Microwave Cooking For Kids

Kids can use the microwave at a younger age then cooking in the oven if taught accordingly. Begin by teaching proper use of the microwave and handling objects taken out of the microwave.

Then try simple recipes such as:

1. Steamed broccoli and cheese-add a small amount of water less than ¼ cup with broccoli florets. Place a microwavable plate or plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and cook for 4-5 minutes until broccoli is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan or other cheese desired and stir.



2. Warming up food is a good start that kids can learn the basics of the microwave.



3. Pop popcorn whether using microwavable popcorn or by placing a ¼ cup of popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag with 1 Tablespoon oil. Staple shut and pop for several minutes until kernels stop popping. Season with different flavors like cheese or taco.



4. Try various recipes for fondues or hot dips such as pizza dip or artichoke dip.



5. Simple fudge recipes that call for melting chocolate and stirring ingredients together are great for the microwave.



6. Baked apples are another simple and great treat.



7. Meatballs can be cooked in the microwave and then added to a jar of spaghetti sauce to warm up.



8. Breaded chicken patties can be cooked in the microwave and then add a slice of ham and slice of cheese for a quick chicken cordon bleu meal.


Always teach your children kitchen safety and the importance of using supervision at all times. And kids will love the freedom of using the microwave and being able to help put quick and easy meals on the table for the family.

Easy Fish Recipes - Cooking Fish in the Microwave

Prior to beginning our discussion, it should be noted that microwaves come in many different power ranges. It is difficult to cover them all. We will try to provide a variety of cooking times for different power levels, but at the least will identify the power level used. You may need to adjust per the power setting on your microwave.

Defrosting Fish in the Microwave

For most microwaves, the defrost setting is fairly consistent. Therefore the times listed here will be close for whatever microwave you have. Place the fish in a microwave safe container. In general, fish need 4-6 minutes per pound on the defrost cycle to get thawed. Half way through the defrost cycle, turn over and rearrange fish. Fish should be cold, perhaps even a bit icy at the end. If necessary, allow the fish to thaw for up to 20 minutes at room temperature. Do not leave at room temperature longer.

Cooking Fish in a Microwave

Just like when you cook fish in hot oil, in an oven, or on the grill, fish should be cooked at a high temperature for a relatively short period. The fish will continue to cook internally for some length of time after the microwave is finished. The cooking times listed are for a 700 watt microwave. It is assumed the fish has been previously thawed.

• Whole Fish = 6-8 minutes per pound


• Individual Fillets = 4-5 minutes per pound


• Steaks = 4-5 minutes per pound

The fish will be done when the meat is flaky. You can cook the fish longer if necessary, but do not overcook.

Salmon Steak Recipe

• Four 1.5 lbs salmon steaks cut approximately 1.5 inches thick


• Butter (1/3 to 1/4 cup)...No Fat Substitute Works


• Chopped Parsley


• Chopped Onion


• Diced Mushrooms


• Lemon Juice (2 Tablespoons)


• Salt and Pepper

In a saucepan melt butter and add parsley, onions, lemon juice, and mushrooms. Put half in the bottom of a bake dish. Lay in the salmon steaks. Season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining mixture. Cover the salmon steaks and place in the microwave. Cook for between 6 and 10 minutes. Let stand for 3-5 minutes covered. Check to see if the fish is flaky after it has stood for 5 minutes. If not, add time in one minute increments on the microwave.

This recipe can be used with trout fillets, halibut, and many other fish. Do not be afraid to experiment.

Microwave Cooking - The Basics

Do you feel that you don't have time to cook? Do you like using technology in cooking? Are you a health freak? If yes, this is what you are looking for. Microwave Cooking - The wonder of technology making life in the kitchen easy, healthy and beautiful! As everyone, even I love cooking with a microwave not only because it is easy, but because I have bought one recently. Not every one knows how to use a microwave. I have an aunt who got a microwave as a gift which she uses only to roast 'Papads'. But it is not designed only for that. Microwave is a gift to cooking. Even I am not an expert when it comes to Microwave Cooking. After some researching, I came up with this mini guide which may come handy and will be useful.

