How to Adapt Your Own Cooking Recipes to Microwave Ovens?

Answer 1

Microwave ovens cook at a faster rate than conventional cooking methods (such as an oven). However, this does not mean that you just put a whole chicken inside the microwave oven and expect it to be cooked within 15 minutes. You will probably end up having burnt skin and undercooked meat or the food may be soggy. Cooking in the microwave oven requires you to understand the difference between your conventional oven and your microwave oven. For one, conventional oven uses convection to cook your food (this means the heat is circulated all throughout the oven) whereas microwave oven uses microwave heat to specifically heat surfaces that contains water to cook the food. Here are some ways to adapt your conventional cooking method on to the microwave oven.

• Find a conventional recipe that is similar to the recipe that you want to adapt in terms of ingredients and proportion.

• Reduce the amount of liquid to about one-fourth if you cook it the usual way in the microwave since there is less evaporation in microwave cooking.

• Use no salt, or less salt. The microwave oven emphasizes the salt content in food, so recipes containing a conventional amount of salt will taste twice as salty.

• Reduce the amount of seasoning since microwave cooking enhances other herbs and spices.

• Use deeper bowls or dishes when you cook in the microwave because the volume may increase temporarily. This is attributed to the fact that there is low evaporation in the microwave.

• Foods containing liquid, sugar and fat cook faster; so try reducing the cooking time by 1/4 of conventional cooking and then gradually increase until you obtain the desired result.

Unfortunately, there is no fast rule for converting recipes. There is a little bit of experimentation involved in converting each recipe you attempt. Don't be discouraged if your first big microwave meal did not turn out the way you expected it to be, just try again and you will be able to eventually master the art of cooking in the microwave in no time. Have fun!

Answer 2

When mealtime creeps up on you, knowing how to thaw food in your microwave will save time and money. Although the thaw function is included in most microwaves these days, it's one of the least understood and used features.

How to Defrost Food in Your Microwave

If you've ever had an unsuccessful microwave thawing experience, you're probably familiar with the dreaded "raw and ruined" appearance of a piece of meat that's overcooked along the edges and still partially frozen in the center. There are ways to thaw foods without ruining a good cut of meat or creating a mess. These tips will help:

• Familiarize yourself with your microwave's directions. Admit it; you knew this suggestion was coming. Microwaves are available with different power capacities depending on the size of the magnetron tube. Manufacturers conduct extensive testing on all their models before releasing them on the market. Instead of reinventing the wheel, review the directions for your make and model. This will help you understand how best to defrost that sirloin, container of frozen strawberries or package of peas. All frozen foods aren't created equal. For the best results, learn what those buttons and numbers on your microwave mean. Where five seconds on the lowest setting may bring a quarter pound of butter to room temperature, it may take up to fifteen minutes to thaw a roast -- with a couple of flips and turns into the bargain. Food costs are rising, and seeing your microwave for the fabulous food prep tool it is will help you make the most of every food penny you spend. In fact, once you start thumbing through the owner's manual, you may discover some handy recipes you'd like to try.

• Use a microwave safe plastic bag. If thawing food in your microwave yields spotty results even after reviewing the proper settings and procedures, use a plastic bag to thaw dense meats and other big jobs. Just place the frozen item in the bag, squeeze out all the excess air, and seal the bag shut. Defrost as usual making sure the bag doesn't touch the side walls or roof of the microwave. The bag will distribute the cooking power across the entire job. You'll have a more evenly defrosted product and may be able to use the same bag again and again.

• Use the lowest defrost setting first. When you pull those hash browns out of the freezer, don't add a generous margin for error to the defrost time. A ten minute defrost cycle may yield a steaming mess that you'll have a hard time crisping up on the griddle. It's convenient to allow a little extra defrost time so you won't have to keep resetting the microwave. That's not the best treatment for your food, though. Take the time to test the lowest possible defrost setting that will do the job. Once you get it right, make a mental note to use that setting next time. Most folks make the same recipes again and again, so some experimentation will yield better and faster future results.

• Read the labels on prepared foods. When the directions say you should cook that package of frozen egg rolls for two minutes at half power and then another minute at full power after venting the package (or stirring the ingredients), they mean it. Microwaves are convenient, but you can't cook everything using a set-it-and-forget-it philosophy, especially ingredients that include breading, cheese or grains.

To make microwave defrosting a good choice as well as a quick one, make sure to learn the quirks of your machine and give your defrosting projects the time and attention they deserve.

[video=]

Answer 3

To know best cooking tips for a Microwave Oven, please goto http://www.onestopsolver.com/Cooking-Tips-For-Microwave-Oven.shtml