Microwave Techniques
 

1. Covering
Cover foods with dish lids or microwave safe plastic wrap to hold
in steam and help foods cook faster. Cover vegetables, casseroles,
fruits, fish, skinned poultry, and ground meat.

2. Venting
When you sue microwave safe plastic wrap as a cover, vent it by turning
back one corner. This will allow steam to escape.

3. Stirring
Microwaves cooks the edges of food first. Stir the hotter portion on the
outside into the center.

4. Rearranging
If food can't be stirred, they should be rearranges so that they will cook
more evenly. Move the food in the center to the outside. Some foods that
need to be rearranged while cooking are chicken pieces, fillets, muffins,
cupcakes, and foods that are in individual dishes.

5. Turning the Dish
If the food can't be stirred or rearranges, then the plate itself needs to be
rotated. When a recipe calls for tuning the dish, make sure you rotate the
dish in the microwave.

6. Testing for Doneness
Always test foods after the minimum cooking time the recipe calls for.
Since microwave foods look wet, you can scratch the surface of the
food to look for doneness underneath.
 

                                 Microwave Basics

Cookware
Always use cookware that says microwave safe on the label.
To test for microwave safeness, you can do the following:
Pour 1/2 cup water into the utensil and heat in microwave on high
for 1 minute. If the water is warm, while the container is cool, then
it can be used in the microwave.

Some cookware may be suitable for heating food, but not safe for
cooking food in the microwave.
Don't use dishes, cups, or other kitchenware that has gold or
silver trim on it.

You can use white paper towels and paper plates to heat food in
the microwave, or to cook only if the cooking time is under 10
minutes. Don't use styrofoam.

Select dishes that fit in your microwave. If your microwave has a
turntable, make sure to allow room for that too.