Reheating previously cooked foods and cooking a different variety of foods are some of the uses of the microwave oven.
But, What is Microwave Oven?
A microwave oven is a very popular kitchen appliance that heats and cooks food by using microwave radiation at a very fast time and maintains the nutrients in the food.
Back to the topic…
There are some uses of the microwave oven which are discussed below,
Reheating: The reheating process is not done on a stove. When you put any dish in the microwave to reheat it, it heats up in seconds.
Defrosting: Microwave ovens are used to defrost the frozen vegetables or meat without excessive washing and without wasting water.
Baking: The microwave oven is also used to bake cakes and bread and it is easy and fast to make delicious different varieties of cakes.
Retain nutrients: Nutrients are very important in cooked food for a healthy body.
Boiling and Steaming: Boiling is one of the most important methods of cooking any food. A microwave boils things evenly, and a microwave can boil the liquid materials in a few minutes.
How do you cook food in a microwave oven?
To set the microwave, you may need to select Cook Time, then set the timer, and then press Start.
Cook small vegetables in one-minute intervals, larger vegetables in two-minute intervals, and meat in three-minute intervals.
Stir between each cooking session to distribute the heat. Let food rest before serving.
Some Small Uses Of Microwave Oven that will Surprise You,
1. Soaking the Beans
Do you often forget to soak lentils and beans overnight? The microwave oven comes to the rescue in these situations.
- Soak the beans or lentils in a bowl full of water.
- Add a pinch of baking soda
- After making sure the beans are completely covered in water, place the bowl in the microwave on full power for 10 minutes.
- Then leave them inside for another 40 minutes on low power.
2. Making the perfect poached egg
To make perfectly poached eggs with the help of the microwave, follow these steps,
- Pour boiling water into a microwave-safe container.
- Add a pinch of white vinegar.
- Break the egg into a bowl and lightly pierce the yolk with a toothpick.
- Cover the container with cling film and heat it in the microwave on full power for 30 seconds.
- Now, remove the bowl, turn the egg gently, and put it back in the oven for another 20 seconds.
3. Re-hydrating Stale Bread
With the help of the microwave oven, you rehydrate the stale bread by following these steps,
- Cover the loaf or slice of bread in a water-soaked kitchen towel.
- Put it in the microwave oven for 10 seconds.
- Repeat the procedure as necessary until you find the bread properly hydrated.
4. Inducing Crunch in Potato Chips
For fries (or potato chips) that have lost their crunch, placing them in the microwave can restore the crunch.
- Place them in the microwave on a kitchen towel for 30 seconds.
- Repeat as needed until the towel absorbs moisture from wafers and the crunchiness of the chips is restored.
5. Cooking Fish
Fish can cook perfectly in the microwave oven. But be sure to watch the fish closely to avoid overcooking.
- Wrap the fish in microwave-safe plastic and add a little seasoning: salt, pepper, and lime.
- Heat the wrapped fish in the microwave for about 2 minutes.
- Cooking time depends on the strength of the microwave and the thickness of the fillet.
6. Steaming Vegetables
You can even steam your vegetables in the microwave.
- Pine them with forks and microwave for 3-4 minutes as needed.
- Steaming vegetables in the microwave minimize nutrient losses and are faster than steaming vegetables in a pot.
7. Cooking Potatoes
Like cooking fish, and vegetables in the microwave oven. Similarly, potatoes can be cooked in a microwave fairly quickly.
- First, prick the potatoes on all sides with a fork.
- Put those potatoes in the bowl and pop them in the microwave.
- Cook them on high voltage for 2 minutes.
- Remove the bowl and turn the potatoes over, cook again for 2 more minutes.
Your potatoes should be cooked and ready.
8. Squeezing Lemons
Are you in the habit of squeezing every last drop of juice out of a lemon before throwing it away?
- Just put the lemon in the microwave for 1 minute and it helps make it very juicy.
- This allows you to easily squeeze the lemon down to the last drop.
9. Chopping Onions
Do your eyes fill with tears every time you cut an onion?
- Places the onion in the microwave oven.
- Microwave the onion for 30 seconds.
- Now, take the onion, and before you start chopping it… Make sure to take the sting out of the onion juice.
Therefore, your eyes will not water even if onion juice gets into your eyes.
10. Heating Medical Aids
To get an effective hot water compress, do you use hot running water?
- Soak the hand towel in water and then microwave for 1 minute.
- In no time, will you have a relaxing hot compress?
Similarly, if you use hot gel packs to relieve headaches. Then again you can heat and reheat the gel packs inside the microwave.
Wrap Up
A microwave oven is a very popular kitchen appliance that heats and cooks food by using microwave radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum in a very fast time and keeps the nutrients in the food.
Microwave ovens are used to reheat previously cooked foods and cook a different variety of foods.
Just be sure to apply these above tips…