GE JEM4JW Use & Care & Cooking Manual page 23

Freezer-to-Table Home Frozen Foo& Guide
Food
Meatballs, raw 1 recipe
(12)
Meat loaf, raw 1 recipe
(round loafl
1 recipe
Saucy casseroles
(Chicken ala King,
1 cup
beef stew)
soup
Microwave Adapting
Covering.
In both conventional and microwave cooking, covers
hold 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 on Oven Shelf. 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 dl sides are exposed to microwave energy.
Stirring. In range top cooking, you stir foods up from the bottom to
help them heat evenly. When microwaving, you stir cooked portions
from the outside to the center. Foods which require constant stirring
conventionally will need ody 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
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 skirt or membrane. Prick potatoes (as
you do conventionally), egg yolks and chicken livers to prevent
bursting.
cook evenly. To rotate 1/2 turn, turn the dish until the side which was
to the back of the oven is to the front. To rotate 1/4 turn, turn the dish
until the side which was to the back of the oven is to the side.
Defrost Hold
13 5 High (10)
30
35 Meal-High (7)
30 to 35 none
High (10)
8 to 10
5 High (10)
25 15 Meal-High (7)
30 20
Meal-High (7)
23
Comments
8 to 9 min. Arrange in circle; cover with plastic wrap.
Rotate 1/4 turn after half of time. For
precooked meatballs, reduce each time
period by 2 minutes.
30 to 34 min. Cover with plastic wmp. Ifpmooked, add U2
cup water and reduce cook time period by
10 minutes. Rotate
17 to 22 min. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze food in flat
oblong casseroles for fastest heating. Break
4 to 5 min. up after defrost time. Stir halfway through
cooking.
10 to 15 min. Cover. Break up and stir while defrosting
25 to 30 min. and cooking, to speed heating.
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 delicate texture are best cooked at lower
power settings to avoid toughening.
Natural Moisture of food affects how it cooks. Very moist foods
cook everdy because microwave energy is attracted to water
molecules. Food uneven in moisture should be covered or allowed
to stand so heat can disperse everdy.
Piece Size. Small pieces cook faster than large ones. Pieces which
are 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
pieces near the outside edge, and thin pieces near the center.
Starting Temperature. Foods taken from the freezer or refrigerator
take longer to cook than foods at room temperature. Timings in our
recipes are based on the temperatures at which you normally store
the foods.
Quantity of Food. In 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.
1/2 turn after E minutes.