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– 20 –
Microwave Recipe Techniques
(continued)
Menu Planning for Microwave Cooking
How to Keep Everything Hot at The Same Time
Plan your meals so that the food will not all need last
minute cooking or attention at the same time. The
special features of microwave cookery make it easy
to serve meals with everything piping hot. Cooking of
some foods may be interrupted while you start others,
without harming the nutritional value or fl avour of
either.
A recipe which requires standing time can be
microwaved fi rst and another food cooked while it
stands. Dishes prepared in advance can be reheated
briefl y before serving.
It does take some experience and time to cook with
confi dence. Microwaves are fast so you will have to do
some experimenting. You might fi nd you will use your
conventional range in conjunction with your microwave
oven. For example, while cooking the roast in the
microwave oven, you can be cooking the vegetables
and gravy on the range top. This can also be done the
other way around. Prepare your meals as follows.
Firstly, cook the most dense item (roast or 1.
casserole). Drain and retain meat juice from joints
then cover with foil.
Cook the potatoes, rice or pasta.2.
Cover with foil for standing.3.
Cook greens and other vegetables.4.
Cover with foil for standing.5.
Cook the gravy with the retained meat juices, stock 6.
and thickening.
Carve the roast and serve the vegetables and 7.
gravy.
While you are learning to plan meals, you may get a
bit behind time. Don’t worry. Dinner servings may be
suitably reheated on Medium, for 1 to 2 minutes per
serving.
If you prefer not to use foil, cover food with saucepan
lids. A metal lid will retain the heat for at least 15
minutes.
Meanwhile, how can you cook all the vegetables at
the same time? Simply place potatoes and pumpkin in
one dish and less dense vegetables such as broccoli,
cabbage, caulifl ower, beans and peas in another.
Sprinkle greens with water. Cover with a lid or
plastic wrap. Cook on High for approximately 6 to 8
minutes for a serving for four people. Remember, if
you increase the quantity of vegetables, increase the
cooking time. Fresh and frozen vegetables can be
mixed on a vegetable platter, but remember the latter
are not as dense as fresh vegetables, as they have
been blanched before freezing.
If vegetables are cut to a similar size, they can be
cooked in separate ramekins or small dishes at the
same time.
Increasing & Decreasing Recipes
Increasing
To increase a recipe from 4 to 6 servings, increase •
each ingredient listed by half.
To increase a recipe from 4 to 8 servings, double •
each ingredient listed.
For larger quantities of a recipe, a large dish should •
be used. Make sure that the dish is deep enough to
prevent the recipe from boiling over during cooking.
Make sure to cover, stir or rearrange food as directed •
in the recipe and always check the food during
cooking.
Increase standing times by 5 minutes per 500 •
g
.
Use the same Power Level recommended in the •
original recipe.
Increase the cooking times by: •
1
⁄
3
of original cooking
time for 6 servings; and an extra
1
⁄
2
of original
cooking time for 8 servings.
Decreasing
To decrease a recipe from 4 to 2 servings, decrease •
each ingredient listed by half.
For small quantities, a small dish should be used. •
Make sure that the dish is large enough to prevent
the recipe from boiling over during cooking.
Use the same Power Level recommended in the •
original recipe.
Decrease the cooking times by •
1
⁄
2
to
2
⁄
3
of the original
cooking time.
Cooking for One
To decrease a recipe from 4 to 1 serving, quarter •
each ingredient listed.
A smaller dish should be used, making sure that the •
dish is still large enough to prevent the recipe from
boiling over.
Use the same Power Level recommended in the •
original recipe.
Quarter the original cooking times, then add extra •
time, if needed.
Make sure to cover, stir or rearrange food as directed •
in original recipe and always check the food during
cooking.
Converting Recipes from Other Sources
When the recipe is written with a wattage different than
your oven, adjust the cooking time by approximately
10% per 100 watts, e.g. 6 minutes would be adjusted
by 36 seconds. Alternately, adjust the power level by
one level. If your wattage is higher than the recipe:
(1) Adjust time downward or (2) Adjust power level
downward. If your wattage is lower than the recipe:
(1) adjust time upward or (2) adjust power level
upward (when possible).
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