818-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 25, 1987
THE
MICRO A
m VJ
LAN!
BLOOMER
Microwave Meals From Your
Freezer
Whether you’re a single senior
citizen or part of a large family
with children, there’s nothing nic
er than having a meal or two ready
and waiting in your freezer. Use
these defrosting tips to help get
your food defrosted evenly.
Defrosting Prepared Foods:
1. When defrosting, use the
oven’s lower power levels for
more even results. The “defrost”
power level, usually about 30%
power, is designed for even
thawing.
2. If your microwave has only
one power level, use an on-off-on
off system to defrost Microwave
on high for 1 minute per pound of
food, then rest for the same amount
of time, repeating until almost
thawed.
3. When you are in a hurry, you
can defrost on high power. But,
you must check the food every
minute to turn it over, stir or break
it up, shield it, etc. If parts get too
hot on high power, remove them
from the oven if possible or shield
them with foil.
4. To defrost thick blocks of
soup, spaghetti sauce, etc. take the
lid off the freezer container.
Microwave food right in freezer
container on high for 3 to 5
minutes, until it is thawed enough
to remove from the container easi
ly. Put in a heatproof container,
and break it up with a fork if you
can.
Continue to microwave on high
power for 5 minutes at a time, until
it is hot for serving. Every 5
minutes, break up the chunks or
stir.
5. To heat a frozen dinner plate,
cover with waxed paper. Micro
wave on high for 2 minutes, then
rotate plate. Reduce the power and
microwave on medium (50%) or
defrost (30%) until the food is hot
Feel the bottom of the plate to tell
how warm the food is getting. The
time for each plate will vary with
the amount of food.
Most commercially frozen
entrees give you directions for
heating the food on high power. If
the food heats unevenly, reduce
the power to medium (50%) and
double the time given for high on
the package.
6. Food packaged on shallow
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(up to 1-inch high) aluminum trays
can be put in your microwave right
in the metal tray. Keep the tray in
the center of the oven so it doesn’t
arc with the walls. Do not put an
aluminum tray on a metal rack.
Make sure you remove foil lids on
these trays!
7. To defrost half a package of
food, wrap the part to stay frozen in
foil, and leave the rest of the pack
age unwrapped. Set in the center of
the oven and microwave on high
for 2 minutes.
Try to cut off the portion you
wish to use. If the block is still too
frozen, repeat. As soon as you cut
off the portion to be used, rewrap
for golf courses... of course
the remainder and return to the
freezer.
Tuck away a bag of Freezer
Meatballs to use on busy days, or
when you just don’t feel like cook
ing. For a really quick meal, add
them to a jar of spaghetti sauce or
gravy, and serve on top of pasta!
Or, use them in the following
recipe for Meatball Stew. Either
way, they’re quick and delicious.
Be sure to freeze them loose, so
you can take out just as many as
you need.
Freezer Meatballs
3 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
V* cup dry breadcrumbs
V* cup milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon Worchestershire
sauce
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
'A teaspoon pepper
'A teaspoon garlic powder
1. Combine all ingredients and
mix well. Shape into 60 meatballs
about VA to VA inches in
diameter.
2. Put half of them at a time in a
double ring around a pie plate or in
a 12x8-inch flat dish. Cover with
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Reading
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waxed paper. Microwave on high
for 8 to 9 miputes, until no longer
pink. (Rotate pan once if your oven
cooks unevenly.) Remove cooked
meatballs to a flat tray for freezing.
Repeat with the remaining
meatballs.
3. Freeze meatballs on flat tray;
when frozen, package loose in
freezer bags or containers. May be
kept frozen up to 3 months.
4. To thaw: Microwave on high
for VA minutes for 5 meatballs (3
minutes for 12 to 16 meatballs).
Then add to sauce or gravy and
heat.
Meatball Stew
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped QA cup)
1 package (10-ounce) frozen mix
ed vegetables (2 cups)
12 to 16 freezer meatballs
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut in
'A inch cubes
1 jar (12 to 16 ounce) pizza sauce
1. Put butter and onion m a
2-quart casserole. Microwave on
high for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring
once halfway through, until onion
is tender. Add frozen vegetables
cover tightly with lid or plastic
wrap. Microwave on high for 4
minutes, until vegetables are
thawed.
2. Add remaining ingredients
(you don’t have to thaw meatballs
first since they are already
cooked). Cover tightly and micro
wave on high for 10 minutes. Stir,
3. Recover and microwave on
medium (50,5) for 15 to 20
minutes, stirring once after 10
minutes; until vegetables are ten
der. Serves 3to 4. *
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, Lain Bloomer
READ
LANCASTER FARMING
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AND UP-TO-DATE
MARKET REPORTS
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