In The Microwave
Source of Recipe
recipecircus/ann ring
List of Ingredients
When arranging food on a dish to microwave, place the denser and larger items on the outside and the less dense and smaller portions on the inside. Stem ends of foods, broccoli, for example, should be on the outside of the dish. The denser and larger the food the more time it takes to cook.
To soften hardened brown sugar in the microwave: Place hardened brown sugar in a microwave safe bowl, cover with two wet paper towels. Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on 100% power for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (microwave ovens vary in power so you may need to adjust the heating time.) Or, microwave expert Barbara Kafka recommends placing the opened bag of brown sugar in the microwave next to a mug of water. Microwave on 100% power for 2 minutes; check and microwave 1 additional minute, if necessary. Break up microwaved sugar with a fork (sugar will be hot), and stir.
To soften butter to room temperature quickly, microwave one stick, unwrapped, for 15 to 20 seconds. Ovens vary, so start with less time and watch out for hot spots.
To melt chocolate, chop into small pieces and microwave 30 seconds at a time until chocolate looks shiny. Stir and microwave 30 seconds longer, if necessary.
Dense foods cook more slowly than porous ones. For example, mashed potatoes microwave much faster than baked potatoes and ground beef quicker than steak.
To peel garlic quickly, snip the pointy end off individual cloves and microwave them for 10 to 15 seconds.
To restore crystallized honey, microwave 1 cup honey (in it's own glass jar) tightly covered with plastic wrap for 1 1/2 minutes.
To get more juice out of lemons, limes and other citrus fruits, microwave them on HIGH for 30 seconds, then roll them on the counter to burst the juice cells; slice and juice.
When cooking foods with a skin or some form of membrane, pierce to keep them from exploding from the steam that builds up inside the skin during cooking. Foods to watch include eggs in shell, egg yolks, potatoes, tomatoes and hot dogs.
To plump 1 cup raisins quickly, place them on a plate in a single layer, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water, cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave at 100% power for 1 1/2 minutes. Substitute sherry or wine for the water for added flavor.
To microwave 1 pound of fresh asparagus: In a microwave safe dish large enough to hold the asparagus in a single layer, arrange the spears with the stem ends against the short edges of the dish and the tips facing the center. Cover the dish with plastic wrap or a lid, and microwave on high for 6 1/2 to 9 1/2 minutes. Halfway through the cooking process, remove the dish from the oven and rearrange the asparagus so that the ones along the long sides of the pan, which have been receiving the most intense heat, are in the middle, and the ones in the middle are along the sides. Re-wrap and continue to cook. When the asparagus are done, unwrap the pan carefully, keeping your face away from the steam.
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