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 bake in the microwave oven, 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 shell 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 microwave 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 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 implements:
•Glass and glass bowls
•Stoneware (glazed and unglazed). The food stays hot longer in glazed stoneware than in other dishes.
•Plastic containers These can be used for many heating purposes, but are not suitable for roasting.
Please note! 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.
•Clingfilm 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 space.
•Kitchen roll is ideal, as kitchen roll 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.
