Cooking
APPETIZERS/SAUCESISOU
PS
Cooking Appetizers:
Tips and Techniques
Recommended
• Crisp crackers, such as melba toast, shredded wheat,
and crisp rye crackers are best for microwave
use.
Wait until party time to add the spreads. Place a
paper towel under the crackers while they cook in the
microwave oven to absorb extra moisture.
• Arrange individual
appetizers
in a circle for even
cooking.
• Stir dips to distribute
heat and shorten cooking time.
Cooking Sauces: Tips and Techniques
• Use a microwavable
casserole or glass measuring
cup that is at least 2 or 3 times the volume of the
sauce.
• Sauces made with cornstarch
thicken more rapidly
than those made with flour.
• Cook sauces made with cornstarch
or flour
uncovered so you may stir them 2 or 3 times during
cooking for a smooth consistency.
• To adapt a conventional
sauce or gravy recipe, reduce
the amount of liquid slightly.
Cooking Soups: Tips and Techniques
• Cook soups in a microwavable
dish which holds
double the volume of the recipe ingredients
to
prevent boil-over, especially if you use cream or milk
in the soup.
• Generally, cover microwaved
soups with VENTED
plastic wrap or a microwavable
lid.
• Avoid overcooking
by using the minimum suggested
time. Add more time, if necessary, only after checking
the food.
• Stirring occasionally
will help blend flavors, distribute
heat evenly, and may even shorten the cooking time.
• When converting
a conventional
soup recipe to cook
in the microwave,
reduce the liquid, salt, and strong
seasonings.
Not Recommended
• Appetizers
with a crisp coating or puff pastry are best
done in a conventional
oven with dry heat.
• Breaded products
can be warmed in the microwave
oven but will not come out crisp.
MEAT
Cooking Meat: General
Directions
• Prepare the meat for cooking.
- Defrost completely.
- Trim off excess fat to avoid spattering.
- Place the meat, fat side down, on a microwavable
rack in a microwavable
dish.
- Use oven cooking bag for less tender cuts of meat.
- Arrange the meat so that thicker portions are toward
the outside of the dish.
- Cover the meat with waxed paper to prevent
spattering.
• Tend the meat as it cooks.
- Drain juices as they accumulate
to reduce spattering
and keep from overcooking
the bottom of the meat.
- Shield thin or bony portions with strips of foil to
prevent overcooking.
NOTE:
• Keep the foil at least I inch from the oven walls, and
do not cover more than one-third
of the meat with
foil at any one time.
Let the meat stand covered with foil 10-15 minutes
after you remove it from the oven. The internal
temperature
of the meat may rise from 5-10°F during
standing time.
The Meat Cooking Table on the next page provides
detailed directions,
Power Level, and Cooking Time
settings for most cuts of meat.
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