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Prescription Pantry

Prescriptions for taste, recipes for life.

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10 Kitchen Tools I Can’t Live Without

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1. Giada Mezzaluna Knife

When I first began my venture into the cooking world, every book, tutorial, and blog that I read made it abundantly clear that I needed a proper chef’s knife. There are so many quality knives to choose from if you really do your research, however, one of the main qualities that stood out to me among all of the recommendations was that I needed a knife with “full tang.”

What the hell does that mean, you ask? The tang is the part of the blade that extends into the handle connecting the handle and the blade. The more conjoined these two parts are, the stronger the knife will be.

I also took into great consideration the shape of the knife. I choose a Mezzaluna knife, which is curved on each end, making chopping of herbs and garlic a breeze, but is versatile enough to be used to cut most vegetables and meats.

I took great inspiration from the lovely Giada when I first began to find myself inspired by cooking tutorials, and I quite adored her Mezzaluna knife, which has become my go to knife in the kitchen.

2. Magnetic Knife Board

After acquiring such a lovely knife and putting it to lots of use, I soon came to the conclusion that I would need some sort of handy way to display the knife that would also keep it easily within arms reach. Enter: the magnetic floating knife board.

Not only does this knife board beautifully display your knives for all the world to see, it can be kept right out on the counter so your knives are safely in reach whenever you may need them. Mine currently holds 3 large chefs knives, so it is quite roomy, and the quality and display are not to be beat.

3. Flexible Plastic Cutting Boards

While I will admit, I adore my high quality wooden cutting board from Williams-Sonoma, it’s not nearly as light and handy as I find these boards to be. Not only can they be so easily rinsed right off and popped in the dishwasher after each use, the plastic doesn’t hold those strong unpleasant odors that linger on so many wooden cutting boards, such as those that you encounter when chopping onions or garlic. I also find them much more sanitary for cutting raw meats.

4. Avocado Tool

Speaking of cutting and slicing, raise your hand if you have ever struggled with the great feat that is halving, pitting, and dicing an avocado. I knew I wasn’t alone!

While with much practice with your chef’s knife, you will eventually become a pro at this task, in the meantime, behold one of the most genius tools to hit the market.

It seriously does every thing. It peels, it pits, it slices, it dices, it scoops. The first time you use this tool, you will immediately wonder how you have lived without it. And it’s definitely going to come in handy for all of that avocado toast you’re going to be making.

5. Spiralizer

The first time I encountered this tool was when I came across a beautiful recipe in The Forest Feast cookbook that I wanted to make for my girlfriends on New Year’s Eve. I love pasta, but what I love even more is any sort of healthy alternative to pasta. Not only does the spiralizer turn healthy vegetables into noodles waiting to be coated with pasta sauce or made into pasta salad, it creates an absolutely elegant and impressive presentation.

6. Instant Pot

If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you’ve most certainly seen me mention the instant pot in several of my recipes. Mainly, because it is a huge time saving alternative to many chores such as slow roasting meats, cooking rice, farro, or quinoa, and slow cooking soups and stews.

What I think is great about the instant pot is the “set it and forget it” mentality that comes along with it. I find it such a treat to have this handy appliance doing all the work cooking my rice or side dish while I’m busy focusing on other recipes elsewhere in the kitchen.

Also, there’s nothing worse than having a craving for your favorite slow cooker recipe, but not enough time to make it. With the instant pot, you’ll have fall off the bone short ribs or beef stew in a fraction of the time, and quinoa in 1 minute (ONE minute!)

7. SodaStream

No good meal is complete without a well thought out cocktail (or mocktail) to pair it with. I first bought the soda stream because I drink a LOT of water throughout the day, and I am always adding some sort of flavor to it, so I thought it would be nice to create my own flavored water options. However, I found my favorite thing about having a Soda Stream was that when I need seltzer or sparkling water for a drink recipe, I don’t have to run to the store or worry about having it on hand, I can make my own! It’s so convenient your neighbors will be asking to borrow some sparkling water in a pinch as well.

8. Kitchenaid Stand Mixer

No kitchen is complete without a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. While I will admit, it’s not an appliance I use every day, or even every week, it is an appliance I am proud to own. This appliance has seriously stood the test of time.

What’s more, is there are so many neat attachments to add to your arsenal that will really make you feel like a pro. There’s not much that is more satisfying than making your own pasta completely from scratch or casing your own sausage. It even takes all the work out of shredding chicken.

9. Cast Iron Skillet

I don’t think I have to do much to convince you that you need a cast iron skillet in your life. All you need to do is use it once, and you will be hooked on its versatility and the amazing flavors and crispness that it creates.

Cast iron skillets are another kitchen favorite that truly stand the test of time and are so durable and timeless they can even be passed down through generations. Some of my favorite things to make in my cast iron skillet are cornbread, and a good, simple steak.

10. Sponge Caddy

One downfall to spending countless hours in the kitchen creating recipes, is the loads of dishes piled up to wash at the end. If you’re lucky, you can charm your husband into doing them for you in exchange for the beautiful meal you just cooked, but if you’re stuck doing them yourself, I suggest you save yourself a ton of mess and headache and get yourself one of these sponge caddy’s.

The suction cup attachments are a great thought, but they tend to collect mildew, and who needs a germy piece of plastic in the same place you are trying to achieve clean dishes? Not only does this one hold several brushes and sponges, it is efficiently designed to drain and can even be taken apart to be washed itself.

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Dinner Party – Book Club Edition

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Every month I get together with some of my favorite girlfriends for food and drinks and to discuss the book we’ve chosen to read over the previous month. This month, it was my turn to host! Since this would be my first time hosting (and first dinner party since I had began the blog,) I wanted to get extra creative and make this a night of memorable and tasty foods.

