The Great Microwave Recipe Challenge

Tonight I made a great dinner.  A dinner my family loved.  Unfortunately, they didn’t get to eat until way past our regular Sunday night dinner hour.  Why? Because after driving back and forth to two birthday parties, paintball, grocery shopping, dog walking, and multiple loads of laundry, I got a late start to making dinner.  And no matter how streamlined and organized I am in the kitchen, I just couldn’t turn up the heat  to speed up the cooking process…unless I wanted my soup to scald or bruschetta to burn.

But what if I used the microwave?

According to Panasonic, virtually any dish can be cooked in the microwave…in a significantly reduced amount of cooking time. I did a bit of research and found out that cooking food in the microwave can save as much as 80 percent of the energy used to cook them up in the oven. Wow.  All of that information intrigued and inspired me to push beyond how I have traditionally used my microwave.

I am a pro at air-popped popcorn, five-minute baked potatoes (in this amazing baked potato bag I found in PEI), and vegetable & sausage frittatas but I know there are definitely more dishes that I can be making in my microwave. That is where Chef Michael P Clive comes in. He has developed a number of microwavable recipes for Panasonic and can share insight on how to prepare delicious meals while saving time in the kitchen.

If you are interested in learning more about microwave cookery, you may be interested in The Great Microwave Recipe Challenge. This online contest invites you to challenge Chef Michael P. Clive to a dish you think he can’t make in the microwave. From starters, mains, sides, or dessert – he is willing to try them all.

To participate log on to facebook.com/panasoniccookingcanada, like the page and submit your dish idea.  Canadians then get to vote on their favourite from all four categories (mains, starters, sides and desserts). The chosen dish idea in each category will be awarded a brand new Panasonic Genius Inverter Microwave prize pack and bragging rights. Michael P. Clive will make cooking videos featuring the top four dish ideas. And the winning doesn’t stop there, everyone who submits a recipe will be entered into a random draw for the chance to win an additional brand new Panasonic Genius Inverter Microwave prize pack.  To learn more about The Great Microwave Recipe Challenge click on the video below.

So get out your cookbooks and recipe cards and find you biggest challenge to submit to chef Michael P Clive. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what he comes up with.

To get a head-start on some of the awesome dishes you can create in your microwave, click on the links below to try out two of my favorite dishes, crème brule and pad thai.

Made in the Microwave Pad Thai
Delicious Pad Thai in three easy steps
INGREDIENTS:
•    1lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
•    3 tbsp Thai red curry rub
•    8 oz rice noodles
•    1 cup chicken stock
•    2 garlic cloves, minced
•    3 green onions, sliced
•    1 red pepper, sliced
•    1 carrot, grated
•    1 cup coconut milk
•    3 tbsp ketchup
•    1 tsp chili flakes
•    2 cups bean sprouts
Coarsely chopped cilantro and peanuts with lime wedges (optional)

PREPARATION:
1.    Dice chicken into 1/2-in. (1-cm) pieces. Combine chicken and rub in a microwaveable casserole dish; mix well.  Microwave, covered, on a power level of 10 for 4 minutes; stir to separate chicken.
2.    Break noodles in half. Add noodles, stock and garlic to dish. Microwave, covered, on power 10 for 14-16 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring twice during cooking using tongs to separate noodles.
3.    Meanwhile, on a clean cutting board, slice green onions. Add the sliced peppers, carrot, coconut milk, ketchup and chili flakes to the dish; stir. Microwave, covered, on power 10 for 2-3 minutes or until sauce is hot. Carefully remove dish from microwave. Stir in onions and bean sprouts. Garnish with peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.

Cinnamon Scented Crème Brulee
Gourmet dessert made with the push of a button
INGREDIENTS
•    1 ½ cups heavy cream
•    3 large egg yolks
•    ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus 5 tablespoons for topping
•    1 tsp vanilla extract
•    2 cinnamon sticks
•    Hot water

PREPARATION
1.    In a large microwaveable mixing bowl, microwave cream and cinnamon sticks together uncovered for 3 minutes at power 10. Meanwhile, whisk together egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar, and vanilla extract in a separate large mixing bowl until combined. Whisking constantly, pour heated cream in a thin stream down the side of the bowl of egg mixture.
2.    Once combined, divide custard among four 1/2-cup ramekins (or any ovenproof or microwaveable container, like a mug). Place custards in a shallow microwaveable dish, making sure they don’t touch one another. Pour hot water between the ramekins until it reaches two-thirds of the way up the sides. Microwave at power 10 until center of custards is just set, about 4-5 minutes.
3.    Remove from the microwave and let completely cool in the water. When cool, refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour. Once custards have rested, heat oven to broil and, once heated, sprinkle 4 teaspoons of sugar on each custard. Place custards under broiler for about 3-4 minutes, or until the tops are caramelized and golden brown; watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove from oven and serve.

 Yum! Guess what my family will be enjoying tomorrow night?

This Panasonic blog post was sponsored by Panasonic Canada.