There are plenty of times in our lives we are not in the mood to turn on the stove, preheat the oven, or fire up the grill. Take out and fast food allow us to eat quickly, but do not always have the healthiest options. There are plenty of recipes online that solely use the microwave for food preparation, so keep your eye out for the healthy microwave recipes that can help save you time on busy days! Below are some ideas to jumpstart your microwave cooking adventure!
For breakfast, cook some instant oatmeal with raisins and chopped walnuts in the microwave. If you prefer a more savory flavor, prepare a packet of instant grits and add some low fat cheese for protein and flavor!
Another savory breakfast you can prepare in the microwave is eggs. Crack an egg into a microwave safe bowl and heat until it is cooked through, just a couple minutes is usually all it takes. To make a full meal, place the microwaved egg onto a toasted English muffin with a slice of low fat cheese for a tasty breakfast sandwich that you can create in no time!
Lunches and dinners can be prepared in the microwave as well. You can place a whole grain tortilla on a microwave safe plate, and on one half of the tortilla place low fat shredded cheese, canned beans, and any vegetables you have on hand such as onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over onto the half you placed the toppings on, and microwave until your cheese is melted and you have a quick quesadilla!
With colder weather ahead of us, soups can be a nice warm meal. Below is a recipe for Minestrone Soup made in the microwave from Martha Stewart:
Minestrone
(https://www.marthastewart.com/341262/minestrone)
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 8 ounces green beans, stem ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup couscous
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) navy beans, drained and rinsed
- Coarse salt
- Flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)
- Shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- In a 3-quart microwave-safe dish, place oil, carrots, bell pepper, green beans, and garlic; stir to coat. Cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
- Add couscous, broth, tomato paste, navy beans, 1 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Cover; microwave on high until vegetables and couscous are tender, 5 minutes. If desired, stir in parsley, and garnish with cheese.
