Cooking, Not Just Reheating, in the Microwave The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service

Microwave ovens are not just for reheating!

Nuking Breakfast Scrambled eggs Pancakes with fruit topping Coffee Eggs –2-4 minutes on medium – stir once Fruit topping – 2-3 minutes on high – stir Add ¼ teaspoons cornstarch and 1 ½ teaspoon water per cup of fruit to thicken

Breakfast: Fast and Easy.Orange juice Oatmeal Bran muffin Peanut butter Hot tea Milk Cook hot cereal on medium for 2-4 minutes – stir often Reheat muffins and bagels for seconds on high Thaw juice and boil water for tea

Preparing Lunch or Supper Fix a food completely in the microwave Cook ingredients for recipes that will then be finished on the stove, in the oven or on the grill

Cooking Meat and Poultry Cook thawed meat and poultry on medium heat Arrange so the thickest part is toward the edges If want to brown, place under broiler for a few minutes

Cooking Fish Choose fish with even thickness Cook for 4 – 5 minutes May need to cut in half to get done without over cooking

Cooking Vegetables Buy bags of frozen so it is easy to take out 1-2 portions Bake sweet potatoes and winter squash as well as white potatoes Corn on the cob can be cooked in the husk or in plastic wrap on high for 4 minutes

Safe Microwaving Use only microwave safe containers If in doubt, test on high for one minute with a cup of water Safe only if the container remains cool

Efficient Microwaving Pieces of food should be similar in size Cover to prevent splatter, drying out and speed up cooking Do not totally cover the food with plastic wrap or a lid so steam can escape

Be sure the food is done! Rotate, stir or rearrange food while cooking Allow for stand time Check with a food thermometer

Summary Use microwaves to prepare meals from scratch – not just for reheating Use microwave safe containers for cooking Be sure to cover, rotate, stir and re-arrange food to promote even cooking Use a food thermometer to be sure food is well cooked