Oven recipes
Cook ¼ of the conventional time. Be sure to allow for stand time.
Meat, fruit, vegetables, & poultry. Cook 6 m per 500 g.
Seafood cook 3 m per 500 g.
Hard-boiled eggs. After cracking the egg open and putting it in the bowl prick the yellow 2-3 times with a toothpick. Cook at 50% power for 45 s.
Blended eggs should be steamed at 100% power.
Reduce the amount of liquid in the conventional recipe by about ¼ because there is less evaporation in microwave cooking. Cut back on spices and sauces by ¼.
Use no salt, or less salt. The microwave oven emphasizes the salt content in food, so recipes containing a conventional amount of salt will taste twice as salty.
Reduce the amount of other seasonings too. Microwave cooking enhances other herbs and spices. Reduce by half the amount used, and then add more after cooking.
Use deeper dishes than conventional cooking for more liquid based recipes like soups, cakes and sauces because these items increase in volume temporarily when microwave cooking.
Foods containing liquid, sugar and fat cook faster. So reduce the cooking time by ¼ of conventional cooking and then gradually increase until you obtain the desired result.
Anything with leavening (such as baking powder, baking soda, etc.) needs to rest for a few m after mixing.
Cut back on the least rich liquid ingredient by 20-25% (usually this is the water). This is because there is no dry hot air in the microwave to evaporate the extra liquid.
Keep food uniform in size or keep level.
Temperature equivalents: (@ 700 W)
220-250°C 100%
180°C 70%
150°C 50%
110°C 25-30%
65°C 10%
Stove top recipes
Determine the heat setting for the stovetop by finding it in your recipe. Convert it to a microwave power setting by using the following standards: 100 % microwave power for high heat, 70 % power for medium-high stove heat, 50 % power for medium heat, 25 to 30 % for low heat and 10 % for a simmer.
Decrease the added liquids in stovetop recipes by ¼. For instance, a recipe made on the stove requiring 1 cup of water would only need ¾ cup of water in the microwave.
Put the food into round, microwave-safe cookware, and cover with a lid or plastic wrap so that the wrap does not touch the food. Prick any whole foods, such as potatoes, eggs or sausages, with a fork to release steam built up in the food.
Set the food in the microwave, and set the appropriate power setting based off the stovetop heat level.
Program the microwave for a cooking time that is ¼ of the total cooking time on the stove. For example, a dish cooked for 20 m on the stove at medium heat would cook in the microwave on 50% power for 5 m.
Let the dish sit in the microwave after cooking for an additional 3 to 5 m so that the food finishes cooking.
Temperature equivalents: (@ 700 W)
220-250°C high/deep fry
180°C medium high
150°C medium
110°C low
65°C simmer
