Tofu... in the Microwave??

Yes. Tofu in the microwave. I know you're skeptical, but hear me out! I was inspired at the grocery store today. The appealing box of already cubed tofu with a 10-for-$10 deal of rice mixtures was enough to convince me. I added a bag of bagged, cleaned, microwaveable green beans.

Ingredients:
1 package rice or couscous mixture
1 bag microwaveable green beans
1 package cubed extra-firm tofu, drained
3 cloves garlic (I LOVE garlic, if you don't add lots of spices instead. Or both!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper
a pat of butter

First, cook the rice/couscous/whatever you want mixture. Look at the package directions, it should take about 20-30 mins (sounds like a lot, but it's not, I promise!) While that's cookin away, crush, peel, and slice up the garlic and add that, the olive oil, salt (you need a fairly large amount- just keep tasting), and pepper to the drained package of tofu. Let that sit and marinate. Remember to stir the rice and make sure it has enough water (I ended up using about twice the recommended amount). Now sit down and enjoy a few minutes of rest. When the rice is tender, throw the bag of green beans into the microwave. That should take 4-5 minutes. Get the rice onto a plate, rinse the bowl, and put the tofu in it. When the green beans are tender take them out. Put the tofu in the microwave and cook for about 3 minutes. Be careful not to overcook! I saw horror stories online about microwaved tofu exploding so watch out. Nothing of the sort happened with me, though. Put some green beans on your plate with a pat o' butter and salt. When the tofu is warm (it will be warm and garlicky- not brown). Enjoy!

Be sure to pay attention to your microwave as all machines differ.

My Ramen Experiment

My first recipe: Ramen-broccoli-chickpeas with garlic and olive oil

Ingredients:

2-4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2-1 cup broccoli florets

1/2-1 cup chickpeas

2 cloves of garlic

1 package ramen

about 1/2 pack of ramen seasoning (the little packet that comes with the ramen. I use chicken flavored ramen)

salt

pepper

optional: grated cheese, balsamic vinegar

Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into your trusty microwave-safe bowl. Add the broccoli and microwave for 1 minute. In the meantime, crush and peel the garlic. Cut the garlic into pieces into the broccoli. Add chickpeas, salt, and pepper, and microwave for another 1 1/2 minutes. Put this mixture aside (onto a plate or whatever floats your boat). Tear/crush (you should end up with smaller pieces of ramen... or if you like, leave it whole) the ramen in the bowl (or if you have the luxury of another microwave-safe bowl, use that) with about 2 cups of water and microwave for about 2-3 minutes. Drain the water when the ramen is done (I found it works well with a plastic spoon, although you will lose some of the ramen). Add the ramen and the broccoli mixture and season to taste with more olive oil, salt, pepper, and a few pinches of the ramen seasoning. You can even add some grated cheese (parmesan would be good) or a splash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Guten Appetit!

Microwave Cook

So, I am a college student living in a city with only horrible dorm food and expensive and/or delicious and greasy food that will make your stomach hurt after a few days.

I have been trying to cook as much as possible, but with only a mini-fridge and microwave (and a disgusting kitchen with no supplies) it has been a challenge. Here I am trying to share cheap and delicious food that is easy to cook with very few appliances (i.e. a microwave, most of the time).

When I go home to visit, I like to enjoy the beauty of a stocked kitchen and my beautiful knives to cook more complex meals. I will also share photos and ideas then.

Thanks for reading!