Important Cooking Tools You Can't Go Without

Far too often people overlook the importance of using the proper tools when cooking fine meals. While there is nothing in the world that can quite compare to cooking with the finest and freshest of ingredients, these things can only be enhanced by making use of the perfect tools for the job at hand.

Image via WikipediaWhen it comes to pots and pans and skillets you should keep in mind that conductivity is of extreme importance. You should also select pots and pans that are made of a heavier gauge. This allows your pans to heat evenly avoiding hot spots, which can lead to food that may 'stick' to your pan or scorch during the cooking process. This means that simply stopping in at your local mass market retailer and purchasing any old set of pots and pans is probably not the best course of action for the best possible quality in your kitchen. I went ahead and purchased a great-quality set of pots & pans a few years ago - they are worlds above the cheap stuff I had before, and I am pretty sure they will last forever - they are not only beautiful, but incredibly sturdy and durable.

Kitchen knives are also important ingredients in the kitchens of today. If you plan to prepare many meals in your kitchen, then the quality of your knives is of the utmost importance. Your knives are an investment you shouldn't have to make too often in your lifetime. For this reason, select a really good set and be prepared to make a sizeable investment in your knives. You will never understand, unless you've tried to prepare foods with knives of inferior quality versus the good ones, just how important it is to purchase good quality and well-balanced knives for your kitchen. You should also try the handles in your hand if you can to see how comfortable they feel before purchasing a set of knives. If you do a lot of chopping and cutting during your meal preparation and cooking you will want to make sure that the knives you are using feel comfortable in your hands. And don't think you have to go out and purchase a 20-piece set. I have so many knives I never even use - you really only need 5-6 different knives at the most to cover all the different functions you are going to use them for (other than a steak-knife dinner set, if that is something you need). 

If you are like me and plan on cooking a great deal of meat then you should also invest in a jacquard. This useful tool helps not only when it comes to tenderizing rather rough and tumble cuts of meat but also pierces the surface so that rubs and marinades can penetrate for a more flavorful experience. This is by far one of my favorite kitchen gadgets and it isn't a sizeable investment for the added value it provides to meals.

A good quality grater is another tool that no kitchen should be complete without. There are many who feel that with all the pre-shredded cheese products on the market today this tool is obsolete but nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, pre-grated and pre-packaged cheese simply doesn't touch the quality of flavor that freshly grated cheese provides. Second, cheese isn't the only thing that these graters are useful for grating. Graters are excellent tools for grating citrus fruits, spices, garlic, chocolate, and even onions. If you do a good deal of baking in addition to your cooking you should not overlook the value of having a quality grater in your kitchen.

Image via WikipediaOf course there are many more cooking tools than I could possibly mention here. Those mentioned above simply happen to be among my personal favorites. There are all kinds of appliances that in my humble opinion no kitchen is truly complete without. In addition to these great appliances there are many tools that are simple matters of preference. Do you peel enough potatoes to warrant a special device for doing so or do you simply opt to purchase an ergonomically designed potato peeler and peel them by hand?

There are no one size fits all answers when it comes to kitchen tools and many of us are often limited by serious budget constraints and restrictions. My best advice if this is the situation for you is to purchase the best possible quality you can afford and build from there. Even if it means replacing one pot or knife at a time until you can manage a complete set of superior quality cooking tools you will find it well worth the price you've paid in the long run.

For some examples of great cooking tools no kitchen should be without, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html - it's a great place to find quality gifts for the special cook in your life (even if that's you)!

A Few Top-Quality Cooking Tools:
   

Recipe - Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Got leftover turkey??  Check out this delicious hearty recipe great for a cold winter evening! It's a tasty way to use up some of your Thanksgiving leftovers, or you could also make it anytime using leftover cooked chicken.

Image by Back to the Cutting Board via FlickrHearty Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 cup wild rice, cooked according to package
2 tsp olive oil
3 celery stalks, chopped small
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
1 onion, diced small
1 tsp dried sage
6 cups turkey or chicken stock
2 cups finely chopped cabbage
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, cut small
1/4 chopped parsley
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

• In a large soup pot over medium heat, put olive oil, celery, carrots, onions, and sage, cooking until vegetables are starting to soften, about 4 or 5 minutes.
• Pour in the stock, add the cabbage, stir and turn heat down to low, cover pot loosely, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.
• Add the turkey, cooked wild rice, and parsley, and simmer very slowly (without bubbles), uncovered, for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar, taste and adjust seasonings, adding more balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper as desired.

Recipe - Cranberry Ricotta Pie

Here is a tasty way to use up those leftover cranberries you didn't get to use yesterday. It's satisfying, tasty, and not too sweet - a welcome change from all the holiday candy and sugary cakes and pies.

