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FAQ PAGE How What Why Do Do I Need to Cover Custard or Cheesecake with Plastic Wrap When Baking in the Steam Oven? No there is no need to cover these foods when cooking them in the Steam oven. Crème Brulee Cooked in the Steam Oven OUR LATEST CONVECTION RECIPES Lemon Meringue Pie Scones with Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Chocolate Orange Roulade How to Roast Chicken Breast

FAQ PAGE How What Why Do Do I need a special recipe for a convection oven? No, you don't. However, you do need to understand the convection modes of your oven and make the correct selection according to the food you want to cook. For example, if you want to several pies at once, it is recommended that you select the Convection Bake mode; if you want to roast large cuts of meat, you should use the Convection Roast mode. Why? Because with each mode, the heating elements cycle with different intensity, and the convection fan circulates heated air. OUR LATEST CONVECTION RECIPES Lemon Meringue Pie Scones with Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Chocolate Orange Roulade How to Roast Chicken Breast

YOUR RECIPE FOR CONVECTION COOKING! Baking Casseroles Convection Meals Desserts Meats Poultry Seafood Vegetables Anchor 1 Easy Apricot and Pistachio Tart Asian Chicken Meatballs with Garlic and Ginger Asian Pork Meatballs with Garlic and Ginger Oven BBQ chicken Baked Deviled Fried Chicken Baked Ham With Brown Sugar Maple Syrup Glaze Baked Mahi Mahi with Roasted Vegetables Baked Peppers Stuffed with Farro, Chickpeas and Chard Baked Pork Chops with Garlic Herb Stuffing Baked Rosemary Chicken with Balsamic Glaze Berry Peach Cobbler with Shortcake Topping Crispy Braised Duck Legs with Polenta Casserole Short Ribs Braised with Red Wine Oven Baked Breakfast Potatoes with Breakfast Sausage Broiled Cod with Miso Soy Glaze Broiled Salmon with Honey Mustard Glaze Convection Broiled Steak & Broiled Corn Salsa Roasted Chicken with Herbed Butter and Soy Glaze Stuffed Butternut Squash Caramel Apple Pie Convection Baked Carrot Apple Muffins with Pecans and Coconut Cauliflower Mac n’ Cheese Convection Bake Italian Cheese Bread with Mozzarella Oven Chicken Shawarma Baked Chicken Breasts with Broccoli Quinoa Casserole Baked Eggplant Parmesan Casserole Convection (True Convection) or Convection Bake Mode CLICK HERE TO READ RELATED BLOG Eggplant Parmigiana is a little labor intensive to prepare but by using Convection to cook the eggplant slices at one time you eliminate the most labor intensive step which is frying the slices individually. The sauce is prepared while the eggplant is cooking then the casserole is assembled with the layers of sauce, eggplant and cheese….so easy, so delicious. Ingredient 2 - medium globe eggplant ½ - cup all purpose flour 4 - eggs, beaten with a little water till well mixed. 2 - cups Panko breadcrumbs mixed with ¼ cup vegetable oil. Tomato Sauce 1 - tablespoon olive oil 2 - cloves garlic, minced ½ - teaspoon mixed Italian seasoning 1 - 28oz can, tomatoes Cheese 1 ½ - lbs fresh Mozzarella, sliced 1 - cup grated Parmesan cheese Preparation Cut the eggplant into ½” thick slices, spread onto a rack in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle each side with salt. Let the eggplant sit for an hour or 2 then rinse and pat dry. Set up your dredging station with 3 bowls one for flour, one for egg and one for the breadcrumbs Dip the dried eggplant slices in the flour, then the egg and finally the oiled breadcrumbs and place onto a rimmed baking sheet. Heat the oven to Convection or Convection Bake 350 degrees and bake the trays of eggplant slices for 20 minutes until crisp and golden. Tomato Sauce Heat a medium sized saucepan over low heat, add the oil and when hot stir in the garlic and seasoning and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes and break them up with the back of a spoon. Cook over moderate heat for 20 - 30 minutes then set aside. Spread about ⅓ cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with ⅓ of the eggplant slices, then a layer of Mozzarella slices and about ⅓ cup of shredded Parmesan. Continue the layers ending with the last of the Parmesan cheese. Preheat the oven - Convection Bake 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Egg Plant Parmesan .pdf Download PDF • 107KB TRY OUR DELICIOUS & LATEST RECIPES! Lemon Meringue Pie Scones with Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Chocolate Orange Roulade How to Roast Chicken Breast UNLEASH YOUR INNER CHEF WITH MY BLOG! Achieving Perfect Apple Pie using Convection-Bake Mode in Your Oven Baking an apple pie from scratch takes some time and effort, but the result is so rewarding that the effort is worthwhile. Warm apple pie... Read More IT IS CONVECTION-BAKE WEEK! Savory Rustic Tart with Ham and Leeks RECIPE How To Bake Apple Pie in Convection RECIPE Baked Deviled Fried Chicken RECIPE Chocolate Almond Cake - The Queen