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Solar Butterscotch Muffins
Butterscotch pudding mix is the secret ingredient to making these sweet tender muffins everyone will love.
Sun Oven Butterscotch Muffins
(adapted for the Sun Oven from “The Ultimate Muffin Book” by Weinstein and Scarbrough)
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 (3-0unce) package butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sun Oven Pork Chop Dinner
The main dish and the sides cook together, infusing each other with flavor as they simmer away in the Sun Oven. Serve the pork chops with a good, crusty bread for a complete meal.
Spicy Sun Oven Pork Chops with Chickpeas
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 (1-inch thick) pork chops
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Solar Smashed Potatoes
Everyone loves mashed potatoes and you’ll love how easy it is to make them in your Sun Oven.
Easy Sun Oven Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, well scrubbed and cut into chunks
1/2 cup vegetable broth
Solar Cooked Breakfast
My cold cereal phase has finally come to an end; it’s been my morning fare for close to a year now. I probably would have put an end to it sooner, but I kept forgetting to get the oatmeal going early enough.
I like the steel cut kind that takes about half an hour to cook stovetop. So, to make my weekday morning routine a little easier I made a big batch in the Sun Oven and froze it in individual servings that can be popped in the microwave.
To make Sun Oven steel cut oats just combine the water and oats in a pot, cover it, and put it in the Sun Oven. It will take about an hour then you’ll have an quick, healthy breakfast for the rest of the week.
Sun Oven Chicken Race
On a clear, sunny day a whole frozen chicken can go straight from the freezer to the Sun Oven and, if the oven is refocused often, be fully cooked in 4 to 5 hours.
It’s not something I do often. I try to buy chicken, or any other kind of meat, the day before I plan on cooking it. If my plans change, I usually cut a whole bird up into pieces before freezing it. Having said that, just before the holiday rush I found myself with one that wasn’t going to make it to the dinner table anytime soon. I didn’t even have time to cut it up. I just trimmed off the excess fat, washed it, wrapped it up well and stuck it in the freezer.
The plan was to wait until the days were a little longer and the sun was a little higher in the sky before cooking it in the Sun Oven. (Remembering to take it out to defrost was something I knew would probably never happen.) But the darn thing took up too much room and was constantly getting in the way. Then it slipped out and hit me on the head. That was the last straw. I couldn’t wait any longer. Today would have to be the day.
The morning sky looked promising. Plenty of sun and not a cloud in sight. Unfortunately, by early afternoon the marine layer was starting to move in. By mid-afternoon it was obvious that the clouds were going to win the race. The probe thermometer had reached 170F, close but not quite done. So into the conventional oven it went to finish up, and not to mention, brown nicely.
Solar Pot Roast Italian Style
This slow cooked pot roast goes best with polenta but can also be served with rice or pasta.
Sun Oven Italian-Style Pot Roast
(adapted for the Sun Oven from Weight Watchers In One Pot Cookbook)
Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (2 3/4-pound) bottom round beef roast, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 small red onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped dried porcini or shiitaki mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 cup beef broth
Super Easy Baked Pasta
After the holiday season I sometimes need a break from cooking, even if it is solar cooking. This baked pasta can be thrown together in minutes and is good enough for a meal on its own.
Super Easy Sun Oven Baked Pasta
Ingredients
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
1/2 pound Italian-style turkey sausage, thinly sliced
2 cups purchased marinara sauce, divided (or use your favorite homemade tomato sauce)
Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Purée
This lovely purée goes well with roasts but could also be served with a salad for a light, vegetarian lunch.
Sunny Sun Oven Sweet Potato Purée
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total) peeled and chopped
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
Savory Solar Bread Pudding
This pudding can be assembled in advance and refrigerated overnight. Take it out of the fridge about an hour before popping it in the Sun Oven or it will take a little longer to cook.
Sun Oven Savory Bread Pudding
(Adapted for the Sun Oven from Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook)
Ingredients
2 cups milk
3 large eggs
1 loaf whole wheat French bread, crust removed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