Cranberry Ricotta Pie

Image by Shaw Girl via FlickrIngredients:
1 cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 1/4 cup ricotta
4 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
dash ground nutmeg
dash ground cloves

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add the cranberries and, using a potato masher, mash them up a little bit to break them up.
3. Add to the bowl the remaining ingredients, stirring to mix; do not over-mix.
4. Grease, butter, or coat with cooking spray a large pie tin or other shallow baking dish about the same size.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 1-1/4 hour to 1-1/2 hour or until pie forms a crust-like top, browns slightly, and sets up.
6. Remove and let cool at room temperature.
7. Serve at room temperature with a dollop of whipped topping.

Recipe - Wild Rice Sausage Casserole

If you're looking for a unique low-carb addition to your Thanksgiving dinner, here is a great recipe that will have everyone asking for seconds! This will go great with your Thanksgiving turkey, and makes a unique addition to your plate, with the special flavor of wild rice combined with the richness of the sausage and woodsy mushrooms.

This dish can be made ahead the day (or a couple of days) before, and reheated for your Thanksgiving meal to make things easier.

Wild Rice & Sausage CasseroleImage by mpesce via Flickr

Ingredients:

2/3 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained
3 1/2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable), divided
2 Tbsp olive oil or butter, divided
12 oz. ground sausage (your favorite kind - we like fresh ground all-natural sweet Italian)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
12 oz. mushrooms
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine
salt and black pepper to taste
toasted almond slivers for garnish (optional)

Directions: 

1. Combine wild rice and 3 cups of stock in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, cover and let rice cook until tender, from 50 to 65 minutes, depending on the rice and your stove.  Check to make sure it's not cooking too hard after a few minutes. (Or follow the instructions on your package of wild rice.)
2. Drain the rice through a colander to make sure it's dry, then put in a large bowl.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. In skillet over medium heat, put the sausage and cook until just browned slightly; then dump into bowl with cooked rice.
5. In same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil or butter over low heat, and add the onions, cooking until they start to turn golden brown in color.  This will take a while, as the onions are carmelizing, possibly 10 minutes or more.
6. When the onions are golden and soft, add the thyme, stir and cook for 1 minute more, then add this mixture to the bowl with the sausage and rice.
7. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter, add chopped mushrooms and cook until they soften and get golden brown and the moisture from the mushrooms disappears.
8. Dump the mushrooms into the bowl with the sausage and rice mixture.
9. Then in the bowl, add the parsley, remaining 1/2 cup stock, and season with salt and pepper to taste, mix gently, then turn into a baking dish.
10. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
11. Add toasted almond slivers when served if desired.

Holiday Cooking Tips for Better Outcomes

The holidays are an extremely hectic and chaotic time for many of us. We run from one place to another with more "to do" lists than we think we will ever manage to complete. One thing is certain and that is that throughout all the running around and festivities that are going on it is quite likely that you are going to either drive yourself crazy being obsessively over-organized, or you are going to forget one dinner, event, or gift during the season that is going to prove to be important enough for a mad dash out into the cold. Depressing though the thought may be, the following tips can help you avoid potential breakdown as a result of the constant insanity of the holidays.

Image via WikipediaFirst of all, you absolutely must adopt the KISS policy: Keep it simple silly. The meals you plan for your contributions to holiday cooking in your own home and for various events and pot lucks that take place this time of year should be simple to prepare, take little time, and cost as little money as possible.

Here are 3 simple tips to help you accomplish this:

1. Do things in bulk. Rather than trying to squeeze in a few minutes here and there, mark out large chunks of your calendar and dedicate those times to tasks such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, and wrapping and stick to that one thing during its allotted time slot rather than trying to cook, wrap, clean, and shop at the same time. This saves confusion and lessens the opportunity of something getting boiled, burned, splattered, ruined, or forgotten.

2. Plan ahead and shop ahead. This saves valuable time and money because you aren't impulse buying at the last minute. Whether you are shopping for food items for meal preparation and cooking, or the perfect gifts for friends or family, putting things off often tends to result in spending more money than intended and getting less value for that money.

Make sure you have enough room inside your fridge for the foods you need for preparation and storing the foods that need to be chilled once they've been prepared. Space is a must and if you do not have enough space in your refrigerator you need to be making other plans for food that needs to be kept cold in the interim.

Plan a quick and easy back up in case something goes wrong with one of the more complicated dishes or casseroles. A last minute substitution that is quick and easy is a much better option than not having enough to go around. You never know what's going to go wrong when dealing with holiday cooking, and it is best to be prepared when something does.

Make sure the turkey or ham is properly thawed and that you've allotted the necessary time for cooking. In fact an extra hour is often the best way to go as you never know what kind of differences there will ultimately be in cooking time for your main course.

