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When adapting recipes for the microwave, it is
best to start with a familiar recipe.
bowing
how
the food should look and taste will help when
adapting recipes for microwaving. Foods that
reqtire
browning or crisp, dry surfaces will
cook better in regular ovens.
●
Moist foods, such as vegetables, fruits, poultry and
seafood, microwave well.
●
Rich foods, such as bar cookies, moist cakes and
candies, are suitable for microwaving because of
their high fat and sugar content.
●
Reduce
re~ar
oven cooking times by 1/2 to
1/3.
~eck
food after minimum time to avoid
overcooking.
●
Small amounts of butter or oil
can
be used for
flavoring, but are not needed to prevent sticking.
●
Seasonings may need to be reduced. Salt meats and
vegetables after cooking.
Covering. In both regular baking and microwave
cooking, covers hold in moisture,
rdlow
for more
even heating and reduce cooking time. 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.
Mer
covering a dish with plastic wrap,
you vent the plastic wrap by turning back 1 comer
so excess steam can escape.
~ging
Food in Oven. When baking in regular
ovens, you position foods, such as
de
layers or
potatoes, so 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 heat them
everdy.
When microwaving,
you stir cooked portions from the outside to the renter.
Foods that require constant stirring will need
ordy
ouiond
stirring when microwaving.
~rning
Over. In range-top cooking, you turn over
foods, such as hamburgers, so both sides
can
directly
contact the hot pan. When microwaving, turning is
often needed during defrosting or when cooking
certain foods, such as frozen hamburgers.
Standing Time. When you cook with
re@ar
ovens,
foods such as roasts or
mkes
are allowed to stand to
finish cooking or to set. Standing time is especially
important in microwave cooking. Note that a
microwaved
de
is not placed on a
moling
rack.
Shielding. In a
re@ar
oveu you shield chicken
breasts or 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
podtry,
which would cook before larger parts.
king.
Sparh
caused by too much
metrd
in the
microwave oven or metal touching the side of the
oven or foil that is not molded to food.
Wck
Foods to Release
Mssure.
Steam builds up
pressure in foods that are
tightiy
covered by a skin or
membrane. Prick foods, such as potatoes (as you do
—
before regular oven
woking),
egg yolks and chicken
livers, to prevent bursting.
Rotating.
Occasionrdly,
repositioning a dish in the
oven helps food cook more
everdy.
To rotate 1/2@
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
untd
the side that was to the back of the oven is to
the side.
Basic
Mcmwave
Gtidehes
Density of Food.
In both
re@ar
baking and
microwave cooking, dense foods, such as potatoes,
take longer to
wok
than
ligh~
porous foods, such as
rolls, bread or pieces of cake.
Round Shapes. Since microwaves penetrate foods
to about 1 inch from top, bottom and sides, round
shapes and rings cook more
evedy.
bmers
receive
more energy and may overcook. This may also
happen when cooking in a
re@ar
oven.
Delicacy. Foods with a delicate texture, such as
custards, are best cooked at lower power settings
to avoid toughening.
Natural Moisture of food affects how it cooks. Very
moist foods cook evenly because microwave energy
is attracted to water
molecdes.
Food that is uneven
in moisture should be covered or allowed to stand
so it heats
evedy.
24
Piece Size.
SA1
pieces cook faster than large ones.
Pieces that are similar in size and shape cook more
evedy.
With large pieces of foo~ reduce the power
setting for even rooking.
Shape of Food.
k
both types of cooking, thin areas
mok faster than thick areas. This can be controlled in
microwaving by placing thick pieces near the outside
edge and thin pieces in the center.
Starting Temperature. Foods taken from the freezer
or refrigerator take longer to mok than foods at room
temperature. Timings in our recipes are based on the
temperatures at which you
norrndly
store the foods.
Quantity of Food. In both types of cooking, small
amounts usually take less time than large amounts.
This is most apparent in microwave cooking, where ‘
-
time is directly related to the number of servings.
Shelf (on models so equipped). Use the shelf to heat
more than 1 dish at a time. Take the shelf out when
you are not using it.