Why use Microwave?

As you might be aware of Microwave cooking is

-Easy
-Healthy, as the nutrients are preserved.
-Quick, hurray! we have more time.

Not all food can be prepared using Microwave. Only few Microwaves well i.e. cooks well. Using food that are not suited for microwaving can not only spoil the recipe, but also damage the microwave oven itself! It is a costly mistake.Take care!

Food that can be cooked in Microwave:

-Fish
-Whole fruits and Vegetables
-All Poultry
-Sauces and custard

Food to avoid:

-Do not try to hard boil eggs. That is not going to happen with microwave oven.
-Batters and Pancakes
-Roasting large turkeys/Hams as it will get cooked unevenly
-Do not try to deep fry!

Cleaning:

This is one of the most important and the most easiest work as far as this appliance is concerned. You can clean in minutes.

-Use Soft Sponges or cloth to clean
-Use dish washing liquid
-Deodorize by keeping the door open for some time and cleaning with baking soda dissolved in warm water.
-Another simple way to deodorize (Which I normally do) is by using the below recipe.

1 cup of water

2 slices of lemon OR few mixed spices (like cinnamon stick,bay leave etc)

Heat on high for 2 to 3 min or until the water is boiling. Now remove the water

and you are left with a fresh smelling new microwave.

Cooking Equipment:

Every time when I use a vessel in microwave oven, I get worried if I am using the right one as using the wrong dishes might spoil your oven. Here are a few you can use,

-Glass-ceramic
-Porcelain
-oven proof glass bowls and dishes
-Casseroles
-Plastic containers which are marked oven/dishwasher safe

Do not use:

-any metal container
-recycled paper
-Plastics that are not marked as oven safe.

Now a days we have even cake pans, loaf pans and baking molds suitable for microwaving.

Mostly round containers are preferred to rectangle or square shaped containers for microwave cooking. The corners get more microwave energy than the center so round is the best shape to cook evenly.

Test your container:

Are you still skeptical in using your container for microwaving? Then do the following test,

Fill the dish/vessel you want to test with cold water

Heat on high for 1 minute

Now check,

If the water is hot and the dish is cold - The dish is safe

If the Dish is hot and water is still cold - No way! Don't use this vessel

General Microwave cooking - Tips and Techniques that can used to cook any food.

- Cover the food while cooking. It helps in cooking evenly and faster.
- Wrap bread with absorbing paper to avoid moisture on the top.
- Arrange the food so that the center has food that needs less heat to cook and the corners have parts that need more heat to cook.
- Pierce the food with toothpick so that it helps in cooking faster.
- Stir the food occasionally as directed in the recipe.
- Always under cook as food still gets cooked during the standing time.
- Always follow the recipe.

Few How to :

You might be wondering for what else we can use Microwave oven. Do not worry here comes my favorite part which makes our work easy,

How to Peel Tomato:

Pour 2 cups of boiling water in a microwave safe bowl. Add 2 tomatoes and heat on high for 45 - 60 sec till the skin splits. Cool them and peel the tomatoes with ease.

How to Garlic:

Place 2 -3 cloves on oven floor and heat on high for 15-30 sec. Remove and peel with ease.

How to cook beans:

Pre soak the beans as usual and cook them in a large container, giving space for them to expand.

How to Steam vegetables:

Place them in a bowl with little water, they get cooked with the help of the steam. If you use closed bowls, it gets cooked fast.

To Dos for cooking conventional recipe using Microwave:

We generally go with the same recipe for our favorite food and cooking with microwave needs some modification for the taste to come out right.

- Use less water than you will use generally. For example if your general recipe
needs 1 cup of water, for microwave cooking, use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water.

