If you are anything like me, you have kitchen cupboards and drawers full of gadgetsand whatnots, every sort of grater and knife and measuring device imaginable. Just how many of them do you use? I have a couple of favourite knives, always use the same set of measuring spoons and cups and the processor used to come out of hibernation a couple of times a year. I have however, found that since I now take more care about what I eat there are a few items that I use all the time and they are what I would call essentials for any healthy kitchen.
I don’t mean one of those funny pimply squeezy things or the wooden bulbous thing that I can’t remember the name of for lemons (reamer?) but the full blown electrical all-dancing juicer. If you like smoothies and juice blends, a juicer is an absolute must-have.
If you don’t eat steamed vegetables, try some. The difference in some items really is quite significant. It’s also great for fish. There’s no need to have an electrical steamer, a Chinese bamboo basket does the job. You might even find you prefer a microwave steamer.
Every kitchen needs at least one excellent non stick pan for oil free frying. Invest in one really good pan, look after it by never using metal utensils and scourers and it will last for years and years.
Just because you’re eating healthy doesn’t mean you can’t have cakes and muffins. If you use silicone cases rather than the traditional metal ones you can make sponges, cakes and tray bakes without the need for all that greasing and flouring. Silicone bakeware now comes in every shape you need and it’s always really brightly colored so it cheers you up even before you munch cake.
If you are calorie counting or adding up fat grams/units you can’t guess the weight of your food. You need to know how much you’re eating. Any pastry chef also knows baking is a precise art and you can’t really guess your ingredients.
Maybe you think you wouldn’t find that much use for one of these because you don’t eat that much gravy but because it is actually designed to remove fat from food and liquids I have used mine for soups and even stews and casseroles. Strain your stew to separate the sauce, put this in the separator, wait for the fat to come out then pour the sauce back to reform the stew. You’ve still got all the flavour but with reduced fat content.
I actually have 2 - the stick kind and the jug kind. Juices, smoothies, purées, batters, soups, even cocktails – the uses are endless.
Of course, the best gadget of all would be your own personal chef but as my budget just doesn’t allow for that, I’ll just have to keep on dreaming. Please do tell if there’s a gadget you simply couldn’t do without in the kitchen.
Top Photo Credit: ~ Maree ~