Author Statement: Johanna Burkhard
Audience: Trade
Specs: 16 pages of color photographs, index
Pages: 192
Trim Size: 7" x 10" X 1/2"
Language code 1: eng
Publication Date: 20040403
Copyright Year: 2004
125 Best Microwave Oven Recipes
Perform microwave magic in your kitchen.
Typically, microwave ovens are only used to heat leftovers, thaw frozen foods or nuke popcorn. Yet, there are many benefits to microwave cooking, such as:
- A greater retention of taste and natural flavors
- More vitamins and minerals are retained for better nutrition
- Shorter cooking times use less electricity than a conventional oven
- Less mess to clean up
In 125 Best Microwave Recipes, Burkhard brings her culinary expertise to this versatile and convenient appliance with outstanding recipes for delicious main meals in a fraction of the time required by conventional ovens.
From the tantalizing Chicken Creole, Beef, Macaroni and Zucchini Casserole to the Salmon Steaks with Creamy Tomato-Dill Sauce there is a variety of recipes for every occasion and taste. Grains and pastas are particularly well suited to cooking in a microwave. Lemon Barley Pilaf with Mushrooms, Asparagus Risotto, Linguine with Broccoli-Tomato Sauce and Tortellini with Basil, Cream and Walnut Sauce are sublime when cooked in the microwave. There is also a wonderful array of recipes for appetizers, side dishes and desserts.
The recipes in 125 Best Microwave Recipes reflect the latest technology in microwaves, while recognizing that many cooks still use older microwaves. Rediscover the easy and convenient way to cook with this practical and appetizing cookbook.
| Bio: | Johanna Burkhard, a food consultant, recipe developer and spokesperson, is a food writer for magazines and often appears on radio and television. |
| Preface: | Introduction I love my microwave oven. I couldn't live without it. I wrote this cookbook so everyone could come to appreciate their microwave like I do mine. A microwave is a cook's best friend and has become the most-beloved appliance in the kitchen. More than 90 percent of North American households now have one. When microwaves debuted more than 35 years ago, it was predicted that they would revolutionize our kitchens and how we cooked. They did not live up to that lofty expectation. Supposedly, we would prepare complete gourmet meals in our microwave oven but lifestyle trends have changed since then to reflect a simpler way of cooking. Unfortunately, that means today's cooks use their microwaves, for the most part, to defrost, reheat and make popcorn. That's a shame. My aim is to actually get you to cook in them. With the new automated features and the debut of second-generation microwaves that are lighter and less cumbersome, these appliances offer a wider range of cooking possibilities than ever before. My aim in writing the 125 Best Microwave Oven Recipes cookbook is not to get you to revamp your cooking style but rather to help you make better use of your microwave. If you only use your microwave for a few basic tasks, then perhaps it's time to reconsider how you're using the appliance in your kitchen. Designed to alter the stereotype that the microwave is only useful for defrosting and reheating, the 125 Best Microwave Oven Recipes cookbook highlights the dishes and techniques the microwave oven does best. Whether it is to make a speedy meal-in-one casserole, to replicate a slow cooker when simmering stews, or to use in tandem with your conventional oven, stovetop or grill, this reliable appliance helps reduce the time it takes to make tasty, nourishing meals. In today's busy households, dinner often plays second fiddle to juggling work schedules, family commitments and a host of activities that demand our time. Yet suppers need to be appetizing and nutritious. With our hectic schedules and frantic pace, it's almost impossible to make a meal from scratch every night. Who has the time anymore? If daunted by the daily task of getting supper on the table, the 125 Best Microwave Oven Recipes cookbook offers a collection of recipes for fast and tasty meals. Many of these quick dishes are personal favorites I rely on. I've included plenty of easy grain, rice and pasta options -- such as Potato and Chickpea Chili, Risotto with Parmesan, and Chicken Penne Casserole with Broccoli -- that are a breeze to make. Helpful hints to speed preparation accompany many of the recipes in this book. I have focused on dishes that require little stirring or attention, or those that can be prepared in a single casserole for easy cleanup, such as Spicy Asian Beef with Peppers and Snow Peas, Creole Chicken and Rice Bake, and Spanish Fish Stew. Many of the recipes rely on timesaving convenience products found in supermarkets. To help cope with the six o'clock rush, I count on canned stock, pasta-ready tomato sauces, assorted canned beans such as kidney and black beans, salsas, preshredded chesses, the new assortment of frozen vegetables and ready-cut vegetables. All of them come to the rescue and help me get my dinner on the table in a jiffy. Preparing healthy delicious meals in a flash is also far easier than you think. Many of these recipes meet the guidelines to healthy eating with no more than 30 percent of calories coming from fat. What's more, many of these dishes can be prepared in a third of the time it takes to prepare them conventionally. Not only will you come to rely on this pleasing collection of quick, easy and convenient recipes, you will start to look at your microwave in a new way -- it will become your best friend in the kitchen. - Johanna Burkhard |
| TOC: |
Acknowledgments Appetizers and Dips
Soups and Chowders
Breakfast and Brunch
Poultry
Beef, Pork and Lamb
Fish and Seafood
Pasta, Grains and Legumes
Vegetables and Salads
Sauces (Savory and Sweet)
Desserts
Index |
