Magnificent or Mediocre? A Microwave Dinner that is Both.

I haven't written in a while because the gas in our apartment building has been (and still is) shut off.  There was a gas leak...the soonest ConEd could come fix it was in 4 months...we are getting new electric stoves in the meantime...but when?  Who knows!  
I have missed blogging and cooking, so I decided to try a microwave dinner.  I wanted to make things that you wouldn't usually think of making in the microwave.  You will have to read on to see how it went...

Drink...

White Wine (Pinot Grigio)

I Googled what drinks go best with risotto and all that came up was wine.  So, I thought...well, if that's the best...that makes it easy for me!
However, this choice did not turn out quite as boring as I thought it would be.  There ended up being a story to this wine...
Just a couple days before, Doug and I had a conversation about how, due to some strange law, you can not buy wine at a grocery store in NYC (only beer).  When I went out shopping for ingredients I was annoyed.  We had already been to one store, I was on my way to another store, and then I would have to go to the wine store (that's the other thing about NYC - you can not get all the ingredients you need in one store - it requires you going to at least 2-3).  So, here I am walking around Food Emporium (store #2) and there I see it...wine!!  I was so excited that I would not have to go to another store and I could prove Doug wrong at the same time, so I bought the wine.
I started cooking with it and Doug asked for a glass.  So, I poured him a one and he said, "Wow, this wine is really sweet."  I thought, oh, that's good.  I like a sweeter wine.  Then he said, "No, really it tastes like juice."  He proceeded to go in the fridge and look at the bottle.  That's when we found out it was not wine, but "a wine product."  It had alcohol in it, but a very low percentage and it tasted pretty disgusting, even to someone who likes sweet wine.  Moral of the story:  Do NOT buy "wine" at a grocery store in NYC.

Dinner...

Asparagus Risotto and Chicken with Pesto Sauce

Chicken with Pesto Sauce (Mediocre)
This chicken was not bad...just nothing to write home about. 
Ingredients:

• 2 boneless breaded chicken breasts (I used Trader Joes pre-cooked frozen ones)
• 2 tbs. pesto sauce
• 1 tbs. butter

Directions:

1. Microwave chicken breasts for 2 1/2 minutes. 
2. Melt butter and mix with the pesto sauce.
3. Top the chicken breast with pesto.

Asparagus Risotto (Magnificent)

*Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com
This recipe was amazing to me.  It was almost like magic the way it cooked in the microwave.  Believe it or not, I have never had risotto before.  But, I must say this tasted pretty good to me!
Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cooked, cut asparagus
• 2 Roma tomatoes

Directions:

1. In a large microwave safe bowl combine butter, garlic and onion. Place dish in microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes.
2. Place chicken broth in a microwave safe dish. Heat in microwave until the broth is hot but not boiling (approximately 2 minutes).
3. Stir the rice and broth into the bowl with the onion, butter and garlic mixture. Cover the dish tightly and cook on high for 6 minutes.
4. Stir wine into the rice. Cook on high for 5 minutes.  Add the asparagus and tomatoes and cook 5 minutes more. Most of the liquid should boil off. Stir the cheese into the rice and serve. 

Dessert:

Mini-Moist Vanilla Cake (Miserable)

*recipe from: Delicious Microwave Recipes
This cake sounded too good to be true.  I mean, how can you make a cake in the microwave?  But, it looked so good in the picture on the website, I just had to try it.  I found out that some things are not meant to be made in the microwave.

I had high hopes for the cake 

as it started rising in the microwave.

The taste of the cake was ok, I guess.  But it was a very strange texture.  Also, even though it's vanilla cake, it turned out brown.  I think maybe I overcooked it.  But. it did not seem done after the amount of time the recipe said.  Here's the recipe in case you want to see how weird it was.  Or, maybe you will have better luck than me!
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar 
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar 
• 3 tablespoons applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 can of chocolate frosting

 Directions:

1. Combine the flour, sugar, milk, vinegar, applesauce, baking soda, and vanilla extract together by whisking vigorously, until smooth. 
2. Next, beat in the egg. 
3. Spray a large cereal bowl with non-stick cooking spray, and pour  the smooth batter into the cereal bowl (may fill more than one bowl, just pour into multiple bowls until mix is gone).
4. Baking one bowl at a time, place it in the microwave on high for 2 to 4 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  
5. Let cool before serving or frosting!

 And the Results...

One thing I made in the microwave was really good and I would probably make it again (especially in the summer when you don't want to heat up the house by using a stove or oven).  But, I am not converted to a microwave chef and hopefully I will be back to cooking with a stove/oven soon! 

No Gas = No Good Food

I was planning on making a delicious meal this weekend and adding another post to my blog, but our gas has been shut off in our apartment for the past 6 days due to a leak.  I never realized how much I use the stove/oven until now.  Hopefully it will be back on soon - otherwise the theme for my next post might have to be drinks, dinner, and dessert à la microwave!

A Rosh Hashanah Dinner

I had a couple days off for Rosh Hashanah, so even though I am not Jewish, I was inspired to make some traditional Rosh Hashanah food.  I found that a lot of the food was simple to make, but very time-consuming.  So, if you decide to do any of these recipes, be sure to plan ahead!

Drink...

