By Lisa Messinger
Food and Cooking at Creators Syndicate

Among the best days of my life may have been about a year ago when I was facing an almost empty refrigerator and pantry, and heard someone on a TV talk show quickly describe how to make a single-serving microwave chocolate cake from scratch in a mug.

Where had I been before this? I had never heard of microwave mug cooking. Less than seven minutes later, I had mixed the egg (thereby giving me even a good seven grams of protein for a light breakfast), unsweetened cocoa powder, stevia (my natural, no-calorie sweetener of choice), vanilla extract, almond and whole-wheat flours and baking powder, and was happily enjoying a warm homemade chocolate cake that, to boot, was automatically portioned so that I didn’t “accidentally” overindulge.

Therefore, when I soon learned of the publication of Camilla V. Saulsbury’s 250 Best Meals in a Mug, I felt like I was meeting an old friend. Make that a pal with unlimited creativity.

Of course, first I turned to the cake chapter and found one like my chocolate favorite, as well as many others, even as sophisticated as Banana Toffee and Brown Sugar Sweet Potato. But that was only the beginning. There were also scores of pies, muffins, cookies, as well as crumbles, breads, puddings and other treats.

Those, though, would have to wait. First fill up on dips, soups, stews, chili and pasta.

Saulsbury, a food writer, recipe developer and cooking instructor who has authored seven additional cookbooks, and who won one of TV Food Network’s “$25,000 Ultimate Recipe Showdowns,” is expert at creating a mix of simple as well as more energetic fare, like a Moroccan Date and Chickpea Tagine followed by a less complicated basic quiche. She also provides about 50 recipes that include only four ingredients or less. Like in her other cookbooks, she’s crack at concise explanation, including lots of variations and tips.

Recipes are generally for one lucky recipient: and that can be your kidlet, as long as you supervise, who will pick up cooking and ingredient combination tips along the way. However, if you want to make more, just spread out a few mugs and sprinkle and mix ingredients at the same time and then cook each quickly separately.

Fun fare like this also proves food and beverage preparation can be easy, nutritious, inexpensive, fun – and fast. They take just 10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to prepare. The creative combinations are delicious proof that everyone has time for creating homemade specialties and, more importantly, the healthy family togetherness that goes along with it!

Another benefit: You effortlessly become a better cook, since these beautifully brief recipes are so easy, yet still teach which ingredients combine well with each other and how to work with those ingredients. These are virtually-can't-go-wrong combinations, so whatever you – or your kidlet helpers – choose to use can't help but draw “wows” from family members and guests.

Following are some of the four-ingredients-or-less gems, which also were created with household economics in mind:

GRANOLA “PUCK”

• 1& 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (see Note)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/3 cup large-flake (old-fashioned) or quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon chopped dried fruit

Yields 1 serving.

Spray a 12- to 16-ounce mug with nonstick cooking spray. In the mug, combine peanut butter and honey.

Stir in oats and dried fruit until thoroughly blended. Using the back of a spoon, firmly press and compact mixture into the mug. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, or in the freezer for 10 minutes, until firm. Remove “puck” using the tip of the spoon. If you leave it in the freezer for more than 10 minutes, it will become difficult to remove from the mug. If that happens, allow it to thaw at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before removing.

Variation: For a punch of protein, decrease the oats to 1 / 4 cup and add 1 tablespoon vanilla whey protein powder, vanilla vegan protein powder or nonfat instant milk powder with the oats.

Note: Any other type of creamy nut or seed butter (such as cashew, almond, sesame seed or sunflower seed) can be used in place of peanut butter.

WARM PARMESAN SPINACH DIP

• 3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach
• 3 tablespoons brick-style or soft tub-style cream cheese (1 & 1/2 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (see Note)
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Yields 1 serving.

Spray a 12- to 16-ounce mug with nonstick cooking spray. In the mug, microwave spinach on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until thawed and warm. Using the tines of a fork, carefully press down on the spinach and drain off excess liquid.

Add cream cheese to the mug. Microwave on high for 15 to 20 seconds, or until softened. Carefully stir until blended. Stir in mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese. Microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds, or until warmed through. Season to taste with ground black pepper. Serve with chunks of bread or raw or cooked vegetables.

Variation: For an artichoke-spinach dip, add 3 tablespoons drained chopped marinated artichoke hearts (from a jar) with the mayonnaise.

Note: You can use either regular or light mayonnaise. For best results, do not use nonfat mayonnaise.

COCOA BANANA PUDDING CAKE

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana (see Note)

Yields 1 serving.

Spray a 12- to 16-ounce mug with nonstick cooking spray. In the mug, use a fork to combine cocoa powder, sugar, a pinch of salt, egg and banana until blended and smooth.

 Microwave on high for 60 to 90 seconds (carefully checking at 60), or until puffed and center is just set. Let cool slightly or entirely in mug. Eat directly from mug when cool enough.

Variation: For a Mocha Pudding Cake, replace banana with an equal amount of applesauce and increase the sugar to 3 & 1/2 teaspoons. Add 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder in step 1.

Note: Mash banana until it is almost a liquid before measuring. One medium-large banana will yield about 1/2 cup mashed. Make sure it is a very soft, squishy banana; the peel should covered partly or entirely with brown spots.

QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK:  For a refreshing and healthful summer twist, consider adding fresh fruit puree to homemade or store-bought lemonade. The flavors of peeled peaches, nectarines, plums or seedless watermelon are among the best to burst forth when first pureed in a  blender and then stirred well into the lemonade, which is – on a smaller scale – similar to the processes used by many manufacturers of these types of products.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food and nutrition writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the National Council Against Health Fraud and author of seven food books, including the best-selling The Tofu Book: The New American Cuisine with 150 Recipes (Avery/Penguin Putnam) and Turn Your Supermarket into a Health Food Store: The Brand-Name Guide to Shopping for a Better Diet (Pharos/Scripps Howard). She writes two nationally syndicated food and nutrition columns for Creators Syndicate and had been a longtime newspaper food and health section managing editor, as well as managing editor of Gayot/Gault Millau dining review company. Lisa traveled the globe writing about top chefs for Pulitzer Prize-winning Copley News Service and has written about health and nutrition for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Reader's Digest, Woman's World and Prevention Magazine Health Books. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.