Instructions: Contrary to popular belief, a microwave can be used to prepare healthy whole grains and beans, not just warm up leftovers, heat water for tea and bake potatoes.

A microwave cooks rice better, although not necessarily faster, than ordinary methods. Because it cooks rice on the inside at the same time the water or broth cooks it on the outside, each grain remains separate and distinct. No swollen, watery surfaces that become gummy, just firm but tender grains.

With brown rice, the bran becomes soft without becoming gooey, and grains of white rice never stick together from the starch on their surface. Cooking in the microwave can even enhance the popcorn-like aroma of fragrant rice like basmati and Texmati. Whole grains cook magnificently in the microwave. Mix them with flavorings and broth, cover, and pop into the oven. In less than half an hour, uncover and serve - its that simple. Couscous can be prepared in one-fifth the time it takes to steam it, and even millet will cook in a microwave.

For preparing dried beans, no other cooking method or technique can touch the microwave. Beans retain their individual identities, tastes and textures perfectly as they cook to tenderness. And with a microwave, beans can be prepared with one simple step from dry to perfectly cooked. Just combine the beans with water in a very large bowl, seal with plastic wrap and microwave until done. They come out just right ? no soft mushy textures, no water-saturated surfaces. Just perfect, tender beans.

You can even cook pasta in a microwave. But certain types of pasta - small individual shapes like bow ties and penne - cook better than other types of pasta, which can come out gummy and unpalatable in the microwave. Experimenting will help you find the best methods of preparing pasta using a microwave oven. Here are several recipes for the preparation of rice, grains, beans and pasta in the microwave. Enjoy!

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