Panasonic NN ST342M: Recipe Preparation

Microwave

Recipe Preparation

and

Techniques

Converting Your Favourite Conventional

Menu Planning for Microwave Cooking

Recipes for Microwave Cooking

How to Keep Everything Hot at The Same Time

When adapting conventional recipes for microwave cook-

Plan your meals so that the food will not all need last

ing, reduce the conventional cooking time by one quarter

minute cooking or attention at the same time. The special

or one third.

features of microwave cookery make it easy to serve

e.g. A chicken which takes 1 hour to cook in a moderate

meals with everything piping hot. Cooking of some foods

oven will take 15 to 20 minutes on MEDIUM Power in

may be interrupted while you start others, without harming

English

English

your microwave oven.

the nutritional value or flavour of either.

A recipe which requires standing time can be microwaved

Use similar microwave recipes to help you adapt conven-

first and another food cooked while it stands. Dishes pre-

tional recipes. Remember, it is always best to undercook a

pared in advance can be reheated briefly before serving.

recipe and then add an extra minute or two to finish it off.

It does take some experience and time to cook with confi-

dence. Microwaves are fast so you will have to do some

Here are some other tips that may help:

experimenting. You might find you will use your conven-

• Reduce liquids in a conventional recipe by one half to

tional range in conjunction with your microwave oven. For

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

1

⁄2

example, while cooking the roast in the microwave oven,

cup (125 ml).

you can be cooking the vegetables and gravy on the

• Add more thickening such as flour or cornflour to sauces

range top. This can also be done the other way around.

and gravies if you do not reduce the liquid.

Prepare your meals as follows.

• Reduce seasonings slightly in a recipe where ingredients

do not have time to simmer by microwave.

1. Firstly, cook the most dense item (roast or casserole).

• Do not salt meats, poultry or vegetables before cooking;

Drain and retain meat juice from joints then cover with

otherwise, they will toughen and dry out.

foil.

• If one ingredient takes longer to cook than the others,

2. Cook the potatoes, rice or pasta.

precook it in the microwave oven first. Onion, celery and

3. Cover with foil for standing.

potato are examples.

4. Cook greens and other vegetables.

• If meat or vegetables are not being browned before

5. Cover with foil for standing.

cooking, omit any oil or fat that would have been used

6. Cook the gravy with the retained meat juices, stock and

for browning.

thickening.

• Reduce leavening agents for cakes by one quarter and

7. Carve the roast and serve the vegetables and gravy.

increase liquids by one quarter.

• Biscuits require a stiff dough. Increase flour by about 20

While you are learning to plan meals, you may get a bit

percent. Substitute brown sugar for white sugar and use

behind time. Don’t worry. Dinner servings may be suitably

biscuit recipes that have dark spices or require icing.

reheated on MEDIUM-HIGH, at 2 minutes per serving.

Because of the short cooking time, biscuits don’t have to

If you prefer not to use foil, cover food with saucepan lids.

brown. Chill dough for half an hour before baking. This

A metal lid will retain the heat for at least 15 minutes.

produces a crisper biscuit. Bake biscuits on a glass tray

Meanwhile, how can you cook all the vegetables at the

lined with greaseproof paper.

same time? Simply place potatoes and pumpkin in one

• Since microwaves penetrate foods about two centime-

dish and less dense vegetables such as broccoli, cab-

tres from the top, bottom and sides, mixtures in round

bage, cauliflower, beans and peas in another. Sprinkle

shapes and rings cook more evenly. Corners receive

greens with water. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Cook

more energy and may overcook.

on HIGH for approximately 6 to 8 minutes for a serving for

• Items with a lot of water, such as rice and pasta, cook in

four people. Remember, if you increase the quantity of

about the same time as they would on a conventional

vegetables, increase the cooking time. Fresh and frozen

stove. (Refer to Rice and Pasta chapter.)

vegetables can be mixed on a vegetable platter, but

remember the latter are not as dense as fresh vegetables,

Select recipes that convert easily to microwave cooking

as they have been blanched before freezing.

such as casseroles, stews, baked chicken, fish and veg-

If vegetables are cut to a similar size, they can be cooked

etable dishes. The results from foods such as grilled

in separate ramekins or small dishes at the same time.

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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