Mastering the Art of Microwave Cooking

The number-one most important rule of cohabitation should be, “do not cook a tuna casserole from your dorm’s microwave." Yes, I speak from experience: I tried making some this week (slightly adapted from this recipe). Needless to say, the results were not the crispy, cheesy goodness that can be seen in the picture; my casserole had hot and cold patches, a soggy texture, and a watery "sauce".
My attempt at the casserole was so bad, I didn't even try to photograph it.

And I'm the sort of person who photographs almost everything they eat.

With that said, I did have some excellent microwave recipes (healthy or relatively healthy) that I could make from the comfort of my dorm room:

Banana, Oats and Peanut Butter Mugcake 
- 3 tbsp. peanut butter
- 1 overripe banana
- 1/2 c. oats
- 1 egg
- Sweetener to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a mug, microwave on high for a minute. Let cool.

Convenience: 7/10. You still have to find eggs, and there isn't a place on or near campus where they sell fewer than a dozen.
Taste: 10/10. I'm a fan of the PB+banana combination.
Texture: 6/10. Nothing on a microwave will get more than this. With that said, it was relatively good. For a microwave.
Health points: 7/10. At around 300 calories per mugcake, I found them to be much more filling than dining commons dessert.


Quesadilla
- 1 tortilla flat (I've used the ProteinUp flats too)
- Cheese

Convenience: 8/10. Have to find cheese, but cheese goes by faster than eggs do.
Taste: 5/10 - 8/10. Depends on the cheese you use, the tortilla, and if you season it well. M
Texture: 6/10. A little limp.
Health points: 10/10. Again, depending on the cheese and tortilla used, but mine were around 200 calories a serving (2 quesadillas per serving), which is very low, and I found them to be very filling.

Expectation versus reality:  





Scrambled Eggs
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Milk (optional)
- Cheese (optional)
- Any add-ins

Place on a mug, whip to combine (not until peaks have formed, but definitely homogenized). Microwave on high for thirty seconds, move around, then put back for another thirty.

Convenience: 7/10. Again, the pesky issue of the eggs. If you consume more than one egg a day, however, it's very convenient.
Taste: 6/10. Not comparable to skillet eggs at all, but it does the trick on a pinch.
Texture: 4/10. Subjectively, too airy for my taste. My roommate liked them, however.
Health points: 10/10. Due to the manner of cooking, you're able to control exactly what goes in. This makes it rank very high on the health scale-- much better than the dining commons eggs.

Looks suspicious, tastes okay. Like the best things in life, but with a worse texture. 

That's all for this week, folks! I do hope you try out these recipes, and send pictures if you can! I developed the recipes on my own during the course of this semester, and with a little creativity in the dorm kitchen, I'm pretty sure you can out-recipe me!