Take the milk out of the refrigerator, pour it into a glass, put it in the microwave, and after a minute, drink the warm milk with two slices of bread with a slice of ham in between. Three minutes later, breakfast is over, and you rush off to work. This is probably a scene all too familiar to office workers.
The microwave has become an indispensable helper for people when heating food, and the ways people use it are also incredibly varied.
Fried Egg
Crack an egg into a dish lightly greased at the bottom, poke a few small holes in the yolk membrane with a toothpick, cover it with a plastic lid, then place it in the microwave. After 1 minute, it becomes a fried egg. This method is hassle-free and oil-saving, no need to scrub the pan or turn on the range hood.
Steamed Fish
Many people like to steam fish in the microwave. Prepare a fish weighing over half a jin (500g), marinate it lightly with salt, cooking wine, and ginger juice for 15 minutes, put some shredded green onion and ginger in its belly and on its back, and place it in a microwaveable fish steamer. High heat for 6 minutes, then let it stand for 3 minutes to thaw. Finally, add cilantro leaves and pour on the sauce, and it's done.
Stewed Chicken
Cut the chicken into pieces, add seasonings and water to a large glass bowl, cover it with a perforated lid, then place the bowl in the microwave. First, on high power for 5 minutes, then switch to low power for 20 minutes. Using a microwave to make soup for one person is very suitable; you don't have to make a huge pot like with a clay pot that you can't finish. After setting the timer, you don't need to watch it or stir it, it's actually very simple.
When it comes to stewing meat broth in a microwave, are there any nutritional differences compared to stewing in a clay pot? Are all the vitamins destroyed?
According to current data, microwave cooking shortens the heating time, so the retention rate of vitamins is higher than that of conventional cooking methods. If you stew chicken in a clay pot, it will take more than an hour, and the vitamin loss rate will be even higher. In terms of protein, whether you boil it or microwave it, both can be digested and absorbed normally, with no significant difference. However, every advantage has its disadvantage. Microwave cooking may reduce the content of unsaturated fatty acids in meat, which is something worth noting.
In a recent research study, researchers measured the changes in fatty acids in beef after heating. Some samples were heated in a microwave, while others were heated by traditional steaming, until the internal temperature of the beef reached the same level. The results showed that compared to steaming, microwave heating had a more adverse effect on omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, causing their proportion to decrease significantly. Lower-temperature steaming not only has a smaller impact on unsaturated fatty acids but may even slightly increase the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Similar reports have also been published abroad, stating that after cooking fish in a microwave, the proportion of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids decreases, while the proportion of saturated fatty acids increases.
This means that the traditional method of slow stewing over low heat in a clay pot, although detrimental to vitamin preservation, has a beneficial effect on the composition of fatty acids. Previous studies have also found that slow stewing over low heat for 3-4 hours can improve the ratio of fatty acids. While microwave cooking is fast, convenient, and causes less vitamin loss, it does destroy the precious omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet.
Therefore, there's no need to worry about using the microwave for high-water, low-fat foods like soups and vegetables. However, for foods containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, duck, seafood, and egg yolks, it's better to choose traditional cooking methods. Of course, you should also remember that high-temperature frying destroys these unsaturated fatty acids to an even greater extent and also produces various toxic and carcinogenic substances! Instead of finding fault with microwave cooking, it's better to break the bad habit of cooking only when there's a lot of smoke, and to stay away from frying, smoking, and grilling.