Microwave cooking

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There is no easy way to convert a conventional recipe to the microwave. The time will be affected by total volume and well as the amount of sugar, fat, etc. The best idea is to find a microwave recipe similar to the one you want to convert and start with those timings; you'll need to experiment.

For best results, choose recipes with foods that cook well in moist heat such as chicken, fish, ground meat, vegetables and fruits as well as sauces and soups. For mixtures, make sure the pieces are as equal in shape and size as possible. Fat attracts microwaves so trim visible fat from meats.

For beverages, soup, vegetables, fruits, and main dishes, decrease or eliminate any fat used to prevent sticking; the microwave's moist heat will help keep foods from sticking to the pan.

You can also reduce the liquid used to cook these foods because there will be less evaporation than in conventional cooking. Start by decreasing the liquid by about one-third.

Use a slightly larger dish than you would for the conventional recipe. This allows extra room for the food to bubble up as it cooks and plenty of "splash space" for stirring.

Cover meats and poultry loosely with waxed paper to prevent spattering. If a casserole is covered for conventional cooking, cover it in the microwave too. If your dish doesn't have a cover, use plastic wrap but fold over a corner to vent it.

You will need to stir or rearrange the food more than in conventional cooking. Watch the food and when one spot bubbles or cooks before the rest, stir or rearrange the food or turn over pieces like chicken. For foods like poultry, place the meatier portions toward the outside of the plate and bony ends (like drumsticks) toward the center.