The Mighty Microwave

So I may get skewered by some ‘health police’ out there, but I’m up for the challenge.  Today, I want to tell you why I love my microwave!

Now, before I begin, do know that I am well aware of everyone out there that thinks that the microwave oven is the devil reincarnate.  Mercola.com talks about the Hidden Hazards.   Some woman in Australia claims ‘Microwave Cooking is Killing You!’ Followers of Weston Price and Nourishing Traditions won’t go near the things.  And in general, there are still many (proud!) Luddites out there who have nothing against it, but, well, no real LOVE for it either.

I’ve read everything I can get my hands on, done research till my eyes crossed, and I’m just not convinced that cooking things in my microwave is going to cause cancer or kill me (at least any earlier than I’ll die naturally!).   A caveat: I do adore the appliance, but I’m not fanatical about using it for every food item and/or every meal.  I am old fashioned in some respects and would certainly never give up my real oven.  So the little that I do use it, for what I believe it is meant for (convenience!) I consider myself safe from harm.

So, now that you know where I’m coming from, let’s talk about this thing and how is can make life easier for you on the food front.  In short, how it can Make Food Simple.

#1: Steaming

Hello quick, bright green steamed broccoli.  Hello crisp-tender green beans.  Howdy carrots, in all their nutrient available cooked glory.  The process is straightforward.  Chop your veggie, put it in a microwave safe bowl, splash just a bit of water in (or rely on the water that is still clinging to the veggies from your washing), cover with a silicone mat. Zap for 1 minute, do a quick check (since all microwaves differ in strength, start out slow), put back in and repeat until everything is done to your liking.

#2: ‘Prebaking’ Root Vegetables

Baked potatoes? Two hours?  C’mon! Roasted Beets? 90 minutes? No way!  You can easily cut down (if not eliminate fully if you’d like) the cooking time with a few minutes in the microwave.

For potatoes, scrub the outsides, prick with a fork a few times and then cook on high for about 1 to 2 minutes per spud.  Remove and either wrap in foil and place in a preheated oven to finish baking, or cut into cubes, toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper and THEN wrap in foil and place into the oven.  Either way, think 400 for about 20 minutes give or take.  (Obviously the cubed version will cook a little faster, the whole spud will take the entire 20 minutes.)

How about beets? This process comes from Alanna from A Veggie Venture: wash then place beets in a container, cover it up and cook on high for about 20 minutes for large beets or about 15 minutes for smaller beets, turning once midway through the cooking.  Peel by rubbing the beets under running water, and then cube or slice and eat as you would a normal cooked beet.

(BTW, Alanna has a whole collection of microwave vegetable cooking techniques and recipes.  Check it out!)

#3: Reheating

The easiest way to make cooking easier on yourself is to never cook for just one meal at a time.  I’m a big proponent of the ‘cook once, eat twice (or more!)’ school of thought.  Why go to all the trouble of chopping and sauteing and whatnot, for just one measly meal?  I’ll cover some bulk cooking hints & tips in another post – but we’re talking about the microwave, here!  What can be more wonderful than arriving home tired & hungry, pulling something out of the freezer or refrigerator in a prepacked portion and being able to sit down and eat less then five minutes later?  Thank you, microwave!

So this is all just a beginner’s guide to the microwave….  There is so much more out there, if you get really excited.  Peanut brittle, anyone?  How about some Indian food?  Or some Protein Cake, maybe?  Oh, the possibilities!

So whether you embrace it as a full-blown cooking tool or merely a convenience item that helps to increase the speed & efficiency of your otherwise more conventional cooking, zap away!