Stew is not a quick dish-even in the microwave. But hearty, homemade beef stew can be out of the microwave in an hour, still half the time it takes to make it on the stove top.

The reason you need the full hour in the microwave is that the beef needs to be cooked that long on medium (50 percent) power to become tender. If you try to hurry the process by cooking the beef on high, or by cutting the medium power cooking time in half, the meat probably will be tough.

For best results, start by cutting a piece of beef chuck into uniform pieces. Chuck has enough fat to make it tender. ''Stew beef'' that you purchase cubed and ready-to-go may be round steak, a leaner cut which probably won`t be as tender.

When cooking the stew, make sure that the beef remains submerged in the liquid. Otherwise, it will dry out and get tough.

The vegetables chosen for the following recipe-potatoes, rutabagas and celery-are dense enough that they can be cooked the entire time along with the beef without becoming mushy. If you want to add less dense vegetables such as peas, stir them in the last 10 minutes.

You only need 1/2 cup red wine for the following stew, so be sure to use a good quality wine, preferably a little of the wine you`ll enjoy the same evening with the dinner.

BEEF STEW WITH RED WINE

Four servings

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Microwave cooking time: 55 to 65 minutes

1/2 pound boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup chopped onions

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 cup peeled, cubed rutabaga

1 cup diced celery

1 1/2 cups peeled, cubed potato, about 1 medium

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1/2 cup good quality red wine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Fresh parsley, minced, for garnish

1. Mix beef and flour in 3-quart microwave-proof casserole. Stir in remaining ingredients except parsley.

2. Cover. Microwave on high (100 percent) power 5 minutes. Stir.

3. Cover. Microwave on medium (50 percent) power until meat is tender and vegetables are soft but not mushy, 50 to 60 minutes.

4. Let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Garnished with fresh parsley and serve.

NOTES:

Buyers looking for a new microwave will want to catch the January edition of Consumer Reports. The magazine rated full-size, feature-laden machines.

The top choice is the General Electric JE1465G ($329), with honors to the Litton 2494 ($328), Whirlpool MW8900XS ($335) and KitchenAid KCM135 ($385). The GE Spacemaker II JEM31G ($220), successor to a model top-rated in a Consumer Reports 1985 review of intermediate-sized machines, gets a ''fine choice'' note; and the previously reviewed Samsung MW453OU ($190) gets a bid in the compact size.

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Pillsbury has more winners with its second round of microwave cake mixes. Like its first microwave version that appeared in 1986, starter boxes include a reusable pan. The new flavors, cinnamon-flavored Streusel Swirl in a Bundt pan, and either Chocolate or Lemon Supreme cake with glaze in a regular round pan, are $2.19 for the starter boxes; $1.59 for refills.

The dense cakes won`t pass for homemade, but if you`re satisfied with cake mix quality results, it is hard to resist a cake that takes a mere 4 1/2 minutes to cook.

The directions are clear, and the cake will work if you follow the instructions exactly.

I dipped into the chocolate cake one hungry morning before the 10-minute standing time elapsed and not only burned my tongue but found a very sticky interior. The cake definitely needs the cooling time to finish cooking.

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One of the best new convenience products I`ve spotted for microwave ovens is a frozen milkshake, Micro Shake from United Dairy Farmers, Cincinnati. The shake is made from fresh milk, cream, plus stablizers and, for my taste, a bit too much sugar. It takes one minute in the microwave oven to partially thaw.

The story behind the new treat is that Brad Lindner, vice president of the family-owned business, saw a friend soften a half gallon of hard-frozen ice cream in a microwave, a trick he didn`t know. He bought a microwave oven, and started experimenting with hand-dipped ice cream malts served in the company`s 200 UDF stores in the Cincinnati area. The first product was a frozen malt for the microwave, available only in the Cincinnati and Cleveland area. Now the shakes, available in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, are available in major supermarkets in the Midwest for $2.99 a three-pack.

COOKING TIPS FOR STEW MEAT

Whether you follow this recipe, or experiment on your own, you`ll have better results with cooking stew meat in the microwave oven if you keep these tips in mind:

- Start with beef chuck.

- Cut uniform pieces.

- Keep beef submerged.

- Cook on medium power.