Top Grilling Tools to Help You Cook Like a Pro
Grilling season is officially on. And while we may not be able to host the summer barbecue bash of our dreams right now, we can still enjoy cooking outside. We love that you can put almost anything on the grill — from fish and chicken to corn and carrots to watermelon and even lettuce! When it comes to the right tools for the perfect char, there are also endless options. How do you know exactly what you need? We want to take the stress out of barbecuing. Whether you’re the designated family chef or just starting out, we have six tools for the ultimate grilling experience. Get ready to have your most delicious summer yet! To Flip Burgers Like a Pro Nothing is worse than scrounging around for the perfect tools to end up realizing that you’re missing the one you actually need when it comes time to grill. This 4-piece set is all you will need. Easy to clean and dishwasher safe, the tool designs don’t disappoint. Made with the same wood used for baseball bats, these will be comfortable in your hands when you’re flipping those burgers. Plus, a basting brush that has a removable dishwasher-safe head. Schmidt Brothers BBQ Ash 4-Piece Grill Set, $99.99 To Add the Flavor No matter what you’re cooking up on the grill — you’ll want to add some spice to fire up flavor. Spicy and sweet, the Spice House has something for everyone. We love the Chipotle Garlic Barbecue Blend and Brisket of Love Barbecue Rub. The Spice House Barbecue Essentials Bundle, $69.00 for 9 blends. The Ultimate Veggie Companion Goodbye pesky skewers! Say hello to perfectly grilled grubs with these inventive kabob baskets. Made with steel wire, they help you prepare separate dishes to suit the preference of each guest. As if that wasn’t efficient enough, the basket design also makes for mess-free flipping. Uncommon Goods Kabob Grilling Baskets, $17.00 for a set of 4 For the Perfect Meat Temperature When it comes to cooking, food safety is a major concern for most. But with your new fearless leader- a smart thermometer- cooking meat to perfection is a no-brainer. The iPhone X of grilling tools, it’s the first truly wireless meat thermometer. The MEATER app, which is completely free, will lead you through every step of the process to help you cook the juiciest (and safest) meal every single time. MEATER Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer, $69.00 To Stay Safe While food safety is important, you can’t forget about your own safety while manning the grill. Most gloves are made with just the hands in mind, but these 18-inch beauties go a step further to provide full-arm coverage. The suede finish isn’t just a beautiful design detail, it’s another safety feature. The suede provides an easy grasp, preventing those disappointing mishaps we’re all too familiar with. Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Extra Long Grill Gloves, $22.72 For Pretty Plating You’ve grilled your meal to perfection. You don’t want to just put it anywhere. A beautiful cutting board makes transport to the table easy — and ready for you to cut and serve. PNW Custom Gifts Personalized Cutting Board, $44.00-65.00
5 Easy Ways to Add Flavor to Chicken, Beef, and Fish
Simple marinades are one key to making fast, delicious dinners.
Genius Ikea Kitchen Hacks that Make Healthy Cooking Easier
When you sit down at a clean, organized desk, doesn’t it make you feel like you’re about to conquer the world (or at least your to-do list)? These Ikea kitchen hacks will give you that same feeling—just in relation to healthy cooking. RELATED: How Staying Organized Helps a Busy Nutritionist (and Mom) Eat Well The truth is, if you’re trying to make more nutritious meals on a daily basis, it’s really going to help to have your space to set up for success. You don’t want to come home revved up to make Thai Zucchini Noodles with Pan-Roasted Halibut only to get hung up on the fact that you can’t find any of the spices you need or that you’re going to have to move 15 other appliances in order to get your Spiralizer out. And by tapping Ikea, you know you won’t break the bank (so you can spend more of your hard-earned dollars on organic veggies, naturally). RELATED: Budget Healthy Eating Tips You’ve Got to Try Here are five super affordable Ikea kitchen hacks that will help you get organized for more fast, fresh, stress-free meals. 5 Genius Ikea Kitchen Hacks 1. Organize your spices and seeds. You want the spices and seeds that you use the most often ready and within reach at all times. Use Rajtan glass jars to store them on your counter or a close shelf. They’re simple and sleek and will match any kitchen decor. You can also premix spices you use as blends and store them in the jars, like a curry blend or a taco seasoning. 2. Put potted herbs in a wine rack. This blogger came up with a genius way to use the Vurm wine rack. Pot fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, and parsley in pint glasses and stick them in the rack for an easy indoor herb garden that takes up no space at all. Better yet, buy one rack for your red wine and one for herbs…they’re both great sources of antioxidants. RELATED: What Are Antioxidants, and Are They Really That Important? 3. Use bins in your fridge. Pluggis bins are made for recycling, but you can also use them to organize your fridge in ways that make it easy to find things. Put all of your condiments in one, for instance, or give breakfast foods like eggs, yogurt, and berries their own box. As you can see from this blogger’s tutorial, it makes your fridge look prettier, too. 4. Hang up your fruits and veggies. Fruit bowls take up lots of counter space, but there’s plenty of produce—like bananas, apples, and tomatoes—that should really stay out rather than going in the fridge. Solution: Use the Fintorp collection of rails, hooks, and bins to hang your produce on the wall, like one blogger did, here. You can also hang a rail near your stove and put cooking tools like your go-to spatula and whisk in the Utensil Holder for easy access. 5. Put your cookbooks on a shelf, and hang your pot holders. This wall shelf with hooks may look more like an item made for hanging coats by the door, but put it on a kitchen wall near the stove and it’s super useful. Your favorite cookbooks can lean on the shelf for both access and decor (or you could stock a row of spices there). Then, hang dish towels and pot holders from the hooks, so you don’t have to be rummaging through drawers while paying attention to multiple pots.
