Microwave cooking is becoming one of the most popular challenging methods of cooking for today’s busy lifestyle. Actually, it has added a new dimension to our old style of preparing food. I am sure you’ll all agree with me on this point. It has proved to be a great time and energy saver.
Also, food cooked in the microwave tends to be moister, retaining color, flavor and texture. Vitamins and other nutrients are retained in microwave cooking, due to shorter cooking time and use of very little liquid. I mean, with boiling, frying and other means, vitamins are often lost. Best of all, the microwave is a wonderful dieting tool, as it requires less butter or fat for preparing any food, than the same food cooked in the conventional manner.
Microwave oven makes your life easy in the kitchen. I consider myself a lucky person, as I am a proud owner of GoldStar’ microwave oven. Especially it is a boon for working mothers as it helps in heating the food easily, without having it reheated on the stove. Apart from heating the food, microwave oven can also be used to prepare food! Thus, microwaving allows you extra time to enjoy with your family and friends, as well as prepare an attractive meal quickly and efficiently. I hope to give you a nice microwave recipe at the end of this review. Okay? Now read on…
What we have at home is a medium sized one, with an oven capacity of 1.4 cubic feet. The model number is MS-141YG. It is a Korean make. We bought it in Wal-mart, for CAN $160 four years back. From then onwards, it has been rendering trouble-free service. Thanks to GoldStar microwave oven!
I like it’s elegant style. GoldStar microwave oven has been designed specially for household use. It is not recommended for commercial use. It comes with accessories like glass turntable and a rotating ring. The oven window door screen has a safety interlock system. Front part of the microwave oven has a display window and a control panel with all the touch buttons for different functions. There is a door release button to open the door of the microwave oven.
Features of Control Panel
The Display window includes a clock. You can set your cooking time and cooking functions as per your wish. Altogether there are twenty touch pads, which require just touching to work with the microwave oven. There are pads called “More” and “Less”. With the help of these pads, you can either add or subtract ten seconds from the cooking time. There is a Timer pad, which can be used as your kitchen timer. There are special one touch pads for cooking popcorn, potato, beverage, pizza, any frozen vegetable or a fresh vegetable. You just have to touch the particular pad to cook without entering a cook power or time. Don’t you think it’s great? Then there is an Auto Reheat pad that allows you to reheat precooked or refrigerated food without selecting cook time or power. Ez-Defrost pad is to thaw 1lb of food very quickly with a touch. Auto Defrost pad is to thaw ground meat, poultry, or steaks by entering a weight. So much more. Let me take a break! ………….
This oven has one to nine numbered electronic touch pads to enter cooking time, power level, quantities or weights. Time and power pads are to set cooking time and cooking power respectively. Stop/Clear pad is to stop the oven or clear entries. This oven has Child Lock, which can be turned on or off. You touch the Start pad to start all entries, which start automatically. Of all these features, the one which I find very useful is Ez On function. I use this quite often. You just have to touch this pad to cook at 100% cook power for 30 seconds up to 3 minutes.
Of course, you have to follow the safety precautions, when you are using this machine. You should never attempt to operate this oven with the door open, since open-door operation can result in harmful exposure to microwave energy. It is important to see that the oven door closes properly before you heat or cook.
Okay, now for the promised part…………
Let’s make Potato casserole now, using the microwave oven.
Potato Casserole
Ingredients needed:
4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup of hot water
1 cup of skimmed milk
½ cup –light salad dressing
1 large sized egg, separate the yolk, reserve white
½ tsp lemon rind
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
½ cup shredded cheese
3 tablesp melted butter
Use only microsafe dishes in the oven. Non-metallic casseroles, and baking dishes can be safely used.
Cooking method:
Cook potatoes in hot water on HI for 12-15 minutes. Drain well and mash. Add milk, salad dressing, egg yolk, lemon rind and juice. Beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat egg white until it forms a stiff peak. Fold this into the potato mixture. Cook uncovered on 50% power (MED) for 12 minutes. Combine bread crumbs, cheese and melted butter and spread over top. Cook this uncovered on HI for 40-60 seconds or until cheese melts. Let stand for five minutes before serving. Your potato casserole is ready to serve now!
Hope you try this recipe if you have a microwave oven. The potato casserole comes out really light and fluffy with rich taste!
Will see you again next week, with another review. Have a great weekend!