Freezer-to-Table Home Frozen
Foo~
Guide
Food
Defrost
Hold
Amount Time
Time Power
hvel
& Time
Comments
Meatballs,
raw
1
recipe
(12)
10
5
High (10)
5 to 7 min.
Arrange in circle; cover with plastic wrap.
For precooked meatballs, reduce each time
period by 2 minutes.
Meat loaf, raw
(9-in. pie plate)
Saucy casseroles
(Chicken a la
King,
chili, spaghetti
sauce,
beef stew)
soup
1 recipe
1
recipe
(1
k-qts,)
1
cup
(8-OZ.
)
I-qt.
2-qts.
30
15
Meal-High (7) 20 to 25 min.
Cover with plastic wrap. Rotate 1/4 turn
after half of cooking time.
35 to 40 15
Meal-High (7)
30 to 35 min.
Cover with plastic wrap. Break up and stir
from edges to center after defrost and after
8
to 10
5
Meal-High (7)
5 to 10 min.
half of cooking time. For 3 cups food,
reduce each time period by half.
25
15
High (10) 10 to 15 min.
Cover. Break up and stir while defrosting
30
20
High (10)
15 to 20 min.
and cooking, to speed heating.
Microwave Adapting
Cooking Techniques for
Microwaving
Covering.
In both conventional and microwave cooking, covers
hold in moisture and speed heating. Conventionally, partial covering
allows excess steam to escape. Venting plastic wrap or covering with
wax paper serves the same purpose when microwaving.
Arranging Food in Oven.
In conventional baking, you position
foods.
such as cake layers or potatoes, so that hot air can flow
around them. When microwaving, you arrange foods in a ring,
so that all sides arc exposed to microwave energy.
Stirring.
In range top cooking, you stir foods up from the bottom to
help them heat evenly. When microwaving, you stir cooked portions
trorn
the outside to the center. Foods which require constant stirring
conventionally will
need
only occasional stirring.
‘fuming Over.
[n
range top cooking, you turn over foods such
as hamburgers, so both sides
can
directly contact hot pan. When
microwaving, turning is often needed during defrosting, or when
cooking
foods
such as hamburgers from the frozen state.
Standing Time.
In conventional cooking, foods such as roasts or
cakes arc allowed to stand to finish cooking or set. Standing time
is especially important in microwave cooking. Note that the
microwaved cake is not placed on a cooling rack.
Shielding.
In a conventional oven, you shield chicken breasts or
baked foods to prevent over-browning. When defrosting, you usc
small strips of foil to shield thin parts, such as the tips of wings and
legs on poultry, which would cook before larger parts were
defrosted.
Prick Foods to Release Pressure.
Steam builds up pressure in foods
which arc tightly covered by a skin or membrane. Prick potatoes (as
you do conventionally), egg yolks and chicken livers to prevent
bursting.
Effects of Food Characteristics on
Microwaving
Density of Food.
In both conventional and microwave cooking,
dense foods, such as a potato, take longer to cook or heat than light,
porous foods, such as a piece of cake, bread or a roll.
Round Shapes.
Since microwaves penetrate foods to about l-in.
from top, bottom and sides, round shapes and rings cook more
evenly. Corners receive more energy and may overcook. This may
also happen when cooking conventionally.
Delicacy.
Foods with a delicate texture are best cooked at lower
power settings to avoid toughening.
Natural Moisture
of food affects how it cooks. Very moist foods
cook evenly because microwave energy is attracted to water
molecules. Food uneven in moisture should be covered or allowed
to stand so heat can disperse evenly.
Piece Size.
Small
pieces cook faster than large ones. Pieces which
are similar in size and shape cook more evenly. With large pieces of
food, reduce the power setting for even cooking.
Shape
of Food. In both types of cooking, thin areas cook faster than
thick ones. This can be controlled in microwaving by placing thick
pieces near the outside edge, and thin pieces near the center.
Starting Temperature. Foods taken from the freezer or refrigerator
take longer to cook than foods at room temperature. Timings in our
recipes are based on the temperatures at which you normally store
the foods.
Quantity of Food.
In both types of cooking, small amounts usually
take less time than large ones. This is most apparent in microwave
cooking, where time is directly related to the number of servings.
Rotating.
Occasionally. repositioning a dish in the oven helps
food
cook evenly. To rotate
1/2
turn, turn the dish until the side which was
to the
back
of the oven is to the front. To rotate
1/4
turn, turn the dish
until the side which was to the back of the oven is to the side.
23
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