ResearchEasy tips for Cooking with Microwaves
Cooking with microwaves has become quite common as microwaves have become more and more reliable. With the ability to adjust the wattage and the rate at which food cooks, many people have found that they can cook entire meals in their microwaves! Cooking in such a convenient way saves many individuals time, as well as money, and even reduces clean up! It is actually amazing what you can do with the right ingredients, a little bit of time, and your microwave. Cooking in your microwave is relatively simple, but there are some tips that will make your food taste better, and will help you have the best cooking experience possible.
Good For You
First, it’s worth noting that the microwave is a great way to cook if you are trying to lose weight or you are watching your fat intake. You can use little to no oil and butter when you cook in the microwave. Because you are basically steaming vegetables, fish and other products, you don’t have to add fat to your meals. So, if you are in a hurry but you are trying to stick to your diet, the microwave can get you a great tasting healthy meal in just seconds. Remember, you don’t have to add fat to your food that you cook in the microwave.
Microwave Cooking Tips
Despite common statements to the contrary, you can use aluminum foil in the microwave! To safely use aluminum foil you need to be sure that you have more food than foil in the appliance at all times. 80% food to 20% foil is a good rule of thumb, so only use it to protect some foods from becoming overcooked.
Another great microwave tip is to add salt to your foods after you cook it. If you add the salt before you cook it, you might unnecessarily draw out all of the water so that the food does not cook as evenly as it could. This is especially important with vegetables and meats that often dry out if there is not enough moisture.
You should always rotate your foods while they are cooking in a microwave. Most of the newer models have rotating plates in them, but if yours does not you should turn the food a quarter turn every few minutes. Large amounts of foods may need to be rearranged or stirred every couple minutes to ensure even cooking. It’s also a good idea to heat things in your microwave in one layer, instead of piled on top of one another. When you cook in one layer you will find that your food cooks more evenly.
If you cook your food in the microwave with a cover over it, you should be sure that there is a way for steam to escape the cover. Who hasn’t blown a top off of a plastic container in the microwave? Avoid this mess by slitting plastic wrap or not sealing a plastic lid to the container. The food will cook much more efficiently if steam can escape and you will avoid blow ups, too!
Round dishes work better in the microwave. If you haven’t found out this nifty tip, make use of it now. Round dishes work better in the microwave because they enable uniform heating, which makes your food taste better when it’s done! Round dishes will help you avoid over cooking on the edges and frozen centers!
It’s important that you realize that “standing time” is something you need to observe. If you are preparing food in the microwave, you often will take it out before the food is actually cooked thoroughly to let it “stand”. This isn’t just cooling time, food will actually continue to cook for another 20 minutes after you take it out of the microwave, so it is important that you observe standing times and plan accordingly so that you neither undercook nor overcook your food.
Final Thought
Cooking in the microwave is fun and easy, and is an ideal way to put healthy food on the table even when you do not have a lot of time. There are a plethora of great microwave cookbooks out there that will help you eat great all the time, right out of the microwave! So, get creative with your microwave and see just how tasty your meals can be in minutes.