microwave oven – Samsung Newsroom South Africa

Cooking Up Creativity

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 23:14:24 +0000

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 13 June 2018 – Today’s world is filled with endless distractions and entertainment opportunities for children. But there are specific activities that are vitally important for their development. Most parenting and early childhood development books will outline the need to ensure your little darling develops fine motor skills, which is the dexterity needed to use the smaller muscles in their finger, hands, wrists and toes.^[i] Another important part of child development is the opportunity to imagine, which enhances the ability to think and understand the world, as well as express emotions.^[ii]

Something that assists with both these imperative activities is play-dough. With winter in the air, this mouldable solution might just be the perfect educational cure for chilly and dull days. But a trip to the toy store isn’t necessary – if you have access to a microwave and a few standard pantry items, it’s easy to make your own.

Microwave play-dough recipe^[iii]

Ingredients

1cup water

1 Tblsp cooking oil

25 drops lemon juice, sieved

1 ½ tsp food colouring

1/3 cup fine salt

1 cup flour

Method

In a microwave safe bowl, mix water, oil and food colouring.
Add lemon juice and stir before adding the salt.
Gradually add flour while stirring to prevent lumps.
Microwave on high for 30 seconds, remove bowl from microwave and stir. Repeat this process four times until the mixture is in a ball.
Allow it to stand for a few minutes to cool.
Remove from bowl and put the play-dough ball on a plate, covered in plastic wrap to cool completely.
Wrap cooled play dough in the plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Tracy Gordon, Head of Product Marketing for Digital Appliances at Samsung South Africa, says, “Using the Samsung HotBlast to make a quick and easy play-dough mixture for your children not only gives them a brilliantly educational tool, but also frees you up to prepare the evening meal. Because the HotBlast is so efficient, you’ll also have plenty of time to spend playing with your children as they let their imaginations run wild with their creations.”

Once your children are settled with their colourful balls of play-dough, encourage them to roll and pinch it to create figurines, blocks or even numbers and letters. All of this will encourage the precise movements required to build fine motor skills. The achievement of building something of their own design from scratch will also help build confidence and self-esteem.^{^[iv]}

For inspiration on meals to make with your HotBlast, click here.

^{[i] http://penfieldbuildingblocks.org/2014/11/importance-fine-motor-skill-development/}

^{[ii] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beautiful-minds/201203/the-need-pretend-play-in-child-development}

^{[iii] https://theseamanmom.com/easy-homemade-playdough/}

^{[iv] https://mommyevolution.com/benefits-of-playdough-clay-child-development/}

For cooks who want to save time

Tue, 31 Mar 2015 10:44:34 +0000

For cooks who want to save time cooking, but not sacrifice results, a convection microwave oven is a wonderful option. Professional chefs love them and use them all the time. Now at home cooks can enjoy the advantages of a convection microwave oven.

A convection microwave oven is like having two appliances combined into one. You get the ease of fast microwave cooking with the features of a conventional oven. Here are 5 Advantages of a Convection Microwave Oven

1. Energy Saving

You save a considerable amount of energy and money using a convection microwave oven.

2. A Time Saving Appliance

As busy as people are on a daily basis we appreciate anything that can save us time. In a convection microwave oven, the food cooks in a fraction of the time compared to a regular oven. Some regular ovens can take about twenty minutes to cook meat per pound. The same meat can be cooked in about half the time. Who does not love the idea of spending less time in the kitchen preparing meals, so that you can have more time to spend with your loved ones?

3. Kitchen Space Saver

This kind of microwave oven is perfect for those with limited space. If you do not have room for a full-size stove this is a great solution. You can cook everything that you normally need a regular oven for, but using less room.

4. Easy and Quick to Clean

One thing most people hate about cooking in a large oven is the cleaning you have to do afterwards. With big ovens, there are pans, racks, drips and spills that take a lot of hard work to clean. The smaller convection microwave has less parts and space to clean up.

5. Convection Microwave Ovens Cook a Wide Variety of Foods

When using an old-fashioned microwave you are limited to cooking certain things. They work well for reheating leftovers or cooking a ready-made meal. Trying to make anything more complex is almost impossible. A convection microwave oven allows you to cook full meals including dessert. Vegetables cook faster so they stay crisp. Desserts like cookies bake quickly and evenly. You will be amazed at how well all your dishes look and taste.

