Filed under: For the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting.
Relax, it’s neither as racy nor as diabolical as it sounds.
I’m talking about cooking using the microwave. Being an inveterate foodie, I’ve always preferred to cook instead of nuke, and for small things like the occasional frozen pizza or pot pie, I still rely on the toaster oven to do the job. It may look as hip and cool as the rest of our stainless steel appliances, but our over the range microwave oven is strictly the province of leftovers and Hot Pockets.
Anyway, I’ve been cooking for one more and more frequently, and have just decided to make single servings and prepare them in the microwave, rather than making more leftovers that will invariably not get eaten.
What I’ve discovered is that some of my fears about microwave cooking – that the results would be soggy and flavorless – are unfounded. On the contrary, once I figured out the proper timing and a few other tricks – like tracking down a microwave-safe browning grill for meat – my results were nearly identical to a stove-cooked meal. I could even argue that I’m eating healthier, if only because boiled or steamed foods retain more nutrients when they’re microwaved.
What surprises me most is the variety of recipes I can make. A quick Google search nets a microwave-friendly recipe for everything from Chicken Parmesan to cake. I’ve actually found that I’m cooking a wider variety of dishes, and my wife isn’t angry about leftovers (because there aren’t any). So I’m considering this experiment a success.