The Need-To-Know Facts on Salt in Food
Q: How much salt is too much salt in food, and should I sprinkle on a specific kind? A: There’s a reason we say good people are “the salt of the earth” and reliable people are “worth their salt.” Salt, or sodium chloride, is a valuable mineral. It’s an essential nutrient the human body cannot make itself and plays a role in nerve and muscle function as well as regulating the body’s water content. (No wonder your taste buds perk up every time a pretzel touches your tongue, right?) Salt deficiency can lead to dehydration, low blood pressure, and yes, even death. Don’t let that scare you though, because the majority of Americans consume way too much salt in their daily diets, leading to an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. So, how much is too much salt in food? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting your daily intake of salt in food to 2300 mg, which is a little less than one teaspoon. Keep in mind that that number is an upper limit—you can take in much less and be totally healthy, and other sources, like the American Heart Association, recommend an ideal limit as low as 1500 mg per day. But what if I mortgaged my house to buy magical Himalayan Sea Salt? There are a few different kinds of salt, and some are touted as healthier than others. Here are the main differences I think are important: Regular Table Salt is sourced from soil and has its minerals removed through heavy processing. Then, it’s loaded with additives to prevent the granules from clumping. Iodine, the only mineral not naturally found in sea salt, is also added. Iodine controls the release of hormones and deficiency can lead to weight gain and fatigue, as well as neurological, gastrointestinal, and skin issues, but if you are eating a balanced diet that contains whole foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and seafood, you’ll already get adequate amounts. (And the salt added to packaged foods is not even the iodized kind.) Sea Salt, on the other hand, is exactly what it sounds like—salt from the deep, blue sea. Ocean water is evaporated leaving behind the salt, which contains trace amounts of minerals in varying amounts (depending on where it’s from). These different minerals can add a variety of flavors to your salt shaker and also result in a coarser texture. I consider sea salt to be the healthier option because it’s the least processed. Himalayan Sea Salt, finally, is an unrefined salt that is hand mined from ancient salt caves (and is usually pretty in pink). Proponents say it contains more than 80 trace minerals that are good for you, but most experts agree they’re not present in high-enough amounts to actually affect your health. Again, it’s unprocessed, unlike table salt, so that’s a good thing, but it’s also outrageously expensive compared to regular sea salt or table salt. A grain (or three) of advice Keeping all of that in mind, I present you with a salt solution: Get your minerals primarily from a whole-food diet filled with vegetables, whole grains, and seafood. Avoid packaged foods as much as possible, as they tend to be super salty (canned soups are particularly bad, even the organic ones!), and minimize salt at restaurant meals by avoiding the salt shaker since they are already salty enough. In other words, cooking for yourself at home will naturally lower your salt intake. For flavor, shake on a little bit, but try to stay below the recommended daily amount. And don’t stress over the different kinds. In the end, they’re all sodium chloride, and choosing one over the other will not have a major effect on your overall diet.