Pomegranate Sangria

*Recipe from The Shiksa In The Kitchen
This drink is not traditional for Rosh Hashanah, but it has a lot of holiday symbolism in it.  There is honey (in honor of a sweet new year), pomegranate (to symbolize a "new fruit" and the 613 Mitzvot because there are supposedly 613 seeds), grapes (a round fruit to represent the cyclical nature of the year), and apples (traditionally eaten with honey to symbolize a sweet new year).  Along with all the symbolism, it is really, really tasty too!
Ingredients:
(Serves 6-8)

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 apple, cored and sliced thin
• 12 oz. seedless grapes
• 1 bottle red wine (syrah/shiraz works well)
• 2 cups pure 100% pomegranate juice
• 1 cup grape juice (I didn't want to buy two different juices, so I used Trader Joe's Triple Berry juice in place of the pomegranate and grape juices.  It is a blend of pomegranate, blueberry, and cranberry and worked really well.)
• 1/4 cup brandy (I used cherry brandy)
• 1/4 cup triple sec

 Directions:

1. Pour the honey and ½ cup water into a small saucepan. 
2. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until the honey is completely dissolved into the water. Do not boil. 
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool. This is your honey simple syrup.
4. Seed the pomegranate.
5. Place the pomegranate seeds, grapes, and apples in the bottom of a pitcher.
6. Pour the entire bottle of wine into the pitcher.
7. Add the juice, brandy, triple sec, and honey simple syrup to the pitcher. Stir to blend all the flavors together.
8. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Stir again prior to serving. 

Dinner...

Brisket with Tzimmes

*Recipe from Epicurious
This is a really good recipe.  The meat is so tender it just falls apart.  Tzimmes is a traditional Jewish sweet stew with carrots, prunes, and other root vegetables.  But, once again, it cooks for a VERY long time, so prepare ahead!
Ingredients:
(Serves 4-5)

• 1 (3- to 4-lb) brisket
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 3/4 cup Sherry vinegar ( couldn't find this so I used red wine vinegar)
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch-long pieces (I just used baby carrots)
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 medium regular potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/4 cups dried pitted prunes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  
2. Pat brisket dry and rub all over with salt and pepper. 
3. Heat oil in a heavy roasting pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. 
4. Brown brisket, starting with fat side down, on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. 
5. Remove from heat, then add stock and vinegar to pan. 
6. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil and braise brisket in oven 2 hours. 
7. Add carrots and potatoes to pan and braise, covered, 1 hour. 
8. Add prunes and braise, covered, 30 minutes more. 
9. Cool meat, uncovered, to room temperature, about 1 hour. 
10. Chill, covered, at least 12 hours.
11. Preheat oven to 350°F.  
12. Transfer brisket to a cutting board and slice across the grain about 1/4 inch thick. 
13. Return sliced meat to pan and reheat, covered with foil, until heated through, about 40 minutes. 
14. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper, then arrange meat with tzimmes and sauce on a large platter. 

Challah Bread

*Recipe from Epicurious

This bread is okay, but takes a long time to make.  Even though it was a good experience making my own bread, I think I'll stick to store-bought Challah Bread in the future :)
Ingredients:
(Makes 1 Challah loaf)

• 1 teaspoon instant yeast (I followed the reviews I read and added more yeast to help it rise.  I used 1 1/2 tsp total)
• About 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/8 cup warm water
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 1/8 cup honey or 1/6 cup granulated sugar (I read reviews saying the bread wasn't sweet enough, so I used 1/8 cup of honey plus 2 tbs. sugar.)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast and 1/8 cup of the flour. 
2. Whisk in the warm water until smooth. 
3. Let the yeast mixture stand uncovered for 10 to 20 minutes, or until it begins to ferment and puff up slightly.
4. Whisk 2 of the eggs, salt, oil, and honey or sugar into the puffed yeast mixture until the eggs are well incorporated and the salt has dissolved.
5. With your hands or a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining flour all at once. 
6. When the mixture is a shaggy ball, scrape it out onto your work surface and knead it until smooth, no more than 5 minutes. This dough is very firm and should feel almost like modeling clay. If the dough is too firm to knead easily, add a tablespoon or two of water to it; if it seems too wet, add a few tablespoons flour. (My dough never got firm like clay even though I added quite a bit more flour.  Mine was very sticky, but it still worked.) 
7. Place the dough in a warm clean bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. 
8. Let the dough sit until it has at least doubled in size, about 2 hours.  (I followed reviews and to help it rise I boiled a pot of water, placed the pot of hot water in the bottom of the oven and then with the oven turned off, put the dough on a rack above the hot water to keep it warm.) 
9. Grease a large baking sheet.  
10. Divide the dough into two portions.
11. Twist and braid the dough together.
12.  Cover the loaves well with plastic wrap.
13. Let them sit until tripled in size, about 2 hours (I did the same trick with the hot water in the oven).  
14. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
15. Beat the remaining egg with a pinch of salt for glazing the bread.
16. Brush the dough with the egg glaze.
17. Bake rolls for about 15 to 20 minutes, until very well browned.
    

    

    Dough before 2nd rise

    
    

    

    Dough after 2nd rise

    
    

    

    Finished, baked dough

    
    

     

Dessert...

 Honey Cake
*Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
This cake is really good.  It is kind of like a spice cake.  I think it would be even better with ice cream or whipped cream.
Ingredients:
(Makes one loaf-sized cake)

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup warm coffee 
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/8 cup whiskey
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. 
4. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee, orange juice and whiskey.
5. Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a thick, well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.
6. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
7. Bake until cake tests done, that is, it springs back when you gently touch the cake center, about 45 to 55 minutes.
8. Let cake stand fifteen minutes before removing from pan.
9. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Shana Tova!

If you are like me and never made any of these foods before, enjoy, because they are delicious!  I learned a lot about Rosh Hashanah while making this meal and was able to eat some new food in the process, which is always a good thing!