818-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, July 18, 1987
THE
MICRO
m VJ
LAN!
BLOOMER
How To Package Food
For Microwave Defrosting
Your freezer and your micro
wave make a terrific combination
to give you quick meals in a hurry.
Food defrosts faster in a micro
wave than on a counter, but I’ll bet
you’ve noticed it doesn’t defrost
evenly. Remember that package of
hamburger frozen in the middle
and cooked around the edges?
Food defrosts unevenly in a
microwave because ice does not
absorb microwave power. Most of
the microwaves pass right through
the ice or frozen food, just as they
pass through a glass or plastic
container.
Then, once small areas of the
food lhaw, they start absorbing all
the microwave energy, and these
spots heat up too fast This is why
you get hot cooked areas, right
next to icy spots when you defrost
the food quickly.
So what can you do? Here are
some tips for packaging your food
to help it defrost evenly.
Packaging
1. Package food to be frozen in
rounded flat “pancake” shapes,
FORD TRACTORS & NEW HOLLAND
FINANCING
For Qualified Buyers of
Farm Or Industrial
Tractors As Low As
4.5% A.P.R.
Terms of Contract Will Vary
APR Rate
OR
WAIVER
For Qualified Buyers of
Farm Or Industrial
Tractors
NO INTEREST
NO PAYMENTS
Until March 1,1988
OR
CASH
Rebates For Anyone
As Much As
$16,000
Based On A New TW3S
with no comers. Up to an inch
thick is best Two inches is ok if
you have a large quantity.
2, Even better than a pancake
shape is a “doughnut” shape with
a hole in the middle. This shape
lets microwaves enter the food
from the center as well as the
edges, helping the middle thaw
evenly.
Always use a doughnut shape
for freezing ground meat: For an
individual hamburger patty, press
a finger dent in the middle to make
a thinner spot. For larger quanti
ties, make big flat round patties.
Then press your thumb or fist in
the center to make a hole or thinner
spot.
3. Make a doughnut shape in a
casserole that would otherwise be
a big thick block of food. Press an
empty paper or plastic cup into the
middle of the food before freezing.
Frozen Dinner Plates
If you make your own frozen
dinners from leftovers, how you
position the food on the plate is
important.
1. Slice the meat thinly and lay
it out evenly in a ring around the
Before You Buy Any Tractor,
Consider The Name Behind It
There’s more to consider in buying a com
pact tractor than the tractor. See for your
self how the competition stacks up against
our dealership and the company behind our
tractors:
IS YOUR TRACTOR BUILT
AS WELL AS A FORD?
NEW FORD NEW HOLLAND
PROGRAMS
EFFECTIVE JULY 1,1987
edge of half of the plate. It will heat
more evenly if covered with a thin
layer of gravy or juice.
2. Spread potatoes or rice, etc.
in a flat curved shape around the
other half of the plate. Make a
“well” and fill with gravy, butter,
etc. as desired.
3. In the center of the plate, pul
vegetables or any other foods
which heat more quickly.
4. If you have unevenly shaped
food, like broccoli spears or drum
sticks, arrange these as you would
for cooking; Put the thicker or
tougher stem parts to the outside,
and the tenderer or thinner parts
near the middle of the plate.
5. Leave a A -inch space
between food on the plate to give
the microwaves room to “get in.”
6. When possible, put frozen
dinners in the refrigerator to start
thawing early in the day you plan
to have them. The less ice in the
food when you start microwaving,
the more evenly the dinner will
heat.
Make this easy Chicken Casser
ole and freeze ii for some unexpec
tedly busy day! Then watch for the
Micro Way next week for defrost
ing tips and more delicious freezer
meals!
Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
2 cups uncooked noodles
1 10-ounce package frozen
chopped broccoli
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons flour
'A teaspoon salt
'/» teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
’/« cup shredded Cheddar cheese,
divided
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
W
LANCASTER FORD TRACTOR, INC.
Your Lancaster County Reliables
1655 Rohrerstown Rd.
Flory Mill Exit off Rt. 283
(717) 569-7063
1. Cook noodles conventionally
while you prepare rest of
casserole.
2. Remove waxed paper wrap
ping from package of broccoli and
place box on a plate. Microwave
on high for 5 to 6 minutes, set
aside.
3. Put margarine in a 2-quart
casserole and microwave on high
for 30 to 45 seconds, until melted.
Stir in flour, salt and pepper, stir
ring until smooth. Slowly stir in
milk, stirring until smooth. Leave
uncovered and microwave on high
for 3 minutes, stirring every
minute, until sauce boils and thick
ens. Stir in 1 A cup cheese, stirring
until it melts. (Reserve remaining
cheese for topping.)
4. Drain broccoli and stir into
sauce with chicken and cooked
noodles, mixing well. (
5. Press an empty plastic or pap
er cup into the center of the food
(to make a doughnut shape). Wrap
remaining '/< cup cheese in plastic
wrap or a sandwich bag and slip it
into the paper cup. Wrap casserole
tightly and chill. Freeze up to three
months.
6. To serve: Remove package of
cheese from paper cup. Micro
wave frozen casserole on high for
10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.
Remove paper cup and stir casser
ole gently. Microwave on high for
5 to 10 minutes longer, stirring
once; until hot. Sprinkle reserved
cheese on top and microwave on
high for 1 minute, until the cheese
melts. Serves 4 to 5.
Tips: To serve without freezing:
prepare as directed through step 4.
Cover and microwave on high for
5 to 7 minutes, until heated
SKID LOADERS
Reach For The Sky!
New Holland "Super Boom" loaders lift the payload forward as
the boom rises. So you get more forward dump reach where you
need it most. Extra dump reach means you can load the center
of a tandem-axle dump truck.
Super Boom loaders also feature a longer, wheelbase for in
creased stability and fast cycle times for more productivity.
Models range from 28.5 to 75 horsepower with SAE load rating
up to 2,050 pounds.
Ask us for a demonstration. You'll see how much better a skid
steer loader can be.
SOME MODELS & PARTS IN STOCK
NEW HOLLAND PROGRAMS SET TO SAVE YOU BIG S $
through. Add cheese topping and
microwave on high for 1 minute
until cheese melts.
Leftover cubed turkey may
be used instead of chicken. Or, use
two cans cubed chunk chicken or
tuna.
For singles, prepare the cas
serole as directed above. Then
divide in into 4 or 5 single servings
(I use soup bowls). Wrap individu
ally with plastic wrap and freeze.
To thaw one serving, microwave
on high for 5 minutes; let stand 5
minutes, stir and microwave 4 to 5
minutes longer until hot
Note: The times above are for
microwaves with 650-700 watts of
power. For 500-600 W, add 10-15
seconds to each minute.
Copyright 1987, Lara Bloomer.
Camden Co. 4-H
Fair Opens
July 30
CLEMENTON, N.J. The
Camden County 4-H Fair will be
held July 30 through Aug. 1 at the
4-H Fairgrounds in the Lakeland
Complex, Blackwood, N.J. Park
ing is $2, but admittance is free.
The fair will begin with a parade
at 6 p.m. July 30. The 4-H page,
king and queen contests, with Miss
New Jersey as emcee, will follow
the parade. Friday and Saturday,
fair hours are from 10 a.m. to 11
p.m.
The fair features 4-H education
al exhibits, amusement rides, game
booths, pony rides, Smokey the
Bear, commercial exhibits, free
hay rides and much more.
Lancaster, PA