I get a newsletter, "The Daily Nosh" from the site EATING WELL (www.eatingwell.com), that is typically loaded with helpful and inspiring information. Today's edition was another good read.

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is the senior nutrition editor for EatingWell, wrote about some things that should NEVER go in the microwave. Her bottom-line advice? 'Unless you want a mess in the kitchen, be very careful what you heat up!'

She says this for three well-documented reasons:

•         some foods can spark, explode or heat unevenly in the microwave, creating safety hazards.

•         •processed meats and certain fresh items like carrots or grapes can pose health or fire risks when microwaved.

•         heating breast milk, formula or water in the microwave will cause dangerous hot spots that can lead to burns.

If you're curious as to what should NEVER go in the microwave (I sure was), read on for Jessica's list.

GRAPES. Microwaving them creates pockets of electromagnetism, which is pretty cool looking, but also a bit dangerous in your home kitchen'they will explode.

Are you wondering why anyone would ever microwave grapes in the first place? Me too. But it seems there are recipes that call for roasted or heated grapes. One recipe example is roasted grapes, roasted fennel, and burrata (a soft Italian cheese).

WHOLE RAW EGGS. These also explode when microwaved, and have been shown to even explode in the mouth when bitten into! For safety's sake, be sure to only heat up cooked eggs, like a quiche or frittata.

PROCESSED MEATS. When exposed to microwave radiation, processed meats form cholesterol oxidation products (COPs). COPs have been shown to be more damaging than typical cholesterol alone and more likely to lead to the development of atherosclerosis (plaque buildup that can lead to hardened arteries) and coronary artery disease (CAD)..

RAW CARROTS. 'Arcing' is a common result. Arcing is sparks produced inside the microwave from the microwave's reaction with metallic materials. While carrots obviously aren't packaged in any sort of metallic material, they do contain soil minerals that can cause this spark.

BREAST MILK or FORMULA. Yeh, we've done it for years, but turns out the fact that someone wasn't injured was a result of major luck. Again, it's all about how microwaving doesn't distribute heat evenly, which creates extreme hot spots in liquids, which is dangerous.

PLAIN WATER. Same situation as the breast milk and formula. While this isn't a firm rule, you do have to be very careful when microwaving water as 'superheating' occurs. Superheating is when the temperature of the water rises above the boiling point of water (212 degrees F) in what are called 'hot spots." Motion (like moving and removing the cup from the microwave) can cause an eruption of boiling hot water (usually onto the person handling the hot water).

SAUCES. Just as with water, hot spots can linger underneath the surface of microwaved sauces, which when "popped" can cause hot sauce to fly everywhere. It's just dangerous and messy!

You can see why it's worth taking the extra time to heat things up the right way. Don't we all want to avoid getting hurt and to dodge messy cleanups!

All this said about microwaving, how about a recipe for a pasta sauce that calls for NO COOKING whatsoever? Found on www.allrecipes.com, this gem is so darn good, it went viral incredibly fast!

Lemon Ricotta Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
2 lemons zested and juiced
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic granules, salt, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Serve over your favorite cooked pasta. This sauce does really well with steamed baby spinach as an add in, by the way.

Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.