of Sheba RECIPE Vegetarian Shepherds Pie with Meat Substitute RECIPE Easy Apricot and Pistachio Tart RECIPE Savory Rustic Tart with Ham and Leeks RECIPE How To Bake Apple Pie in Convection RECIPE Baked Deviled Fried Chicken RECIPE Chocolate Almond Cake - The Queen of Sheba RECIPE Vegetarian Shepherds Pie with Meat Substitute RECIPE Easy Apricot and Pistachio Tart RECIPE Savory Rustic Tart with Ham and Leeks RECIPE How To Bake Apple Pie in Convection RECIPE Baked Deviled Fried Chicken RECIPE Chocolate Almond Cake - The Queen of Sheba RECIPE Vegetarian Shepherds Pie with Meat Substitute RECIPE Easy Apricot and Pistachio Tart RECIPE Savory Rustic Tart with Ham and Leeks RECIPE How To Bake Apple Pie in Convection RECIPE Baked Deviled Fried Chicken RECIPE Chocolate Almond Cake - The Queen of Sheba RECIPE Vegetarian Shepherds Pie with Meat Substitute RECIPE Easy Apricot and Pistachio Tart RECIPE Savory Rustic Tart with Ham and Leeks RECIPE How To Bake Apple Pie in Convection RECIPE Baked Deviled Fried Chicken RECIPE Chocolate Almond Cake - The Queen of Sheba RECIPE Vegetarian Shepherds Pie with Meat Substitute RECIPE Easy Apricot and Pistachio Tart RECIPE "to unlock the magic of your Convection Kitchen" Plan your cooking with my videos!

Convection ovens are remarkable tools that deliver improved results with oven cooking. Food is cooked with the circulating heated air rather than direct heat from the heating elements, which is more drying heat. While there are many benefits to cooking with convection, no guidelines are noted in recipes, which, of course, makes it confusing for the user. Here at Convection Kitchen, you will find a resource in our Plan section to help you better understand the tools you are using to cook. It also provides guidelines to help you benefit from cooking with convection and steam ovens. The Oven Size and Shape Will Influence the Outcome I have been teaching people how to cook with their convection ovens for over twenty years and have cooked in a variety of ovens, both electric and gas, very large and very small. Each oven cooked differently, but by following the basic convection principles and paying attention to how each oven cooked, I was able to achieve success cooking in each one. Nowadays, many people have two ovens of different sizes in their kitchens: a standard-sized wall oven and a smaller cavity steam or convection microwave oven. While both ovens will cook really well, the timing and mode selection will vary because of each oven's different shape, size, and cooking modes. Understanding Convection Oven Modes Recipes state an oven temperature and suggest timing; however, if your oven has a choice of cooking modes, you must consider them before you turn the oven on. Oven manufacturers provide useful information in the User Guide; nonetheless, you will find important information and tips in our Plan section to help you better understand how to choose the oven mode best suited for the food you are cooking. In addition, you will find useful information about the types of pans that work best for baking and roasting, as well as suggestions about rack position. Once you have a better understanding of how your oven cooks or bakes in each mode, you will know how to benefit from the oven modes and be able to troubleshoot any cooking fails. Benefits of Convection Cooking Here are some ways you will benefit from cooking in a convection oven: Food cooked in convection has better moisture retention. Large roasts such as turkey cook much faster in convection; no turning or basting is necessary. Soaking meats in a wet brine is unnecessary as the meat will dry out less when roasted in convection. However, roasting on a rack in a shallow pan is essential for good results. Multiple racks of cookies or other baked items can be baked at one time without having to rotate or turn the pans. However, the recipe temperature should be reduced by 25 F when baking in convection. A complete meal can be cooked at once with no transfer of flavor, simplifying meal preparation. Understanding Steam Oven Cooking Steam ovens became an option for the residential kitchen over twenty years ago and have become fairly mainstream in the last ten years. There is a familiarization process when learning to cook in a steam oven, and we understand how crucial knowledgeable guidance is. While you don't need unique recipes, it does help to think a little about the science of how the food is being cooked so you can fine-tune your results. The ability to steam multiple foods at once instead of cooking in various saucepans is a definite advantage when cooking in the Steam mode. Foods roasted in the combination Convection Steam mode have remarkable flavor, texture, and nutrient retention. Some steam ovens feature techniques that have been used by chefs for many years, but they have become mainstream and opened up new ways of cooking familiar foods. Low-temperature cooking with a reverse sear and sous vide