Things you absolutely need:
Large oven-safe mug (do not attempt in non-oven-safe mug)
Microwave
Forks??? (something to mix with)
Remember that microwaves vary in wattage and you’ll have to experiment a bit to figure out what works for your microwave: if things need to go in for less time or more, or if you need to adjust the power settings. These recipes are offered with my microwave in mind, but I needed a few tries to adjust them to my microwave settings too.
BREAKFAST: OMELETTE
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp milk
Half an onion, diced
2 tbsp grated cheese (or as much as you want/fits)
Salt and pepper to taste
Other things you want to add to the omelet that will fit in the mug (if you’re using proteins, use pre-cooked proteins: chicken, beef, mushrooms, ham, bacon, etc)—everything you use should be chopped into small pieces
Directions:
Crack and beat the eggs directly in the mug (I like using a fork to beat them but you can use whatever works)
Stir in flour, milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and everything else you want to throw in there
Microwave for 1.5 to 2 minutes. The first time I tried this, I microwaved it for one minute first, then kept microwaving for 20 seconds and checking after each 20-second interval to make sure it was cooked the way I like it.
LUNCH: QUICHE
(is this actually a breakfast item? I don’t know but we’re college students so who cares)
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
Half a bagel (you can choose which half) or a similar amount of French bread
2 tbsp cream cheese
1 slice ham
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Dijon mustard
Optional: chopped chives
Directions:
Beat eggs and milk together in the mug (again, I prefer to use a fork)
Stir in salt, pepper, and cream cheese
Tear bagel or bread into small chunks and stir in
Tear ham into small pieces and stir in
Microwave for approximately 1 minute and 15 seconds. Again, for the first time, it might be best to microwave for about 50 seconds, then check every 10 seconds until it’s done.
Garnish with mustard and chives if you like
DINNER: EGG FRIED RICE
(again, I don’t know if this counts as traditional dinner but bear with me here, dessert is next)
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice (you can use microwavable rice if you don’t own a rice cooker or an equivalent)
5 tbsp frozen mixed vegetables (you can add more or less as you prefer)
3 tbsp chopped peppers
Half an onion, diced
1 large egg
1 tbsp soy sauce (could be from that Chinese takeout you ordered a month ago)
½ tsp sesame oil (ask around; someone definitely own sesame oil)
¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder (can substitute with curry powder or Indian five-spice powder)
Directions:
Put the rice in the mug then layer the vegetables, peppers, and onion on top
Cover with cling film and poke holes in the top with a fork or knife (CRUCIAL STEP—if you don’t poke in holes the mixture might explode)
Microwave for 1 minute
Beat egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, and five-spice powder together in a bowl (or another mug)
Take out the rice and veggies, remove cling film, pour in the egg mixture, and mix everything really well
Cover with cling film again (remember the holes!) and put back in the microwave for 1 minute and 15/30 seconds
Let stand for one minute to finish cooking
Remove from microwave and fluff up the rice with a fork. Check to see if it needs to cook some more. If it doesn’t, it’s good to eat!
DESSERT: NUTELLA MUG CAKE
Ingredients:
4 tbsp Nutella (obviously you can add more if you want; try out the recipe once and then adjust to your preference—I think more Nutella is always a good thing but that could just be me)
You can use a nut-free Nutella substitute if you have an allergy; I haven’t actually tried that but I’m super pro-experimentation
3 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp self-rising flour
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
4 tbsp white granulated sugar
1 egg
Tiny, tiny pinch of salt
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large mug
Whisk with a fork until smooth—this can take some time and patience
Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds to 3 minutes (the microwave at my uncle’s house needs 2 ½ minutes, the one in my apartment needs 1 ½ minutes, so again, probably best to microwave for 1 minute and then check at 10-20 second intervals—you don’t want your mug cake to explode)
I like to top my mug cake with a lot of whipped cream and chocolate syrup and strawberries if I have any (or M&Ms!), but that’s up to you
Enjoy!
