: HINTS FOR MICROWAVE COOKING
No high altitude adjustments are necessary for the microwave. Occa- sionally you may need a little longer cooking time--a matter of seconds. To retard any microwave cooking, place 8 ounces of water in the back corner of the oven to absorb some of the microwaves. To convert regular recipes to microwave, cook one-fourth of the given time, and, if necessary, add time in increments of 30 seconds. Microwave a lemon, lime or orange for 30 seconds before squeezing to get more juice. Insert knife through nipple of fruit and squeeze. The best hint for your microwave is to have fun with it! Don't just boil water and thaw meat---experiment. Try and try again. It's such a timesaver that it is really worth the effort. It will be wonderful for you when you learn how, and you have to use it to learn! To soften raisins, pour a little water over them, heat uncovered for 3 minutes and then let stand for 2 minutes. To toast almonds or other nuts, spread 1 cup nuts on a plate and heat 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Let stand for a few minutes, then store in a covered glass jar. To clarify sugared honey, remove metal top from jar and heat 1 minute. Watch carefully, as the time will vary with the amount of honey. To serve fragrant hot towels with dinner, place rolled, dampened wash cloths, scented with a few drops of after-shave lotion, in the microwave. Heat for 1 to 2 minutes until steamy hot. Serve on table with ribs, chicken, etc. To dry fresh herbs, remove leaves from stem and spread on paper or cardboard. Cover with a paper towel and heat 2 to 3 minutes. If they are dry to the touch, remove from oven. If not, heat a few more seconds. Let stand 10 minutes, then store in a covered jar. To freshen stale potato chips, crackers, etc., heat 16 ounces for 30-45 seconds. VEGETABLES Microwave cooked vegetables may be the most rewarding experience you will discover in this new generation of cooking. Most fresh vegetables cook in their own moisture, or with very little water. The result is no loss of natural flavor, color, texture and nutrition. Nothing is thrown away. Both fresh and frozen vegetables cook perfectly. The frozen product should be thawed first for best results when being combined with other ingredients. A handy Vegetable Cooking Chart has been included for easy reference. : TIPS TO REMEMBER Large fresh vegetables, such as squash or broccoli, cook best when cut up. Pieces should be of equal size and spread evenly within the cooking dish. Potatoes and hard-skin squash require no cooking dish and are best prepared on a paper towel. They should be pricked to avoid bursting. Cut and peeled vegetables should be cooked covered. The moisture available will turn to steam and aid in even cooking. Salt, seasonings, and sauces should be added to vegetables at the end of cooking. Leftover vegetables may be reheated with minimum loss of color, flavor, and nutrition. : FRESH VEGETABLE COOKING CHART Most vegetables should be covered when cooked with plastic wrap. (Be careful when uncovering vegetables as steam burns.) : AMOUNT COOKING DISH METHOD TIME ON HIGH Artichokes 4 quart 1/4 cup water 10-11 minutes 2 medium Asparagus 2 quart 1/2 cup water 7-9 minutes 1 pound stir once Green Beans 2 quart 1/3 cup water 11-13 minutes 1 pound stir once Lima Beans 1 quart 1/2 cup water 9-11 minutes 1 pound stir once Beets 2 quart barely cover 17-19 minutes 1 pound with water Broccoli 2 quart 1/2 cup water 9-11 minutes 1 1/2 pounds Brussel Sprouts 2 quart 1/4 cup water 9-11 minutes 1 pound stir once Cabbage 3 quart 1/4 cup water 14-16 minutes small head quartered stir once Carrots 2 quart 1/2 cup water 10-12 minutes 1 pound sliced stir once Cauliflower 2 quart 1/4 cup water 9-11 minutes 1 medium head turn dish once Corn 1 quart 1/4 cup water 5-6 minutes cut from cob, 1 1/2 cups Corn 2 quart 1/4 cup water 9-11 minutes 4 ears Eggplant 3 quart 1/4 cup water 6-8 minutes 1 medium or 4 cups cubed onions 2 quart 1/2 cup water 9-11 minutes 4 large quartered Parsnips 2 quart 1/4 cup water 8-10 minutes 1 pound stir once Green Peas 1 quart 2 tablespoons 7-9 minutes 2 cups shelled water, stir once Baked Potatoes paper towel 1 medium 5-6 minutes 2 medium 7-9 minutes 3 medium 10-12 minutes 4 medium 14-16 minutes Boiled Potatoes 2 quart 1 cup water 17-19 minutes 6 medium, quartered or sliced stir once Spinach 2 quart 2 tablespoons 3-5 minutes 2 bunches water, stir once Squash paper towel prick with dork 6-8 minutes 1 pound AMOUNT COOKING DISH METHOD TIME ON HIGH Sweet Potatoes 1 1/2 quart 1/4 cup water 8-10 minutes 4 medium peeled, cut in half stir once Sweet Potatoes paper towel 1 medium 5-6 minutes 2 medium 7-9 minutes 3 medium 10-12 minutes 4 medium 14-16 minutes 1 Tomatoes 2 quart 2 tablespoons 4-6 minutes 4 large, cut in half water Turnips 2 quart 1/4 cup water 10-12 minutes 1 pound stir once Zucchini 1 quart 1/4 cup water 6-8 minutes 1 pound, sliced stir once : FROZEN VEGETABLE COOKING CHART Most vegetables should be cooked with plastic wrap. Most vegetables should be covered when cooked with plastic wrap. (Be careful when uncovering vegetables as steam burns.) AMOUNT COOKING DISH METHOD TIME ON HIGH Asparagus 1 quart stir once 6-8 minutes 10 ounce box Beans, green 1 quart 2 tablespoons 8-10 minutes 10 ounce box water, stir once Broccoli 1 quart stir once 7-9 minutes 10 ounce box Brussel Sprouts 1 quart 2 tablespoons 8-10 minutes 10 ounce box water, stir once Carrots and peas 1 quart 2 tablespoons 7-9 minutes 10 ounce box water, stir once Cauliflower 1 quart 2 tablespoons 8-10 minutes 10 ounce box water, stir once Corn, cut 1 quart 1/4 cup water 6-7 minutes 10 ounce box stir once Corn on the Cob 2 ears 1 quart 1/4 cup water 8-10 minutes 4 ears turn dish once 12-14 minutes Peas 1 quart 1/4 cup water 7-9 minutes 10 ounce box stir once Spinach 1 quart stir once 6-8 minutes Leaf or chopped 10 ounce box Squash 1 quart 2 tablespoons 6-8 minutes 10 ounce box water, stir once Vegetables, mixed 1 quart 1/4 cup water 6-8 minutes 10 ounce box stir once --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
