Kitchen tools

7 easy ways to make your kitchen healthier

Nifer — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:45:45 +0000

Forget spring-cleaning: fall is the perfect time to spruce up your kitchen. Now that you’ve recovered from the laziness of summer (maybe I’m projecting a bit here) but before the craziness of the holiday season, there’s a perfect window for tossing those mystery items in the back of your fridge, replacing that gray-looking sponge sitting by your sink and cleaning those drips from the ceiling of your microwave. And while you’re scrubbing your cooking area to make it look nicer, you may as well do a few things to make it healthier too.

Food processor vs. blender: Which is the better kitchen tool?

Penelope Wall — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:19:40 +0000

I function in an incredibly small kitchen. My constant challenge is finding room for what I really need and getting rid of what I don’t. The other day, I pulled out my blender and my food processor and thought that, maybe, I could lose one.

Don’t Miss: 8 Essential Tools to Have in Your Kitchen

Make lasagna without turning on your oven

Nifer — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:23:16 +0000

During the hot summer weather (and let’s face it—even the end of August can be pretty hot), who wants to make dinner in a hot oven? Still, sometimes I get a hankering for lasagna, no matter what the weather. I just want it to magically appear for dinner, without all the boiling and baking usually required.

Related: 5 Secrets to Healthier Lasagna

How to cook without a recipe

Nifer — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:01:43 +0000

Following a recipe is easy for most people, but not always practical. Oftentimes what we have in our fridge is a hodgepodge of ingredients that a single recipe can’t cover. So we wing it. When I develop recipes in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, I rely on a few basic principles to get me through the first test and ensure that (hopefully) what I make is tasty. Below are some tips to keep in mind when you’re cooking without a recipe:

7 unexpected uses for your microwave

Nifer — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:50:41 +0000

Chances are you have a microwave sitting somewhere in your kitchen. They’ve gotten smaller over the years, but even the most svelte version takes up precious real estate. It’s time to put that baby to work.

Here are 7 unexpected uses for your microwave:

How your slow cooker can help you with your resolutions

Nifer — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:03:46 +0000

Resolved: I will lose weight, save money and be healthier in 2012. Sound familiar? If you made even just one of these resolutions this year, I have a tip for how to get started…use your slow cooker. Sound wacky? Find out how this one handy piece of kitchen equipment can help you meet your new year’s resolutions (and if your resolution is to revive 1970s cooking methods, even better!).

6 pots every cook needs

Nifer — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:22:09 +0000

Most weekends in the kitchen of my first apartment in San Francisco I would pull out my Dutch oven (one of the few pots I owned) and make a big steaming cauldron of soup. Everything went into the one pot. When I was done, all I had to clean was my cutting board and that pot. It was so simple, but the soups were satisfying, healthy and delicious.

4 secrets to speedy weeknight stir-fries

Matt Malenczak — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:07:20 +0000

On the days my wife and I get home late from work, the temptation not to cook can be almost overwhelming. Why dirty up pots and pans, stand in front of a hot stove and fuss with spice combinations when a hot, tasty meal can be delivered to our door within the hour? But then we remember the beauty of stir-fries.

Recipes to Try: Healthy 30-Minute Stir-Fry Recipes

4 bad cooking habits you should break

Matt Malenczak — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:23:54 +0000

9 must-have products to go green in the kitchen

Matt Malenczak — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:26:15 +0000

5 ways to make more than just soup in your slow cooker

Matt Malenczak — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:36:54 +0000

If I had to choose the one kitchen appliance I couldn’t live without, it would definitely be my slow cooker. I turn to it on the busiest days to prepare a healthy meal when I don’t have the time to—I can fill it in the morning with some staples like beans, broth, whole grains and whatever vegetables I have on hand, and arrive home to a hearty meal that’s ready to eat.

Our favorite tools to survive Thanksgiving

Matt Malenczak — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:04:52 +0000

Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday. I love it so much that we not only spend the big day with our family, we also host a Thanksgiving party for our friends the weekend before the real deal so we can have that yummy meal two times each year.

5 best kitchen gadgets to give dad

Todd Dunn — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:33:53 +0000

My dad is a gadget guy. (Seriously, have you ever met a dad who wasn't?) He also loves good food. So when it's time to give him a gift for Father’s Day, I like to pick something that satisfies certain requirements: it’s gotta be gadgety, it’s gotta be good and/or useful, and it must indulge his inner “foodie”. With that in mind, and with some help from my colleagues in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, who have tested these products, here are some of our top picks for dads—yours and mine:

No-fail tips to overcome your fear of grilling seafood

Todd Dunn — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:30:24 +0000

I love cooking seafood on the grill because it’s so fast and, because most seafood is relatively mild, it readily absorbs smoky flavors. Plus seafood is super-healthy—it’s an excellent source of lean protein and some types of fish, such as salmon, are good sources of omega-3 fats, which are good for your heart and your mental health. Click here to find out 6 of the best fish and shellfish to eat and 6 to avoid.

4 simple one-skillet suppers

Todd Dunn — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:27:43 +0000

Last week I blogged about the one pot I couldn’t live without, my enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch oven. And that got me thinking about more kitchen tools that I hold near and dear to my heart—one in particular, my cast-iron skillet. Some of my all-time favorite recipes are made in a cast-iron skillet.