Do you have clever uses for the microwave

[babetoo]

other than popcorn and meat defrost?

i melt chocolate for recipes . heat water or milk for bread, mine has convection as well. so it set temp. i want. takes out the guess work. many more tricks for use.

would like to hear some of your uses.

babe

 

[goboenomo]

I try to use the microwave as little as possible... I just don't like them. If I have the time I will heat whatever it is in the oven or in a pot or on a pan ect.

 

[babetoo]

I try to use the microwave as little as possible... I just don't like them. If I have the time I will heat whatever it is in the oven or in a pot or on a pan ect.

could you tell us why you don't like it?

babe

 

[middie]

I don't use mine much except to heat something up

 

[Michael in FtW]

After my Dad passed away - I cooked for my Step-Mom for 12 years. I would prepare meals that I could freeze and she could heat up in the microwave when she was ready to eat. If she hadn't had the microwave - heating individual components of a meal in a pot/pan/oven would have been too difficult for her and she probably would have gone without eating.

I will agree that a microwave oven isn't as much for cooking as it is for heating. And when it comes to heating - it can do a great job for things that are delicate (butter) or would otherwise need a double boiler (melting chocolate).

Ironically - it is becoming more and more evident that the healthiest way to cook vegetables is in the microwave.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I use my microwave a lot - most of the veggies I cook are in the microwave.

Corn on the cob (in the husks) is the best (and the easiest) done in the micro wave. Just put up to 3 ears in, husks and all, and set it for 4 minutes per ear on high power. No soaking of the husks necessary. Use pot holders to get it out and to shuck it. The silks come off easily and it doesn't even need butter or salt, IMO, because all of the flavor is there.

Artichokes, red potatoes, fresh green beans - almost any veggie! Rice (ala GotGarlic's method) is foolproof, too.

I also melt butter, etc. in the microwave. I reheat coffee, as well as leftovers.

Like Micheal, my mother depends heavily on her microwave. I make extra food and then freeze meal size portions for her sometimes, which she heats and eats. Also, I always had things for my teens and pre-teens to nuke if I wasn't going to be there. I think it is much safer for them to use unsupervised than may gas stove.

Plus, I sanitize sponges, etc. in there daily.

 

[quicksilver]

I warm my butter @ 10% power for about 2 minutes to make it room temp/speadable.
I cook baked potatoes in it for about 6 minutes on high, wrapped it a wet papertowel, after poking a fork in it 2 times, then finish potato in oven to crisp up the "skin".
It cuts the time by about 2/3rds.
Parboil hotdogs/knockwurst/bratwurst in beer or saurkraut @ 30% for about 10 minutes, then place on the grill.

​

 

[Andy M.]

I have individually wrapped hot dogs and buns in the freezer. The bun gets 25 seconds in the microwave, wrapped. Then the hot dog goes in for 1:40 seconds. It's a quarter-pounder.

While the hot dog is steaming, I dress the steamed bun with mustard and sauerkraut. Then the HD comes out and goes on the bun.

Chow time in about 2 minutes.

 

[Constance]

I use mine to:
Cook ground meat for casseroles or meat sauce...
Cook spaghetti sauce (no worry about scorching)...
Melt butter...
Saute onions, celery, etc...
Bake potatoes for various purposes...
Steam vegetables, especially cabbage and broccoli...
Cook scalloped potatoes...
And many other things!

 

[babetoo]

I use mine to:
Cook ground meat for casseroles or meat sauce...
Cook spaghetti sauce (no worry about scorching)...
Melt butter...
Saute onions, celery, etc...
Bake potatoes for various purposes...
Steam vegetables, especially cabbage and broccoli...
Cook scalloped potatoes...
And many other things!

constance, i do all the things you listed and more. i think you lose less of the vitamins in vegs.

i also heat syrup for pancakes , no sticking,

reheat pancakes, muffins wrap these in paper towels.
heat water for jello, etc.

make pudding, no scorching. i have a recipe for meatloaf that cooks in micro in 20 min.

babe

 

[Katie H]

I use the microwave in nearly all ways already mentioned, but I also use it as a proofing box for making bread.

I just put a 2-cup microwave-safe bowl full of water inside and heat on full power for 2 minutes. Let the bowl stay inside for the full dough rising time. The microwave usually stays warm for at least an hour.

One of the benefits of doing this is that the moisture that accumulates inside the oven helps to clean it, too. All I have to do is to wipe it out thoroughly with a damp cloth.

Another way we use the microwave is as a "kitty safe" to keep our kitty-cats away from unauthorized food while we turn our backs or are preparing other foods.

 

[babetoo]

I use the microwave in nearly all ways already mentioned, but I also use it as a proofing box for making bread.

I just put a 2-cup microwave-safe bowl full of water inside and heat on full power for 2 minutes. Let the bowl stay inside for the full dough rising time. The microwave usually stays warm for at least an hour.

One of the benefits of doing this is that the moisture that accumulates inside the oven helps to clean it, too. All I have to do is to wipe it out thoroughly with a damp cloth.

Another way we use the microwave is as a "kitty safe" to keep our kitty-cats away from unauthorized food while we turn our backs or are preparing other foods.

kate i have proofed bread in it as well. but never used as a "kitty safe"lol that is certainly under the category of unusual.

 

[ella/TO]

I make many deelish soups in the MW....really fast. Also do many veggies, they keep their colour and taste so much better than boiling them away. Just today I made a zucchinni/potato soup. Yummy!
Also use it to defrost bagels that I keep in the deep freeze, or any bread for that matter. And great for warming up "one serving" leftovers.....don't dry out at all.

 

[bethzaring]

i rely on my microwave for reheating foods. I have based my food prep around the microwave; doing batch cooking and reheating throughout the week for suppers.

a tip I picked up on DC a while back; heat kitchen sponges on high for two minutes, it sterilizes the suckers

 

[GrantsKat]

We just bought a new microwave a few weeks ago, and it came with a metal rack that is supposed to be used for "browning" meat. I havent tried it yet because the thought of having metal in the MW concerns me!! (when I was younger I put a chinese food takeout container in the MW and started a small fire)

Has anyone ever browned meat in the micowave?

 

[GotGarlic]

Microwaves have come a long way, baby If yours came with the rack, then I'm sure it's safe to use. We got a new GE Advantium microwave with our kitchen renovation last year that can be used as a regular oven - it has a halogen light for baking, as well as the microwave function. When using it as a regular oven, we use a metal tray, while there is also a glass tray for when we use it as a microwave. HTH.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I don't like boiled weenies....So I nuke them....I lke them especially when they "explode' open in several places.

 

[LadyCook61]

I like to precook Italian sausages in the microwave , then I finish cooking them in a skillet with Olive oil , I like the taste. Also I heat milk in a mug for hot chocolate , have cooked corn in the husks , oatmeal in a bowl, and other foods.

 

[GrantsKat]

I don't like boiled weenies....So I nuke them....I lke them especially when they "explode' open in several places.

After you nuke them, slice them in half and fry then with a little butter!!! Yumm!

 

[Uncle Bob]

After you nuke them, slice them in half and fry then with a little butter!!! Yumm!

Oh my!!! Would it be ok to add a little beer, and mustard to make a suace???