f MICROWAVE
MINUTES
Size of food is related to micro
wave cooking time. Large, thick
pieces of food need longer cooking
time than small thin pieces.
Take zucchini, for instance.
Stuffed zucchini halves take lon
ger to cook than zucchini chunks.
Chunks need longer cooking time
than thin slices. And, thin slices
need more cooking time than
shreds of grated zucchini.
Let’s say, for example, instead
of making Cheesy Stuffed Zuc
chini (below), you decide to cut a
medium zucchini into chunks,
microwave it and then stir in the
stuffing cubes and cheese. Those
chunks would be done in about two
to three minutes. Same with Sum
mer Squash Combo. If you’d
rather buzz the zucchini through
your food processor’s shredding
disc, the shreds would cook in
about half the time as slices. (Note:
If you use shredded zucchini, be
sure to precook the onion and pep
per strips or coarsely chop them -
otherwise they’ll still be uncooked
and crisp when the zucchini shreds
are done.)
From the above examples, you
see that it’s important to follow
recipe directions as to size and
thickness of ingredients. Or, to be
aware that if you substitute small
er, thinner pieces of food, slightly
less microwaving time will be
needed. Anytime you vary the size
of food from what the recipe calls
for, you’ll need to adjust time
accordingly.
No mailer what size pieces of
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QUALITY
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By JOYCE BATTCHER
zucchini you use in today’s
recipes, you’ll have some tasty
eating.
Notice in Cheesy Stuffed Zuc
chini, the zucchini shells are
cooked until done before adding
the cheese and crouton stuffing,
because only a very short micro
wave time is needed to heat the
croutons and melt the cheese.
Summer Squash Combo is a
beautiful-looking combination of
green-skinned zucchini, yellow
skinned summer squash, and strips
of sweet red pepper. Even if you
use only zucchini and green pep
pers, the color and flavor is out
standing. Stirring once halfway
through cooking time aids in fast
and even cooking. Speedy Zuc
chini For One, is what it’s name
implies -- a very quickly-prepared,
fast-cooking zucchini dish. A 'A or
even V, cup of shredded zucchini
is tender in less than two minutes.
Cheesy Stuffed Zucchini
1 medium zucchini (about 6
inches long, 1A inches in
diameter)
Crumbled dried thyme
'A cup herb-seasoned stuffing
cubes or croutons
'/ cup American Process
cheese spread cubes
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise.
Using a sharp knife (and, if avail
able, a grapefruit spoon), scoop out
and discard seeds, leaving shells
about'/«- to A -inch thick. Place
shells, cut-side up, in a
microwave-safe pie plate; cover
with plastic wrap. Microwave
(High) 3 to 4 minutes or until bot
tom centers are tender when
pierced with a fork. Sprinkle each
lightly with thyme. Divide stuffing
cubes between shells; top with
cheese cubes. Recover with plas
tic wrap. Microwave on Medium
(50% power, 325-350 watts) 45 to
90 seconds or until cheese just
starts to melt Makes 1 large or 2
medium main dish servings.
Each serving; 'A of recipe: 125
calories, 7g protein, Ig fat, 19g
carbohydrate, 450 mg sodium,
4mg cholesterol.
1 medium zucchini, unpeeled
and thinly sliced
'A medium yellow summer
squash, unpceled and thinly
sliced*
'A large red or green sweet pep
per, thinly sliced
1 small onion, cut in thin strips
1 clove garlic, minced
A teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
cheese
In a microwave-safe 2-quart
casserole, stir together zucchini,
yellow summer squash, red sweet
pepper, onion, garlic and oregano.
Drizzle with olive oil or dot with
butter. Cover with lid or plastic
wrap. Microwave (High) 4 to 6
minutes, stirring once, or until veg
etables are almost desired done
ness. Toss with pepper and Parme
san. Serve as a vegetable or over
cooked pasta for a main dish.
Makes about 8 vegetable-servings.
♦Or use all zucchini. There
should be a total of about 5 cups of
thinly sliced zucchini and yellow
squash or all zucchini. If using
large zucchini or yellow squash,
remove seeds before slicing.
Each serving: 67 calories, Ig
US Patent 4306518
Summer Squash Combo
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 10, 1988-815
protein, 6g fat, 4g carbohydrate,
2Smg sodium, 2mg cholesterol.
Speedy Zucchini For One
A-A cup unpeeled shredded
zucchini
1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
Seasoned salt
Onion or garlic powder
1 teaspoon grated Parmesan
cheese
Arrange shredded zucchini in a
4-inch flat pattie on microwave
safe saucer. Drizzle with olive oil
or dot with butter. Sprinkle lightly
with seasoned salt and onion or
garlic powder. Cover with waxed
paper. Microwave (High) 1/« to 2
minutes, depending on desired
doneness. Sprinkle with Parme
san. Makes 1 vegetable serving.
For four servings: Evenly
spread 2 to 3 cups shredded zuc
chini in microwave-safe pie plate.
(If necessary, first drain zucchini
well.) Drizzle with 1 tablespoon
olive oil or dot with 1 tablespoon
butter. Sprinkle lightly with sea
sonings. Cover with waxed paper.
Microwave (High) 2 minutes; stir
well, recover, and continue micro
waving (High) 1 A to 2 minutes or
until zucchini is almost desired
doneness. Sprinkle with about 1
tablespoon Parmesan and a light
dusting of paprika before serving.
Each serving; 64 calories, 2g
protein, 5g fat, 4g carbohydrate,
13mg sodium, 3mg cholesterol.
Questions and Answers
Q. I tried to make own angel
food cake pan by setting a cus
tard cup in the center of a casser
ole. The custard cup floated up
in the thin cake batter, so I
added water to the custard cup,
but then the cake took a lot lon
ger to cook. What did I do
wrong?
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A. Your idea was fine. By
adding the water to the custard
cup, you added more food (in this
case, liquid) for the microwave to
cook, so the cooking time
increased. This didn’t hurt the cake
any. In fact, it probably aided in
cooking your cake more evenly.
But next time, you could try setting
two custard cups - one inside the
other - in the center; then cooking
time would be similar to time
given in the recipe.
Questions for Joyce?
Do you have a question about
microwave cooking? Send it to
Microwave Minutes, % Extra
Newspaper Features, P.O. Box
6118, Rochester, MN 55903.
Please include a self-addressed,
stamped, business-size envelope.
Recipes in this column are
tested in 600- and 650-watt micro
wave ovens. With an oven of diffe
rent wattage output, timings may
need slight adjustment.
Joyce Battcher is an indepen
dent home economist microwave
specialist. She is author of
“Microwave Family Favorites*'
and editor of “A Batch of Ideas”
newsletter.
Copyright 1988 Extra Nawapapar
Paaturaa
(215) 445-4541
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