Savory Cheese and Onion microwaved mug muffins

 This was an experiment that sorta, kinda worked.
 I read a recipe on a food blog that I should have book-marked and wish I could remember. The writer made chocolate, lava-muffins, using a packaged muffin mixture and adapted the recipe to suit her vision. The end product looked absolutely delicious.
 It got me to thinking. I hate mucking about in the kitchen, weighing out and measuring and discovering, only after I've already been to the shops, the recipe calls for flour different from that which I have. Or, as is most often the case , finding, when I open the cupboard, some ingredient I was positive I have, is in fact, finished.
 I am more about eating than cooking. Certainly there are times when it's fun to cook up but most of the time, all I want is something tasty, quick and easy.

Neither time nor inclination

 Lately I've spent the bulk of my time working on my street photography website, www.jozifolk.com that has taken off like a moon rocket. As a result, there was neither time nor inclination to spend lengthy periods in the kitchen. But, at the same time, I grew tired of slapped-together, peanut butter sandwiches.
 So, muffins, pre-mixed in a packet, sounded wonderful. According to the manufacturer's instructions, all I needed to add was two thirds of a cup of cooking oil, two eggs and one and a half cups of water and, 20 minutes later, I'd have a dozen fresh muffins.
 But what if I cooked them in the microwave?
 I bought a packet of muffin mix for a paltry R10 (somewhere around $0.80!) and, armed with righteous thoughts, sallied forth to the kitchen where, I discovered, there was no vegetable oil.
 So, instead of vegetable oil, I used 1 3/4 cups of milk. I figured I may as well go all out and roughly chopped up an onion into the mix.
 The article about microwaved, chocolate, lava, mug muffins emphasised an EXTRA EGG ALWAYS BE ADDED to the number of eggs listed on the packet. I did this.
 When the mixture was ready I spooned it into a a mug until three quarters filled and sprinkled grated cheese on top.
 This was then nuked in the microwave for two minutes and tested if cooked by stabbing it with a thin-bladed knife that, when removed, was clean.
 As cooking proceeds, the muffin rises! The mixture towered over the rim of the mug. It is better to only half-fill the mug.

No prizes

The oven-baked version

 From an aesthetic point of view, these microwaved, mug, muffins will never win any prizes. Their texture is denser than expected but they are good, very good! They are incredibly filling and satisfying.
 I kept the remaining mixture in the fridge and later baked nine muffins in a 180c (350F) preheated oven, again with grated cheese sprinkled on top.
 If the truth be told, the oven-baked muffins looked better and had a better texture but the taste was the same.
 I wouldn't trot out the microwaved, mug versions if the arch bishop called to say he was in the neighbourhood and planned to pop 'round for tea but, as a quick, tasty, filling snack, when you're busy and tired of peanut butter sarmies...

My recipe:

Ingredients

1 packet of savory muffin mix
1 3/4 cups of milk
3 eggs (the packet called for two)

Ground pepper to taste
1 roughly chopped onion

Method:

Beat the eggs and milk together.
When well-combined, pour into a bowl containing the muffin mix, onions and pepper. (Add cooked bacon bits, ham, mushroom or other stuff you think will be tasty)
Mix together until combined but do not over mix.

Spoon into a microwave-proof mug until the mug is half-filled.

Cook on full power for two minutes (you may have to adjust cooking times according to your microwave. Test by stabbing the cooked muffin with a knife, or toothpick etc. When cooked, nothing should stick to the stabbing instrument.)

Microwave chocolate cake in a beer mug

 We sorted dinner for Mother's Day with the incredibly simple, quick, easy and delicious Marco Pierre White spaghetti carbonara recipe but obviously your mother, your childrens' mother or the woman you want to be the mother of your children needs something sweet to complete the meal.
 So let's knock up something easily quick and delicious. The inspiration for this comes from Table for Two Blog although I made a few small changes, mainly to accommodate mistakes I made and substitutions for ingredients I did not have.

 First off, it's important to note that all microwaves are different, so the cooking times are guidelines rather than set in stone. Tweak and test for yourself.
 My first attempt saw a mistake that turned into a happy result. I forgot to add the baking powder and ended up with a pudding rather than a cake. I added fresh cream and it was delicious.

The beer mug "pudding"

 The next attempt got everything right. This is a good one.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (add one more if you prefer it sweeter)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of peanut butter or Nutella or similar

Method:

1.   In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

 2.   Add the milk and vegetable oil and whisk until all ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth and silky with no lumps.

 3.   Pour the batter into a microwave-proof mug that is large enough to allow the cake to rise.

4.   Drop a tablespoon of peanut butter into the middle of the batter.

5.   Place in microwave and cook on high for two minutes. (This is a guideline. Test with a tooth-pick and adjust according to your microwave.) The cake will continue to cook for a while when it is out of the microwave.

6.   Allow to cool and garnish with chocolate shavings etc.

Please be cool and share!