real cooking in the microwave

[Zoe Girl]

can you do this? like pasta or mashed potatoe or ground beef into something like taco filling.

The back story is that we had our electrical issues worked on this weekend. The electrician spent most of Sunday getting the power line that goes into the house properly supported and then we found an issue in the breaker box that was affecting the stove. Actually it was a big issue and I am glad it is taken care of. But now the stove/oven turn on and never get hot. He does this after his regular job but he is the first repair person thelandlord has sent out that I am totally confident in. I am willing to be inconvenienced for now in order to get a job I feel confident in done.

Meanwhile we need more vegies and good food. I have a crockpot and rice cooker, now I notice how many crockpot recipes start with doing a part on the stove.

[SteveinMN]

You certainly can cook nourishing palatable foods in the microwave. It just takes being a little judicious and a little open-minded.

Many crockpot recipes start with a pot or pan because a microwave will not generate a dry searing heat that is used to brown meat or soften vegetables. This does add a flavor component to dishes (an esthetic component as well) but is not nutritionally necessary. You certainly can cook meat/poultry/fish to a proper eating temperature in a microwave. One old trick back when microwave ovens were touted more often for full-meal cooking is to baste the meat/poultry with Kitchen Bouquet or such -- kind of the food equivalent of a "spray tan". :D Sauteeing also is rather difficult to control in a microwave, but, again, it isn't necessary.

Your best bet is to make meals like soups or stews or casseroles, in which the meat does not have to stand on its own. Remember that foods can overcook quickly in a microwave, so put the longest-cooking foods in first and combine fast-cooking ingredients just before serving, if you need to (which can mess up the sequences in traditional soup/stew recipes). If your microwave does not have a turntable, you'll want to ensure more accurate cooking by turning the dish several times during cooking. It wouldn't hurt to have an instant-read thermometer available to make sure foods reach safe cooking temperatures.

Your crockpot also can serve as a sort of oven. I've seen recipes for baked desserts made in crockpots, and I could see it used for casseroles, as well -- dishes cooked with more dry heat than a microwave can muster.