Nuked nutrition: microwave primer: the machines and the means to make healthy food almost instantly

Men's Fitness, March, 2003 by Mark Thorpe

Vegetables: Arrange slow-cooking vegetables near the outside of the plate and quick-cooking ones toward the inside. (For a list of slow- and fast-cooking vegetables, see page 553 in Kafka's Microwave Gourmet.)

* A half-pound of broccoli stalks in one tablespoon of water, covered tightly in a dish just large enough to hold them, cooks in four to six minutes.

* Six ounces of broccoli florets, covered tightly in a dish just large enough to hold them, cooks in two minutes. Arrange both stalks and florets in a single layer.

* A half-pound of tightly covered, fresh whole green beans cooks in 4 1/2 minutes.

Salt: Use sparingly. The minimal liquid requirements in most recipes means that when evaporation occurs, the salt flavor will intensify. Don't put salt on vegetables that are cooked without liquid; it will leech moisture from them.

Pepper: Generally, use a quarter of your normal amount of pepper, as microwaves really bring out its bite.

Garlic: Becomes soft and sweet and loses much of its bite after eight minutes of cooking. So for longer-cooking meals, use about twice the recommended amount. For stronger flavor, add the garlic during the last three minutes of cooking or after you remove the food from the oven.

Herbs: Use fewer herbs when they're dried; use more when they're fresh, or add them later in the cooking process to ensure the best flavor.

COOKING DISHES

You'll need a small selection of microwavable containers before you get started. Pyrex and Corningware make some of the best. Start here, then expand your collection as needed. You can also use dinner plates and glass measuring cups.

1. Corningware Creations 24-ounce au gratin dish

2. Corningware Creations 7-ounce ramekin

3. Pyrex 1.5-quart bowl with lid

4. Pyrex 2.5-quart baking dish

5. Corningware 23-ounce oval dish

6. Microwave Gourmet by Barbara Kafka

7. Corningware 22-ounce mug

8. Pyrex 9.5-inch pie dish

9. Corningware Creations 3-quart oblong dish

10. Corningware French White 4-quart dish

[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Sharp Half Pint, $50
0.5 cubic feet
600 watts
Express defrost
14'3/8" by 14'1/8" by 14'1/4"

CompuCook--six preprogrammed settings
Double Quantity Key--for preparing twice the
quantity of specific foods
Rotating turntable

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Whirlpool Gold Convection Countertop, $360
1.5 cubic feet capacity
1,000 watts
Convection/microwave combo cycles
Sensor reheat
Defrost cycles
Combination bake/broil/roast cycles
Warm Hold cycle
Rotating turntable

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Panasonic NN-T990SA F Inverter, $200
2.2 cubic feet
1,300 watts
Sensor Cook with 18 menu categories
Inverter Turbo Defrost
Sensor reheat
Keep Warm function
Rotating turntable

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