Food Column: Breakfast of champions
When I started college in 1985, it was clear that there were three dorm room accessories that divided the haves from the have-nots.
The first was a nice stereo. I can still hear the bars of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” and A-Ha’s “Take On Me” reverberating through the corridors of Bergsaker Hall at Augustana College.
The second accessory was a VCR. Video recording technology was something of a novelty in the mid-80s. The idea that you could go to class AND still watch all of your favorite soap operas blew our 18-year-old minds. Thus, anyone with a VCR in their dorm room was automatically at the top of the collegiate feudal pyramid.
While those two accessories definitely made you cool, the third made you an outlaw. I am talking, of course, about the microwave oven. Microwaves, like alcohol and girls in your room after midnight, were against the official dorm policies at Augustana. We were never given an explanation for why they were verboten. Maybe it was because they used too much electricity. Maybe they were considered a fire hazard. Whatever it was, microwaves were strictly off-limits.
Which meant that only the coolest of the cool had them. It also meant that they had to be hidden. Most students who had an illegal microwave stashed them in their closets, which, if you think about it, made them even more of a fire hazard.
I was not one of the outlaws. My dorm room kitchen consisted of a toaster and a hot pot. The former was used to warm – much to the irritation of my roommate – chocolate Pop Tarts, a snack I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The latter heated everything from tomato soup to Chef Boyardee ravioli. All of the above were critical on those days when I just didn’t feel like trudging through the South Dakota snow to the cafeteria.
I don’t know if today’s college students consider a microwave to be a necessity or not. However, I can say that they can be real lifesavers for those running low on pizza money and thinking their stove is just another storage cabinet. In fact, the microwave mug meal or snack may be a great way to learn a few kitchen skills that will make you the envy of your roommates and your friends.
But that’s not all. These simple recipes are also great for the experienced cook who just doesn’t have the time to make something more complicated. As the name implies, all you need are a few ingredients, a mug, and a microwave.
Mug Omelet
This recipe is from The Food Network. That goes to show you that mug cooking is not just for the inexperienced cook.
The recipe is pretty simple, and it takes little time to make. Plus, you can add or subtract whatever ingredients you like to see in your omelet. For example, I prefer my red peppers roasted, and so I threw in a few of those instead of the green bell pepper. I also used cheddar cheese instead of the recommended Monterey Jack.
Ingredients
Butter (just enough to grease your mug)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons shredded cheese (the recipe recommends Monterey Jack, but I think Swiss or cheddar would also work)
2 tablespoons diced ham
1 tablespoon diced green or red bell pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
Grease the inside of a microwave safe (12-oz) mug with the butter. Add the eggs and milk, and then beat with a fork until combined.
Stir in the cheese, ham, bell pepper, salt and pepper.
Microwave on medium-high setting for 90 seconds. Stir, and then microwave for an additional 1 to 1 ½ minutes until the eggs are set.
Let cool slightly before serving.
French Toast in a Mug
This recipe comes from Cooking Perfected. If it seems as though most of the recipes here are for breakfast, that’s because they are! Breakfast foods lend themselves to microwaves and mugs. Plus, they are comfort foods that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
This recipe is really more of a bread pudding than French toast. Still, it’s got the eggy-bread goodness spiced with a little cinnamon and sugar.
As always, it may take more or less time for your microwave to cook this to your liking. It’s all about trial and error.
Ingredients
1 egg
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 slices of bread, cut into cubes (day-old bread works best)
Lightly grease a microwavable mug.
Add the egg, milk, vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon to the mug and beat until combined. Add the diced bread cubes, and push them down into the egg mixture.
Microwave for about 90 seconds.
Let cool for a few minutes, and then serve.
S’mores Cake in a Mug
This recipe comes from How Sweet Eats.
It’s a bit more involved than the omelet recipe above. You will need a couple of extra bowls as well as a rubber spatula with which to stir your cake batter.
It’s also true that you will need to experiment with the “baking” time. Not all microwaves cook the same, so adjust the time accordingly.
Ingredients
2-3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 ½ oz. milk chocolate chips (or just chop up a chocolate bar)
Marshmallows or marshmallow fluff
Combine 3 tablespoons of the butter with 1 oz. of the milk chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave until the chocolate melts (20-30 seconds). Set aside.
Combine 1 tablespoon of the remaining melted butter with the graham cracker crumbs in your microwave safe mug. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the mug.
In another bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. Stir until a thick batter forms. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture, mixing to combine. Fold in the remaining chocolate chips.
Now it’s time to assemble your cake. Scoop half of your cake batter into your mug on top of the graham cracker crumbs. Add a few marshmallows or a dollop of marshmallow fluff. Add the remaining cake batter.
Microwave for about 90 seconds. If the cake isn’t set, microwave for an additional 10-20 seconds. Top with additional marshmallows, chocolate chips, and graham crackers, if you like.
Michael Knock is a food columnist for the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Food Column: Breakfast of champions