Entertaining is often as frantic as it is fun, and finding ways to simplify the whole affair can go a long way to preserving your good spirits.

Mon, 09 Feb 2015 11:22:04 +0000

Flourless Chocolate Cake: What You Need

Chocolate is never a bad choice, and a flourless chocolate cake is nearly ideal for all gatherings. It’s rich, decadent, and as a bonus it’s gluten-free. All you’ll need for a 10-inch round cake is half pound each of butter and chocolate, a half-dozen eggs and a pinch of salt. If your chocolate is especially dark, intense and bittersweet, you might also need a bit of sugar or other sweetener.

Melting the Chocolat

Preparation couldn’t be simpler. Chop or break the chocolate into a microwaveable bowl, cut the butter into chunks and add. Place the bowl in your microwave. Heat the chocolate gently, remember you need to stir. At the end of the cycle, let the chocolate sit for a minute to finish melting.

Final Assembly

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Whisk yolks and sweetener into your chocolate mixture, then beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them in. That’s it; you’re done. Pour the batter into a round or springform tin lined with parchment paper, and bake until it sets. Let the cake cool and firm up for a few minutes, then remove it from the pan and set it on a wire rack. Serve with a sauce or glaze, or simply dust it with confectioner’s sugar.

Upcycle The Rolls: Go for Bread Pudding

One common result of successive gatherings is leftover breads, ranging from dinner rolls and morning croissants to rich holiday breads. Turning them into an elegant, upscale bread pudding is a yummy solution. Forget the sodden stodge your granny served, modern bread pudding is a sophisticated treat for adults.

Dry the Bread

Start by cutting your leftover breads into crouton-sized cubes. Remove the crusts if they’re tough and chewy, otherwise you can leave them on. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and dry them for an hour or two in a low oven. If you have a dual oven, you can do this in half of your oven, while using the other compartment for baking or roasting.

Give It a Nice Soak

Layer the dried croutons into a large baking dish and soak them in custard, using one to three eggs for every cup of milk or cream. Let your imagination run wild with add-ins: Pecans or almonds, white or dark chocolate, and fresh, dried or candied fruit are all good choices. For an extra-rich dessert, heat the custard mixture and melt white or dark chocolate into it.

Lush and Rich

Cover the baking dish, and use your refrigerator’s Power Cool feature to quickly reduce it to a food-safe temperature. Let it soak overnight, or at least for an hour or two, for the flavors to meld and the bread to soak up the custard. Drizzle it with rum, brandy or Bourbon at the last minute, if you wish, then bake it until the custard has nearly set. Serve chilled or warmed, with a suitable sauce.

Rustic Desserts: Free-Form Fruit Galette

Sometimes the simplest and most rustic desserts look the most elegant. That’s certainly the case with galettes, open-faced fruit tarts shaped free-form and baked on a sheet pan. It looks best with fresh-made pastry, rough edges and all, but if you’re crust-challenged don’t be shy. Use a store-bought piecrust, and tear its edges artfully to create the right appearance. After all, this is about keeping things simple.

Dried Fruit Fun

For a super-seasonal filling, gather up all the raisins, almonds, figs, dried cranberries, candied citrus peel and other dried fruit and nuts you’d purchased for holiday baking. Soak the fruit in warm water or juice heavily spiked with rum, Bourbon or any aromatic liquor. Once they’re plumped, drain them well and toss them with fresh orange zest, warm spices and halved or sliced nuts.

Fresh & Fruity

Alternatively, peel and slice your favourite fresh fruits. Apples, pears and cranberries are entirely appropriate for the holidays, but feel free to use whatever you like as long as it’s ripe and sweet. Toss the fruit with sugar, spices, and a thickener, such as cake crumbs or cornstarch to soak up any excess juice. For berries, peaches or other really juicy options, line your crust with slices of pound cake.

Crust Time

Centre your crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and mound the fresh or dried fruit into a flat dome in the middle. Fold the edges of the dough inward, encasing the filling carefully but leaving at least half of the tart’s surface open. Brush the pastry with egg wash, and sprinkle it with coarse sugar, for an especially elegant appearance. Bake at 375-degrees Fahrenheit until the crust is golden and the fruit tender.