I’m sure some of you would have noticed my recent social media posts where I have been raving on about my lovely new addition to the kitchen, The LG NeoChef Microwave Oven with Smart Inverter Technology. I have been cooking and experimenting with the microwave for the past few weeks to see if it really is as amazing as the reviews make it seem and I am happy to say so far it has lived up to every single one.

The new LG NeoChef comes with some super functional and efficient features that make everyday cooking an enjoyable and satisfying breeze. The microwave is a perfect appliance for me as you all know I love making quick & easy dishes and with the fast cooking feature I have been able to reduce cooking time. One problem I have always had with my previous microwave which I am pretty sure is a common problem for everyone is never getting my meat & food all evenly heated or defrosted. With the LG NeoChef those problems are a thing of the past thanks to the delicate temperature controls, now you can enjoy evenly heated food and have your meat defrosted to perfection in record time. When it comes to the laborious task of having to clean you microwave you guys will be happy to know that this sexy thing comes with an Anti-Bacterial EasyClean interior coating which makes cleaning simple and convenient. Just a few wipes is all it takes to clean the microwave and the coating eliminates 99.99% of harmful bacteria.

The LG Neo Chef comes with a lot of other amazing features including the:

LG Smart Inverter Technology which  provides precise cooking power to reheat and defrost a wide range of foods faster than ever. Thanks to the precise temperature control, you can cook a variety of dishes that microwaves were previously never able to prepare.

LED Lamp which is 3 times brighter and more energy efficient than the lights on conventional models, allowing you to easily check on the food’s status without opening the microwave. You can read up on the features here: LG NeoChef Microwave Oven 

For the foodies wondering what I have made with the Microwave so far here are two delicious LG NeoChef recipes you can try. To make sure I tested the microwave to full capacity I made one easy dish and one that is a little bit more complicated (well it ended up being super easy thanks to the microwave features). Hope you guys enjoy!

Basil Pesto, Tomato & Onion Bruschetta:

Ingredients:

1 French baguette
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
1 large onion, peeled and diced
Basil Pesto
Salt & pepper to taste 

Method

1. Dice the tomatoes and onions, add olive oil and salt & pepper, and mix well
2. Slice the French baguette diagonally, making sure each slice is about 1-finger thick
3. Toast the slices of bread for about 5 minutes in the LG NeoChef oven at 160 deg celsius  until golden brown
4. Spread about ó teaspoon of pesto on each slice of bread, and top with tomato-onion mixture
5. Sprinkled chopped parsley for garnish and ENJOY!

Traditional Babotie: 

Ingredients:

500g beef mince
30ml oil
1 large carrot – peeled and grated
2 onions – chopped
10ml chopped garlic
5ml each of ground coriander, ground ginger, curry powder, cinnamon, turmeric, sugar / apricot jam, salt
15ml fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
250g dried raisins
1 Thick slice of white bread soaked in milk
125ml almond slivers or flaked almonds
3 – 4 bay leaves (to garnish)

Method:

1. Turn your NeoChef to ‘Healthy Fry’ mode. In a baking tray, fry the onion and garlic in the oil and add the mince. Cook this until the mince is nice and crumbly – not big lumps (use a wooden spoon or a fork to separate bits). Add all the spices, carrot and raisins. Add the lemon juice/white vinegar and mix through.
2. Add the soaked white bread, making sure to mix it in properly (you shouldn’t be able to see big chunks of bread). Add the almonds and mix through.
3. Once the mince is cooked through, spoon the mixture into a medium sized oven dish and level it with the back of a spoon. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the milk or buttermilk and eggs. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the cooked mince mix (once levelled), garnish with the bay leaves..
4. Turn your NeoChef to ‘Convection’ mode, bake the mixture at 180 – 190 °C for about 40 minutes. Once done, the milk and egg mixture should be firm and set and a golden brown col-our.
5. Serve the bobotie with rice and chutney.

I hope you guys enjoy these recipes – I will be making more dishes with the NeoChef and will be sure to share them with you guys.