How to Microwave a Potato Recipe

Tired of waiting for your baked potato to be ready? Every wonder how to make a “baked” potato in the microwave to save time? Here are simple steps for a timesaving, quick microwaved potato recipe.

1. Wash and scrub potato clean and poke the potato several times with a fork.
2. Cover with a damp paper towel.
3. Microwave on high for 4 minutes on a microwave safe plate. Flip the potato over and microwave for 1 minute at a time, checking for doneness every minute. You know it is cooked when the potato is slightly soft.
4. Let cool slightly and serve as you would a baked potato.

Notes:

• Cooking times for microwaving a potato will vary based on the size of the potato.
• This recipe can be used to microwave russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams.
• Use this method for nearly any recipe using baked potatoes.
• The potato will hiss a bit, but if you poked enough holes in it, rotate it every few minutes, and keep an eye on it, it should not explode. 
• Use caution when removing your microwaved potato because it will be very hot.  

How to Cook Quinoa Recipe

Quinoa may be hard to pronounce, but it is quick and easy to cook. Quinoa is a super grain full of complete protein and fiber. It substitutes well for rice in many recipes. Try making quinoa with sautéed vegetables, as a side dish for meat, or as the base of a tabouli style salad. Below is a simple recipe for basic quinoa.

1. Soak quinoa in water for at least 30 minutes.
2. Rinse and drain quinoa thoroughly and place in a pot with water. (The quinoa to water ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 1 ½ cups water if soaked and rinsed, or 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water if pre-rinsed as would be noted on the package).
3. Bring to a boil, cover tightly with a lid, and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. You will see small holes appear on the top of the quinoa.
4. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 more minutes. Fluff lightly with a fork and serve.

Notes:

• It’s best to cook quinoa with the lid tightly covered throughout the cooking. Check it at 10 minutes and return the lid if the water is not absorbed yet.
• You can also cook quinoa in a rice cooker. Just follow the directions for the rice cooker, using slightly less water. 
• You may be asking yourself, why do you need to soak and rinse quinoa before making it? It's because you want to remove the saponins that coat the quinoa seeds and cause a bitter, unpalatable taste. Soaking and rinsing the quinoa removes the saponins, making it more digestible and giving the quinoa a milder and much more appealing taste. Some packaged quinoa has already gone through this process and it would be noted on the package, but most quinoa bought in bulk has not. 
• Substituting water with chicken broth or vegetable broth when cooking quinoa will improve the flavor of the quinoa. 
• Quinoa is a nutritious gluten free grain alternative for thos with gluten or wheat intolerance. 

Recipe for How to Cook Rice

The best recipe for how to prepare rice will vary based on the type of rice you want to cook. Cooking time for rice varies based on the type, as does the water to rice ratio. Below is the basic method for cooking rice. Following that is a list of water to rice ratios and cooking times for different variations of rice.

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Add rice and a tsp of salt.
3. Cover tightly and reduce temperature.
4. Simmer, tightly covered, until rice is tender and the water is absorbed. (Try not to open the lid to check on the rice as this will extend the cooking time and may result in mushy rice).
5. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes.
6. When rice is cooked, fluff lightly with a fork and serve.

The cooking time for rice and the rice to water ratio will vary greatly based on the type of rice you are cooking. Below is a rice cooking chart with rice cooking times and rice to water ratios.

Rice Cooking Chart

Short Grain White Rice or Medium Grain White Rice: 15 minutes, 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water
Long Grain White Rice: Cooking time 12 minutes, 1 cup rice to 1 3/4 cups water
Jasmine Rice: Cooking time 20 minutes, 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water
Sticky Rice: Cooking time 15 minutes, 1 cup rice to 2 cups water
Basmati Rice: Cooking time 20 minutes, 1 cup rice to 1 3/4 cups water
Brown Rice: Cooking time 45 minutes, 1 cup rice to 2 cups water
Arborio Rice*: Cooking time 30 minutes, 1 cup rice to 2 1/2 cups water

These cooking times and water ratios are general rules of thumb for preparing rice. However, it is always best to follow directions on the package if provided, especially for specialty types of rice.

Notes and Variations:

• *Arborio Rice is most often used to make risotto. Risotto is usually meant to have a softer, creamy texture. To achieve this texture, you will want to cook arborio rice uncovered and stir continually.
• 1 cup of uncooked rice makes about 3 cups of cooked rice.
• How do you keep rice from getting mushy? To cook rice perfectly and achieve fluffy clean looking rice, avoid opening the lid during cooking or stirring. Instead, fluff lightly and separate with a fork to keep a clean finish.
• It is often recommended that you rinse rice before cooking to remove debris and improve flavor. To do so, rinse with cold water and drain well. If the rice is still soaking wet it will affect the water to rice ratio.
• To decrease the cooking time of rice you can soak the rice overnight.
• If you are using a rice cooker, it is often recommended to use slightly less water and follow the directions on your specific rice cooker. The rice cooker should automatically turn off the heat when the rice is cooked and will keep it warm until ready to serve.