I know this will give away my age group, but I can remember life without a microwave. My teenage daughter thinks that means we started fire by rubbing sticks together!
The microwave oven has certainly made life easier, especially for households like mine where both parents work outside the home. We want our meal times to be fast and easy, while remaining healthy and affordable. Our microwave oven is one of the appliances that help us spend less time in the kitchen.
We use ours all year long, but it really helps in the heat of summer to not use the oven as often and heat up the kitchen at the same time.
It sounds simple, but needs repeating - read and follow your microwave oven manufacturer's instructions. Here's some other safety tips:
· Remember, the food will be hot! Be careful when removing from the appliance
· Never use your microwave if the door does not close completely or there are any other defects
· If you cover the food being cooked, be sure to leave it vented so steam can come out naturally
· Don't use any metal utensils
· Use only "microwave safe" dishes
· Follow recommended cooking times. If the time is a range (5-7 minutes for example), start with the lower time
Now some general cooking tips:
· Cut food in uniform sizes for more even cooking
· Arrange evenly sized food in a circle
· Follow the recipe or manufacturer's cooking directions! Stir at stated times, turn food over when required, and let food stand as directed after cooking
· Margarine can be softened by using half power for 45-60 seconds
· Wrap left over pizza slices in damp (slightly damp) paper towels and cook for 35-45 seconds. The damp paper towels help to keep the crust crispy. Otherwise, you may have a crust that you cannot bite!
· Baked potatoes are a microwave favorite. Just remember to pierce them with a knife to release steam.
· If you are defrosting meat in your microwave (which is a great idea!), be sure to cook the meat as soon as defrosted. The meat may be partially cooked and become a home for bacteria.
· Add salt after cooking. The microwaves are attracted to the salt and can cause your food to dry out.
· Use a dish larger than your food so it won't spill over while heating.
Gotta clean it!
· Place ¼-cup lemon juice and one cup water in a two-cup container. Heat until it boils (about 2 minutes on high). Leave the lemon water in the microwave another 5-7 minutes, then wipe clean with paper towels or a clean dishtowel.
· You can also use a mixture of ½ water and ½ vinegar and do the same thing as above.
Sabtu, 30 September 2017
Selasa, 12 September 2017
Healthy Cooking Tips For Your Home Cooking
Eating healthy is not just picking the right kind of food but also cooking them the right way. Food preparation is also important and contributes to how healthy is our diet. We often stay away from fast food and do home cooking instead, but in doing this, take time also to make sure that you get the most of your healthy food choice.
If you have been watching your diet and counting all those calories to reduce, here are some healthy cooking tips I could share that I have been doing as well.
* Choose organic. As much as possible, go for organic food, fruits and vegetables. They are not just free from pesticide residues but also contain more antioxidants than the non-organically grown ones.
*Choose your cooking oil. Olive oil or canola oil can be healthy choices, and make sure you drain excess oil in fried foods by draining it or using paper towels.
* Choose a healthy method of preparation. You can actually choose to prepare your food without draining it with its nutrients. Broiling, grilling, braising and steaming can retain the nutrients of the food. You can steam vegetables instead of boiling them to preserve its nutrients. Using non-stick pan is not just for convenience in cooking. It is also a good way to reduce the fat added to your food.
* Get rid or replace those high-fat, high-calorie ingredients. In some recipes, you can actually get rid of optional ingredients that contribute to the higher calorie content of the food. For instance, you can choose to omit frosting or you can use yogurt instead of ice cream for your desserts.
* Cook meat to its proper temperatures. This will kill harmful bacteria in the food that cause diseases. Suggested temperatures for steaks and roasts is at least 45°F, ground meat at 160°F and poultry at 165°F. Bacteria that may be spread in grinding meat can bring higher risk of food-borne diseases. You can also reheat leftovers at 165°F, and wait for the sauces and gravy to a boil if you are reheating them.
* Adding and including more fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your recipes is one of the healthy cooking tips you can never go wrong if you want to have healthy diet. Fruits are the better choices for healthy desserts. It always helps to include vegetables in your every recipe. If you don't like them whole and in big pieces, you can actually shred or chop them finely that you won't be able to notice them and put them together in your stew or soup.
* Reduce salt in your food. High sodium intake has been linked to higher risk of high blood pressure and risk of heart attack. If you are staying away from the salt-overloaded restaurant food, you can also try to reduce sodium intake by reducing salt in your home recipes. You can cut on salt and add more spices to add flavor to your recipes.
If you have been watching your diet and counting all those calories to reduce, here are some healthy cooking tips I could share that I have been doing as well.
* Choose organic. As much as possible, go for organic food, fruits and vegetables. They are not just free from pesticide residues but also contain more antioxidants than the non-organically grown ones.
*Choose your cooking oil. Olive oil or canola oil can be healthy choices, and make sure you drain excess oil in fried foods by draining it or using paper towels.
* Choose a healthy method of preparation. You can actually choose to prepare your food without draining it with its nutrients. Broiling, grilling, braising and steaming can retain the nutrients of the food. You can steam vegetables instead of boiling them to preserve its nutrients. Using non-stick pan is not just for convenience in cooking. It is also a good way to reduce the fat added to your food.
* Get rid or replace those high-fat, high-calorie ingredients. In some recipes, you can actually get rid of optional ingredients that contribute to the higher calorie content of the food. For instance, you can choose to omit frosting or you can use yogurt instead of ice cream for your desserts.
* Cook meat to its proper temperatures. This will kill harmful bacteria in the food that cause diseases. Suggested temperatures for steaks and roasts is at least 45°F, ground meat at 160°F and poultry at 165°F. Bacteria that may be spread in grinding meat can bring higher risk of food-borne diseases. You can also reheat leftovers at 165°F, and wait for the sauces and gravy to a boil if you are reheating them.
* Adding and including more fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your recipes is one of the healthy cooking tips you can never go wrong if you want to have healthy diet. Fruits are the better choices for healthy desserts. It always helps to include vegetables in your every recipe. If you don't like them whole and in big pieces, you can actually shred or chop them finely that you won't be able to notice them and put them together in your stew or soup.
* Reduce salt in your food. High sodium intake has been linked to higher risk of high blood pressure and risk of heart attack. If you are staying away from the salt-overloaded restaurant food, you can also try to reduce sodium intake by reducing salt in your home recipes. You can cut on salt and add more spices to add flavor to your recipes.
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