By Margaret Malsam
You may be feeling, as I do, that it has been too hot to cook. These dog days of summer are the time of year when we can use the magic of the microwave to get out of the kitchen in a hurry.
I believe the microwave oven is one of the best kitchen appliances invented in the 20th century. Microwave ovens are great because they cook food in an amazingly short amount of time compared to stovetop or oven.
Since the invention of the microwave a few decades ago, we no longer cook like our grandmothers. Our cooking habits have been drastically changed by the microwave, which saves us time, energy and summertime heat. The microwave oven has become a practical necessity in today’s fast-paced world.
It’s easy to convert regular recipes to the microwave. Just cook them about ¼ of the regular time. If you want to slow down your microwave cooking, fill a heatproof mug with water and place it in back of the microwave to absorb some of the waves.
I like to scramble eggs and microwave them in a small plastic omelet maker. Omelets come out fluffy and in a perfect half moon shape. I also like to microwave bacon. To get it crisp, you don’t need a microwave bacon pan. An easy no-mess way to cook bacon is to wrap several layers of white paper toweling around several slices. Try cooking about one minute or less per slice in the microwave.
I seldom bake potatoes in the oven for the two of us anymore – even in the winter. It’s so much easier and faster to cook them in my microwave. I pierce them several times with a fork and microwave them. My new microwave has a special setting for baked potatoes that make them come out perfect every time.
I have discovered that cooking meatballs in the microwave makes them firmer than browning them in a skillet. I place them between paper towels on an ovenproof pie plate. I microwave on high for a few minutes and then check them for doneness. I remove the well-done ones and cook the others in the microwave until they are done.
I cook old-fashioned oatmeal with cranberries and nuts in the microwave every morning. It tastes so much better than the quick oats, and only takes two minutes in my microwave. I also like to make candied apples in the microwave. I peel and cut apples into slices, place them in a microwave dish, cover with water, and add about one teaspoon of candied red hots per apple. Cover and cook in the microwave until the apples are tender and a beautiful red color.
I use the microwave to cook fresh and fruits and fruit jams (you don’t need to stir as much). I also like to make puddings and to dry celery leaves and herbs in the microwave. Corn on the cob tastes extra special when it is cooked in the microwave (see recipe). My friend gave me a quick and easy recipe (printed below) for a tasty microwave bundt cake that looks beautiful because it cooks evenly and slides out easily.
