How do you use your microwave?
 

Besides the usual ways I found a couple of shortcuts.

Cloves of garlic--I zap them for a few seconds. They are easy to peel, chop and it's a little like roasting them if you leave them in longer.

Eggplant--I cut eggplant in 1/2" slices [no peeling] and zap them too. They get soft and I can press a lot of the liquid out before pan frying them in just a little olive oil. It skips salting to remove moisture.

Italian Sausage--I zap them for 30 seconds. Then I split them lengthwise and brown off on both sides in a cast iron skillet.

Peppers and Onions---If I'm in a rush I zap them too just to soften. It saves time in the fry pan.

I really like this idea, thanks for sharing. I pretty much use my microwave for heating up leftovers.

It's my favorite way to cook bacon. I never put bacon in a frying pan. If I need to cook it for a crowd, I put it on my broiler pan and bake it in the oven.

We can include baking tips and tricks. I was just trying to get a conversation going and someone asked me if I had any new recipes and that's what came to mind first.

Corn on the cob. Do not remove the shuck. Nuke for three minutes. Shuck and silk pull right off and corn is yummy. Another way is to shuck the corn, butter it, sprinkle lightly with garlic powder (not salt) and parsley flakes, wrap in plastic wrap. Nuke for three minutes. One of my faves.

Like DG, bacon either nuked or baked.

Browning ground beef
 

Ground meat. 6 - 7 minutes a pound. Break up at three minutes and again when done. Less mess than browning any other way.

And if this makes you feel better the microwave is a real electricity sipper. One month's usage never exceeds .6 kWh (less than six cents) for two of us. Far cheaper than an oven, stove top, coffee maker, kuerg or even the toaster.

Thanks for the energy info. I thought maybe I was using it too much.

Whenever I need a hot kitchen wash cloth I get it wet and nuke it. It takes too long and wastes too much water waiting for the sink hot water.

Do you think it is also killing germs?

Yes I have read that the microwave does in fact disinfect.

I thought micros kill germs, after all they boil water. There are plenty of on line experts that disagree. It must be an issue as the NY Times warned readers about this, the issue seems to be cold spots Do Microwave Ovens Kill Bacteria? - The New York Times

I dunno, it has always cooked beef for me as I posted.

I use mine to provide light over my gas range. Sometimes, I use its timer. In my motorhome, I use it for a bread box.

Do you know if it works?

[QUOTE=Toymeister;1534167]I thought micros kill germs, after all they boil water. There are plenty of on line experts that disagree. It must be an issue as the NY Times warned readers about this, the issue seems to be cold spots Do Microwave Ovens Kill Bacteria? - The New York Times

Fact: Microwaves don't kill bacteria – microwaves generate heat that kills bacteria in foods. Microwave ovens are great time-savers and will kill bacteria when foods are heated to a safe internal temperature. But microwaved foods can cook unevenly because of irregular shapes or variations in thickness.Aug 23, 2012
Mythbusters: Debunking Myths about Food Safety in the Home ...
Mythbusters: Debunking Myths about Food Safety in the Home! | FoodSafety.gov

The extractor fan works and my grown up grandkids have reheated pizza in it....once....when I made them clean up their mess they grew weary of the hassle.

This is a very useful and informative thread. I've learned a new way to cook eggplant and corn and found out the microwave does not disinfect.

In looking for information about killing germs I learned that some bikers put their empty water bottle in the freezer to kill germs instead of washing them. When they do wash they use vinegar. I used dish soap but to get it all out I was filling it up 4 or 5 times. Way more then that, I would just get a new one. I'm definitely doing the corn.