Microwave Ravioli

by Donna Rivera-Loudon

I use a Tupperware Rock N Serve large deep container for this recipe. If you can find a similar container give it a try. Just remember that you only want to use microwave safe containers for the microwave. Containers that are not microwave saft can release unwanted chemicals into your food. Glass is usually a safe option if you don't have the Rock N Serve container or something similar.
Ingredients

1 (16 oz) package of frozen Ravioli 1 qt jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce 1 small can of mushrooms 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers 2 cups of mozzarella cheese divided into 1 cup portions

Place all of the ingredients except for 1 cup of the cheese in your microwave container. Cover the container but try to leave a vent of some sort. This is why the Rock N Serve is good because it has a vent on it and that makes it easy for the steam to release while cooking.

Cook on high for 8 - 10 minutes or until the Ravioli is hot and tender. Stir. Top with remaining cheese. Microwave on high without a cover for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Blueberry French Toast Bake

1/2-cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk

1-tablespoon sugar

1/2-teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salty

6 eggs

10 slices (1-inch thick) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1-cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Powdered sugar

Blueberry or maple syrup

Generously grease a 2 1/2 quart casserole or 9/13 baking dish. Beat flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl by hand until smooth. Stir in bread cubes until coated. Pour bread mixture into pan. top evenly with cream cheese, blueberries and nuts. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with syrup. Yield: 8 Servings

This recipe was developed by Chuck Robey

Fudgesicles

3 Tbls Instant Cocoa

2 Tbls Sugar

Dash of Salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 Eggs

2 1/2 cups milk

Beat eggs together and add other ingredients. Pour into Ice Tups and freeze.

Orange Creamsicles

1 Small Can Frozen Orange Juice

1 cup milk

5-7 ice cubes

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Add water slightly if desired to thin). Drink with a straw or pour into Ice Tups and freeze.

Banana Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick Mix
1 cup milk

2 eggs

One semi-ripe banana

Mix the bisquick mix, milk, and eggs well in a large bowl. Smash the banana with a fork and drop it in chucks into the batter. Mix well. Batter tends to be thick.

Heat a pancake griddle with small amount of oil. When oil is heated drop batter in spoonfuls to desired size. Cook until bubbles appear on the batter. Turn the pancakes over and cook a few minutes so they are browned on both sides.

Hint: Pancakes are not likely to be browned exactly the same on both sides.

Butter the pancakes and serve with pancake syrup.

Banana Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick Mix
1 cup milk

2 eggs

One semi-ripe banana

Mix the bisquick mix, milk, and eggs well in a large bowl. Smash the banana with a fork and drop it in chucks into the batter. Mix well. Batter tends to be thick.

Heat a pancake griddle with small amount of oil. When oil is heated drop batter in spoonfuls to desired size. Cook until bubbles appear on the batter. Turn the pancakes over and cook a few minutes so they are browned on both sides.

Hint: Pancakes are not likely to be browned exactly the same on both sides.

Butter the pancakes and serve with pancake syrup.

Jelly Roll Recipe

1 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4-teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2-teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1/2-cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
1 cup strawberry jam

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Line a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and milk. Stir in the dry ingredients gradually. The batter will be thin. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the center springs back when pressed lightly. Don't over bake, or it may crack. Generously dust a clean dishtowel with confectioners' sugar. Turn the cake out onto the towel, and peel off the parchment paper. Gently roll up the cake using the towel, and let cool for about 10 minutes. Unroll the cake, and spread an even coating of jam onto the top. Roll the cake back up into a tight spiral, and remove the towel. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
This recipe was developed by Chuck Robey

Cooking Meat in the Microwave During Those Hot Summer Months

Summer is here and if you are anything like me, you don't want to turn on your oven or stove unless absolutely necessary. I do most of my cooking in the microwave during the summer months. It helps keep my home cooler and cuts down on my cooling bill.

I have found that a great many people don't like to cook meat in the microwave. I was once one of those people. Chicken would come out like rubber and I always worried that ground beef doesn't cook thoroughly. I have since found that the trick is to use the right cooking utensils.

There has also been some hype about how its not safe to use plastic to cook meat or anything else in the microwave. This is only half true. Certain types of plastic have chemicals that are activated with the extreme heat of the microwave and these chemicals can get into your food. Hence, the key to cooking in your microwave is, once again, to use the correct cooking utensils. Basically, use containers that are specifically designed for cooking in the microwave.

