Microwave Quick and Easy Cakes
Welcome back on Sunday for a column on how to prepare delicious food with minimal effort. September is more than half way through and it’s totally too warm. This is the time of year when I start planning out stews, meatloafs, and holiday shopping, heck. It shouldn’t be 90 degrees in Massachusetts.
I was looking for ways to cope. It’s apple picking season, and I’m drooling over a dozen pie recipes from new cookbooks. But when I think of pie, it often leads me to think of pot pie, and I’m not a big fan of a hot oven on a humid day at 90 degrees. I’d rather spend a few minutes in front of the microwave. And before you ask – yes, it is true. Marie and I went our separate ways. It’ll stay in your grocer’s freezer, while I’ll make cakes from scratch in my microwave.
The Food Network came up with a quick and easy solution to cure what I’m worried about. In just a few minutes, I could eat hot, fresh pie with a pot without having to turn on the air conditioner for three hours afterward. What’s not to love?
Microwave chicken pies
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 sponge cake
- 1/3 cup diced chicken
- 1/2 cup 1/4 cup
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons frozen peas and carrots
- 1 champignon, diced
- fresh thyme (optional)
- salt and pepper for flavor
Place butter in a microwave-safe mug and microwave until melted. Stir in flour until combined, then add mushroom slices. Cook in the microwave for one minute or until the mushroom slices are small and tender. Add some halves and stir. You will have a really very simple ru.
Slowly add the remaining halves while stirring, then add the chicken stock, peas, carrots and thyme (if using), and a little salt and pepper to taste. In the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until thick, only about 90 seconds.
Add the diced chicken and flatten the biscuit with your hand. Stretch the sponge cake over the mug, applying pressure to the edges to seal it. Use a sharp knife to cut a hole in the top of the cookie and brush it in half a bit.
Microwave the topped mug in portions for 30 seconds, until the cookies bubble and cook — 60 to 90 seconds longer. Don’t be greedy about the perfect cookie – you will most likely run into a volcanic explosion of the filling if you take too long.
And finally, unlike me, make sure you let your pie cool before digging in, because it will be HOT.
I thought of this as a great way to clean out my refrigerator this fall when we finally get to the oven-fried food. Lots of seasonal residuals can lead to variations such as:
- Leftover roast pie with root vegetables and beef sauce, topped with mashed potatoes
- Cornish filling is pasty, because everything is better with cornice pies
- BBQ option, with pork or brisket stew, with cornbread on top
- Buttermilk corn soup because I can eat it every day and smile
It’s also worth mentioning that I have tried several different types of pipe cookies. The all-natural organic varieties produced nothing but blown dough. Since I prefer a puff pastry crust whenever possible (which would be bad in the microwave), I tried using a puff pastry, which came out with a texture that almost resembled dumplings. Not what I expected, but incredibly tasty and my personal favorite. The “regular” cookie featured in the original recipe is closer to the crust you’d expect from a microwave-safe pie. To save time and save time on dishwashing, I used about ¼ a breast of hot grilled chicken and pre-chopped mushrooms. For the mushrooms, I identified what I would call “medium” mushrooms from a few pieces and gave them quick cubes. Lunch labels SUPER are acceptable.
I love dining without much effort, and such a comfortable meal is enough for me to change the status of my relationship with Marie Calendar to “This is difficult.” Fast, customizable, and delicious are a great way to end a long day.