_If you're microwaving chicken livers, prick each one to allow steam to escape. Before I knew this tip, I've had them explode in the oven.
_Microwave recipes usually call for smaller amounts of seasonings than conventionally cooked dishes. Microwaving tends to intensify flavors, so you won't need as much seasoning.
_Don't ignore the standing time called for in some of these recipes. In microwave cookery, standing time allows further cooking to occur after you have removed the food from the microwave oven. Covering the food holds heat in and speeds this final, important step. When I've cheated on this step, I've found the chicken hard to carve and undercooked.
_When possible, arrange food in a circular or donut shape; without corners, food cooks more evenly from all sides. For example, if you're cooking drumsticks, arrange them like a wagon wheel with the meatier portions at the outer edge, and the drum stick end in the center.
_Thin foods cook faster than thick foods because microwaves lose power after they penetrate food.
_Ingredients also affect cooking time. Foods higher in sugar or fat heat faster and to higher temperatures than do those with lower sugar or fat content.
_When the recipe says "70% power," or MEDIUM HIGH, don't be tempted to get things done faster by going for 100% power. At 70% power, the microwaves cook the product more slowly but also more evenly, so there's less worry about cold spots.
ROASTED CHICKEN WITH ALMOND SAUCEServes 4 Of course you can serve the pre-cooked chicken just as it comes from the store, without doing anything else to it at all. I've done this many times with our Perdue Done It! roasted chicken when I've been in a hurry. But this recipe only takes a few extra minutes and you'll have a show piece at the end. As you're making it, be glad for a moment that you're not making this recipe in the year 1911. A typical recipe in a the December issue of The Wisconsin Farmer assumes that you've already plucked the bird and removed its head and feet. It directs you "to singe the bird over a burning newspaper on a hot stove." The stove would probably have been a wood-burning one, and in all probability, it would have been up to you to get the wood for the stove. When I think of then and I think of now, I'm glad that "We've come a long way, baby". 1 roasted chicken 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons Amaretto or other almond liqueur 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds Heat pre-cooked roasted chicken in its own microwave tray following package directions. In 2-cup glass container, combine cornstarch, broth, liqueur and lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave at HIGH (100% power) 3 or 4 minutes until bubbly and thick; stir twice during cooking. Add almonds. Slice chicken onto a platter and top with sauce.
FIVE-MINUTE ROASTED DRUMSTICKS 1 package roasted chicken drumsticks (4-6 per package). Following package directions, warm roasted drumsticks in a conventional oven or, using package tray, heat in a microwave oven. Brush with your favorite bottled barbecue sauce.
CHICKEN POCKET SANDWICHESServes 4 You could use regular chicken breasts for this, but the roaster breast has a richer, more chickeny flavor. ("Chickeny" is a word, by the way. Frank uses it all the time, and he ought to know.) 1 roaster boneless breast 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper 4 pita breads Lettuce leaves 1 container (8-ounces) plain yogurt 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks. In 3-quart microwave-safe utensil, combine olive oil, lemon juice, onion, garlic, salt, oregano, and Cayenne pepper; add chicken chunks and stir. Cover with wax paper; microwave at HIGH (100% power) 10 minutes or until chicken has turned white. Stir mixture 3 or 4 times during cooking. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Cut each pita bread into 2 pockets, line with lettuce and spoon in chicken. In small bowl, combine yogurt and green onion; serve over chicken.