Panasonic NN-S784 Covering food minimizes the microwave cooking time, Browning, Standing Time

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Microwave Recipe Preparation and Techniques

Covering

Covering food minimizes the microwave cooking time.

Because microwave cooking is done with time and not direct heat, the rate of evaporation cannot be easily controlled. However, this can be corrected by using different materials to cover dishes. Plastic wrap is the best substitute for a lid as it creates a tighter seal and so it retains more heat and steam. Wax paper and paper towels hold the heat in but not the steam. These materials also prevent splattering. Use a paper towel, wax paper or no cover when steam is not needed for tenderizing.

Browning

Meats and poultry, when cooked longer than 10 to 15 minutes, will brown from their own fat. Foods cooked for shorter periods of time can be aided with the help of a browning sauce, worcestershire sauce or soy sauce. Simply brush one of these sauces over meat or poultry before cooking. Baked goods do not need long cooking times and therefore, do not brown. When cakes or cupcakes are iced, no one will notice the visual difference. For cakes or cupcakes, brown sugar can be used in the recipe in place of caster sugar or the surface can be sprinkled with dark spices before baking.

Standing Time

The moisture molecules continue to vibrate in the food when the microwave oven has turned itself off. After all, the molecules were vibrating at 2,450,000,000 times per second during cooking. So cooking continues even after the food is no longer being exposed to the microwaves whether in or outside your microwave oven.

Standing time refers to the time it takes (after the microwave time is completed) to allow the interior of the food to finish cooking.

The amount of standing time varies with the size and density of the food. In meat cookery, the internal temperature will rise between 5°C and 10°C if allowed to stand covered for ten to fifteen minutes. Casseroles and vegetables need shorter standing time, but this time is necessary to allow foods to complete cooking in the centre without overcooking on the edges.

The power level used in microwave cooking also determines the standing time. For example, when using a lower power level the standing time is shorter because of a lower concentration of heat in the food. Foods should always be kept covered while standing in order to retain the heat. If a longer standing time is required (while you cook another food to serve with the first, for instance), cover with aluminum foil.

Converting Your Favourite Conventional Recipes for Microwave Cooking

When adapting conventional recipes for microwave cooking time are reduced considerably.

For example, A chicken which takes 1 hour to cook in a moderate oven will take 15 to 20 minutes on P7 Power in your microwave oven.

Use similar microwave recipes to help you adapt conventional recipes. Remember, it is always best to undercook a recipe and then add an extra minute or two to finish it off.

Here are some other tips that may help:

•Reduce liquids in a conventional recipe by one

half to two thirds, e.g. 1cup (250 ml) should be reduced to 1⁄2 cup (125 ml).

•Add more thickening such as flour or cornflour to sauces and gravies if you do not reduce the liquid.

•Reduce seasonings slightly in a recipe where ingredients do not have time to simmer by microwave.

•Do not salt meats, poultry or vegetables before cooking; otherwise, they will toughen and dry out.

•If one ingredient takes longer to cook than the others, pre-cook it in the microwave oven first. Onion, celery and potato are examples.

•When cooking meat or vegetables, omit any oil or fat that would have been used in a conventional recipe for browning.

•Reduce leavening agents for cakes by one quarter and increase liquids by one quarter.

•Biscuits require a stiff dough. Increase flour by about 20 percent. Substitute brown sugar for white sugar and use biscuit recipes that have dark spices or require icing. Because of the short cooking time, biscuits don’t have time to brown. Chill dough for half an hour before baking. This produces a crisper biscuit. Bake biscuits on a glass tray lined with greaseproof paper.

•Since microwaves penetrate foods about two centimetres from the top, bottom and sides, mixtures in round shapes and rings cook more evenly. Corners receive more energy and may overcook.

•Items with a lot of water, such as rice and pasta, cook in about the same time as they would on a conventional stove. (Refer to Rice and Pasta chapter.)

Select recipes that convert easily to microwave cooking such as casseroles, stews, baked chicken, fish and vegetable dishes. The results from foods such as grilled meats, cooked souffles or two-crust pies could be less than satisfactory. Never attempt to deep fry in your microwave oven.

