Dave and Linda from Monkeyshines in the Kitchen chose Soufflés as our November 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge! Dave and Linda provided two of their own delicious recipes plus a sinfully decadent chocolate soufflé recipe adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s recipe found at the BBC Good Food website.
Now I came very close to bailing out of this month’s challenge. No not because it is a soufflé…a supposedly difficult French recipe I have never dared tried. I was excited about this challenge. The reason why I almost bailed was because of my kitchen in it’s present state. Indulge me and let me digress a bit! Remember 5 months ago I had major water damage in my kitchen, bedroom, entrance hall and bathroom? Well 2 weeks ago it happened again except the kitchen but they never built my promised new kitchen (I rent btw). Anyways this last event prompted the new kitchen project.
Monday: kitchen demolished
As of Friday night I was expecting new cabinets early in the week. And see how I said before this last water damage was not in the kitchen? Well wouldn’t you know it Sat morning I heard dripping on the new ceiling. Investigations lead to the source really being the roof of my building (not pool, at least that is what they are saying today). Well the new wall and ceiling put up this very week got chopped up last night to get to the leak. So no new cabinets yet early this week I assume.
Saturday night: new whole in brand new ceiling
Anywho, I had a few pre-cooked things but if I need to cook something or find dishes well I had to rummage over or under the kitchen table or in the bedroom right now.
So you can see I was justified and bailing out of this challenge. BUT I found a microwave recipe. I do have maze-like-walking-to-access to my microwave. I knew it would probably be a flop (pun intended) but I could not resist. I did this microwave soufflé recipe during the day while the construction workers were here. I have no counter to work on, not even a kitchen table. So my couch was my working surface. I beat my eggs whites standing in the middle of the living room holding the bowl in my hands. The soufflé was no longer my challenge. Making a soufflé under my CONDITIONS was the challenge.
Microwave Cheese Souffle from ifood.tv
Ingredients:
- Bring egg whites to room temperature, about one hour.
- Butter a 1 1/2 quart, heat-resistant, non-metallic souffle dish or a 1 1/2 quart, heat-resistant, non-metallic, straight-sided casserole and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
- Place the 3 tablespoons butter, in a large, heat-resistant, non-metallic mixing bowl and heat, uncovered, 1 minute on full power , or until butter is melted.
- Blend flour, flour, mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne into melted butter.
- Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth.
- Heat sauce mixture, uncovered, on roast for 4 minutes or until thickened and smooth. Stir occasionally.
- Add the 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, stirring to mix.
- Heat on roast for 1 additional minute or until cheese is melted. Stir.
- While making the sauce, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff, but not dry. Set aside.
- Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Add egg yolks gradually to sauce mixture. Beat well.
- Mix about 1/4 of the beaten egg whites with the sauce mixture. Work quickly and lightly, taking care not to break down the egg whites.
- Fold remaining egg whites into sauce mixture.
- Carefully spoon souffle mixture into the prepared souffle dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese on top of the souffle mixture.
- Place the souffle on the center of the turntable in the microwave oven and heat, uncovered, on DEFROST for 15 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the souffle comes out clean.
Marco and Gaston enjoying the Cheese Soufflé
Wow Evelyn, hats off! I should not be complaining at all! True making the souffle was not the challenge but making them in that condition! 🙂 As long as it tastes good who cares how it looks! lol. Truly commendable!
You’re good in managing your time and space with all these construction going on. Bravo! The souffle looks delicious!
Bravo for managing to complete the challenge under such trying circumstances! I’m kind of tempted to try a microwave souffle myself. It looks lovely & fluffy.
I hope you get your kitchen back very soon. 🙂
All I can say is, I take my hat off to you! I can’t believe you found a way to do this challenge in those conditions! Good luck with the rest of the construction!
Wow! I commend you for your effort. I totally understand how frustrating it can be to cook within limitations beyond your control (when my parents remodeled the kitchen, and when I was recently living in Germany with the tiniest kitchen imaginable). Great job rising above, what a great attempt!
Yay for souffle! Now I’m really curious to try it out in a microwave too, but I’ll have to wait until I actually have one (counter space is way to precious in my tiny kitchen). I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you get you new kitchen soon!
You are amazing… I’ve never made a Souffle’ and I dare say I wouldn’t even consider it under your circumstances – you go girl!
Evelyne – oh my – you are a Daring soul! We had our kitchen remodeled 10 years ago, so I can really relate to what you’re going through. For you to have done more than phone for pizza delivery is beyond belief!
BTW, I have to say that your pate & bread is still one of my favorite challenges ever. We’ve made pate several times since – never ever thought that it was something you could make at home. thanks again for that one!
If the Daring Cooks were handing out trophies…you’d be their pick for sure!
I totally relate with what you’re going through…I’ve been in a few incidants like these…which helps me fully understand your frustration.
All I can say…is hopefully that brand new kitchen better be worth all this trouble you’ve been put through.
Here’s to happier days ahead ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia
I’m calling you out on this Evelyne – you orchestrated this whole leaking incident just to be able to write this crazy microwave post, didn’t you! It is the definition of a daring cook, you sneaky thing!
I envy your determination! There is no way I’d be able to cook without my kitchen! You’re up to the challenge without your tools which makes you even more speical! hope your kithcen will be back soon! The cheese souffle looks great.
Gosh everyone…I am blushing. Thank you so much for all your amazing comments and compliments.
Fingers crossed I should have a kitchen by the end of this week ???? :-S
Shoot, Conor…you found me out you smarty pants you 😉
My hat is off to you for sticking to the challenge. A good cook can cook anywhere under any conditions. You proved that for sure.
I am so sorry to hear about your kitchen. I think I would cry if I lost use of my kitchen for an extended period of time! I am in awe of your creativity, comitment and go-for-it-ness in making a microwave souffle! That would never have occured to me. You truly are a DARING cook, and I love seeing your work. Thank you so much for sharing with us!!
Yikes about the kitchen! But I love that you made your souffle in a microwave. That’s absolutely brilliant. I think I’ll probably be trying that recipe too. 🙂
I can’t believe either the state of your kitchen or that you tried to make a souffle in the microwave! Hope everything is back to normal soon!
🙂
You win. Seriously. You deserve a medal for going for it. This post pretty much sets a new bar for putting the DARING in the Daring Kitchen!! I am so impressed that you went for it. Great job!! 🙂
Amazing that you still managed to pull it out with just a microwave, and it looks yummy! You are ingenius, and definitely the epitome of a Daring Cook/Baker!
Good for you for attempting this sans oven. As long as it tasted great, that’s the main thing!