22
2
1
Combine the hoisin sauce, black bean and chili paste, wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a pot, and bring the mixture to a simmer.
4
Microwave the bok choy at 1,100 W for 2 minutes (or at full power for a bit longer, if your oven is less powerful than this), and then let it rest for 2 minutes in the bag or plastic wrap. If you're using a microwave-safe dish, cooking may take an extra minute. Microwave ovens vary widely in their power output, so check the power of yours before cooking, and adjust the power level or cooking
Remove the sauce from the heat, and allow it to cool slightly.
time accordingly.
3
Place the cleaned bok choy halves and the water in a zip-top bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag, and seal it. Alternative ly, arrange the bok choy on a microwave-safe plate, add water, and then tightly cover the plate with microwave-safe plastic wrap.
5
Remove the bok choy from the bag, shake off any excess water from it, and arrange it on plates.
6
Season the bok choy with the sp icy sauce, chi li oil, and sa lt. Serve it hot.
Best Bets for Cooking Vegetables in the Microwave Oven All of the recipes in this chapter were tested by using a 1,100 watt microwave oven at full power, unl ess indi cated otherwise. The time required to cook vegetables in a microwave depends on the thickness to which you
cut them, as well as on their density and water co ntent. Drier vegetables cook more evenly if you seal the vegetables in a bag or under microwavesafe plastic wrap on a plate with a little water. Time (min)
Technique
Ingredients
Preparation
Procedure
cooking root vegetables
beets, carrots, ce lery root, potatoes, turnips
whole
vacuu m sea l, or arrange on a plate and seal with microwave-safe plastic wrap; cook medium beets for 6 minutes, and rub off the skin
3-7
cooking leafy greens
bok choy, broccoli, cabbage
whole
place in a zip-top bag with 50 ml / l4 cup of water; alte rnative ly, arra nge in a microwave-safe dish with in of water, and cover with microwave-safe 2 mm / plastic wrap
2-5
vacuum seal
2-5
Y••
cooking bulbs and fibrous vegetables
artichokes, cardoon, ce lery, fennel, leeks, onions
whole
DISHES FOR THE MICROWAVE
347