Can I cook a microwave meal without a microwave?

[belindarose]

Picked up a ready meal yesterday for my tea tonight, not realising it was microwave only. It's a sort of 'microwave in the bag' thai red curry with rice. Any ideas how I should cook it? Just heat in a pan with water, do you think, till piping hot?

I'd empty in to a pan and heat through, like you would with tinned food.

I've done this too. If it's already cooked and you're just reheating it, the important thing is to get it piping hot throughout. If it contained raw meat I'd be more wary. A meat thermometer could be used to check any meat's cooked throughout (about 70C). Otherwise I'd test by sticking a fork or similar into the food for 5 sec and checking if the prongs are hot. Do this in a few places, stir well if the meal allows it.

Depending on the meal, an oven, steamer or saucepan could be used to heat it. For something wet like a curry I'd put it in a saucepan with the lid on. Add water / oil / whatever to avoid sticking and get steam going. Taking it out of the bag might be best (in case the bag sticks to the pan.)

For timing, for meals that can be cooked either in the microwave or oven it tends to be that around 3-5 mins in the MW is like 20-30 mins in the oven. The pan technique would maybe be in the middle.

Other than the food safety / is it hot enough issue, it's probably just a case of taste and presentation i.e. saucepan vs oven.

Thanks. It's got chicken in it, so I'll do it in a pan with more liquid for 15 minutes or so and check temperature. It's only a couple of minutes in MW. Thanks. I won't starve tonight then!