cooking are two techniques that have given us a greater appreciation of the benefits of cooking with lower temperatures. Convection and steam ovens were developed for professional food service to better cope with volume cooking and provide restaurants with tools to achieve reliable results. Residential versions of these ovens were developed because chefs noticed the improved results when food was cooked in them. I can honestly say understanding how to use these ovens will make you a better cook. It just takes paying attention to your appliances and doing some planning rather than blindly following a recipe. Please take advantage of Convection Kitchen's educational resources to learn how to get the best out of your convection and steam ovens. Larissa, Your Convection Enthusiast

Convection and Steam ovens are remarkable tools because they offer many options that simplify meal preparation. All it takes to benefit from those tools is some planning. One of the more remarkable aspects of convection is the ability to cook multiple foods at once with no transfer of flavor. That means that any time your oven is on unless you are cooking a specialty item that requires precise temperatures, you should be able to cook several different foods simultaneously. Since it’s the season for warming winter soups, let's look at how using your Convection or Steam oven can simplify the process and help you create flavorful soups. Roasting Vegetables in Convection the Key to Delicious Soup There are several reasons why roasting vegetables for soup makes sense. When vegetables are roasted, their natural sugars caramelize to develop better flavor. Vegetables roasted in Convection retain more moisture, which translates to better flavor. Most of us don’t have a large soup pot to accommodate a large quantity of vegetables, so roasting vegetables for soup makes more sense. Best of all, it’s easy to roast a tray of vegetables for soup while cooking other foods. Making the soup base on the cooktop is relatively easy. Slowly cook the foundation ingredients, such as onions, leeks, garlic, carrots, and celery. Add the stock and simmer for approximately 20 minutes before adding the roasted vegetables. Soups containing pumpkin, butternut squash, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, corn, and zucchini can be pureed. Still, various roasted cubed vegetables can be added to broth soups or soups featuring beans or lentils. Best Convection Oven Mode for Crisp Roasted Vegetables The Convection Roast or Convection Bake mode will work for oven-roasting vegetables. If you roast the vegetables on rack position 1 or 2, counting up from the bottom of the oven, they will be close to the bottom heating element and should caramelize well. If you need more crisping, move the tray closer to the top heating element for the final 10 minutes of cooking. The ideal cooking temperature and timing will, of course, depend on your oven. For example, 375F in my 24” oven is very powerful, but larger 30” ovens may provide better results at 400F. I also notice that a high temperature can cause burning on the edges when I roast vegetables in my gas oven. Understanding the rack position and temperature that will work best in your oven is critical to successful cooking. Don’t follow a recipe blindly; observe how your oven cooks to achieve the best results. Some vegetables such as fresh corn, peppers or tomatoes, add a lot of flavor to soup if they are cooked in the Convection Broil mode to gain a nice char. Coarsely chopped and added into the soup these vegetables will add wonderful bursts of flavor. Another vital aspect of roasting vegetables is using the right amount of oil. If the vegetables are tossed in too much oil they become limp, not enough and they will be dry. Start with a light coating of oil and adjust as needed. Steaming Vegetables for Soup Roasted vegetables give soup a lot of flavor, but certain soups are delicious made with steamed vegetables. When you are in the mood for a soup with fresh, bright flavors, steamed peas, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, and potatoes are a good choice for a lighter soup. While roasting or steaming vegetables can enhance soup, the key to good soup is. Yes, it takes planning, but it is easy and good stock. Roasting bones for stock or simmering a chicken carcass are easy to do, yes it takes planning, but it is easy and your soup will be so much more delicious made with homemade stock. So next time you bake a casserole, bake some potatoes or roast a chicken, consider starting a soup base on the cooktop and roasting some vegetables for another easy, delicious convection meal. Thanksgiving is such an important feast, but it can cause tremendous stress when orchestrating the cooking of so much food. In my next post, I will address the best type of pan to roast your turkey or turkey breast this Thanksgiving and remind you of the many helpful videos and recipes I have created to help you understand how Convection can ease the stress of cooking. Larissa, Your Convection Enthusiast

