Whether you are a novice or you fancy yourself an experienced gourmet, all chefs alike can agree that any tool to shave time off cooking preparation is worth a closer look. With so many tools and gadgets on the market claiming to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, it can be a challenge to determine what is useful and what will delay dinner further. This is especially the case when it comes to making healthy meals since all those delicious fresh ingredients tend to take a little more preparation. While you wait for that new lo-cal recipe to download, check out some kitchen tools to have you making healthy meals in no time flat.
Chop it Up
The one thing salads, sandwiches and casseroles all have in common can be the tearful preparation of chopping onions of any variety. Countless old wives’ tales and cooking lore exist surrounding how best to avoid tearing up while cutting these tasty gems, but the one thing that is agreed upon by all chefs is that the best way to avoid crying over dinner is to use a sharp knife and finish the task as quickly and efficiently as possible. Even better than an extra sharp knife that could end up slicing your fingertip is a chop wizard. This indispensible cooking aid allows you to cut the onion in half, put inside and press down on the lid. With no mess, no injuries and no tears, your onion or other tasty veggie is sliced and diced to perfection so you can get on with the rest of the meal. The best part of this tool is that it can do so much more than just onions, making it a snap to add more colorful veggies to your meal and less fatty filler food.
Perfect Pour
Who does not like delicious muffins in the morning of for a fun midday snack? Whether you go with a fiber-rich apple cinnamon muffin or an antioxidant-rich blueberry muffin, this bread is sure to please. What fails to please is cleaning up the mess left on the outside of all those little paper cups from what fell off the spoon. Kiss that problem goodbye forever with the use of a handy funnel pitcher. The nozzle is long enough to reach even the center of a full pan of mini muffins without grazing the outer muffins while being small enough to never overfill those precious little muffin cups.
Delicious Desserts
Too often the sweet treats that mark the end of the meal can demand as much time to prepare as the meal itself. Just because you may be making the dessert ahead of when you will serve it to save time does not mean it has needs to be a chore. Even low sugar, store bought ice cream can wear on the nerves of any host with the amount of time it requires to soften or the extra elbow power it takes when it has not. Rather than fight with that traditional ice cream scooper, why not use an ice cream scoop that is guaranteed to cut through even the hardest of ice creams with ease. Besides, you guest may even take extra delight in the fun cylindrical shape that is more easily stacked than the usual drippy half circles.
What is the best way to make that stack of ice cream or fat free sherbet even more special? Add a perfect slice of pineapple either to garnish the top or as a base for the dessert. Of course, getting through that prickly shell of that healthy fruit can be a bit of a challenge without a pineapple cutter made to core and slice this fruit with ease. For that last delicious finishing touch, use your cherry pitter to
Holiday Helper
The holidays with all their eating traditions can be the worst time of year for anyone looking to eat right. The most time time-consuming part of any holiday meal is without out a doubt cooking a tender bird. Rather than loading up on added fats and calorie-filled liquid, using the all those natural juices is the way to go. To avoid a juicy mess while basting, add a standing baster to your pre-holiday shopping list. This culinary helper will allow you to soak up and baste all the liquid your bird desires without drips or spills. It also come with a brush if you prefer to brush herbs and spices while you bake. Your bird will be so tasty and juicy that your guests will be speechless – and they will never know you did it all without adding unnatural or unhealthy ingredients.
Cheryl Lewisson is a freelance writer who writes about cooking and other home products, often discussing particular types of items such as kitchen supplies .
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