Magic of the microwave: Forget the oven with these three quick and easy recipes

Cooking in the microwave isn’t limited to ready meals and baked potatoes (though they’re both great), writes Grace Dent. Conjure up these clever meals that save on time and energy use

These dishes give microwave dinner a new meaning (Ocado)

Joining the Dent family in 1985, our microwave had somewhat of a bad start. It arrived, fresh out the box from Comet, in the midst of an argument.

My mam had not greenlit the purchase of this cumbersome stainless-steel cube, with a vivid orange door, that Dad and I were loading onto her already packed kitchen worktop. She did not share our enthusiasm for this magical, space-age item we’d seen on BBC’s Tomorrow’s World and knew would take our snacking into the future.

She was mainly outraged at the whopping £100 sum I’d cajoled Dad into spending. “I don’t trust it,” said Mam, reeling off a list of concerns, including microwaved innards, catastrophic explosions and partially cooked food giving us rampant salmonella.

The truth was a little less exciting: I remember us loading the first maris piper inside, pricked all over with a fork, blasting it on HIGH for seven minutes, hoping for a crisp, fluffy jacket spud, only to find a rock-hard lump with a thin, waxy skin that hissed and spat from the holes. “See? Useless!” said Mam. My dad and I were sheepish.

But as the weeks went on, Mam’s attitude to the microwave softened. For a start, it was saving her a fortune on gas as we almost stopped using the hobs for tinned spaghetti, soup, baked beans, tinned custard. Plus, the defrost button meant we now had access to all those mystery items she’d deep-frozen months back. Potato became a thing of joy as we discovered “micro-mash” (real potato, already peeled, mashed and frozen).

Mam and Dad worked, so now my brother Dave and I could rush home from school and warm up glamorous microwave meals we’d begged Mam for on the big Friday shop. Macaroni cheese in a plastic tray! Microwave chips in a box!

We learned how to heat food thoroughly, stopping halfway to give it a stir, before lazing on the couch, watching Miami Vice with our microwave chicken chow mein, feeling like we were fully living the dream.

Nowadays, I try to limit my intake of such shiny-packeted E-number-filled joys; but still, I can’t live without my small, sleek, silver microwave. Life is too short to use a pan for frozen peas or spaghetti hoops; and how would I live without a quick 800W blast to thaw and separate veggie sausages before hurling them in the air fryer, or to defrost frozen mince before whipping up a quick chilli?

Some foodie types are snobbish about the microwave; I see it as a loyal friend who has had my back for over 30 years

Watt’s on the menu?

Make the most of your microwave to conjure up clever meals that save on time and energy use. These ingenious recipes are from Ocadolife.

Easy perfect rice with smoked trout and broad beans

If you have trouble boiling rice on the hob, you’re going to love this method (Ocado)

If you have trouble boiling rice on the hob, you’re going to love this method. It’s super-easy and yields flawless results every time. Here, it’s teamed with a summery combination of pink fish, vibrant herbs and a zingy dressing.

Serves: 4

Hands-on time: 15 mins | Total time: 20 mins, plus standing (based on an 800W microwave at full power)

Ingredients, available from Ocado:

250g basmati rice, rinsed

500ml hot vegetable stock

300g frozen broad beans

Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus extra wedges for squeezing

1 garlic clove, crushed or grated

2 tbsp olive oil handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Small bunch of dill, roughly chopped

2 x 100g packs M&S Scottish Loch Trout Flakes

Method:

1. Put the rice in a large microwave-safe bowl. Pour the stock over the rice; stir well. Cover (if using microwave-safe wrap, pierce to let the steam escape); sit the bowl on a microwave-safe plate to catch drips and microwave for 12 mins. Remove; leave to stand, covered, for 10 mins.

2. Meanwhile, put the broad beans in another microwave-safe bowl with a few splashes of water, cover with a microwave-safe plate and blast for 2 mins. Remove, tip into a colander and refresh under cold running water until cooled; drain well.

