Basic Mcmwave Gtidehes

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.

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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.

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.