- Add more spices

- Add salt after the food is cooked

- Reduce the cooking time by at least half.

This is just the basics. There are a lot more to learn for mastering the art of microwave cooking, which , I strongly feel, comes only with practice. So why wait? Buy a microwave oven, cook and enjoy!!!

Microwave Meatloaf

Many people hesitate to cook meat in the microwave. However, if done correctly it works fine. It is nice in the summer so you don't have to turn on your hot oven. I recommend using a silicone loaf form to make the meatloaf in the microwave. You can purchase a silicone loaf pan in specialty cooking stores. You may also find one at a Department Store such as Mervyns. Silicone is a nice way to go because they are very easy to clean. All you have to do is turn them inside-out to get all the leftovers that store themselves in the corners of your loaf pan. Another thing I like about silicone pans is you can fold them up for easy storage. Hence, they work great if you have limited cabinet space. If you are unable to locate a silicone loaf pan, or simply don't want to purchase one, you can try a glass loaf pan. My only complaint with glass loaf pans is that they tend to dry the meatloaf a little.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ground beef, 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce, onion, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir until well blended. Press mixture into microwaveable loaf pan. Spread remaining barbeque sauce over mixture.

Microwave on high 5 minutes; rotate 1/4 turn. Microwave an additional 5 minutes; rotate another 1/4 turn. If necessary, repeat until center is done.

How to Find Microwave Oven Recipes

Cooking in a microwave oven is a fast, easy way to prepare a large number of foods. Microwave cooking requires less oil and water than many other methods of cooking, and you'll keep more of the nutrients, too. For instance, spinach that's been cooked in a microwave oven keeps almost all the folate that was originally present.

Folate is a vital nutrient, also known as vitamin B9. It prevents anemia in pregnant women, and it helps us with cell division and correct DNA division. If you cook spinach on the stove, it could lose almost eighty percent of this nutrient. Foods that may develop carcinogenic materials than cooked on the stove, like bacon, develop many fewer of these substances when cooked in the microwave, too.

However, finding good microwave cooking recipes can be challenging. There are lots of recipes out there, but they won't all work for your oven, or turn out well. It takes some work to collect a set of high quality microwave oven recipes that taste good and are good for you. Fortunately, there are ways to sift through the vast number of microwave recipes out there and find the good ones. Here are some tips.

There are a number of different places you can start looking for microwave oven recipes. There are lots to be found online, or you could check cooking magazines and microwave cooking books from your library or bookstore. If you've never done much more than heat up a TV dinner in your microwave, start with a relatively simple recipe. Different microwaves require different things while cooking, so you'll have to learn yours. If you have the manual available, that will help a lot.

Once you've found a recipe that you think you'd like to try, examine it closely. See if you can find out what oven wattage the recipe is intended for. Many microwave oven recipes are made for a seven hundred watt oven. However, microwave ovens vary between around three hundred and fourteen hundred watts. Cooking a recipe meant for a different wattage could result in an under or over cooked food item.

If your recipe is meant for a different oven, look online for a conversion chart that'll tell you what kind of cooking time changes to make in order to prevent problems. If you don't know what your oven wattage is, there are charts to help you find that, too. They're based on how long it takes to boil water. Once you know your oven's power, you'll have a lot more control over cooking.

Oven features can be important when it comes to finding microwave oven recipes that'll work with your machine, too. For instance, while many microwaves now come with turntables that let food cook evenly, not all models have these. If your oven doesn't turn food automatically, you'll need to stop at various points during the cooking process to rotate it. That will keep your food from having some spots that are overcooked and others that are underdone or even cold.

Remember that while cooking in your microwave requires a lot less oil or water, these agents can affect the flavor and texture of food. Be prepared for a very low fat or low moisture microwave recipe to taste or feel a little different than a conventionally cooked one. You may wish to adjust recipes after you've tried them initially. The more experience you get with microwave cooking, the better you'll get at deciding the best way to change a recipe.