how NOT to microwave a sausage

based on my last experience of a microwaved sausage, i thought, why not microwave another one and change up my usual egg-a-day routine?

answer: the last time was a fluke

warning: DO NOT MICROWAVE YOUR SAUSAGE ON HIGH FOR 10 MINS (even if you're afraid of getting a parasite)

uh, didn't know you could make actual cardboard out of meat... like acutally. i mean, completely devoid of any moisture and hard enough for me not to be able to poke it with a fork --- or a knife.  i was stubbord and didn't want to waste a) the sausage and b) the hard work it took waiting 10 mins to cook the thing in the microwave so i tried eating it... but idea...

why 10 mins? b/c any one who's talked to me lately knows that i'm convinced -thanks to parasitology- that i'm going to get Trichinella, a roundworm transmitted to humans by eating undercooked meat). p.s yes, it's real, google it. there was even a case where it ended up in someone's brain :S so, with that image in mind, i set out to make a very failed dinner and ended up having a can of campbell's... so well for my 3 protein servings a day...

reduced to frozen meals in a bag

exams are in full force now and i find myself more and more opting for the "no work" option of cereal 2-3 times a day and insta-food from a bag. while cereal isn't bad (actually, it's quite satisfying for a 4am snack whilel trying to prep an exam) dinner from a bag is highly not advisable.

wait, ok, not exactly. let's say that terriyaki is best made fresh and not found in frozen sauce pellets that melt in the microwave...


according to the bag, it requires 10-15 mins total to "make" your dinner, including pouring out a mixture of frozen veggies and chunks of "chicken" (i have my doubts). in the spirit of trying everything out once, i can now say that i've tried it and it's not meant for me. first, there was basically no chicken to be found. i ended up adding 2 frozen sausages to the plate and microwaving it along with dinner. second, the veggies turned out grey and not like the picture on the bag (surprising? not really...) and finally, the "enticing" smell that should draw someone in actually make my stomach doubt if eating was truly necessary. in the end, i ate it but probablly should have just stuck with a nuc-ed sausage and frozen veggies.

solution to this eating dilemma? have a salad bar in your fridge. seems to me that if i had everything ready to throw into a pan when i was ready to eat, i'd be much more inclined to make dinner rather than opt for a funky tasting - and smelling - meal.

p.s. i sit here writing this while munching my lunch of soy milk and corn flakes. maybe i shouldn't talk...

1 down, 1 prepped, 1 to go - exam season hits london hall rm 510

make a great stirfry today using shedded red cabbage that i had sitting in my fridge. super simple and didn't need much time, but enough for one to walk away knowing that they've had a break in the kitchen.

basically, in a med. hot pan, started by searing a chicken breast in one piece while i sliced up some left over onion. flipped the breast and put it to one side of the pan while adding a little more oil and throwing in the onion. once they looked golden brown, i added pre-chopped garlic and ginger. stirred that around for a while then took out the chicken breast and put it aside. to the pan i added the shredded cabbage, some water, ~1/2C soya sauce and a good few squirts of vietnamese hot sauce (for pho). stirred that around and covered it until they seemed a little soft. then i added the chicken breast that was still not completely done and let it steam essentially on top of the cabbage. after a few minutes, i took it off the heat and turned to the carb portion of the meal.

in another pot, i boiled a little water and added short quick cooking pasta (done in 3 minutes). poured out the water, added some cabbage, pan sauce and the chicken breast to the pasta pot. "shredded" the chicken breast (that was completely cooked and juicey) stir and ready to eat.

best part, the texture of the cabbage! i loved the softness, but the distictive pops in your mouth as you munched on the thicker portions of cabbage leaf.