Here are five easy and healthy recipes that you can make in a microwave oven.
When people think of microwave ovens, they usually associate this piece of kitchen equipment with heating snacks and leftover food. One could even be forgiven for thinking that microwave ovens are used only for convenience,
and usually for heating unhealthy packaged food products. However, these misconceptions are all nowhere near the truth.
5 Healthy Meals To Make In Your Microwave Oven [Recipes]
What can you do in a microwave oven?
In reality, a microwave oven can cook more than just popcorn and instant mac
and cheese. You can make healthy and satisfying meals using this very useful
appliance, which makes
buying a microwave oven
a no-brainer.
Myths saying microwaved food is “unhealthy” because it loses most of its nutrients is not completely true. According to Harvard Health, using a
microwave oven is not just a safe way to cook food, it’s one of the best
methods to cook meals because it keeps in most of the food’s nutrients.
When people cook food, the heat naturally breaks down some of its nutrients.
This occurs in any cooking method, whether people roast, fry, boil or use a
microwave oven.
The ideal cooking method to retain food's nutrients is one that heats it at the shortest amount of time, cooks fast, and minimizes the use of liquids. The cooking appliance that best satisfies all these requirements is the microwave
oven.
Easy meals cooked in the microwave oven
To help you cook healthy, microwaved meals, here are a few scrumptious recipes
you should try.
1. Spinach omelet
When it comes to breakfast, there's nothing like a warm serving of fluffy egg omelet. It's even healthier if you add veggies such as spinach.
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| Photo by Madison Inouye from Pexels |
Eggs are high in protein, which provides energy to help you start the day. But
if you don't want to use oil, you can make a healthy spinach omelet using a
microwave oven.
You will only need the following ingredients:
- Two eggs
- Half cup of milk
- A bunch of spinach leaves
- Salt and pepper
Procedure:
To prepare the omelet, crack the eggs into a bowl and add the milk. Lightly beat the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Next, pour the mixture into a pan or a high-edge plate. The egg mixture should cover the entire surface of
the plate evenly.
Microwave it for 2 minutes to heat the mixture. Once that’s done, place the fresh spinach leaves on the left and right sides of the pan. Finally, put it back in the microwave for another 1.5 minutes to finish cooking. When it's
done, fold the omelet in half, and get ready to enjoy your breakfast.
2. Turkey stuffed bell peppers
If you're looking for a yummy low-carb, high-protein meal, you should try this version of stuffed bell peppers. It uses different spices such as cumin and smoked paprika for that savory turkey flavor. It's even topped with melted
low-fat cheddar cheese.
To minimize the fat content, just make sure to use lean ground turkey. You can
also enjoy this dish with a side of complex carbs, such as quinoa or brown
rice.
Here is the full list of ingredients:
- 230 grams of lean ground turkey
- One-fourth cup of shredded low-fat cheddar
- One medium bell pepper
- One-fourth cup of finely diced red onion
- One-third cup of chopped parsley
- One teaspoon of minced garlic
- One teaspoon of cumin
- One and a half teaspoons of smoked paprika
- A dash of salt and pepper
Procedure:
To prepare this dish, season the ground turkey first. Mix in the minced garlic, diced red onion, salt and pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, and parsley.
Be sure to mix thoroughly. Then, slice the bell pepper vertically in half.
Carve out each half to remove its contents, then stuff them with the ground turkey.
Next, put the stuffed bell pepper halves in a microwave-safe bowl with a few tablespoons of water to help soften the pepper when it cooks. Place it in the microwave oven for 3.5 minutes. Once that’s done, top it with cheese and pop it back into the microwave to heat for another minute. If you’re avoiding cheese, you can use the marinara sauce as topping instead.
3. Light white mac and cheese
Want healthy comfort food? This is a low-carb version of regular mac and cheese. Instead of the usual cheddar, it uses goat cheese crumbles and Greek yogurt for that smooth, creamy texture.
It’s also seasoned with garlic and onion powder for that extra spice in each bite. To make it even healthier, you can try using wheat or quinoa macaroni for your pasta.
Here is the complete list of ingredients:
- 60 grams of uncooked wheat or quinoa macaroni
- Four tablespoons of goat cheese crumble
- One tablespoon of 2% Greek yogurt
- Half a teaspoon of onion powder
- One teaspoon of garlic powder
- A dash of salt and pepper
- Chopped green onion for garnish
Procedure:
To cook the macaroni, simply add 2 cups of water and a few teaspoons of sea salt into a bowl. Then, place it in the microwave with a plate on top. Cook it for 5 minutes. Pause to stir, and microwave again for another 3 minutes to
make sure it’s thoroughly cooked.
Once the macaroni is done, drain most of the water from the bowl. Next, add and stir the goat cheese and Greek yogurt into the macaroni. Season it with garlic and onion powder, as well as salt and pepper. Finally, garnish it with
chopped onions for added color.
4. Salmon with sriracha and cucumber
Who says you can’t cook fish in the microwave? Try this sweet and tangy salmon dish with the crunch of cucumbers. It uses lemon juice for that sour but
refreshing taste.
