Baked Potato with Thyme Cheese Sauce

Here's a weird-sounding but quick, easy, and delicious idea that I use for any meal, breakfast to supper. I got the idea from a cheese-sauce recipe in a book on landscaping with herbs that I was given about 15 years ago and can no longer find. Mairi Meredith

1 potato
Butter
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar or Colby cheese
Dried thyme
Honey

Pierce the potato and microwave until soft, usually 3-6 minutes. Open it up, butter and salt and pepper it, then top with a generous handful of shredded cheese. Crumble a generous pinch of thyme between your fingers and sprinkle over the cheese, then drizzle with the honey. (Trust me!) Microwave for another minute to a minute and a half, until the cheese is melted, and enjoy! This smells so good that I recommend going out for a stroll after the meal, then coming back in to enjoy the fragrance.

1 lb powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

1
Sift powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt into a 1 quart microwave safe bowl.
2 Stir in milk and vanilla.
3 Mix well.
4 Place butter on top.
5 Microwave on high, 2 minutes.
6 Beat with wooden spoon until smooth.
7 Stir in nuts (OPTIONAL).
8 Spread in 8 X 8 X 2 inch baking pan.
9 Chill about 1 hour or until firm.
Mine firms up right away with no need to chill......

How to Cook Steel Cut Oats in the Microwave Oven

1 part steel cut oats
4 parts water
pinch of salt for every 1/2-cup of oats

A large, microwave safe bowl that is at least 4 times larger in volume than the amount of water, e.g. if cooking 1 cup of oats with 4 cups of water, you will need almost a gallon-size bowl

Stir together oats, water and salt in large microwave-safe bowl. Loosely cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate.
Microwave on high for 10 minutes. After 5 minutes, stop and stirring the oats. Return to microwave and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.

Recipes for Microwave - Week 3, February 2013

Regardless, here is a great recipe my sister sent to me.

Lemon Curd

1 1/4 cups white sugar
3 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 lemons, zested or use vegetable peeler and cut in long curls so it is easy to remove from curd
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Let mixture sit for 10-15 minutes so that sugar dissolves more. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Microwave butter until half melted, let cool, then stir into sugar/egg/lemon mixture. Cook in the microwave at 70% for one-minute intervals, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the microwave, and pour into small sterile jars. Refrigerate overnight before using. Store for up to three weeks in the refrigerator. Makes 2 cups

Like Patti, I just use mine for reheating leftovers, or warming the cat food. :)

But my mayonnaise recipe can be made in either the microwave or on the stove. I just checked the previous thread, and I had posted it there, so I won't put it here again.

Chicken in Wine Sauce

Power Level: HIGH
Cooking Time: 14 minutes
Yeld: 4 servings

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, sliced thin
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 c. margarine
salt ad pepper to taste
1 medium green pepper, cut in strips
1/2 c. white wine
4 oz. sliced mushrooms, drained
2 Tbsp. flour
2/3 c. chicken broth

In oblong baking dish, heat onion and margarine 3 minutes on HIGH until onion is tender. Add chicken and heat 3 1/2 minutes, stirring once.

Season with salt and pepper; add green pepper and wine, heat covered 2 1/2 minutes; add mushrooms and flour blended with broth. Heat 3 1/2 minutes until sauce is thickened, stirring twice.

1 c unsalted butter
1 1/2 c creamy peanut butter, divided
16 oz. powdered sugar
8 oz. chocolate chunks

Melt together butter and 1 c peanut butter in a microwavable bowl on High for about 1 1/2 minutes. Mix well. Stir in powdered sugar; pat into a lightly greased 13x9” baking pan.

Melt together chocolate and remaining peanut butter in a microwavable bowl on High for about 1 1/2 minutes; stir until well blended. Pour chocolate mixture over peanut butter mixture. Chill in refrigerator until firm; cut into squares.

Store in airtight container.

Yields: 5 dozen

1 8-ounce salmon fillet
1 medium-sized ripe tomato, halved crosswise
1 red-skinned new potato, pierced with a fork
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or parsley or dill)

Place the salmon, tomato halves and potato in a microwavable dish. Drizzle with the olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and half of the basil.

Cook, covered, in a microwave for 4 minutes (this recipe was cooked on HIGH (full power, 1000 watts) in a carousel microwave oven).

Sprinkle with the remaining basil and serve immediately with the unsqueezed lemon half.

TIP: I often buy a 1- to 2-pound salmon fillet and cut it into 2 to 4 portions, then freeze them. The frozen fillets cook in the same amount of time as fresh salmon.

Makes 1 serving
Source: Simply Delicious by Sheila Lukins from Parade magazine, March 28, 1999

Makes 14 chocolate clusters

9 ounces high-quality dark chocolate
3/4 cup salted pretzel pieces
1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried

Gently melt the chocolate in 30 second increments in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring in-between

Once chocolate is completely melted, add blueberries and pretzel pieces and stir until completely coated

Use a tablespoon to drop large clusters of the mix on a baking sheet lined with wax paper

Chill chocolates in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until candy is completely firm

Store chocolates in refrigerator for up to 3 days