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When cooking vegetables, the cooking time depends on the
freshness of the vegetables. Therefore check the condition of
the vegetables, and add or deduct a little time accordingly.
The short cooking time when using a microwave oven means
that the food does not overcook.
• If required, a little water can be added.
• When cooking fish and vegetables, you only need to use
the minimum of water.
Microwave power
The choice of power setting depends on the condition of the
food to be cooked.
In most cases, the food is cooked on full power.
• Full power is used, among other things, for reheating food
quickly, boiling water or similar.
• Low power is principally used to defrost food and prepare
dishes containing cheese, milk or egg. (Whole eggs in
their shell cannot be cooked in the microwave oven, as
there is a risk of the eggs exploding.) In addition, lower
power settings are also used to finish off and to retain the
excellent aroma of a dish.
General information on cooking
• If the whole meal is to be prepared in the microwave oven,
it is recommended that you start with the most compact
foods, such as potatoes. Once these are ready, cover
them while the rest of the food is prepared.
• Most food should be covered. A close-fitting cover retains
the steam and moisture, which shortens the cooking time
in the microwave oven. This is particularly the case when
cooking vegetables, fish dishes and casseroles. Covering
food also distributes the heat better, thus ensuring rapid
and excellent results.
• In order to achieve the best possible results, it is
important to position the food correctly, as the microwave
rays are most powerful in the centre of the microwave
oven. If, for example, you are baking potatoes, you should
position them along the edge of the glass turntable so that
they cook evenly.
• In order to cook compact dishes such as meat and
poultry evenly, it is important to turn the pieces of meat a
few times.
• You can use the microwave oven for baking, although not
with recipes that include yeast.
• When preparing food with a thick skin, e.g. potatoes,
apples, whole squash or chestnuts, you should prick
holes in the skin to prevent the food from bursting during
cooking.
• When preparing food in a “traditional” oven, you normally
avoid opening the oven door as much as possible. This
is not the case with a microwave oven: no energy or
significant heat is lost. In other words, you can open the
oven door and look at the food as often as you want.
Important safety measures when preparing food!
• If using the microwave oven to heat baby food or liquids
in a feeding bottle, you must always stir the food/liquid
and check the temperature thoroughly before serving.
This ensures that the heat is evenly distributed and avoids
scalding injuries.
The lid and/or teat must not be fitted on a feeding bottle when
it is placed in the microwave oven.
• If some foods are heated too long, they may char and give
off smoke. If this happens, you should leave the oven door
closed and switch off the microwave oven completely.
• Some foods with low water content, e.g. chocolate in
squares and pastries with a sweet filling, should be
heated carefully, otherwise they or the container may be
ruined.
USING UTENSILS WHEN PREPARING FOOD
Before starting to prepare food in containers, you should check
that the containers you wish to use are made of a suitable
material, as some types of plastic may become limp and
deform, while some types of ceramics may crack (particularly
when heating small quantities of food).
In order to test if a container is suitable for use in a microwave
oven:
• Place the container in the microwave oven.
• At the same time, place a half-full glass of water in the
container.
• Start the microwave oven, and run it for 15-30 seconds on
maximum power.
• If the container becomes very hot to the touch, you should
avoid using it in the microwave oven.
When you prepare food in the microwave oven, you should
preferably use the following utensils and materials:
• Glass and glass bowls
• Stoneware (glazed and unglazed). The food stays hot
longer in glazed stoneware than in other dishes.
• Plastic containers. Can be used for many heating
purposes. Caution! Plastic containers made from
melamine, polyethylene and phenol must NOT be used.
• Porcelain. All porcelain can be used in microwave ovens,
although fireproof porcelain is preferable.
• Fireproof covered dishes. Glass dishes with lids that fit so
closely that steam cannot escape are ideal for vegetables
and fruit to which no liquid is added (however, the cooking
time must not exceed 5 minutes).
• Browning dishes. You must be very careful when using
this type of dish. Never heat the browning dish for more
than 5 minutes on the turntable. Suitable insulation, such
as a heat-tested plate, should be placed between the
browning dish and the turntable to prevent the turntable
from overheating.
• Microwave oven roasting film can be used, particularly for
soups, sauces, stewed dishes or when defrosting food.
Can also be used as a loose covering to prevent fat, etc.
from spraying out into the oven compartment.
• Kitchen roll is ideal, as it absorbs moisture and fat. For
example, bacon can be placed in layers, with kitchen roll
between each layer. The bacon will then be completely
crispy, as it does not sit in its own fat. Home-baked bread
can be taken directly from the freezer, packed in kitchen
roll and heated in the microwave oven.
• Wet kitchen roll can be used for fish or vegetables.
Covering the food prevents it from drying out.
• Greaseproof paper Fish, large vegetables, such as
cauliflower, corn on the cob and similar can be packed in
wet greaseproof paper.
• Roasting bags are ideal for meat, fish and vegetables.
However, they must never be closed using metal clips.
Cotton thread should be used instead. Prick the bag with
small holes, and place it in the microwave oven on a plate
or glass dish.