Their challenge? To construct a gourmet three course menu inside of a college dorm room with just a hot plate, a microwave and a toaster oven to cook their food. A quandary many of us remember (for me, it was just last semester...and next semester)—satiating a discerning appetite when the dining hall’s weekly special seems stale.

How do microwaves work?  Microwaves emit radio waves at a frequency of 2,450 megahertz to cook through dialectical heating.  At this frequency, the radio waves help create energy by passing through the polarized molecules of water, fats and sugars.  The positive and negative sides of the molecules rotate as they try to properly align themselves with the micro waves.  In this rotation, collide with each other and create kinetic energy manifested as heat.  As the radio waves are absorbed into the food, it is heated throughout more quickly than surface methods of cooking such as broiling.  The radio waves are not however absorbed by plastic or glass at this frequency and thus, the food is heated directly and efficiently.

Um, cool, I kind of understand.  But what does that mean in a practical sense?  Well, it means that microwave ovens are much quicker than most heating methods (because they quickly penetrate the food) and that they work best on foods with a high water content.  (Water is the most polarized of the food molecules and thus responds best to the micro waves.)  It also means that effects like browning and caramelizing are nearly impossible to achieve because they rely on a specific distribution of heat to the surface of your food.  Oh, and it means be careful putting metal in your microwave.  They reflect rather than conduct the radio waves and thus create voltage.  The sparks may be kind of pretty but they can destroy your oven or worse, your meal.

 Aren’t there a lot of kinds of microwaves?  You bet, so when you look at recipes the most important factor is how much wattage your oven has.  The more wattage, the more quickly things will cook.  Compact microwaves, the average consumer choice, are about a 18” wide by 12” tall and only get between 500-1000 watts of power.  Medium capacity microwave ovens (still a common consumer choice) usually have a much greater width, giving them an extra cubic liter of space, and have powers of up to 1500 watts. And large capacity microwave ovens are, well, large.  They usually have more than 2 cubic feet of space and more than 2000 watts of power and could easily cook your Thanksgiving turkey or a whole roast.  Don’t know how much wattage your oven has?  Most consumer ovens operate at about 750 watts; time how long it takes yours to boil a cup of water.  And then check out this handy chart to see what wattage that corresponds to.

But, someone said microwave cooking was bad for me?  There’s a lot of discussion about the possibility of risks associated with microwaves, but it is all speculative and the FDA has published an online guide on the safe use of microwave ovens.  The most common complaints are those associated with baby’s milk which could be hotter than one would expect.  But apart from that, the risks are analogous to those associated with all methods of cooking- in short, make sure your food is cooked through.  Uneven heating can cause “cold spots” and nobody wants a raw burger.  A simple solution is to cook on partial power for a longer period of time.  In some ways, microwave cooking is actually thought of as healthier.  Since it cooks more quickly, it provides less of an opportunity for fruits, vegetables, etc. to lose their nutrients in the heating process.

Blah, blah, blah. You’re boring. I’m hungry.  Perfect! Enjoy these microwave recipes! 

Chilled Salmon with Summer Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon, skin removed
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1/2 Hass avocado
chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lime, cut in wedges

Directions

Party Broccoli

Ingredients

Directions

Defrost and drain broccoli.  If using fresh, chop into small florets.
Stir mixture through broccoli and toss to combine.

In a two-quart microwaveable casserole dish, cook for 4-10 minutes on high power until very hot.  (Four minutes is for about a 1200 watt oven, while 10 minutes is for about 500 watts) 

Cranberry Apple Crunch

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
2 cups chopped cranberries
2 cups chopped apples
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar 

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
  ¼ cup butter or margarine

½ cup chopped nuts 

Directions

Combine sugar, cranberries, apples and 1 cup water in a buttered 2 quart microwave proof casserole or baking dish

Recipes courtesy of allrecipes.com, Carolyn Dodson and 123easyaspie, Images courtesy of Kitchen Contraptions

-Lauren Smith

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About the Author:

Lauren Smith