Chicken Breasts

Preparation Time: 2 minutes
Microwaving Time: 2 – 2 1/2 minutes

1 chicken breast (4-5 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
Plastic wrap

Rinse chicken breast in water, and blot with paper towels.  Sprinkle with seasoning, and wrap in mirowave-safe plastic wrap.  Microwave on high for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

CAUTION: Avoid metal containers and any dishes with metallic, especially gold or silver, trim (gold-rimmed china plates, for example). Metal reflects microwaves and may cause arcing in the oven (you’ll see what looks like lightning or sparks). Arcing can eventually damage the magnetron tube.

Pottery, plastic, and china may or may not be appropriate for the microwave. In some cases, these materials have components that interfere with the transmission of microwaves, so check with the manufacturer to make sure your dishes are microwave-safe. If you’re not certain, you can find out by performing this test. Fill a glass measure with 1 cup water, then place it in the microwave alongside the dish in question. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 1 minute. Only the water should get hot; if the dish heats up too, don’t use it in your oven.

Plastic foam plates and cups are suitable for heating food just until warm, but don’t use them for actual cooking.

Plastic bags can be used in the microwave if they’re the heavy-duty type; avoid the thin plastic bags provided in the produce departments of most grocery stores. To close the bags, simply knot them at the top; or use a piece of string, a plastic holder, or a rubber band. Don’t use twist ties, since they contain metal.

Paper plates, cups, napkins, and towels can be used in the microwave.

Plastic wrap and glass or ceramic lids are good container covers. These are the best choices when the recipe tells you to “cover and microwave.” We recommend using the heavy-duty plastic wrap specifically designed for microwave use; lightweight, inexpensive wraps may split during cooking and melt into the food. (Don’t use plastic wrap to cover a hot microwave browning dish, though; always use the dish lid.)
Wax paper is appropriate when you want to cover foods loosely.

Aluminum foil is a subject of some controversy among microwave manufacturers. Most makers agree that a limited amount may be used to shield parts of food that are likely to cook too fast—wing tips of poultry or tails of whole fish, for example—but others oppose using foil at any time. Check your owner’s manual to see what’s recommended for your particular oven. We do not recommend using foil in our recipes.

Begin by checking your oven’s heating pattern. Cut a piece of smooth brown paper the size of the oven floor; wet the paper, place it in the oven, and microwave on HIGH (100%) for 1 minute. Note where the paper is still damp; in these areas, food will take longer to cook.

To compensate for any tendency toward uneven cooking, be sure to arrange foods properly in the cooking dish, and to stir or rearrange the food or rotate the dish periodically during microwaving.

• Arranging foods correctly is necessary for even microwaving. For example, when cooking chicken legs, always position them with the thickest part (the thighs) toward the outside of the dish, where foods cook more quickly. And when microwaving chopped vegetables or other small pieces of food, spread them out in an even layer before you start to cook—and again after stirring.
• Rearranging foods partway through cooking may be necessary, too. Foods of even thickness, such as fish steaks, can simply be turned around to bring the uncooked parts to the outside. If the thickness varies (as for pork ribs, for instance), you’ll need to move the pieces around more—bring those at the center of the dish to the edges, and vice versa.
• Stirring is especially important for sauces, but it’s also vital when you’re “sautéing” foods. When microwaving mushrooms or onions, for example, you should stir them every few minutes to bring the cooked pieces to the center of the dish and push the uncooked ones to the outside.
• Rotating a dish or casserole ensures that foods microwave equally on all sides; it also helps even out the effects of your oven’s hot spots. Most recipes will tell you to give the dish a half-turn; that is,rotate it so the portion closest to the back of the oven ends up nearest the front. (If your oven has a carousel, rotating may not be necessary.)

You’ll find a staggering array of microwave ovens on the market today. The portable countertop model is still the most popular, but demand is increasing for built-in types—installed over a range, beneath a cabinet, or as the top unit of a double wall oven.

A number of special features are available, too. Some ovens have carousels that rotate cooking dishes for you; others have probes, thermometerlike devices that detect the temperature of whatever you’re heating. And some ovens can be programmed to defrost and cook foods ahead of time.

Whatever their design, all microwave ovens cook food in the same way. The one important difference among ovens is the wattage (cooking power) the higher the wattage, the faster foods will cook.

If you have a fairly new full-size oven, the wattage on full power or HIGH (100%) probably ranges from 600 to 700 watts. Older, small, or less expensive ovens, on the other hand, may have a full power of only 450 to 500 watts.

To find out the wattage of your oven, check the owner’s manual. Or perform this simple test. Fill a 1-cup glass measure with room-temperature water (72°F). Place the cup on the oven floor. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) until the water comes to a boil, noting the time required. If the oven is in the 600- to 700-watt range, the water will boil in 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.

What about all those power levels?

Any microwave offers you a choice of power levels, but the number of different levels provided varies with the oven. Some types have a range of 10 power settings, usually set up as a 10-button touch pad; number 1 equals 10% power, number 10 equals 100%.

Ovens with five power levels are popular, too; the settings are typically labeled LOW, MEDIUM-LOW, MEDIUM, MEDIUM-HIGH, and HIGH. If you use an older or less expensive model, your choices may be more limited. The oven may have only full power (100%); only full power and half power (50%); or only full power and defrost (usually 30%, but some older ovens may have a defrost setting of 50% power).

The heart of the microwave is the magnetron tube, which converts ordinary household electricity into high-frequency microwaves. When they reach the oven cavity, the microwaves are distributed by a metal-bladed stirrer fan. Depending upon the materials they contact, the waves act in different ways: they’ll reflect from some substances, simply pass through others, and be absorbed by still others.

Because metal reflects microwaves, the basic wall material and stirrer fan are made of metal. Glass, pottery, paper, and plastic allow microwaves to pass through, so these are used for cooking containers and coverings. Containers can pick up heat from the food itself, though—so if a dish has been in the oven for a fair amount of time, be sure to handle it with potholders.

The water, fat, and sugar in foods absorb microwaves, which in turn cause the molecules in the food to vibrate rapidly. That leads to friction, heat, and ultimately cooking. Since microwaves generally penetrate to a depth of only 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches, the center of a large mass, such as a roast or a good-sized casserole, will be cooked not by microwave energy, but by the surrounding heat as it’s conducted inward.

The air in the oven isn’t affected by microwaves, so it usually stays cool. But be aware that quite a lot of steam can become trapped inside covered cooking containers. To avoid steam burns, always be very careful when uncovering dishes; remove the lids so that any steam will escape away from you.

Because the oven cavity doesn’t heat up, microwave cooking is a real boon to hot-weather cooks: your kitchen doesn’t turn into a furnace, and no blast of hot air greets you when you open the door to check or remove food.

Best of all, perhaps, is the great reduction in cleanup. Since our main dishes are usually cooked and served in a single baking dish or casserole, you’ll save yourself the chore of washing extra pots and pans.

Given the constraints of hectic and often conflicting schedules, it’s no surprise that over three-fourths of American households have invested in a microwave oven to make meal preparation simpler and speedier. Unfortunately, many of us use the microwave just to reheat the leftovers from Saturday’s party or prepare some haute cuisine from the supermarket freezer case. You can produce real food from the microwave almost as easily if you know how to cook with your microwave.

Your favorite soups, stews, casseroles, meat dishes, and other main courses can be ready to serve in less (sometimes much less!) than half the time you’d need to cook them conventionally. Choose from entrées for one, microwaved right on a dinner plate, or casseroles for a family of six. You’ll even find a number of decidedly elegant selections, perfect for special occasions or spur-of-the-moment entertaining.