Microwave tips for your cooking game

ANN/THE STAR – Microwave is a convenient electrical appliance that we go to when we have leftovers or when we had to take the meat out of the freezer hours before we started cooking dinner.

It does the job in seconds.

And even if you’ve forgotten to prepare earlier, now you can easily thaw the chicken in the microwave in just a matter of minutes.

Apart from just heating up food though, it’s also good for a number of neat cooking hacks that will not only cut down prepping steps and the time taken to do the job normally, but will make life so much easier.

RIPEN BANANAS

Some types of bananas can take ages to ripen, and no amount of wrapping in paper seems to help.

You can help nature along by hastening the process. Poke holes in the bananas with a fork or toothpick so that it won’t explode in the microwave. Then, power up for a minute or two, and you’ll have nice ripe bananas to bake banana bread.

MELT CHOCOLATE

When baking cakes and it calls for softening the butter or melting chocolate, using the bain marie method is a pain as you have to put your bowl in a hot water bath and it takes forever! But you know what? There’s nothing that says you can’t do it in the microwave! It doesn’t affect the taste or the outcome of the cake.

Put the chocolate or butter in the microwave for 30-second intervals and stir in between to ensure it melts evenly and doesn’t burn.

UNSOLIDIFY HONEY

You’re supposed to be able to leave honey out and it won’t go bad, even in our tropical weather. However, the ants always seem to get the upper hand! Real honey won’t crystalise in the fridge. But if it does, uncover the jar and heat up the contents for about 30 seconds and it’ll be good enough for drizzling over your pancakes!

DON’T CRY OVER ONIONS

It’s hard not to shed tears when you’re peeling onions. This is because they cause a chemical reaction and stimulate the eye’s lachrymal glands when cut, so you end up crying. Before you chop onions, heat the onion in the microwave for 45 seconds. This helps to break down the chemicals and you won’t cry anymore.

PEEL GARLIC FASTER

Do you peel your garlic cloves one by one, or smash the whole garlic bulb? Forget about shaking the garlic bulb in a bottle, there’s an easier and better way to peel it. Just pop the whole head of garlic into the microwave for about 20 seconds or less. The skin can then be easily removed from the cloves.

JUICE LEMONS EASILY

Here’s a neat trick for juicing lemons. Put it into the microwave for about 15 seconds, then give it a quick roll on the table before squeezing it. You’ll find that the juice is released more easily.

REVIVE STALE BREAD

Don’t throw out stale bread. Wrap it in a damp paper towel and microwave it for about 15 seconds to get it soft again. You can also put a glass of water in the microwave along with the bread to ensure it’s softer.

STEAM VEGETABLES

Vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, french beans and eggplant can be easily steamed in minutes using a microwave. Put them in a microwave-safe dish, fill with a little water at the bottom and place a microwave cover over it. Then zap it over high heat for a couple of minutes. The time taken will depend on the kind of vegetables being cooked. Sprinkle salt and pepper, or whatever seasoning you prefer. – Patsy Kam