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| Photo by Krisztina Papp from Pexels |
The acid from the citrus helps get rid of that pungent fishy flavor while exciting your palate. It’s also balanced with a little sriracha and sugar for just the right level of spice and sweetness. You can enjoy this light,
high-protein meal with a side of brown rice or quinoa.
Here’s the full list of ingredients:
- One salmon filet (140 grams)
- Sriracha sauce
- One lemon
- Cucumber slices
- Half a cup of white vinegar
- One tablespoon of sugar
- Salt and pepper
Procedure:
To prepare the salmon filet, place it on top of a square parchment paper. Put sliced lemons on top of the fish, and sprinkle lemon juice and a bit of water.
Next, fold the parchment paper to keep the filet inside. Place it in the microwave for 3 and a half minutes to cook.
In the meantime, mix the cucumber slices, white vinegar, sugar, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Then, put the vinegar mixture on a serving plate. Once the salmon is cooked, lay it on top of the cucumber mixture and serve. Enjoy your
meal!
5. One-pot chicken with tomato sauce
If you want a filling and hearty meal, try this savory chicken dish in tomato
sauce with rosemary and Worcestershire sauce.
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| Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels |
It’s a simple one-pot dish you can cook in the microwave that’s easy to prepare in the middle of the week. You can also enjoy it with a side of rice,
salad, or pasta of your choice.
Here’s the full list of ingredients:
- 400 grams mini chicken fillets
- Two to three sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme (you can use dry herbs)
- Two to three garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
- Two teaspoons of vegetable oil
- One zucchini chopped into chunks
- One bell pepper of any color, remove seeds and chop into chunks
- One can of 400 grams chopped tomatoes
- One chopped onion
- One teaspoon of vinegar (you can use red wine)
- One teaspoon of tomato purée
- One teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
Procedure:
To prepare, place the chicken in a microwave-safe dish and drizzle it with vegetable oil. Season it with black pepper and sprinkle the fresh herbs on top. Next, cover the dish with a cling wrap and make sure to leave the top to be a bit open. Microwave it for 2 minutes. Then, take the dish and pull back the cling wrap to flip the chicken fillets to cook more evenly. Put back the cover and cook it again for another 2 minutes.
Once that’s done, transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside. Take the dish with the oil and herbs, and add the garlic and onion. Place it back in the microwave to cook for 2 minutes. Next, get the dish again and add the chopped tomatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers. Stir in the vinegar,
Worcestershire sauce, and tomato purée in the mixture.
Take the chicken and place it back in the dish. Make sure to get a spoon to cover the chicken with the tomato sauce mixture. Cover the dish again with
cling wrap and let it cook in the microwave for 3 minutes.
Afterward, get the dish and stir the chicken to let it cook evenly. Pop it back again in the microwave for 5 minutes. Once that’s done, take the dish and let it rest for 2 minutes. Finally, check if the chicken is fully cooked. If it’s not, you can place it in the microwave again for another 1 to 2 minutes until it’s done. Once it’s ready, enjoy your hearty one-pot chicken meal.
Epilogue
These are just a few healthy dishes you can try cooking in your microwave.
They are all easy to prepare, so you only need basic kitchen skills to cook them. Even without a stovetop or oven, you can make delicious and healthy
meals with just your microwave oven.
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Other recipes to try:
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True po. Yung microwave oven nga po namin dito for reheating lang din talaga ang purpose. I love that you shared some easy recipes which we can try. I hope you also have dessert recipes.
ReplyDeleteThese all look delicious. Cooking with a microwave is so convenient, but unfortunately, a lot of recipes aren't that good. These certainly change that!
ReplyDeleteHello Ivan. I saved and will print these recipes later. This will help me a LOT with my busy schedule. Thank you so much. This is just what i need!
ReplyDeleteGuilty ako dito ang alam ko lang talaga sa microwave pang init ng food. Anyway Thank you for sharing po especially sa recipe must try po lalo na easy to prepare lang din and healthy food pa🤗.
ReplyDeletehi Ivan, I saved and will print these great recipes for my future reference. This will help me a lot of time especially on my busy days. Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteWe use our microwave on a regular basis! There are definitely lots of healthy options!
ReplyDeleteExcellent dishes here. That mac n cheese alternative looked great. I think I will try that for myself next time. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that you could make these things in the microwave! I will keep this in mind for busy days.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. Our microware oven is used for heating cold food form the ref plus of course making the daughter's popcorn. Maybe I will try the omelet recipe.
ReplyDelete"One-pot chicken with tomato sauce" has now grabbed my attention fully! I need to try it out, just like you've recommended!
ReplyDeleteMy oldest son moved. He has no microwave. I was surprised, most places have one!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely taking note of this. Sometimes I need to have some easy to cook meals over the day since I am working from home. Thanks for the list!
ReplyDeleteWala po kaming microwave daddy ivan, pero gusto ko din talaga magkaroon nito lalo nat napakadali lang talaga mag luto dito gamit ang Microwave. Anyway thankyou for sharing this po.. Thankyou din po sa pag share ng recipe. Must try this po..
ReplyDeleteThese would definitely come in handy for all of our super busy evenings. Thanks for putting together this list!
ReplyDeleteTurkey stuffed bell peppers sounds so yummy. Can't wait to try it.
ReplyDelete