Review: Mug Meals: Delicious Microwave Recipes by Dina Cheney

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

The secret to fast and easy meals cooked from scratch is hiding in plain sight in your kitchen. The microwave oven is not just for reheating leftovers and making popcorn anymore. With pantry ingredients, a mug and a microwave, you can create a meal in minutes that rivals those cooked in the oven or on the stovetop. Mug MEALS! is the perfect solution for new cooks, busy families, singles, college students, teens, seniors or anyone who just wants a hot meal without all the cleanup.
Make a meal for any time of day. Breakfast options include Lox and Bagel Strata, Double Berry French Toast; for lunch try Moroccan Pumpkin and Chickpea Stew, White Bean Gratin with Olives and Lemon or Double Carrot Soup. Dinner entrees include Chinese Chicken with Noodles and Black Bean Sauce, Classic Shepherd's Pie and Lasagna; dessert selections feature Mango Coconut Crumble, Molten Chocolate Cake with Truffle Filling, Peach and Cornbread Stuffing and more.

MY TAKE:
There was a time when I would look for meals that can be cooked using a microwave, but I lost interest when most of the ones I found were desserts.

In Mug Meals: Delicious Microwave Recipes, readers can choose from a number of recipes they can cook using a microwave. The recipes are grouped as such: breakfast, lunch and dinner, and desserts.

I was quite satisfied with this cookbook. I think this one will appeal to a lot of people, especially those who are more comfortable heating stuff in the microwave rather than cooking on a stove. Of course, some of the recipes require ingredients that have to be cooked first, like ground beef, but there are a lot of recipes too that don't require precooking.

Majority, if not all of the ingredients, are easy to find in a typical supermarket. If you cook a lot, it's also likely that you may have most of the ingredients here in your pantry already.

I promised myself I would try one of the recipes right away, but the ones I wanted to try the most required one or two items that I didn't have on hand. Trying the recipes myself will have to wait until my next grocery trip. The number one recipe on my must-try list: shrimp with garlic, lemon & parsley.

I liked that the recipes actually mention what size of mug you should use (12 oz. or 16 oz.) so whatever you cook doesn't end up overflowing.

I also liked that aside from the recipes, the book also has lists containing the ingredients and equipment you'll need, as well as measurement and temperature equivalents.

Thanks to NetGalley and Taunton Press for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. It's not just desserts.
2. The ingredients are easy to find.
3. The recipes all have short cooking times. 

THE BAD:

1. Some recipes still need precooked ingredients. 

READ IT IF:

1. You feel more comfortable using your microwave than cooking on a stove.
2. You're always in a hurry but don't feel like eating out all the time.
3. You want to try microwave cooking. 

RATING:


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