Mac and cheese on its own is a favorite with adults and children alike, especially when made with a combination of delicious cheeses. Even though the original is good as is, this is also a casserole that can be combined with other foods to create a memorable meal. When you are in the mood for something truly decadent, adding lobster to mac and cheese is a good option but when you are in the mood to keep it simple and nourishing, adding in some vegetables is equally delicious. Vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli are also delicious when baked in a cheese sauce and are perfect to bump up the flavor and nutrient value of mac and cheese. Even though mac n cheese is a simple dish the preparation does involve several steps and saucepans which can be off putting. In this post I will give you some tips for simplifying the preparation as well as tips for baking the casserole in Convection. Mac and Cheese Preparation Made Easy Preparing Mac and Cheese involves several steps, cooking the pasta in boiling water, preparing the bechamel sauce and if you are adding in another ingredient, cooking that ingredient as well. Since this means several saucepans or oven trays, it’s always a good idea to know the options that will work best for your time frame and minimize the amount of clean up. There is no escaping cooking the pasta in boiling water, macaroni cooks quickly and achieves the perfect texture when cooked in rapidly boiling salted water, so that part is easy. When adding vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower there are several options for cooking them. The florets can be steamed in a steam oven or in a steamer basket over boiling water. They can also be roasted at high heat (375 - 400°F) in the oven. Cauliflower is especially delicious when slightly caramelized around the edges so broiling the cauliflower in the oven is another option. Then of course there is the microwave option. Vegetables steam very quickly in the microwave or if you have a Speed oven you could roast or broil the vegetables with some added microwave power to speed up the process. So lot’s of options, to simplify getting those vegetables ready. The bechamel sauce is traditionally made on the cooktop by slowly cooking the butter and flour together then adding the milk and heating gently until thickened. A simpler option is to make the bechamel sauce in the microwave; however, you will need a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl with at least a 4-cup capacity. A large container is necessary so that you can stir the cheese in once the sauce has thickened. To prepare the sauce in the microwave, combine the butter and flour in the container and cook on hi for approximately 1 minute. Add the milk, whisk the ingredients to combine, cover the container and cook for approx 2 minutes until the mixture has thickened. If you were to use the microwave to prepare the vegetables and the bechamel sauce you could conceivably prepare all the components to assemble a cauliflower mac n cheese in approximately 10 minutes. Then of course the casserole needs to go into the oven to bake through. In addition to speeding up the preparation, microwave bowls are all dishwasher safe for easy clean up so using the microwave for some of the prep is definitely worth considering. The Best Oven Mode for Baking Mac n Cheese Once your Mac and Cheese casserole is assembled then it needs to go into the oven to heat through and develop a slightly browned crust. The Convection Bake mode is ideal for baking casseroles because in this mode heat is directed from the bottom and top heating elements and the convection fan circulates the heated air around the baking dish ensuring even heating. Placing the casserole in the middle of the oven will give the best results for even heating. If the casserole is being baked directly after it has been prepared it will only need to be in the oven for approximately 25 minutes and will not need to be covered. However, if you are baking the casserole cold from the refrigerator, allow approximately 45 minutes and keep the casserole covered for the first 20 minutes; then remove the foil for the remainder of the baking time. The many ways in which a Mac and Cheese casserole can be enhanced is a good example of how a traditional recipe has evolved to reflect current food trends. So when it comes to preparing your Mac and Cheese, make sure you also take good advantage of your modern appliances to simplify the preparation of this simple, delicious culinary standard. Simple foods have great appeal and our convection ovens are great tools for achieving great texture and flavor when preparing many popular foods. If you want to learn how to prepare a sirloin strip steak in convection with tender juicy results then please check back for my next post Larissa, Your Convection Enthusiast