5 dishes to cook in the microwave

Killer 2-minute noodles

The next time you’re preparing two-minute noodles, add a little extra water as well as some frozen sweetcorn, then place in the microwave and cook as you normally would. This should be enough time for the corn to cook as well.

Remove the dish from the microwave and stir through 2 T Woolies hot chunky salsa. Before it cools, add a few slices of sliced mozzarella. Top with freshly chopped coriander and spring onions and serve with limes on the side.

Spice it up: Add a few pickled, sliced jalapeños tossed with crushed Woolworths multigrain nacho chips.

Cup o’ quiche

Place 2 free-range eggs in a large cup, beat, then add some roughly chopped baby spinach, grated mature Cheddar, 4 T milk, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Top with a little extra cheese then cook in the microwave for 2 minutes, then in 1-minute intervals until perfectly cooked.

Make it a royal cup o’ quiche by adding 1 T basil pesto to the cooked quiche, or add chopped, cooked bacon to the egg mixture before cooking.

Sweet potato not-so-fried fries

Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, thinly slice Woolies Beauregard Orange sweet potato into rounds and place in a large bowl with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Drizzle with just enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the potatoes.

Place a piece of baking paper in the microwave, then place the thinly sliced potatoes onto the paper a single layer. Cook each batch in the microwave for 3–4 minutes, checking whether they’re cooked after the third minute. Take care as they tend to burn easily.

Serve as a snack on their own or with a dip. Try not to store them – rather prepare fresh batches each time.

Spice it up: Dust the cooked sweet potato crisps with smoked paprika and a touch (or more) of chilli powder.

Or try these sweet potato chips with herbed salt.

Brownie in a mug

Melt 2 T butter in a large mug, then add 3 T water, 1 t instant coffee granules, a pinch of salt and 4 T sugar. Mix well, then add 2 T cocoa and mix.

Finally, mix in 4 T cake flour and cook in the microwave for 1 minute. The mixture should still be slightly runny in the centre, but if it’s too runny, cook in 15-second bursts until it reaches the desired texture.

Eat as is or top with ice cream, icing sugar or even some melted chocolate. Step it up by adding chopped nuts to the mixture.

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