Flavour Boosters
		1 Vegetables should play a major role in a good diet. Here are some ideas for adding    extra appeal to freshly cooked    and drained vegetables. 2 Sprinkle toasted flaked almonds, crushed dry roasted peanuts, or Crisp Crumbs over    the vegetables. 3 Add color with chopped fresh herbs, a dusting of nutmeg or paprika,or grated    Parmesan cheese. 4 Enhance the natural sweet flavor of vegetables with a pinch of sugar or freshly milled    pepper and sea salt, added after cooking. 5 Add a pretty shine with melted butter or a good olive oil. Try flavored oils too: walnut,    sesame, hazelnut, garlic, or chili.

Fresh Vegetables

1. Cut vegetables into even-sized pieces. The smaller they are cut, the quicker they will cook. 2. Prick or score the skins of whole vegetables such as tomatoes or potatoes, to prevent them from bursting. 3. Choose a suitable-size casserole with a vented lid, a bowl or plate covered with vented clear film, or a microwave able   bag lightly fastened with string. 4. Stemmed vegetables, such as broccoli or cauliflower, should be arranged around the dish with the stems to the edge. 5. Arrange whole vegetables, such as jacket potatoes, around the edge of the dish, turntable, or roasting rack. 6. Add 30-45 ml/2-3 tbsp water per 450 g/1 lb. The younger the vegetables, the more natural moisture they contain. Older    vegetables may need extra water. 7. Leaf vegetables need only the water clinging to their leaves after washing. 8. Season after cooking. With so little water, the salt that does not dissolve will toughen the vegetables. 9. Apart from one or two exceptions, always cook vegetables covered with a vented lid. 10. Cook at P/LEVEL 100%. 11. If you are cooking small quantities of vegetables and you find that they tend to dry out, either add extra liquid or cook    on a lower power level. 12. The cooking time will depend on the age of the vegetables, how small they are cut, and how crisp a result you prefer.    Cook for the minimum time suggested in the chart and test. Vegetables will soften further if left to stand after cooking.    Make a note of your preferred cooking time. 13. Vegetables will hold their heat and continue to soften for several minutes after cooking .Whole vegetables, especially    jacket potatoes, need to stand to complete cooking.

Cooking Fresh Vegetables - Time Guide
Vegetable		Quantity (prepared weight	Special Instructions	Approximate Cooking Time at P/LEVEL 100%(80%)
Artichokes		1 2 3	Sprinkle with lemon juice and wrap in greaseproof paper	3-4 minutes 5-7 minutes 8-12 minutes
Beans:	broad whole green runner, sliced	225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb 225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb 225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb	Cooking times will vary 4-6 minutes with age of vegetables	minutes 6-7minutes 4-6minutes 6-8minutes 5minutes 8minutes
Beetroot		4 medium	Prick with a fork. Turn over once	12-14 minutes
Broccoli		225 g/8 oz	Arrange stems to the outer edge of the dish.	5 minutes
Brussels Sprouts		100 g/4 oz 225 g/8 oz		2 minutes 5 minutes
Cabbage	shredded wedges	225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb 225 g/8 oz	Shake during cooking. Turn over once during cooking.	4-6minutes 6-8minutes 4-6minutes
Carrots	sliced whole baby	100 g/4 oz 225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb 225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb	Prick the skins of unpeeled carrots with a fork	3minutes< 5minutes 7-8minutes 5-6minutes 8-10minutes
Cauliflower	trimmed,whole florets	450 g/1 lb 100 g/4 oz 225 g/8 oz		8-10minutes 2minutes 4minutes
Celery	Sliced	100 g/4 oz		2-3minutes
Corn on the cob		1 2	Wrap individually in greaseproof paper with a knob of butter	2-3 minutes 3-5 minutes
Courgette	sliced	100 g/4 oz 225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb	Add the minimum amount of water or a knob of butter, Cook until just tender	3 minutes 4 minutes 5-7 minutes
Fennel		225 g/8 oz	Cut into slices or wedges.	5-7 minutes
Leeks		225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb	Cut into think slices.	4-5minutes 6-8minutes
Mange tout Sugar snap peas		225 g/8 oz	Shake halfway through cooking.	2 & 1/2-3 minutes
Mushrooms	whole or sliced	100 g/4 oz 225 g/8 oz	Do not add water. Stir once during cooking. Drain before serving and toss with a little butter	2 minutes 3-4 minutes
Onions	sliced small whole	225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb	Add 15 ml/1 tbsp water	4 minutes 6 minutes
Parsnips, sliced		225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb	Add a dash of lemon juice and a knob of butter to the cooking water.	4-6 minutes 8-10 minutes
Peas		225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb		5-6 minutes 7-9 minutes
Potatoes	new jacket	225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb 1 (about 175 g/6 oz) 2-6	Prick with a fork and stand on a roasting rack Leave to stand for 2-3minutes before cutting Use Instant Cook Function	6 minutes 10-12 minutes 3-5 minutes
Spinach		225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb	Cooking with just the water clinging to the leaves after washing. May be cooked in a microwave/roasting bag, lightly closed with string. Shake during cooking.	3-4 minutes 5-8 minutes
Swede/Turnip		225 g/8 oz 450 g/1 lb	Cut into small cubes.	5-6 minutes 9-10 minutes

Quilted Potatoes

2 baking potatoes-about 175 g/6 oz each 1 garlic clove Pinch of dry mustard Good pinch of salt 5 ml/1 level tsp paprika 15 ml/1 tbsp oil

1 Arrange the potatoes in a circle on a microwave rack. 4 Cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Vegetable Chili

2 medium onions 2 garlic cloves 2 medium carrots 225 g/8 oz baking potatoes 1 medium red pepper 432 g can cannelloni or haricot beans 326 g can sweet corn 15 ml/1 tbsp olive oil 397 g caned chopped tomatoes 150 ml/ 1/4 pt vegetable stock 30 ml/2 tbsp sweet chili sauce 30 ml/2 tbsp tomato puree 15 ml/1 tbsp soft brown sugar salt and pepper 300 ml/ 1/2 pt Greek-style yogurt 100 g/4 oz grated Cheddar cheese

1 Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Peel and dice the carrots and potatoes. Halve the    pepper, discarding the stem, seeds and pith, and dice the flesh. Drain the beans and rinse    under cold water. Drain the corn. 2 Put the onions, garlic and oil in a large casserole. Cook for 7 minutes. Stir in the carrots,    potatoes, pepper, beans, and corn. Combine the tomatoes, stock chili sauce, tomato puree    and sugar. Stir into the vegetables. 3 Cover and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until the vegetables are    tender. Season to taste. 4 Serve topped with yogurt and grated cheese.

Health Watch : use low-fat yogurt and cheese. Make Ahead : Vegetable Chili may be reheated.

Frozen Vegetables

Purchased frozen vegetables usually have microwave cooking instructions - check the    package. Cook from frozen, using a suitable-size container with a lid. Most frozen vegetables have a sufficient amount of ice coating them to produce the steam. If    in doubt, add water - a teaspoon or two at the most. Salt after cooking. Cook at P/LEVEL 100%.