Croft Rena - Quick & easy microwave cooking for one

Whether you live alone or are simply having a solitary night in, cooking for one can be a chore and its all too easy to settle for a chilled ready-meal out of a packet, or to take a trip to the takeaway. Many people use their microwave just for reheating and defrosting, which is a pity as its potential is far greater: having a microwave enables you to enjoy fresh food fast. Undeniably, speed is one of the main advantages, but the microwave is also renowned for its ability to cook foods such as fish and vegetables to perfection and to make sensationally smooth sauces without a saucepan in sight.

Other bonuses are that you neednt worry about forgetting food as the microwave always turns itself off, and it cooks with the minimum mess so youre not left with piles of washing up. The recipes in this book are designed for one, so you dont have to divide the quantities in an ordinary cookbook to make a single portion. The ingredients are selected to use a range of meats and vegetables in cuts and quantities that are easy to buy on a small scale. If you do want to cook for more than one, simply multiply the quantities. If you double the quantity, increase the cooking times by about half as much again and check the food regularly until it is cooked to your liking. Youll find everything you need here to get cooking: plenty of mouthwatering dishes to suit every occasion, from speedy and stylish snacks to midweek meals in moments and delectable double-quick desserts.

So come on, spoil yourself solo eating has never been so much fun!

Read your manual carefully to find out exactly how your model works, then follow these top ten tips:

1. Use individual-sized cookware suitable for both cooking and serving to save washing up. The more regular the shape of the container the better: a round dish is preferable to an oval one, and a large shallow dish is better than a small, deep one.
2. Make sure that you always use microwave-proof cookware. Glass, pottery and china are all suitable, but avoid any dishes that contain metal. Dont use melamine or plastic when cooking foods with a lot of fat or sugar, as the heat of the food may make them melt.
3. Foods of a similar size should be arranged in a ring pattern for even cooking. Irregular-shaped foods such as chicken drumsticks should be positioned with the thickest part towards the outer edge of the dish.
4. Rotate food regularly by stirring, turning over or rearranging, especially if your microwave doesnt have a turntable.
5. Prick foods covered with a membrane or tight skin, such as jacket potatoes and egg yolks before cooking or they may burst.
6. Cook food uncovered unless otherwise stated. When covering, use pierced microwave-safe clingfilm (plastic wrap), or use a lid or plate.
7. Cover areas of food that are likely to overcook, such as the tail end of a whole fish, with small pieces of foil secured with wooden cocktail sticks (toothpicks), but make sure it doesnt touch the walls.
8. When you remove food from the microwave it retains heat and continues cooking, so many recipes allow time for the food to stand.

   This allows the heat to distribute evenly and completes cooking.

9. Wipe up spills when they occur: if you dont, they will absorb the microwave energy and may slow down the cooking time.
10. Keep safety in mind when removing food from the microwave: use oven gloves as dishes get very hot; always stir carefully and away from your face, as hot, dense liquids sometimes bubble up when stirred.

Variety is a great boredom-beater and the key lies in keeping a well-stocked storecupboard. This can be difficult when youre cooking for one, as you dont want to buy in bulk and end up throwing away out-of-date foods. Build up the basics and youll be able to return home late and produce a delicious dinner in minutes. Whats in Store?

• Dried foods: Flour (buy in small bags), pasta, rice, bulghar (cracked wheat), couscous, dried fruits such as apricots and sultanas (golden raisins), nuts, creamed coconut powder.
• Herbs, spices and seasonings: Bay leaves, chilli powder, ground cinnamon, ground coriander (cilantro), ground cumin, dried mixed herbs, salt and pepper, stock cubes or powdered stock (easier to mix up small quantities). Store spices in a cool dark place and buy in small quantities as they soon lose their pungency.
• Oils: Olive, sunflower and sesame.
• Jars, bottles and cartons: Mustard, pesto, lemon or lime juice, vinegars, soy sauce, ketchup (catsup), clear honey, peanut butter, long-life milk.
• Cans: Chopped tomatoes, pulses such as kidney beans.
• Fridge: Butter or margarine (suitable for cooking), tomato pure (paste), jars of ready-grated ginger and garlic (if used frequently), Cheddar, Parmesan and Mascarpone cheeses; crme frache, yoghurt, eggs, spring onions (scallions), shallots, fresh herbs such as parsley and coriander (cilantro).
• Freezer: Breadcrumbs, peas, sweetcorn (corn), spinach, leftover chopped herbs, lean minced (ground) meat, chicken breasts, fish cuts such as salmon steaks, prawns (shrimp), pitta and naan breads.

• Do not mix metric, imperial and American measures. Follow one set only.
• All spoon measures are level: 1 tsp = 5 ml; 1 tbsp = 15 ml.
• Always wash, peel, core and seed, if necessary, fresh produce before use.
• Eggs are medium unless otherwise stated.
• The use of strongly flavoured ingredients such as garlic, chilli and ginger depends on personal taste and quantities can be adjusted accordingly.
• All the recipes serve one unless otherwise specified.
• Times are based on an 800-watt microwave oven.

  Cooking times in a microwave vary depending on the temperature of the food when cooking starts and the size and shape of the container. Always undercook initially rather than overcook and test the food regularly during cooking.

• If you have a microwave with a different wattage, adjust the cooking times as follows:
• 900 watts subtract 10 seconds per minute
• 850 watts subtract 5 seconds per minute
• 800 watts no change
• 750 watts add 5 seconds per minute
• 700 watts add 10 seconds per minute
• 650 watts add 15 seconds per minute
• 600 watts add 20 seconds per minute.
• Different makes of microwave ovens have different settings: High refers to 100 per cent/full power output of 800 Watts; Medium to 60 per cent of full power; Low to 35 per cent of full power.
• The microwave used in creating these recipes had a turntable: if yours does not, its important to turn and rotate food regularly during cooking.