My preference in microwave cooking is Tupperware. Their cookware is specifically designed for the microwave so you don't have to worry about the chemicals. Their Oval Cooker is designed to retain the moisture of your meat so that your meat does't come out dry and rubbery. It also has a colander so you can brown your meat and let the grease drip to the bottom. That makes it easy to dispose of the grease drippings or use them for gravy. Tupperware also backs it cooker with a lifetime warranty so if it breaks I can just replace it with a new one, which seems like a good investment to me.

So the instructions I am providing below apply to the Tupperware Oval Cooker. If you feel confident using a different type of microwave cooker, of course, try that, but please make sure you follow the guidelines I stated above.

Cooking Ground Beef
Place the ground beef with your favorite seasoning in the colander of the cooker. Cover and cook for 6 minutes per pound. Let sit a few minutes then remove from the microwave. By using the colander all the grease will drain to the bottom of the cooker.

Cooking a Whole Chicken
If using the Oval Cooker you will need to use the extender piece for your average size chicken. Then place the chicken in the cooker. Pour about half a cup of water on the bottom of the cooker. Sprinkle your chicken with your favorites seasonings. Placed the cover on the cooker and cook for 6 minutes per pound. I think you will be surprised at how moist your chicken comes out.

Cooking Cut Up Chicken
After cutting up your chicken use the same instructions for cooking a whole chicken. Determine by the how high the chicken stacks if you will need to use the extender or not.

Cooking Chicken Pieces
You can use the colander to cook chicken pieces. Cut the chicken into bit size pieces. I usually use chicken breast cutlets for this. Place the cutup chicken pieces in the colander. Season with your favorite seasonings. Place the cover on the cooker and microwave for 6 minutes per pound.

Cooking Pork
I have not yet tried cooking pork in the microwave. Pork is tricky and my family doesn't eat pork so that is one reason I have never tried cooking it in the microwave. However, there are plenty of beef and chicken recipes out there, so I hope the above suggestions will help you keep your kitchen cooler during the hot summer months.

Donna Rivera-Loudon
Donna is the owner/designer of www.todaysmodernwoman.com.

S'More Bars

1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

In medium size bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Stir in butter until crumbly. Press into a greased 11 x 7 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows and chips. Bake 5 to 7 minutes longer or until marshmallows begin to brown. Cool. Cut into squares and serve.

Guacamole

1 small onion, quartered
1 Jalapeño pepper quartered
1/2 glove garlic, minced
2 avocados, quartered
1 medium tomatoe, quartered
1 1/2 TBS cilantro
Nacho Chips
Use the Quick Chef or a food processor. Finely chop the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, avocados, cilantro, and tomatoes adding one ingredient at a time.

Add the lime juice. If using the Quick Chef, the funnel works good for this. Turn the Quick Chef until you have the consistency you want.
Makes 1 to 2 cups of Guacamole Dip. Serve with Nacho Chips immediately. Use any unused dip within one day.

Taco Dip

1 lb lean ground beef
2 TBS chopped onion
2 TBS chopped green pepper
2 TBS chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp. garlic
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1/2 package taco seasoning mix
1 1/2 to 2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
Nacho chips

Brown ground beef with onions, green peppers, coriander, and garlic. *if you don't want to turn on your stove during hot summer months see article below on how to cook meat in the microwave so that it comes out right. Drain all the fat and make sure you meat is crumbly.

Chop the follow ingredients together. The Quick Chef container works best for this. If you don't have one try a food processor or some other type of mixer. In the Quick Chef place the beef mixture, salsa, taco seasoning, and grated cheese. Mix together well. Place mixture in microwave safe container. The large Rock N Serve, the 6 1/4 cup Heat N Serve, and the Tupperware microsteamer work well for this dip.
Microwave on high for 6 minutes with the container covered. If you are using one of the above mentioned containers you can just place the seal on them. Make sure to vent your Rock N Serve. If you are using a different microwave container, cover it with a paper towel.
Let stand 5 minutes and serve with Nacho Chips.

Cinnamon-Vanilla Whipped Topping

1 pound strawberries

1/2 tsp Chef Series Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning

1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Place whipped topping in a 6-cup container. Sprinkle Cinnamon-Vanilla seasoning
over whipped topping. Blend until smooth with spatula. Store in refrigerator
until ready to serve; wash strawberries and pat dry with paper towels and place
in a container.

Add 2 TBS of cinnamon-vanilla whipped topping in snack cups. Place 1 to 2
strawberries on the rim of the snack cup to serve.