Twin Cities Live and Warners’ Stellian Microwave Chef Challenge

A few times a year, Twin Cities Live asks their favorite chefs to compete against each other in a food challenge.  I’ve participated in their Mother’s Day ChallengeCream of Mushroom Soup ChallengeMinnesota State Fair Food on a Stick Challenge and the Cub Foods $20 Chef Challenge.  I was the runner up in both the Mother’s Day and Soup contest and won the Food on a Stick challenge and the $20 challenge.  The prize for these contests is the “Golden Whisk”, a small piece of wood with a whisk that has been sprayed glittery gold!  Twin Cities Live asked me to compete in their most recent challenge, the Warners’ Stellian microwave chef challenge.  The idea behind the contest was to show people how to use the microwave for many uses, not just heating up food.

Twin Cities Live is giving away a Danby microwave oven during this challenge!  Sign up here to be entered!  A winner will be drawn on January 16, 2012.

Spoiler Alert: I won the chef challenge with these three recipes!  These recipes were so much fun to create and I loved that they are so easy I could make these with my daughter!  Watch the video to hear a very special announcement about our family!

All of these recipes were made for use in the microwave but I also included notes about oven baking.  


Breakfast Cupcake: Green Cakes and Ham

Ingredients:
1 package (6.5 ounce) Blueberry Muffin Mix (just add water)
½ cup Green Goddess Smoothie
2 ½ TB Bacon Pieces
Butter
Sugar
Directions:
Mix blueberry mix and smoothie.  In a ramekin lined with a baking cup, fill half full and add bacon pieces.  Cook in microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds at 70% power.  For multiple ramekins, increase time in microwave but maintain 70% power.  Cook until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Brush with butter and sugar.
Oven directions: Bake in lined muffin tin at 375 for 16 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 5 cupcakes

Dinner Cupcake: Meatloaf Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2.5 lb Ground Turkey
3/4 cup of Brown Sugar

1 TB Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp Salt

1 lb Frozen Broccoli (defrosted)

1/2 TB Olive Oil

3 Eggs

1.5 cups of finely ground Ritz Crackers

1 package Microwaveable Potatoes (24 ounces)

16 Sweet Grape Tomatoes

Directions:
Combine turkey, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Set aside.  In a food processor blend defrosted broccoli and olive oil until pureed.  Pour broccoli mixture into turkey mixture. Lightly beat eggs and add to mix. Finally add ground crackers to the mix and combine thoroughly.  Place ½ cup of mixture in a baking cup inside a ramekin.  Cook in microwave for 5 minutes at 70% power. For multiple ramekins, increase time in microwave but maintain 70% power.

Cook microwave potatoes for 1 minute 30 seconds on high.  Place potatoes in a pastry bag with tip or a gallon plastic bag with the end trimmed open. Decorate each cupcake with potatoes and top with a tomato.

Oven directions: Bake in lined muffin tin at 375 for 25 minutes.
Makes 16 cupcakes


Dessert Cupcake: S’mores Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 package (16.25 ounce) Super Moist White Cake
1 ¼ cup water
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
3 eggs
1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 cup crushed Chocolate bar
1 cup Mini Marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Mix cake mix, water, oil, and eggs.  Batter will be lumpy.  Add graham cracker crumbs, chocolate and marshmallows.  In a ramekin lined with a baking cup, fill half full and cook in microwave for 1 minute 15 seconds at 80% power.  For multiple ramekins, increase time in microwave but maintain 80% power. Cook until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. In 20-second intervals at high power, melt chocolate chips.  Drizzle chocolate on top of each cupcake.
Oven directions: Bake in lined muffin tin at 350 for 15 minutes. Cook until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 24 cupcakes

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