me to cook smaller portions, in a quick time frame.  The Nordicware Microwave line was what I ended up with.

Let’s start with breakfast.  The Nordicware Microwave Omelet Pan allows you to have restaurant quality omelets for the fraction of what it would cost you to eat out, and with less work than making it on the stovetop.

The Microwave Omelet Pan costs just $3.99 so it pays for itself with the first omelet you make!  The directions are easy.  Use 2 to 4 eggs, with 2 tbsp of milk or water, pour half of the mixture in each side, and microwave until it’s partially set (in my microwave that was about 25 seconds).  Take it out, and stir the mixture from outside to inside add your fillings.  I used tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese.

Then put it back into the microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds.  I flipped mine at that point, and put it back in for about 20 seconds, to make sure the egg that was on the bottom is fully cooked.  Delicious, healthy (no butter or oil is needed), inexpensive and easy!

Lunch and dinner can be just as simple to make with the Nordicware Microwave 11″ Vegetable and Seafood Steamer.

I have been using it to make vegetables.  I have been buying those prepackaged frozen vegetables that you steam in your microwave.  But this does the same job, with less waste and packaging.  I generally make 2 cups of vegetables for the three of us, so there isn’t any room on the tray for meat.  But the food is really hot when it comes out, and doesn’t take long at all to cook, so you could whip up your veggies in 4 to 5 minutes, toss them in a bowl and cover them, and then put your fish or shrimp in and have your meal ready in about 10 minutes.

1/4 cup of water is placed in the bottom of the steamer, and then you put a slotted tray in.  The food goes on top of that tray, you cover it and put it in the microwave.  Again super easy!

Of course we’re needing dessert now.  Probably not as nutritious as the previous dishes, but just as delicious!  Using the Nordicware 5 Minute Brownie Pan (which incidentally is the exact same product as the 11″ Vegetable and Seafood Steamer, so you could get two in which you could use them at the same time, or just get one and use it interchangeably).  These products are extremely versatile, we’ve used the pan portion to heat up leftover pizza too!

Spray the pan with non-stick spray, fill it with the brownie mix (one that fills an 8 x 8 inch pan) of your choice, pop the lid on, microwave it for 5 minutes, and voila dessert!  For a simple icing, sprinkle a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips on it while it’s fresh out of the microwave, allow them to melt and then spread.  This would be really handy to be able to make when you have unexpected guests show up or your child comes home from school informing you they need something for tomorrow’s bake sale or party!

Then when you’re watching t.v. in the evening and feel you need something to snack on, you can use the Nordicware Microwave Popcorn Popper (12 cup capacity).  1/2 cup of popcorn kernels, 2 minutes and 15 seconds, and we had a great treat without all of the additives that get put into the bagged microwave popcorn.  We sprayed it with some butter flavor and sprinkled a bit of salt on it, and it was very tasty!

There were quite a few kernels left in the bottom (although the container was full when it finished popping), so I’m going to have to experiment a bit more with the timing, while trying to get the most popped kernels without burning the rest.  Despite the kernels that were left, it’s still economical because buying popcorn kernels in bulk is cheaper than buying the boxes of bagged popcorn  (well at least where I live without double coupons it is).

The neat thing about this is the container.  You can use it as a serving bowl for just about anything, as well asfor heating up other foods.

So if you’re a single person, or a couple newly married or empty nesters, cooking in your microwave can save you a lot of time, money and it can be healthier for you too!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the products mentioned above for free for review purposes from CSN Stores.

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