Ever since changing my diet I've made some small investments for my kitchen so I thought I'd share what makes my life easier to eat this way. I am not affiliated with any of these brands, they're just what I've found works best for me!
These are the items I use either daily or every other day and I just wanted to share because the right tools for the job make all the difference in the world! I know that these are not cheap items but I have seen them on local buy and sell sites or discount sites for cheaper. They also do go on sale!
Firstly, I love my Japanese knife. I literally use it to cut everything from meat to tomatoes. I find this size and shape to be perfect for all of the prep work I do. All of my other kitchen knives are neglected because of this 😢😁.
It's very easy to clean and I do not need to sharpen it very often. I got the stainless steel one instead of the carbon steel just because I'm busy and don't always have time to baby the thing. That being said, the second item is to scrape and carry chopped items. I'm very careful to never scrape the edge of my blade across the cutting board but this item is perfect so that the knife blade never gets used like that. The salad spinner is something I use multiple times a day. I use it to soak all the produce I use throughout the day and it easily lifts out of the water and can be rinsed off. I love the pull handle too, perfect for drying lettuce. I used to have the kind that you spin the knob but found it difficult to use. I work quickly in the kitchen so I have no time for that! As a side note: my favorite veggie soak and all around cleaning line is the Thieves home collection from Young Living. I love the smell and it is an excellent cleaner!
Next is a wireless meat thermometer. I didn't even know I needed this until my brother gifted me one. It is hands down the best thing for cooking meat! You put the probe in the meat in the oven or BBQ and set it to the type of meat and whatever doneness you want and it beeps when its ready. Perfect meat. Never overcooked. Juicy. Every time. Amazing!!
The next 2 are powerhouse items that I cannot live without. I never thought I'd love my Vitamix as much as I do but I promise you, you cannot go wrong with this blender. I researched the crap out of blenders before this investment because it is the most expensive counter appliance I've ever owned. I paid $475 CAD on sale for it which is much cheaper than some models. I chose the Ascent A2300 because the digital line is the way Vitamix is heading. There are many other containers that they have that work with this one but it is the base model. It doesn't have any fancy settings but I've never missed anything as the dial allows you to adjust the speed to whatever you want. Also it comes with a 10 YEAR warranty! I cannot say enough about why I love this blender. Gone are the days of chewing seeds and pulp in my "smoothies". Going dairy-free, you really want to make creamy sauces with this. I'll post the dairy free cashew cheese sauce that I make with the blender below for you! Velvety smooth and so creamy it's hard to believe it's made with nuts!!
There is no other blender (except maybe a Blendtec, but I've never used one) that will make velvety smooth sauces like the #vitamix can. I was lucky enough to be able to try the most powerful professional Ninja blender before this just to make sure and it could not even compare to this- not even close! Not only that but all the pieces made it a pain to clean. This is a couple pieces. You literally just add warm water and a drop of soap and turn it on and it cleans itself! I make smoothies, soups, creams, dips, sauces, chop things in it that I'm too lazy to cut up, cauliflower rice, nut milks, and can even make juice with it by blending the produce super fine and straining out the pulp if you don't have a juicer!
And the Instant Pot: I'd be surprised if you haven't heard about this baby yet?
I remember my Mom used to use a stove top pressure cooker but this one is electric and so incredibly easy to use. I have to 6 quart one and have literally cooked an entire chicken that was frozen solid to falling off the bones for 25 min (cooking time)! It makes delicious weeknight #meals so quickly! It has replaced my crockpot and it still has a slow cook feature!
Everyone I know that has one just loves theirs and there are a ton of recipes out there for these! Mine even has a yogurt function which one day I want to make a #dairyfree coconut yogurt with it :).
A few other items I would add that I use often but didn't picture here would be a simple lemon juicer, some mason jars for storing all of these wonderful foods and a stick immersion blender - perfect for soups and mayonnaise!
As promised, here is the recipe for my creamy cashew cheese sauce:
1.5 cups of soaked cashews
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
1.5tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp onion powder (or garlic)
Gf miso or a touch of mustard (optional but adds depth- I used a small chunk of dehydrated miso to taste)
Blend very smooth in vitamix and pour over hot cooked gluten-free pasta or veggies.
Makes 2 cups
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