Summary of "Microwave Hacks That Will Change the Way You Cook! | This Morning"
Microwave Hacks That Will Change the Way You Cook!
Presenter / channel: Grace Farel, This Morning
Ingredients & common pantry items
- Stale bread (slices or baguette)
- Kitchen roll / paper towel (damp for bread; dry for herbs)
- Nuts (e.g., pine nuts) — olive oil optional
- Lemon or lime
- Garlic cloves (2–3 shown)
- Tomatoes (whole; score the skin)
- Onion (peeled)
- Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme; experiment with others cautiously)
- Small vessel of water (for warming plates)
- Airtight container (for storing dried herbs)
Equipment & prep
- Microwave (use different settings where appropriate; read your manual)
- Microwave-safe plate
- Small microwave-safe bowl or vessel (for water, oil if used)
- Knife (to score tomatoes)
- Kitchen roll / paper towels
- Airtight container for dried herbs
Step-by-step methods, timings, technique cues and tips
1. Revive stale bread
- Prep: Flick kitchen roll with water so it’s damp (do not soak). Wrap the bread completely in the damp paper towel.
- Microwave: about 10 seconds.
- Technique: steam from the damp roll softens the bread.
- Tip: works for baguettes as well.
2. Toast nuts in the microwave
- Prep: place nuts on a plate; a little oil helps but isn’t necessary.
- Microwave: 1-minute bursts on full power, shaking or stirring between bursts. Repeat until toasted — a couple of minutes total depending on nut type.
- Technique: short bursts and stirring prevent burning; pine nuts brown very quickly.
- Tip: keep a close eye — hands-off toasting is easy but timing varies.
3. Soften citrus for juice (lemons/limes)
- Microwave whole lemon or lime (no wrapping): ~10 seconds.
- Technique: brief heat loosens membranes so fruit is easier to squeeze.
- Tip: citrus will be only slightly warm; use care when handling.
4. Loosen garlic skins (quick peel)
- Prep: place whole garlic cloves on a plate.
- Microwave: full power, ~15–20 seconds.
- Technique: steam forms between clove and skin so skins slip off easily.
- Tip: cloves will be slightly warm; this trick also helps with tomatoes (see below).
5. Skin tomatoes (blanching shortcut)
- Prep: make a small cross at the bottom of the tomato so it doesn’t burst.
- Microwave: about 1 minute.
- After: allow to cool ~1 minute before handling.
- Technique: heating loosens skins so they slide off.
6. Reduce onion eye-watering
- Prep: peel the onion first.
- Microwave: ~30 seconds.
- Technique: brief heating reduces some sulfur compounds that cause tears, making chopping easier.
7. Dry herbs quickly (dehydrate)
- Prep: remove leaves from stems; place leaves on a piece of kitchen roll and cover with another piece of kitchen roll.
- Microwave: high power, ~1-minute at a time; check and repeat until leaves are dry and crunchy (a few minutes total).
- Technique: evaporates moisture to produce dried herbs.
- Tip: store immediately in an airtight container. Works very well with rosemary and thyme; experiment with other herbs but keep a close eye to avoid burning.
8. Warm plates more effectively
- Prep: put plates in microwave and place a small vessel of water on/near the plates.
- Technique: microwaves heat water efficiently; the heated water helps transfer heat to the plates for more even warming.
- Tip: better than microwaving plates on their own.
Chef tips, cautions & common mistakes to avoid
- Don’t treat the microwave as a “one-button” appliance — different settings are useful. Full power is best for liquids, but other tasks may benefit from lower power or short bursts. Read your microwave manual for model-specific functions.
- Don’t soak the kitchen roll for bread; make it damp only.
- Keep a close watch when toasting nuts or drying herbs — short bursts and frequent checking prevent burning.
- Items (garlic, tomatoes, citrus) may be hot or warm after microwaving; allow them to cool briefly before handling.
- For tomato skin removal, score the skin so the fruit doesn’t burst.
- When drying herbs, store immediately in an airtight container to preserve them.
Variations / notes
- Bread: works on slices and baguettes.
- Nuts: oil is optional; pine nuts toast very quickly — adjust timing.
- Herbs: rosemary and thyme recommended; experiment cautiously with other herbs.
- Garlic technique can assist peeling tomatoes and other similar-skinned items.
Presenter recommends consulting your microwave’s manual (available online) for model-specific settings and capabilities.
Presenter / channel: Grace Farel, This Morning
Category
Cooking
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