Brunch in five! These microwave meals from a tasty new book can be made in minutes, saving you time and money
‘BAKED’ CAMEMBERT
This is delicious served with fresh fruit or vegetable sticks and crackers or crusty bread for dipping.
Paul Mas Réserve Languedoc Blanc 2022 (13%) £9.99, reduced to £6.99 until Tuesday, Waitrose
Serves 4
Ready in under 5 minutes
- 1 x 250g round Camembert
- 25g (1oz) pecan or walnut halves, roughly chopped
- 2tbsp runny honey
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh thyme leaves, to garnish (optional)
- Crusty bread and fresh fruit such as figs and grapes, to serve
Take the Camembert out of its box and remove the wrapping. Place on a board and carefully cut off and discard the top rind.
Put the cheese, cut-side up, in the centre of a microwaveable plate.
Scatter the nuts over the cheese and drizzle with the honey. Season with plenty of ground black pepper. Cook on HIGH for 50 seconds (1000W), 1 minute (800W), or until the cheese is hot and just melted. It will continue melting for a few minutes after you remove it from the microwave.
Scatter with the thyme, if using, and serve.
OLLY SMITH’S WINE PAIRING: FRUITY BEAUTY
Paul Mas Réserve Languedoc Blanc 2022 (13%) £9.99, reduced to £6.99 until Tuesday, Waitrose
Bright, richly layered and with a hint of apricot, this memorable white is a steal at this offer price.
THE PERFECT SCRAMBLED EGGS
My method for cooking scrambled eggs in the microwave gives deliciously creamy results and produces less washing-up than the standard method.
Villiera Cap Classique Brut NV (11.5%) £14.99 as part of a Mix Six, Majestic
You need to whisk a couple of times, but it’s worth it!
Serves 1
Ready in under 5 minutes
- 15g (½oz) butter (around 1tbsp)
- 2 medium or large eggs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 slices of sourdough, toasted
- Cooked cherry tomatoes, to serve
- Fresh herbs or watercress, to garnish
Put the butter in a medium microwaveable mixing bowl and cook, uncovered, on HIGH for 15 seconds (1000W), 20 seconds (800W), or until melted.
Break the eggs into the bowl and whisk thoroughly.
(As egg white and yolk set at different temperatures, it’s important to beat well to avoid uneven cooking.)
Season with salt and black pepper.
Cook, uncovered, on HIGH for 1 minute (1000W) or 1 minute 20 seconds (800W), whisking every 30 seconds, until softly set.
The egg will set around the sides before the centre, which is why it is important to whisk regularly.
Serve on sourdough toast, with cherry tomatoes on the side and garnished with herbs or watercress.
EXCELLENT WITH EGGS
Villiera Cap Classique Brut NV (11.5%) £14.99 as part of a Mix Six, Majestic
A South African fizz to rival the world’s best bubbly but at half the price, this is silky and with the right richness for scrambled eggs.
COOK’S TIP
Medium or large eggs can be used, but if not using fridge-cold eggs, you’ll need to reduce the cooking time slightly.
PITTA BREAD PIZZAS
Super-fast and convenient, these pizzas have a fluffy base and a rich, cheesy top. Add any of your favourite toppings or serve simply as a margherita. You can even use the pitta bread straight from the freezer – just increase the cooking time a little.
Makes 2
Ready in 5-10 minutes
Erdinger Weissbier (5.3%, 50cl) £2.20, Tesco
- 2 white or wholemeal pitta breads
- 3tbsp tomato purée
- ¼tsp dried oregano
- 50g (1¾oz) ready-grated mixed mozzarella and Cheddar cheese
- Toppings of your choice, such as salami, chorizo, ham, olives, thinly sliced mushrooms, roasted pepper strips, tomatoes, goat’s cheese, pesto or rocket
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- A small handful of fresh herbs, to serve (optional)
Put the pitta breads on two microwaveable plates. Spread with tomato purée, then sprinkle with oregano and cheese.
Add your favourite toppings and season with lots of black pepper. Cook one at a time, uncovered, on HIGH for 50-60 seconds (1000W), 60-70 seconds (800W), or until the cheese has melted and the toppings are hot. The exact timings will depend on the toppings.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs, if using.
PIZZA PERFECTION
Erdinger Weissbier (5.3%, 50cl) £2.20, Tesco
I love the refreshing scent of this classy wheat beer. With its gentle aromatic flair, it’s just the ticket to pair with pizzas with a variety of toppings – serve cold in a wine glass to maximise the aromas.
COOK’S TIP
Ready-grated mixed mozzarella and Cheddar is great for pizzas, and available in most supermarkets.
WARM BERRY COMPOTE
Muscat de Saint-Jean de Minervois Tailhades (15%, 37.5cl) £8.50, tanners-wines.co.uk
A super-quick compote to serve with pancakes, waffles, Greek yoghurt, granola or ice cream.
Serves 2
Ready in under 5 minutes
- 150g (5½oz) frozen fruit (such as mixed berries, cherries or mango pieces)
- 40g (1½oz) caster sugar or 4tbsp maple syrup, or to taste
Put the frozen fruit and sugar or syrup in a lidded microwaveable bowl.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 minutes (1000W), 2 minutes 30 seconds (800W), or until the fruit is hot and softened enough to create a juicy syrup.
Serve the warm compote with pancakes, waffles or yoghurt if eating for breakfast, or whipped cream if having as dessert.
BEAUTIFUL WITH BERRIES
Muscat de Saint-Jean de Minervois Tailhades (15%, 37.5cl) £8.50, tanners-wines.co.uk
Sweet, unctuous and suave, this is glorious served chilled with warm berry compote.
Recipes extracted from Ping! Cook, Bake, Create Using Just Your Microwave by Justine Pattison, published by HQ, £20 © Justine Pattison 2023.
To order a copy for £18 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
Free UK delivery on orders over £25. Promotional price valid until 19/08/2023. Photography by Kate Whitaker.
ALL MICROWAVE OVENS MAY VARY – THE COOKING TIMES HERE ARE A GUIDE
Recipes extracted from Ping! Cook, Bake, Create Using Just Your Microwave by Justine Pattison
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