Advertisement
.+
When adaptingrecipesfor the microwave,it is best
to start with a familiarrecipe.Knowinghow the
food should
lookand
taste ~U help wh;n adapting
recipesfor microwaving.I?oods that require
browningor crisp, dry surfaceswill cook
better in regularovens.
Q Moist foods, such as vegetables,fruits,poultryand
seafood,microwavewell.
~Rich foods, such as bar cookies,moistcakes and
candies,are suitablefor microwavingbecause of their
high fat and sugar content.
e Reduce regular oven cookingtimesby one-halfto
one-third.Check food after minimumtime to avoid
overcooking.
*Small amountsof butter or oil can be used for
flavoring,but are not needed to preventsticking.
~Seasoningsmay need to be reduced.Salt meats and
vege~b]es after cooking.
Covering. In both regular baking and microwave
cooking, covers hold in moisture,allow for more even
heating and reduce cookingtime. In regular ovens,
partial covering allows excess steam to escape. Venting
plastic wrap or covering with wax paper serves the same
purpose when microwaving.
Venting. After covering a dish with plastic wrap, you
vent the plastic wrap by turningback one corner so
excess steam can escope.
Arranging Food in
Oven.
When baking in regular
ovens, you position f'oods, s uch as mke layers or
potatoes, so hot air can flow around them. When
microwaving,you arrange foods in a ring, so that
ull sides arc exposed to microwaveenergy.
Stirring.Inrange-topcooking,you stirfoods up from
the bottomto heat them evenly.When microwaving,
you stir cookedportionsfrom the outsideto the center.
Foodsthat require constantstirringwill need only
occasionalstirringwhen microwaving.
Turning Over. In range-top cooking,you turn over
foods, such as hamburgers,so both sidescan directly
contactthe hot pan. When microwaving,turning is
often needed during defrostingor when cooking
certain foods, such as frozen hamburgers.
Standing Time. When you cook with regular ovens,
foods such as roasts or cakes are allo';.ddto stand to
finish cookingor to set. Standingtime is especially
importantin microwave cooking. Note that a
microwavedcake is not placed on a cooling rack.
Shielding. In a regular oven, you shield chicken
breastsor baked foods to prevent over-browning.
When microwaving,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.
Arcing. Sparks caused by too much metal in the
microwaveoven or metal touching the side of the
oven or foil that is not molded to food.
Prick Foods to Release Pressure. Steam builds up
pressure in foods that are tightly covered by a skin
Or rnernbrane.
Prick foods, such as potatoes (as you
do before regular oven cooking), egg yolks and
chicken livers, to prevent bursting.
Rotating. Occasionally,repositioninga dish in the oven
helps food cook more evenly, To rotate 1/2 turn, turn the
dish until the side that was to the back of the oven is to
the front. To rotate 1/4 turn, turn the dish until the side
that was to the back of the oven is to the side.
Piece Size. Small pieces cook faster than large ones.
Pieces that are similar in size and shape cook more
~vcnlj).~~itillarge pieces of food, reduce the power
setting for even cooking.
Shape of Wood.In both types of cooking, thin areas
cook faster than thick areas. This can be controlled in
microwaving by placing thick pieces near the outside
edge ~lndthin pieces in the center.
Wat+fing%'emperatww. Foods taken from the freezer
or refrigerator take longer to cook than foods at room
-—.
.. .- ..—..—. ...
..—.—-...
.
——. . . ... ........
k?=P
-
E3=
m
u!
—
..
Advertisement
