My Favorite Products Pt 2
Continuing from Part 1, which covered cookware and bakeware, I am going to list my favorite kitchen products. In this post I will be covering Tools and Cutlery. Most of my links will be to Williams Sonoma, because that is where I buy my products, but you can find the same or similar items at Sur La Table, Macy's, and even Amazon.
Cook's Tools
You will need an assortment of wooden spoons, whisks, spatulas, ladles, tongs, etc... I won't go into super detail on these except to remind you that if you are using nonstick pans you must use wooden or silicone tipped tools. Here are links to good whisks, tongs, and spatulas for that purpose.
My Favorite Products Pt 1
A good friend recently suggested that I make a post about all my favorite kitchen products - what a great idea! Between being an avid home cook and working at Williams Sonoma, I think that I have built up a pretty good repertoire of knowledge on kitchen items. I am going to split this into several parts (because otherwise it will get way too long). So here it is, a list of my favorite products:
Cookware
The basic pans that you will need are a small and large frying pan, a large saute pan, a small and large saucepan, and a large stockpot. Stainless steel is the best all purpose option - it creates a good sear and will last forever.
Beef, Sweet Potato, Spinach, and Cheddar Turnovers
These turnovers are super easy to make and perfect for weeknights. Spinach and sweet potato add bulk to the filling and make up (a little bit) for the cheese and puff pastry.
Seriously the Best Brunch Ever
I found this dish on Pinterest - a social networking site that creates virtual pin boards. The picture looked so delicious that I immediately decided to go out and buy some avocados so that I could make it as soon as possible.
Start by spreading avocados that have been mashed with lemon juice onto slices of sourdough toast.
Then, scramble eggs that have been mixed with a chives and a little creme fraiche.
Top the toast with the scrambled egg mixture, a slice of smoked salmon, and some more chives for garnish. Toasty bread; creamy, buttery avocado; creamy, melt-in your mouth eggs; and buttery smoked salmon - how could it get any better than that? I will tell you right now - it can't.
Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Avocado on Toast
adapted from Supermodels Bon Appetit **EDIT** 3-24-12 I found the original recipe source **EDIT**
Serves 2-4
3 tbsp minced fresh chives
2 tbsp crème fraîche
6 large eggs
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large or 8 small slices sourdough, toasted
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
Whisk 2 tbsp chives (hold back 1 tbsp for garnish), crème fraîche, and eggs in a large bowl.
Melt the butter in a large heavy nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add the egg mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3-4 mins until barely set, occasionally scraping bottom of the pan to form large, soft curds.
Mash the avocado with a fork in a bowl and season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Spread the avocado over each slice of toast then spoon the eggs over this, and place the salmon on top. Garnish with the rest of the chives, and season to taste with pepper.
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
This is a great weeknight dinner option. It's creamy, filling, packed with veggies, and the best part is you can just throw everything in the slow cooker and forget about it. Using squares of puff pastry baked separately keeps it easy and worry free. Plus - you don't have to worry about the pastry getting soggy when reheated because you just bake it as needed.
Valentine’s Day 2012
I LOVE Valentine's Day, I really do. I didn't before I met Jasper, but now that I have someone to share it with I love to have a day to just appreciate and treat each other. We like to spend it at home so that we aren't distracted by other people/things, or feel like we have to act a certain way. So I spend all day cooking and setting up and we have a wonderful romantic dinner together.
Aisan Glazed Ribs
These ribs are one of Jasper's favorite meals - they are sweet and salty and totally messy!
Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Vegetables
I was looking for a hearty winter side to go with our beloved turkey mini meatloaves and I came up with this combination of root vegetables, roasted and stuffed into baked sweet potatoes and topped with creamy goat cheese and sharp Parmesan.
Roasted Salmon with Grapefruit
In trying to stick to my resolution to cook more salmon I was looking for something a little different and fun. To my surprise, I stumbled across two different recipes involving salmon and grapefruit. "Is that a thing?" I wondered, "A common pairing?" I had never thought of it before. I decided to take elements from both recipes to make one complete meal.
Semi-Homemade Dinners
I, like most people out there, do not make gourmet meals every day. In fact, a lot of the time I cook what's affordable, easy, and comforting. I have a collection of recipes that foodies may snub because they are old fashioned - like casseroles - or use pre-packaged ingredients. I am not ashamed of these things because, hey, sometimes it's hard to get food on the table. So here are some recipes that I can depend on to save me when I am low on time, money, and energy.
Beefy Noodle Bake
This is a great recipe for getting rid of leftover produce, frozen veg, and canned goods. You can easily adapt it to use whatever you have on hand. I discovered it in a Taste of Home casserole booklet.