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Contents Book Cook Operation Guide Table of Contents Read all instructions before using the microwave oven Safety InstructionsImportant Instructions Earthing InstructionsPlacement of Oven Installation and General InstructionsGeneral Use Food CircuitsCookware and Utensils Guide Microwaves and How They WorkPlastics Cookware and Utensil GuideJars and Bottles MetalFeature Diagram Control Panels Serving / Weight Pad pg Auto Cook Pad pg Timer Pad pg Clock Pad pgNN-T774 NN-S754 Sensor Cook Pads pg More/Less Pad pgOperation Guide in the Display Window Let’s Start To Use Your OvenSet Cooking Time e.g minutes Power Level Wattage Example of USEEnter Time of Day To Use Child Safety LockTo Set Clock To Use as a Kitchen Timer To Use Timer PadTo Set Delay Start To Set Standing TimeTo Defrost Set WeightNN-T774 NN-S784 / S754 NN-T794 / T784 / T704Defrosting Tips and Techniques Defrosting Chart by setting Micro Power at P3Preparation for Freezing Defrosting TechniqueMore/Less Pad To CookhUsing Sensor Cook except NN-S754 SSensor Cook NN-T794 / T784 / T704 Press Sensor Reheat except NN-S754NN-T774 / S784 NO. of Taps Display Recommended Food Weight Until the desired weight appears in the Display WindowServing / Weight Press Desired Serving / Weight PadPress Auto Cook Pad Pad Food CategoryNN-T774 / S784 NN-S754 To Use Recipe PromptingBy one tap Next instruction will start scrolling by two tapsRecipe Cook Book To Use Recipeh Prompting except NN-T794 / T784 / T704These Things are Normal Before Requesting ServiceBefore Cleaning Technical SpecificationsAfter Cleaning Care hof Your OvenPanasonic Technics WarrantyQuick Guide to Operation Feature How to OperateFor NN-S784 / T794 / T784 / T774 / T704 For NN-T794 / T784 / T70413-17 10-1218-22 23-28Techniques for Preparation Food CharacteristicsMicrowave Recipe Preparation and Techniques Covering food minimizes the microwave cooking time CoveringBrowning Standing TimeIncreasing & Decreasing Recipes Menu Planning for Microwave CookingCooking for One Converting Recipes from Other SourcesReheating by Sensor Cook S 125 g 1.0 kg General rules for reheating foods by Micro PowerReheating by Auto Cook Å 850 kg To Operate PressReheat Reheating by Micro Power Frozen Pre-cooked FoodsLarge Volume Starting TemperatureVolume Hints Soups and SnacksIngredients MethodIngredients Soup TipLaksa Method SoupTo Make Croutons HintTo Reheat a Croissant Filling Corn & baconFish or Shellfish Amount Power APPROX. Cooking Time Cooking Fish and Shellfish by Micro PowerFish and Shellfish Directions for cooking fish by Sensor S / Auto Cook ÅNoise Bouillabaisse40 g Butter Onion, diced ⁄4 cup Flour Tablespoon ⁄2 teaspoon Pepper Prepared mustard 11⁄2 cups Milk 440 gTo cook by Sensor Cook / Auto Cook Cooking Poultry Pieces by Micro power Cooking Whole Poultry by Micro powerCooking Poultry by Micro power PoultryCooking Whole Chicken by Sensor Cook S Cooking Eggs by Micro PowerCooking Chicken Pieces by Sensor Cook S / Auto Cook ÅIngredients 500 g Poultry and EggsHoney Mustard Glaze Spicy Chicken Curry Cooked BBQ chickenCup Chicken stock ⁄4 cup Coconut cream Cooking Less-Tender Cuts of Meat using Micro power Cooking Tender Cuts of Meat using Micro powerCooking meat by Micro power Meat Power APPROX. Cooking TimeGeneral Guide to Curries For Sensor Cook / Auto Cook Cooking Curries by Sensor Cook S Auto Cook Å 250 g 750 gTo Operate for Auto Cook to Curries To Cook PappadumsTo Operate by Sensor Cook Method Meat Sauce Ingredients Meat Sauce 500 gCheese Sauce Beef stock cube 200 g Sliced mushrooms ⁄3 cup Sour cream 500 g Teaspoon 425 g CupCombined. Cook on P7 for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring On P7 for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir through sour creamVegetable Quantity Cooking Procedure Time Cooking Fresh Vegetables by Micro powerVegetables and Legumes ApproxVegetable Quantity Cooking Procedure Cooking Time Cooking Frozen Vegetables by Micro PowerLegumes VegetablesCooking Legumes by Sensor Cook S Auto Cook Å Cooking Dried Beans and Peas by Micro powerChickpea Salad with Coriander Dressing S Å Lentil Hot Pot SBacon rashers, chopped ⁄2 cup Grated cheese 750 g Peeled and sliced potatoes 250 ml Cream ⁄4 cup Milk500 g Cabbage, shredded Tablespoons Water Ardennis Style PotatoesTablespoon Butter 125 g Ham, finely chopped Salt and pepper Green onions, finely chopped250 g Brussels sprouts Tablespoons Butter 150 g Tablespoons ButterTeaspoon Dill or basil Sugar Tomato, dicedRice, Pasta and Noodles Cooking Rice by Micro powerCooking Rice by Sensor Cook S / Auto Cook Å APPROX. Time Amount To Cook Rice Standing TAPTo Reheat 2 Cups of Cooked Rice Fresh Pasta 250 g 625 g Cooking Pasta by Micro powerDried Pasta 150 g 500 g APPROX. Time Amount To Cook Pasta Standing ContainerTo cook by Sensor Cook/ Auto Cook 250 g Penne Cups Boiling water ⁄2 cupPrepare Pasta as above. Refer to Pasta directions on Pasta and Noodles Cooking Dried Noodles by Micro powerCooking Fresh Noodles by Sensor Cook S / Auto Cook Å APPROX. Time Amount To Cook Noodles Container BoilingTo cook Noodles by Sensor Cook / Auto Cook Cooking Desserts by Sensor Cook S Cakes, Desserts and Slices11⁄3 cups Milk 300 ml Cream Brown sugar ⁄3 cup Sultanas ⁄4 cup Rum 70 gSlices fruit loaf 100 g Butter Cup Sultanas Brown sugar Milk Egg, beaten Cups VariationsTo Soften Dried Fruit To Toast CoconutIcing Makes 24 x 8 cm loaf tin Through Christmas Pudding300 g Dark chocolate 400 g 250 g Mixed dried fruit 440 gTo prepare topping ToppingCakes Cooking Fruit by Micro PowerSlices To Melt ChocolatePreserving PrecautionsJars and Bottles Sterilizing JarsTo Reheat Pouring Custard SaucesCooking Sauces Beverages
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