The foods you never knew you could cook in the microwave

Most kitchens these days are equipped with a microwave, but many people only use their device for reheating leftovers or cooking a ready meal.

However there are plenty of foods that can be cooked in a microwave that you probably never knew about.

From toasted breadcrumbs and dry spaghetti to an entire batch of brownies and instant dried herbs, these are the nine foods that will save you precious time by cooking them in a microwave.

And the experts say that it won’t affect the taste.

The tips come from food experts at Good Housekeeping Institute, who have tested all of them in the microwave.

They warn that you must use a microwave-safe container or dish, however, to avoid any accidents.

Here are their top foods that you never knew you can cook in the microwave. 

1.  HERBS

Instead of throwing away herbs that are wilting, you can save money by turning them into dried herbs by microwaving them

If your fresh herbs are wilting and won’t last much longer in the fridge, you can use the microwave to dry them out.

Whether you have leftover rosemary, sage, parsley, basil or thyme, simply arrange your herbs on a paper towel before cooking on high for one minute, or until completely dried.

Then crumble them into pieces and store in an airtight jar or plastic bag. You can then use your dried herbs in soups, stews, pasta dishes or really anything you cook at home.

2. BROWNIES

If you’re at home and fancy a sweet treat but don’t have any snacks to hand, you can use your microwave to whip up a batch of brownies without the hassle of having to bake

For a quick home-made batch of brownies, you can surprisingly use your microwave to whip some up.

You just need to melt 150g of butter on high for 30 seconds in a large microwave-safe bowl. 

Then add 200g sugar, 65g unsweetened cocoa powder and 1tsp vanilla extract and mix well. 

Add 2 eggs, mixing after each addition, before folding in 100g flour. 

Grease a microwave safe dish and spoon in the brownie mixture, cooking it on high for four to five minutes. Leave them for 10 minutes before cutting.

3. RISOTTO 

You can even make a risotto in the microwave, which will save you the hours it can potentially take to cook over a hot stove

Risotto makes for a delicious meal but it can take a long time to cook and requires you to keep stirring the pot.

Make a cheat’s version by using the microwave. Simply pour wine and half your recipe’s requested amount of stock over the rice in a microwave-proof dish. 

Cover with cling film and cook on high for 10 minutes. Stir, then add another third of the stock, re-cover and microwave for three minutes. 

Stir again, and add any vegetables or cooked meat to the dish and the rest of the stock. 

Then cook for seven minutes and add cheese. Leave the risotto to stand for a few minutes before serving.

4. SPAGHETTI

You can cook spaghetti in the microwave too if you heat it up in a bowl of boiling water

You can even cook dry spaghetti in the microwave, surprisingly.

For two people, just put 2tbsp of oil, some salt and 850ml of boiling water into a large microwave-safe bowl.

Stand 100g spaghetti in the bowl before microwaving on high for one minute. Put any softened spaghetti out of the water into the water, before covering the bowl with clingfilm and poking a few holes through with a knife.

Put in the microwave on high for eight minutes and then leave to stand for 10 minutes before draining and serving.

5. TOASTED NUTS AND BREADCRUMBS 

Heat nuts and breadcrumbs in a small bowl, so that they’re all on top of each other as they cook better if they are not spread out.

Heat for a minute on high before stirring and then repeat until they are toasted.

6.  STEAMED VEGETABLES

You can steam vegetables in the microwave, and this method means you won’t have to wait for the water to boil.

Just put 450g of washed vegetables in a glass dish with 1 tbsp of water.

Cook on high for five minutes until the vegetables are tender and bright in colour. 

7. BACON

You can even make crispy bacon in the microwave – and it will be a lot less greasy then if you fried it in a pan

Microwaving bacon saves on having to wash up a greasy pan.

Just arrange slices of bacon on a plate covered in a double layer of paper towels before covering with another paper towel – these will collect most of the grease.

Then cook on high for two minutes, before turning the bacon over and cooking for another two minutes.

Repeat until they reach the right crispiness for your liking.  

8. EGGS

You can even poach an egg in the microwave.

Crack one in a microwave-safe container with 3tbsp of water and cook on high for 45 seconds after gently piercing the yolk with a fork so it doesn’t explode.

Turn the dish and cook for another 45 seconds. 

For scrambled eggs, you can grease a mug with oil, add eggs and a splash of milk before beating them together until blended.

Then microwave on high for 45 seconds, before stirring and microwaving again for another 45 minutes.

You can even make a fried egg. Just pre-heat a plate in the microwave, before cracking an egg onto it, piercing the yolk with a fork.

Then heat for 45 seconds on high. 

9. DEHYDRATED FRUIT

Make your own dried fruit for a healthy snack by cutting fresh fruit into strips no more than a quarter of an inch thick.

Lay the pieces on greased baking paper, before microwaving on medium for 10 minutes. 

Turn them around, then microwave on low for another 15 minutes.

If you want them really crisp, then continue the process by popping them in the oven at 100C for another 20 minutes.