3. Clean as you go. This little tip will save so much time, trouble, and pulled hair that you will never really know how wonderfully valuable this nugget of advice really is. Dishes are simpler to clean when still warm and before food has time to dry and set in, and you will feel so much peace when you finish your meal and realize you only have a few dishes to clean up afterwards (and that's what the kids are for)!

These tips do not guarantee a perfect holiday cooking experience but they are an excellent way to guarantee less stress in the mix.

Recipe - Heat & Eat Pancakes

Here is an easy from-scratch pancake recipe which you can use for the "Pigs in a Blanket" breakfast idea in the previous post (or just eat them as is!). The recipe describes how to freeze them for later use - a quick breakfast when you are on the run, but want something home-made and not junky fast-food.

Heat & Eat Pancakes

Image via WikipediaWhat You Need:
2 1/2 C milk (preferably whole, non-homogenized)
2 free-range eggs
1/3 C extra-virgin coconut oil, melted (or other healthy cooking oil - see our previous post on healthy cooking oils here)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C honey or maple syrup
1/2 C whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
Couple of dashes of cinnamon (optional)
Enough all-purpose flour to thicken batter to your liking
Wax paper cut in pancake-sized squares
Freezer bags

Cooking Instructions:

• Place the milk, eggs, oil and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until just blended together.
• Add the salt and honey or syrup. Beat until smooth.
• Add the wheat flour and baking powder. Beat until smooth.
• Add just enough all-purpose flour to thicken batter to your liking.
• Heat a griddle over medium high heat. Griddle is hot enough when a drop of water dances on the griddle.
• Pour about 1/2 C batter onto hot griddle.
• Cook until pancake begins to bubble and edges begin to dry.
• Flip and cook about 2 minutes or until both sides are lightly brown.
• Continue cooking until all the batter is used.

Freezing Instructions: 

• Cool pancakes completely.
• Place a piece of wax paper on a flat surface.
• Place a pancake onto the wax paper.
• Place another piece of wax paper on top of the pancake.
• Then another pancake and continue until all the pancakes are used alternating with wax paper and pancakes.
• Place into a freezer bag and freeze up to 6 months.
• To reheat, just drop into the toaster. Toast 2 cycles if necessary.

5 Time & Money Saving Breakfast Ideas

It is the first meal we eat when we get up in the morning. After a long night of sleep, we can’t do without it if we want to get our bodies going. No, I’m not talking about coffee. I’m referring to breakfast. Here are some ideas for a quick and healthy breakfast that don’t require a drive-thru window.
Image via Wikipedia

1. Have a piece of casserole. It takes time to cook eggs and bacon for breakfast. No one wants to ruin their clothes with the mess it can create. On Sunday night, get breakfast done early. Put together a casserole using your favorite ingredients. Fewer eggs are needed in a casserole than when frying or scrambling them for breakfast each morning. Depending on the size of your family, the casserole may last two to three mornings.

2. Yogurt. Yogurt is a healthy and economical breakfast choice. When you are eating on the run, grab a container of yogurt and some dried or fresh fruit. Cutting up fruit on top of the yogurt adds carbohydrates to fuel you for the morning in addition to the calcium and protein in the yogurt itself.

3. Breakfast shake. This is even quicker and can be ingested while driving without taking your eyes off the road or both hands off the wheel. Put together some frozen fruit favorites, ice cubes, yogurt, and unsweetened juice in a blender. Pour into travel cups to keep it cold (the kind with lids and straws makes it easy to avoid spills in the car). Everyone can grab a cup on the way out the door. The nutritional effect is about the same as yogurt (or better if you add lots of yogurt), but without the spoon.

Image by Dead Air via Flickr

4. Pigs in a blanket. This is the homemade version - much healthier without all the preservatives and trans fats of the store-bought kind. Whip up a batch of pancakes and freeze them in short stacks of three. A package or two of frozen link sausage is needed to create this quick and economical meal idea (local and hormone-free if at all possible). Thaw out a stack of pancakes. Heat up three sausages in the microwave. Wrap a pancake around each sausage. Voila! You’ve got an instant pig in a blanket. Eat it as you watch the last of your favorite morning show or as you walk to the bus stop. It can be eaten in the car without too much fuss or mess. For a sweeter taste and less mess, add a little maple syrup or honey to the batter when making the pancakes.

5. Breakfast sandwiches. In the evening, while you are getting things ready for the next day, grill up a few breakfast sandwiches. Choose whatever you like: natural turkey slices, sulfate-free ham slices, cheese, tomato, bacon, etc. When the sandwich cools, cut it into bite size pieces and put it in a container. In the morning, just grab a container; pop it into the microwave for fifteen or twenty seconds and breakfast is served.

These breakfast ideas are time saving and money-saving too. They make use of items you might buy normally and also whatever you have around the house to create delicious fare for a morning rush. No more excuses for skipping breakfast or swinging into the fast food restaurant every morning!