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Food
Amount Time
Meatballs, raw
1 recipe
(12)
Meat loaf, raw
(9-in. pie plate)
Saucy casseroles
1 recipe
(Chicken ala King,
(1 k-qts. )
chili, spaghetti sauce,
beef stew)
soup
Microwave Adapting
Microwaving
Covering. In both conventional and microwave cooking, covers
bold in moisture and speed heating. Conventionally, partial covering
allows excess steam to escape. Venting plastic wrap or covering with
wax paper serves the same purpose when microwaving.
Arranging Food in Oven. In conventional baking, you position
foods, such as cake layers or potatoes, so that hot air can flow
around them. When microwaving, you arrange foods in a ring,
so that all sides are exposed to microwave energy.
Stirring. In range top cooking, you stir foods up from the bottom to
help thcm heat evenly. When microwaving, you stir cooked portions
from the outside to the center. Foods which require constant stirring
conventionally will need only occasional stirring.
Turning Over. In range top cooking, you turn over foods such
as hamburgers, so both sides can directly contact hot pan. When
microwaving, turning is often needed during defrosting, or when
cooking foods such as hamburgers from the frozen state.
Standing Time. In conventional cooking, foods such as roasts or
cakes are allowed to stand to finish cooking or set. Standing time
is especially important in microwave cooking. Note that the
microwaved cake is not placed on a cooling rack.
Shielding. In a conventional oven, you shield chicken breasts or
baked foods to prevent over-browning. When defrosting. you use
small strips of foil to shield thin parts, such as the tips of wings and
legs on poultry, which would cook before larger parts were
defrosted.
Prick Foods to Release Pressure. Steam builds up pressure in foods
which are tightly covered by a skin or membrane. Prick potatoes (as
you do conventionally), egg yolks and chicken livers to prevent
bursting.
Rotating. Occasionally, repositioning a dish in the oven helps food
cook evenly. To rotate 1/2 turn, turn the dish until the side which was
to the back ofthc oven is to the front. To rotate l/4 turn, turn the dish
until the side which was to the back of the oven is to the side.
Defrost Hold
Time
Power hvel & Time
10
5
High (10)
30
15
Meal-High (7)
35
15
Meal-High (7)
8 to 10
5
Meal-High (7)
25
High (10)
30
20
High (10)
24
5 to 7 min.
Arrange in circle; cover with plastic wrap.
For precooked meatballs. reduce each time
period by 2 minutes.
20 to 25 min.
Cover with plastic wrap. Rotate 1/4 turn
after half of cooking time,
30 to 35 min.
Cover with plastic wrap. Break up and stir
from edges to center after defrost and after
5 to 10 min.
half of cooking time, For 3 cups food,
reduce each time period by half,
Cover. Break up and stir while defrosting
15 to 20 min.
and cooking, to speed heating.
Effects of Food Characteristics on
Microwaving
Density of Food. In both conventional and microwave cooking,
dense foods, such as a potato. take longer to cook or heat than light,
porous foods. such as a piece of cake. bread or a roll,
Round Shapes. Since microwaves penetrate foods to about l-in.
from top, bottom and sides. round shapes and rings cook more
evenly. Corners receive more energy and may overcook. This may
also happen when cooking conventionally.
Delicacy. Foods with a dclicatc texture are best cooked at lower
power settings to avoid toughening.
Natural Moisture of food affects bow it cooks. Very moist foods
cook evenly because microwave energy is attracted to water
molecules. Food uneven in moisture should be covered or allowed
to stand so heat can disperse evenly.
Piece Size. Small pieces cook faster than Iargc ones. Picccs which
arc similar in size and shape cook more evenly. With large pieces of
food, reduce the power setting for even cooking.
Shape of Food. In both types of cooking, thin areas cook faster than
thick ones. This can be controlled in microwaving by placing thick
Starting Temperature. Foods taken from the frcczcr or refrigerator
take Iongcr to cook tban foods at room temperature. Timings in our
recipes are based on the temperatures at which you normally store
the foods.
Quantity of Food. [n both types of cooking, small amounts usually
take less time than large ones. This is most apparent in microwave
cooking, where time is directly related to the number of servings.
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