Microwave Gourmet

Written by Rosemary Mantini | 25 February 2010

From kitchen saviour to maligned zapper, the microwave oven has had its share of ups and downs since making its way into Canadian kitchens in the 1970s. This wonder of the space age made for quick cooking and easy clean-up. But, it did have some drawbacks - namely, the fact that food doesn't take on any of that appetizing caramelized colour. The chicken breast may have cooked through in just a few minutes flat, but the sight of whitish meat could chase away the most ravenous of appetites. Enter the browning sauce. Food companies were quick to introduce thick sauces that would not only add flavour, but colour as well. Now, home cooks would have the ultimate in food preparation - food that could be prepared quickly, but that looked like it had been cooked with conventional means. Wherever you stand on the microwave issue, one thing is certain: it's here to stay. So, why not focus on its finer points? Cooking some kinds of food (like polenta, rice or lentils) in single servings is really hard to do using conventional means. Chances are you will end up with enough to feed a small army. This is the kind of situation where the microwave oven can really work its magic.

Give these microwave favourites a try.

Microwave Polenta
Microwave Rice
Microwave Lentils

comfort | convenience food | gourmet | how-to | quick | recipes