I wanted to share a couple of my favorite kitchen tools and one non-kitchen related.
Lemon juicer. Must have! I love it because it's so easy and it catches all the seeds. Just cut lemon in half, put in juicer and there ya go.
Dressing emulsifier. I love this thing. It's got recipes for dressings on the side and it emulsifies the oil and vinegar with a pulse of the handle. $11 at Target.
Pastry scrapper. You are thinking right now "wow, cindi makes pastry, too?" I use this to pick up veggies and herbs, etc. that I chop. It makes it much easier to throw into your dish. I don't think I've used it to make pastry once.
Silpat- Non-stick sheet that can go in the oven. If you make scones on the mat, just slip it on your cookie sheet and place in the oven. No need to move the scones, they are already in the place they will cook. Same thing with cookies, calzones, pastry, caramels, etc. You never have to grease it and cleans extremely well.
Temporal Artery Thermometer- Yes, it works. 5 seconds. Worth it.
I'm still trying to love beets. Please send me your best beet recipe that will win me over. I tried roasting them with parsnips and carrots tonight. They were edible. Not the best, but I could stomach them. I tried them in my juice and it was not happening. Jack asked why won't I just not like them. I guess I pride myself on liking all foods, kind of like most people. I feel bad that I don't like you, beets. You look like your having so much fun with everyone. Living it up in salads, juices, cake, even. Plus, you are supposed to be healthy.
My chemo nurse gave me this recipe for kale and brussel sprout salad. It's delicious. I couldn't find tuscan kale, I just used the darker kind or use whatever is at Kroger. Just make sure you take out the middle rib. I also omitted the cheese for vegan purposes, but I'm sure it will kick it up a notch. Don't be scared. I wouldn't steer you wrong.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 lb. total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
- 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped (I used walnuts and pecans, too!)
- 1 cup finely grated Pecorino
Preparation
- Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.
- Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 Tbsp. oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.
- Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.
- Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.
This last recipe has one ingredient. One. Uno. And it's Vegan. And dessert. Are you ready?
1 frozen banana.
Puree in food processor until creamy consistency like ice cream. Yes, ice cream. Voila.
You can top with whatever you chose. Honey, chocolate, caramel, coconut, peanut butter... but then again you may take away the healthiness of it. You might as well eat ice cream. But I promise, this is delicious! I eat it alone, with a spoon, and I am happy.
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