icebergdining

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Blender

An electric kitchen appliance that is used basically to emulsify, liquify or puree. Although it can be used to chop or slice ingredients, a Blender does not provide consistent results as well as a food processor can for those types of tasks. Similarly, it may used to grate foods, but this chore is also best handled by a food processor. A Blender typically consists of a tall glass or plastic food container with a removable lid made with a filler hole for adding ingredients. At the base of the food container there are motor driven blades that blend, chop, mix, or liquefy foods depending on the speed setting selected. When selecting a Blender, consider the type of food container desired, since glass is less likely than plastic to retain the aroma of various foods. 

The size of the container is also important, so it should be large enough to hold common contents for the foods most often blended and the number of people most often served. The frequency of tasks such as chopping ice for beverages, mixing beverage ingredients, and blending ingredients for food preparation should be considered when determining the size of the container desired. The Blender should have a weighted base that will keep it stable when the blades are activated as it blends different contents. Power is another consideration, making sure it is sufficient for the blending activities anticipated. Blenders with a wattage of 350 watts or higher are best for a wide variety of tasks, but don't use wattage as a means to evaluate effectivness of the Blender as higher wattage does not mean better blending results. Blenders have significant power for all blending tasks, but it is best not to run the Blender continually as constant power to the unit will only serve to wear the motor down. Instead, use short bursts of power to blend the contents thoroughly, allowing the motor to run only 5 to 10 seconds.

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Crunchy Lentil Chicken Tenders

There are many different kinds of fried chicken. Some with a thin, golden coat that rips when you bite into it and some so crispy that it rustles in the box. Then there’s this—chicken tenders so unapologetically, audibly crunchy they could clink together like champagne glasses on New Year’s night. It’s like the difference between kettle-cooked potato chips and those wispy, extruded wafers trying to pass as the real deal. Ya just can’t compete!

The trick is using ground raw lentils for the crumb. I was inspired by the delicate, airy medu vadas of my childhood in Southern India and the shattering shells of freshly fried falafel I used to devour from a cart in Astoria. Lentils are so often relegated to limp, stodgy soups or stews, but give them some time in a puddle of hot oil and they transform into something wonderfully brittle and friable. And they pack a powerful punch of fiber and protein, too.

Ingredients

Lentil Chicken Tenders

2 cups red lentils

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (bleached or unbleached)

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

12 (1 to 1 1/3 pounds) boneless chicken tenders

2/3 cup neutral oil (like sunflower or avocado), for pan-frying

Spice Sprinkle & Curry Ketchup

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup (I love Sir Kensington brand)

1 tablespoon runny honey

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

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Garlic Press

A tool used for pressing garlic cloves through small holes to extract the pulp, oils, and juice from the garlic. Some of the garlic pulp remaining on the press may dry quickly, so it is important to clean the press immediately after using it to make cleaning much easier. Most garlic presses are manufactured from aluminum, stainless steel, or strong plastics.

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Garlicky, Lemony Roasted Broccoli

My goal was to create a well-balanced combination of common ingredients that make the humble broccoli outshine all other side dishes on the dinner table. This broccoli recipe is robust, refreshing and will definitely leave you satisfied. What makes it satisfying is its complex flavor profile balancing out any hearty dinner, without leaving you overstuffed. This side dish is a multitude of fresh flavors that will make the roasted broccoli the main character of the show, not just a supporting actor.

Let’s talk about the elements that constitute our side dish. First things first, the broccoli: Roasting the broccoli brings out its slight sweetness, while also providing a pleasant tender texture with a crisp bite. The roasted garlic will impart an umami undertone to the whole dish, without overpowering the other components. We are creating a subtle caramelization of the garlic that diminishes its pungency and bitterness, while conserving its characteristic flavor. The lemon juice and lemon zest brighten the whole dish, while adding acidity to create a healthy flavor equilibrium between the salt, fat, and spice levels.

Ingredients

2 pounds broccoli

2 small heads garlic

9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 scallions, both white and green parts thinly sliced

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1 serrano pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 teaspoons lemon zest

1 handful shaved Parmesan (optional, but recommended)

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Cookware

Nonstick skillets are great tools for beginner cooks, but remember never to use metal utensils on these pans scratched surfaces negatively affect their nonstick surfaces. You'll want both small and large nonstick skillets. You'll also want small and large stainless-steel skillets, as well as small and large saucepans and a stockpot.

A wok is a necessity for high-heat, quick cooking dishes like stir-fries. Our wok of choice is whatever Grace Young the "Poet Laureate of the Wok"  is using. She favors this large carbon-steel model with a flat bottom and a long wood handle to keep your hands safe during high-heat cooking.

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HOW TO MAKE A SEAFOOD BOIL

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The Best Miniature Fish Cooking Tutorials

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Weekly Food Prep with Recipes and Tutorials

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Eat Yummy Healthy Food | Healthy Swaps

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Crispy Lemon-Saffron Potatoes With Black Peppercorns

These stovetop potatoes are first browned in the pan, then finished cooking with a lemon-saffron water and black peppercorns to give it a rich and spicy flavor. The braising liquid reduces down to a thick consistency that coats and infuses the potatoes, also giving them a bright, orangey color.

If you make them in a cast-iron or other attractive skillet, then serve them directly out of the pan, or, if transferring to a serving platter, make sure to scrap every last bit of liquid in the pan (or take a piece of bread and wipe it clean, no one will judge you once they taste it). Serve any leftover potatoes for breakfast with eggs, cooking them in a pan until hot and crispy.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, quartered (small ones halved)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed and dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley and fine stems, roughly chopped

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Seared Mushrooms With Lemon-Cumin Labneh

These warm, crispy mushrooms are served on top of creamy labneh and best enjoyed with a carb vehicle of your choice to scoop everything up. (And don't worry if you don't have or like labneh you could also use a thick-style yogurt such as Greek or Skyr). When you add the mushrooms to the dry pan, you might have a moment of panic thinking the pan is overcrowded, but push that aside knowing that they will shrink down, much like onions or spinach. The result will be crispy, golden brown mushrooms that will soak in the brightness of the lemon juice, the perfect foil to the earthy flavors of the olive oil and cumin

Ingredients

1 pound cremini or mixed mushrooms (like cremini, shitake, and oyster), cleaned, stems trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from the single lemon you zested)

1/2 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin,

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or ghee

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus another 1/2 teaspoon for labneh

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 cup labneh or thick-style yogurt (such as Greek or Skyr)

1/4 cup packed fresh herbs (like dill, mint, cilantro, or basil leaves and fine stems), roughly chopped, for garnish