Ancient cooking... in the microwave?!

I was Christmas shopping at TJ Maxx last week and I almost bought the weirdest-looking silicone contraption I'd ever seen. It looked intriguing, but I ended up putting it back because I was already going to spend too much on gifts for family and friends!

Now I regret that decision. You know me -- microwave cooking is a big hobby of mine and I'm still extremely curious about the device. I looked it up on Google and discovered that it's called a tagine (sometimes spelled tajine). This one is very affordable (around $20) and also gets some good reviews.



Tagines originated in Morocco and are used for cooking one-dish meals. I can't imagine anything more perfect for cooking in microwave ovens. And there's another benefit: silicone tagines are safe to use in the regular oven too! What a versatile tool.

I'm going to buy one from Amazon and will report back to you later. Maybe I'll even do a video.

TIP: Since it's made of silicone, the container will probably be floppy, so I plan to take the rotating glass plate out of the microwave and set the tagine on top, then use the glass plate to transfer the tagine in and out of the microwave.

Until I can try this out myself, here's a recipe that can be used with this tagine:

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 lb. boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup flour
1 tsp. ground cumin,
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 can (10.5 oz) condensed beef broth
1 stick cinnamon
½ cup sherry
½ cup whole natural almonds, roasted*
1 cup pitted dates
¼ cup chopped parsley
Hot cooked rice or couscous, if desired

Directions:

Combine onions and garlic in tagine. Cover; microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Toss lamb with ¼ cup flour, cumin, ginger and salt; stir into onion mixture. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Stir in beef broth and cinnamon stick. Cover; microwave on high for 10 minutes.

Whisk remaining ¼ cup flour with sherry; stir into stew mixture. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Stir in almonds, dates and parsley. Let stand several minutes to heat through. Serve over rice or couscous, if desired.

One-Dish Wonders: Smothered Chicken

One of the biggest problems that we encounter when we're cooking entire meals in the microwave is: how do you get everything hot all at the same time? It's nearly impossible to cook several different dishes in one microwave because there's only one microwave. Well... usually, anyway!

So the secret that I've found is this: cook everything in one dish. This doesn't have to mean that you sacrifice on taste or nutrition. What it does mean is that you take into account various "cooking times" and then add each ingredient at the right time, so that nothing is overcooked, mushy, or rubbery.

One great example is a recipe from the June 2005 issue of Everyday Food. The garlic sauce is unbelievable! Try it with some crusty bread for a hearty, filling meal.

Smothered Chicken... in the Microwave

Ingredients:

1 large onion
1 red bell pepper, seeded
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 head of garlic (the whole thing)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Cut onion and red bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces. In a 2-quart microwave-safe dish, toss onion with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Place head of garlic (unpeeled) in the center, cover the dish and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes. While the onion and garlic cooks, combine 2 teaspoons paprika, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub seasoning mixture onto 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.

Once the onion and garlic is done, remove dish from microwave and stir bell pepper and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste into the onion. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and around the garlic, with the thickest part of the chicken breasts facing the edge of the dish. Re-cover dish and microwave on HIGH until chicken is opaque (about 10 minutes). Remove chicken from the dish and cover to keep warm.

Using a paper towel or clean dishcloth to hold the HOT garlic bulb, carefully slice off the top and expose the cloves. Starting at the base of the bulb, squeeze the cloves into a small bowl. Add 3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Mash mixture with a spoon and then stir into the vegetable mixture. Serve chicken over vegetables and enjoy!