Microwave Part of Your Thanksgiving Celebration Is Smart and Healthy
Welcome to the Scammer’s Guide to Thanksgiving . While there is plenty of advice out there for people making desserts and artisan breads, The Con Man’s Guide is geared toward the individual who could use a helping hand, even from some unconventional sources. Some might call it “cheating” (as if that’s a bad thing), but there’s nothing wrong with using modern technology and supermarket know-how to create a stunning traditional feast – with far less of the traditional work involved.
The microwave has come under fire when it comes to cooking, but this reliable appliance is actually a great help when you’re preparing for a big dinner party like Thanksgiving. I don’t need to tell you that it’s great for reheating food that’s been chilled in the fridge, but you can actually cook some stuff in there. No, it doesn’t taste bad and it’s not dangerous to cook this way. Your microwave can really help you this Thanksgiving.
Is Your Microwave Oven Safe?
If your first reaction to this article is, “Microwave food is bad for you,” this post is probably not for you. But I know one like that. If you want to read about why the microwave is great for cooking, Lifehacker’s senior health editor debunks microwave myths right here . I think my favorite quote from this article is: “In fact, because microwave cooking is so fast, it is considered one of the best methods for preserving nutrients in food .” Now back to the love bombing of food for our families.
Your microwave gives you a break
The main problem with the “amount” and “long cooking time” Venn diagram in the Thanksgiving Foods diagram is the giant overlapping center. Because each dish serves multiple servings, and the extra size requires more prep and cooking time, you can easily run out of countertops and time, and there’s no room for error. I’m not saying you should microwave everything . This is unlikely. What you need is something that will speed up part of your menu so you can cook other foods—not meant for the microwave, like turkey—in the oven.
This is not the soulless kitchen appliance it was made to be – you can microwave with love. And what is more evidence of love than a mother-in-law’s lack of stress?
Make ahead, reheat and get a crispy crust.
It’s essentially the “Keep Calm and Carry On” approach to dinner prep—just cook ahead and reheat. I wouldn’t advise you to microwave your Thanksgiving food if it will cause the food to taste bad, but there is a right way to do it. After all, Thanksgiving scams involve trying to pass off food as freshly prepared that day. Let’s give it that taste.
The trick is to prepare one or two dishes the day before. Reheat them in the microwave before dinner. The best candidates are foods that have a lot of moisture. This could include mashed potatoes, some fresh vegetables to steam, well-moistened stuffing, and a few casseroles.
Make sure the product is in a microwave-safe serving container. Add a teaspoon or two of water to the dish; sprinkle onto fingertips or sprinkle around. Cover the dish with a lightly ventilated lid or microwave in batches of 30 seconds to a minute, depending on the dish. Test this, sew the edges inward if possible, and evaluate if this requires more time. If this is a casserole or stuffing and you want the top to be crispy, remove it from the microwave and place it under the broiler in the oven for two to three minutes just before serving.
Oddly enough, I don’t like to reheat mac and cheese in the microwave. In my experience, after a night in the refrigerator it becomes very dry, and when reheated the mac becomes noticeably greasy.
Microwave from scratch.
In addition to heating, you can use the microwave as a real cooking appliance. Here are a few Thanksgiving side dishes and desserts that can be prepared in the microwave in much less time than traditional preparations.
Prepare dressing for soups and sauces.
The roux is a base of flour and butter that makes the sauce thick and silky. It can also add flavor if you brown the sauce, giving it a little extra cooking time. If you do this in the microwave, cooking time on the stovetop will be reduced by about 50%. Add the shortening and flour to a microwave-safe measuring cup and microwave for the first four to six minutes, then whisk and continue heating until you reach your desired color, light to chocolate brown. Go here for more details about the method. Use this sauce to make sauce or soup on the stove or keep it in the microwave as follows.
Full gravy
If you have sauce, you are already halfway to gravy. Pour about a cup of warm turkey broth (or milk for béchamel sauce, or whatever broth or liquid you use to make the gravy) into a measuring cup. Mix well and microwave for another 30 seconds. It will begin to thicken. Continue heating and adding liquid to achieve desired consistency and heat sauce in 30 second to one minute intervals until desired sauce consistency is achieved. Add seasonings, cooked meat pieces and herbs as usual.
Steamed vegetables
I usually make this with peas and corn (two of mashed potatoes’ best friends). If you’re steaming other vegetables, make sure they’re all roughly the same size, then place them in a bowl or serving dish with a little water. Add salt and seasonings, but choose the lighter side; If necessary, you can add more after tasting. Cover the dish with an offset lid to ventilate it and place it in the microwave. The amount of time depends on what you’re cooking and for how long, but I’d start with a minute per two cups of vegetables. Remove it and stir, cover the dish and repeat another round if necessary. The vegetables are ready when cooked to your liking. I like to add a knob of salted butter and stir while they are still hot.
Cottage cheese and custard for dessert
The microwave is the last place you’d expect something bland and often quite finicky to cook, but the joke is on us all that we stir custard on a hot stove for 15 minutes. It turns out that if you microwave the ingredients for citrus curds and some custards in one-minute increments (whisking between heating sessions), you’ll reach the target temperature in about five to seven minutes and have a silky, finished emulsion. for the nearest tart shell. You’re unlikely to overcook it if you pause every minute, but I suggest stopping until the mixture is a little looser than you want because it will thicken and firm up as it cools. If you’re concerned about the occasional curdled egg bit, pour the finished custard through a sieve just in case.