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A Winter Dessert from the Sun Oven
The Sun Oven’s gentle heat is ideal for this easy winter dessert. Baked apples are good warm or at room temperature and cook relatively quickly in the Sun Oven. Get a batch in first thing and you’ll still have time to make a solar cooked dinner.
Sun Oven Baked Apples
Ingredients
4 large baking apples
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup rasins, chopped
1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Solar Baked Multi-Grain Bread
Multi-grain bread fresh out of the Sun Oven is always a hit. Results will vary depending on the brand of flour; I use King Arthur. You could even experiment with your own mixture if you’re a braver baker than I.
Sun Oven Multi-Grain Bread
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups water
6 cups multi-grain bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Easy Sun Oven Lunch
Sun Oven risotto is what I like to call a hybrid, half conventionally cooked and half solar. The broth is brought to a boil on the stove before being stirred into the sauteed rice and transferred to the Sun Oven. I think the texture is far superior when it’s prepared this way. Bringing any dish with a high liquid content to a boil first will cut down on the overall cooking time by up to 30 minutes. Something to keep in mind if you get a late start.
Risotto al Pomodoro (Tomato Risotto)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
Sun Oven Muffins from a Mix
I rarely eat pancakes or waffles and when I do I don’t want to make a whole batch from scratch so I keep a box of Kodiak Cakes Flapjack Mix in the pantry. You just have to add water and it’s easy to mix up just as much or as little as you need. Sometimes I only make one pancake. It can also be used as a baking mix.
There are a few recipes on their website and I’m sure that more creative bakers than I will be able to come up with some on their own. The recipe for the blueberry muffins pictured above can be found here. They forgot to put the yield but I usually get about 14 standard-sized muffins.
The Quest for Crispiness
There are an infinite number of chicken recipes that are only improved by solar cooking but obtaining crispy skin is a challenge. A challenge I’m still working on. The moist environment and relatively low temperature of the Sun Oven’s cooking chamber lends itself better to slow braising. Not the best cooking method if you want some crunch to your chicken.
After hearing about a new way to prep chicken, or other meats, for roasting on Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s radio show “The Splendid Table” this weekend I had to give it a try. Her guest, Molly Stevens, described a simple method of seasoning the meat with kosher salt and letting it mature in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to (I believe) two days.
With sunny days in the forecast for the rest of the week I got a batch going Tuesday evening. All you have to do is season the chicken with kosher salt, about 1 teaspoon per pound. Place it in a baking dish and refrigerate it, uncovered over night or longer. To cook it I let it come to room temperature before putting it on a rack in a baking dish. Then I covered the dish with tin foil and a dark tea towel and put it in a preheated Sun Oven.
After an hour I took a peek. It didn’t look quite done and the skin was still a pale yellow. At this point I decided to let it cook uncovered hoping the skin would brown more. After another 20 minutes in the Sun Oven the result was meat that was moist and delicious and skin that wasn’t soggy but wasn’t exactly crisp either. I think I should have resisted the temptation to uncover the dish. I’ll try it again; hopefully next week’s forecast will be favorable to starting a dish so far in advance. That’s always a risk for the solar chef.
From Freezer to Sun Oven to Table in Under an Hour
This African inspired soup can be made with fresh squash and onions, and dry beans that have been soaked overnight. Using frozen, precut vegetables makes it super easy to toss in the Sun Oven on those days that turn unexpectedly sunny. For a heartier meal serve over brown rice.
Sun Oven African Squash and Lima Bean Soup.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups vegetable broth
1 (20-ounce) bag frozen butternut squash
1/2 (1 pound bag) frozen small onions
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen baby lima beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Set Global Sun Oven out to preheat.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, paprika, and red pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, squash, onions, lima beans, tomatoes, and salt. Cover and transfer to the Sun Oven and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
Maple, Raisins, and Sun
A cross between a cookie and a cake these maple syrup infused bars go well with an nice cup of tea. It’s another Weight Watchers recipe. I’ve been using a lot of those lately. It must be January.
Sun Oven Maple-Glazed Bars
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Solar Baked Lasagna with Asparagus
This is another recipe from Weight Watchers. The lightened up béchamel sauce uses cornstarch to add body without adding as much fat. It’s an acceptable substitution (not to mention that it’s much easier to make) if you want to cut back on calories. If not go ahead and use the real thing; butter and all.
Sun Oven Asparagus Lasagna
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cups low-fat milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
Solar Baked Bran Bread
Another good toasting bread that’s high in fiber and flavor. Once it’s completely cool I slice it up and freeze it. If you don’t like, or don’t have molasses, you can use corn syrup instead.
Sun Oven Bran and Yogurt Bread
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups water
scant 1 cup strained, plain yogurt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons molasses
3 1/4 cups unbleached white bread flour
2 1/4 cups whole-wheat bread flour
2/3 cup wheat bran
Solar Blueberry Baked Bunt Cake
This simple cake will look prettier if you bake it in a bunt pan, I think mine got lost in the move, but it comes out just as good in a plain tube pan. Cut any leftover into slices that can be individually wrapped and frozen. Set a slice (or two) out on the counter before going to bed; toasted and topped with jam it makes a decadent breakfast treat. The recipe comes from Weight Watchers so you don’t have to feel guilty about having cake for breakfast.
Sun Oven Blueberry Bunt Cake
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup fat-free buttermilk
3 large eggs