3. Stir the broad beans into the rice, with the lemon zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, most of the herbs and plenty of seasoning. Fold through the trout. Divide between 4 plates and scatter over the remaining herbs. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Per serving: 428cals, 1 veg portion, 10g fat (2g saturated), 22g protein, 59g carbs, 2g sugar, 7g fi bre, 1.7g salt

Saucy supper silky aubergine and courgette noodles

Say goodbye to spongy aubergines and hello to beautifully soft flesh (Ocado)

Microwaving cooks food from the inside out, so you can say goodbye to spongy aubergines and hello to beautifully soft flesh that soaks up the marinade as it cooks.

Serves: 4

Hands-on/total time: 20 mins (based on an 800W microwave at full power)

Ingredients available from Ocado:

2 aubergines, each cut lengthways into 8 pieces

100g egg noodles

1 large courgette, peeled into ribbons

Large handful of coriander, roughly chopped

1 red chilli, sliced

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

For the marinade:

4 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated

3cm piece ginger, grated

1 tbsp miso paste

1 tsp caster sugar

Method:

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add the aubergine; toss to coat. Cover (if using microwave-safe wrap, pierce a couple of times to let the steam escape); microwave for 12 mins, stirring halfway, until cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, put the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for 3 mins or until tender. Put the courgette ribbons into a sieve, then drain the noodles over them – the residual heat will soften the courgette slightly.

3. Divide the noodles and courgette between 4 plates. Top with the aubergines, spooning over any remaining sauce. Scatter over the coriander and chilli, sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately. Cover leftovers and chill for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.

Per serving: 357cals, 1 veg portion, 5g fat (1g saturated), 13g protein, 60g carbs, 9g sugar, 9g fibre, 3.4g salt, £1.37 per portion

Smoky bean chilli with cornbread and crispy bacon

Bacon in the microwave is almost too good to be true (Ocado)

With no frying odours or splattered grease, bacon in the microwave is almost too good to be true – especially teamed with this delicious chilli and cheesy cornbread.

Serves: 4

Hands-on time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins (based on an 800W microwave at full power)

Ingredients available from Ocado:

Six rashers dry-cured smoked streaky bacon

For the cornbread:

2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for spreading (optional)

5 tbsp plain flour

5 tbsp fine cornmeal or polenta

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp caster sugar

2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

6 tbsp natural yoghurt

1 green chilli, finely chopped (optional)

50g cheddar, finely grated

For the chilli:

150g soffritto mix (we used Cook With M&S Frozen Soffritto Base, defrosted)

1 garlic clove, crushed or grated

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp olive oil

2 x 400g tins mixed beans, drained (splash of liquid reserved)

350g passata

To serve (optional):

Soured cream

Handful of coriander, leaves picked

2 salad onions, chopped

Method:

1. For the cornbread, put 1tbsp butter into each of 2 large mugs (preferably straight-sided). Microwave for 20 secs or until melted. Carefully swirl the butter around in the mugs so it greases the sides, then tip the excess out into a mixing bowl. Set the mugs aside.

2. Add the remaining cornbread ingredients to the bowl, reserving a little of the grated cheese. Season well, then stir until combined.

3. Divide the mixture equally between the 2 mugs and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Microwave them separately for 1½-2 mins or until risen and springy. Run a knife around the edge of the cornbread to loosen; turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

4. For the chilli, put the soffritto, garlic, spices, oregano and oil into a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook for 3 mins, stirring halfway.

5. Add the beans (and a splash of liquid), passata and seasoning to the bowl; stir well. Cover (if using microwave-safe wrap, pierce a couple of times to let the steam escape), and cook for 5 mins, stirring halfway. Leave to stand while you cook the bacon.

6. Put 2 sheets of kitchen towel on a microwave-safe plate and lay the bacon in a single layer. Cover with another sheet of kitchen towel. Microwave for 1 min, then check to see if it’s crisp and starting to curl. If not, continue cooking in 20-sec bursts, being careful not to burn it. Break into shards.

7. Uncover the chilli (open it away from you to avoid the steam) and ladle into bowls. Top with a dollop of soured cream, the coriander and salad onions (if using), and the bacon. Serve with the cornbread, buttered if you like, for scooping. Leftover chilli will keep covered and chilled for 3 days. The cornbread is best eaten on the day of cooking.

Per serving: 613cals, 2 veg portions, 29g fat (12g saturated), 30g protein, 54g carbs, 10g sugar, 9g fi bre, 2g salt, £1.60 per portion