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Fit Envy Kitchen Essentials

by in Blog Posts, Food & Nutrition April 7, 2015

spring breakIt’s SPRING BREAK!!!
Off for some family time and fun with friends this week 🙂

But before that, I wanted to share my 3 ESSENTIAL kitchen gadgets and my new favorite kitchen tool.

There are 2 things that hands down you MUST have in your kitchen for successful & healthy meal preparation.

cast iron#1 – A cast iron skillet. A cast iron skillet works for searing, sautéing, stir-frying, slow cooking, pan-frying, boiling, blanching, broiling, steaming, etc. It is the only pan you will need to have in your kitchen next to a large pot to boil water. Get yourself a cast iron skillet for:

  • even heat distribution
  • the ability of the pan to get VERY hot for the perfect sear
  • easy cleanup
  • versatility from stove to oven
  • naturally “non-stick” & chemical free
  • less oil use with food preparation
  • added iron in your diet
    **With many Americans being iron deficient, a cast iron pan will add iron to your food from just cooking with it.**

#2 – A SHARP knife. Now, while my brother may argue the point that my knives are sharp, that may also be because his get sharpened on a weekly basis with a crazy contraption called the Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener. Regardless, I do need to add “knife sharpening” to my monthly calendar or get my brother to come for a visit 🙂
Having a sharp knife is essential for cutting all types of foods (from a hard to cut summer squash to delicate food, such as dill or mint). With a sharp knife you do not need as much force to cut through the food – making cutting easier and much safer.  The knife stays on track when it is properly sharpened so that you don’t cut your finger instead of the carrot!

#3 – A mini blender or food processor. This may not be quite an essential in most kitchens, but is in mine 🙂
Protein shakes, homemade pancake mix, salad dressings and sauces, chopping, dicing, shredding, slicing, mincing…the mini blender saves time and with less to clean up!

My new favorite kitchen gadget is still in the review stages, but it is quick, easy to use, easy to clean and fun for the kids also. The Ultimate Slicer can take any fruit or veggie and slice, dice and chop in minutes. Check out the extremely long curly fries that we made last weekend.IMG_5277

Bon appetite!
What is essential in your kitchen?? Share in comments 🙂