I knew right away that the perfect place to turn for inspiration for recipes for a crowd would be the Forest Feast Gatherings cookbook by Erin Gleeson. She features tons of amazing and beautiful vegetarian recipes perfect for any sort of get together or dinner party. Before we dove into the veggie deliciousness, we kicked things off with a simple but impressive looking side that’s quickly becoming a book club favorite: my friend Amanda’s Crescent Wrapped Baked Brie.

Ingredients:

  • 1 wheel of Brie or Camembert (there was a large group of us and we LOVE cheese, so we chose one of each!)
  • 1 can of crescent dough
  • 3-4 green apples, sliced thinly for pairing.

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Roll open the crescent dough and divide it into two even squares.
  2. Rub some olive oil on a sheet pan to prevent the dough from sticking. Place the first square of dough on the pan with the wheel of cheese directly in the center. Fold each of the four corners up to the center and press together.
  3. Flip the wheel over and place directly in the center of the second square of dough and fold the four corners up again. Rub both sides with oil and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. I find it best to let the wheel cool for about 5 minutes before cutting into it so all the cheese doesn’t run out and its easier to get a good bite. Enjoy it with some apple slices, its perfect for sharing with friends over a few glasses of wine.

After a couple of glasses of wine, we were all ready to dig in properly. We feasted on a zucchini noodle salad, cucumber wraps, and butternut squash crostinis, three of my favorite Forest Feast creations with a few small twists of my own.

Zucchini Noodle Salad

This is one of my favorite Forest Feast recipes, I’m not the biggest fan of pesto, so I opted to make my own dressing instead, an avocado cream sauce.

Ingredients: (for the sauce)

  • 1 large ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 lime
  • 1 bunch of cilantro

Instructions:

  1. Halve, pit, and dice the avocado. Roughly chop the garlic. Zest then halve the lime. Roughly chop the cilantro.
  2. Add the avocado, Greek yogurt, garlic, and cilantro to a food processor. Add the lime zest and juice of half the lime.
  3. Pulse until smooth and creamy.
  4. Add a large drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients for the salad:

  • 3 zucchini
  • 1 cup edamame
  • 8 oz mozzarella balls
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1 bunch of fresh mint, roughly chopped
  1. Using a Spiralizer, make the zucchini noodles. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper.
  2. Add edamame, mozzarella balls, mint, and pine nuts, tossing to combine.
  3. Add the dressing and stir until everything is evenly coated.

Butternut squash crostinis

Ingredients:

  • 2 loaves of Demi baguette bread
  • 1 butternut squash
  • 4 oz goat cheese (spreadable kind)
  • Fresh thyme

Instructions:

  1. Peel and dice the butternut squash into 1/4 inch thick cubes. Add a large drizzle of olive oil to a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the butternut squash and sauté approximately 10 minutes until lightly browned and fork tender. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Slice the bread on the diagonal into 1/4 inch thick slices. Spread evenly on a sheet pan and drizzle generously with olive oil.
  3. Broil on high for 2 minutes.
  4. Allow bread to cool for 5-10 minutes then spread with a thin layer of goat cheese.
  5. Strip the thyme leaves from the stems until you have about 2-3 tablespoons worth.
  6. Top each crostini with a teaspoon of butternut squash and sprinkle with fresh thyme.

Cucumber Spinach Wraps

Ingredients:

  • 3 cucumbers
  • 6 large spinach tortillas
  • 6 oz pesto
  • 8 oz cream cheese spread
  • 1 red onion

Instructions:

  1. Halve then cut the cucumbers into 1/2 inch thick slices. Thinly slice the red onion.
  2. Spread each spinach tortilla with a layer of cream cheese and a layer of pesto. Top with cucumber slices and red onion slices. Roll into a burrito.
  3. Wrap each in parchment paper and tie with twine. Chill for 1 hour and cut into equal halves before serving.

Making Your Own Veggie Stock From Scraps

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If you’re anything like me, odds are you go through a ton of stock and broth when creating recipes. The good news is, a lot of the time when you are cooking up something delicious, you are creating loads of vegetable scraps that can be turned into stock in less than an hour! Not all vegetables are suited for this particular task, for example, cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, don’t work well due to their very strong flavors, while mirepoix vegetables (carrots, celery, and onion) create some of the most delicious flavors.

Some examples of vegetable scraps I tend to keep are onion peels and roots, celery roots and stems, carrot tops and peels, potato peels, and mushroom stems. Stems from herbs such as thyme and rosemary can really enhance the flavor of your stock as well.

I simply keep a large freezer bag full of my scraps as I cook, (this bag will keep for up to 6 months), and once the bag is full, it’s time to make your broth! Buzzfeed has a great video tutorial which I found very helpful my first few times making broth, however, I have found adding a few extra vegetables and spices will take the flavor to the next level of tastiness.

Do keep in mind, not all vegetables make good broth. Besides the above mentioned, you will come across some vegetables that can create a bitter taste (kale stems and Brussels sprouts are a couple more examples). This will most likely take some experimenting, but keep at it, and follow my tips below.

Ingredients:

  • vegetable scraps
  • 1 yellow onion, quartered
  • 2 celery stalks, halved
  • 2-4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 sprigs fresh parsley
  1. Rinse the scraps and place them along with the remaining ingredients in a large pot or Dutch oven. Fill with water until scraps begin to float, about 3/4 of the way full.
  2. Bring water to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer covered over medium heat for 30-45 minutes or until the broth tastes flavorful.
  3. Place a colander over a large bowl. Drain the broth into the bowl. You can strain the broth a second time through some cheese cloth if you’d like, but this step is optional.
  4. Ladle the broth into mason jars, which will keep up to 4 days refrigerated. Or you can freeze the broth in large ice cube trays to have ready-to-use portions for all your recipes!