Cooking Conventional Foods in the Microwave

If you live on-the-go, you probably microwave quite a few of your meals. Did you know that you can enjoy conventional foods by using the microwave instead of the range or heating up your conventional oven? From vegetables to tortillas –these time-saving tips can help you spend less time preparing meals and more time enjoying them with your family.

• Corn on the cob – if you want a sweet, buttery cob of corn in a few quick minutes, spread your butter over the cob, wrap in a piece of wax paper, and twist the ends like a piece of candy. Place on a paper plate and cook on High. Two 6-inch cobs can be ready in about 5-8 minutes. This saves water, time waiting for the range to bring that water to a boil, and leaves no pan to clean.
• Tortillas – sprinkle a couple of drops of water between each tortilla, cover with a paper towel, and use the Bake option on your microwave to steam your tortillas to a heavenly softness. For crispy flour tortillas to use in dips, don’t use any water and put the microwave on High for about 4 minutes.
• Crescent rolls from a can in a hurry – place your rolls in a microwave safe dish or on a paper plate. Put a small dab of margarine on top of each one and Bake for 4-6 minutes. Different microwaves have different wattage, so time may vary to get them done in the middle.
• Noodles or rice– put noodles or rice in a glass container, add a pat of margarine or butter, and pour water to just above the noodles or rice. Cover and cook on High for 10 minutes. The result is a dish that doesn’t stick to your pan or itself.
• Hot chocolate in a jiff – stir your cocoa mix and water into a ceramic cup and select High for 2 minutes. It won’t boil but you can stir and drink it right away.
• Pizza – crust will be soft, but it cooks quickly (less than 10 minutes) and you can use a paper plate to save clean up time.
• For enchiladas, lasagna, or casseroles, you can try using a Browning dish to speed up long cooking times.

The important thing to remember about microwave ovens is that NOTHING is off-limits. You can cook any food to perfection in less time than when using a conventional oven – even a 15-pound turkey — if your microwave is big enough!