Meal Prepping Made Easy in 4 Simple Steps
By Christine Anenberg, NLC Meal prepping is one of those things you keep saying you should do, but then you never seem to actually make it happen, right? It can be challenging and stressful (another thing on the to-do list) to plan out and then find the time and motivation to cook REAL CLEAN FOODS during the workweek. But, if you’re guilty of often saying, “Oh crap, what am I going to have for dinner?!” then you need to listen up. These 4 steps could change your life. Meal prepping is all about time management and organization, so I’m gonna help you with both right now. By prepping your individual meals ahead of time, you’re less likely to eat junk, overeat, and stress about your next meal. Meal Prepping Made Easy in 4 Simple Steps: Pick a day that works for you. Sunday Funday might take on a whole new meaning. The most important thing is figuring out when you can devote a couple of hours to meal prep. For some, Sunday is key. For others, Monday nights are the only viable option. Once you get the hang of it, 2 hours start to finish (including cleanup!) is about all you’ll need to set aside. Some of you may even be speedier. Get your tools ready. Choose containers that are BPA-free and come in various sizes, and organize your fridge before you get prepping so you’ll have room for a week’s worth of grub. Yes, that includes ditching lasts weeks leftovers that are beginning to grow mold. And while you’re shopping for those pretty new glass containers, add a food processor to your kitchen arsenal. Chopping is so much easier and faster when you have a little machine to help you do it. Trust me, it’s worth investing in an electric sous chef when you don’t have a real one. Create your meal plan and get shopping. Meal prep is all about cooking in bulk and eating leftovers. I recommend preparing up to 5 days worth of food at a time; 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners and 5 snacks. Your meals should consist of a protein, healthy starch, healthy fat and tons of veggies. Having a manageable meal plan and grocery list keeps you focused and on task at the grocery store and prevents you from overloading your grocery cart with junk. Get comfy in your kitchen and get to work. You’ve laid the groundwork, now it’s time to get cooking. Breakfast: Keep breakfast simple by getting creative with overnight oatmeal mason jars. Fill 5 jars each with ½ rolled oats, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon protein powder and enough almond milk to cover your mixture. If you’re the pop into the coffee shop for a pumpkin spice latte morning type, curb that craving by adding 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree and cinnamon to your oats. Lunch: One of my go to lunches is a ground turkey taco bowl. Saute 2 lbs of organic ground turkey, add in low sodium taco seasoning (or make your own), and roast peppers and onions while the turkey is sauteeing. Take out your five containers and add in each ¼ cup black beans, ½ cup prepared ground turkey, salsa, roasted peppers and onions. One huge mistake people make while meal prepping is not using their time wisely or multitasking. This leads to prolonged cooking time, sweat and (sometimes) tears. Dinner: For dinners, I like to marinate my protein all at once since nobody wants to eat plain chicken breasts all week long. One of my faves: Mix together 1 tablespoon Dijon, ¼ cup balsamic, ¼ cup olive oil, chopped fresh rosemary, garlic and a hint of sea salt into a bowl. Place 5 organic chicken breasts in a glass pan and coat them with the mixture. Marinate for 1 hour then bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees. Save even more time by cutting up sweet potatoes and baking the chicken right on top of them. Snacks: Don’t forget about your grab and go snacks and remember they don’t have to come in a wrapper. Bag up ready to blend smoothie ingredients like ½ banana, ½ cup blueberries, 1 cup chopped kale, 1 teaspoon each of flaxseed, hemp seed and chia seeds. Freeze them up in individual bags since they don’t keep well in the fridge. When you’re ready to enjoy your smoothie, add 1 ½ cups liquid of your choice (I love using coconut water) to the frozen mixture and blend. Homemade hummus (this is where the food processor comes in handy!) and cut-up raw veggies are great to store in individual snack containers, too. Nuts portioned in individual bags are another great snack you can stash in your bag. Some meal prepping rules you’ll want to follow: Stay clear from pre made salads to avoid soggy lettuce or add in lettuce just before eating so it’s fresh. If you don’t have access to a microwave at work, stick to something like a Mediterranean quinoa salad with diced chicken, sun dried tomato, kalamata olive, marinated artichoke, cucumber and lemon. Be sure to let everything cool in the containers before adding lids and stacking in the fridge. Otherwise, you’ll get soggy food and you’ll raise the temperature of your fridge. Now that I have your attention, it’s time to put some prep in your step! Whether you’re trying to save time and money or achieve fitness goals, meal prepping will make your life simpler and less stressful. Find a routine that works for you and your lifestyle, and remember to have fun! Cooking is a fantastic way to express yourself. So throw on your best apron and don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty! About Christine: Christine has worked with tons of families and single folks all around Orange County for the past 4 years. She grew up in the kitchen alongside her Italian mother who loved finding ways to incorporate a healthy twist to her Italian meals. Her goal
The 6 Best Gluten-Free Flours
Some might say that there’s a fine line between a muffin and a cupcake—but I like to think that there’s a fine line between a muffin and a salad. Okay, okay—so maybe that’s a maaaaaajor stretch, but if you choose your ingredients wisely, you can do yourself a real nutritional favor the next time you’re craving a delicious home-baked treat. You’ve probably already tried replacing oil with applesauce and eggs with ground flax and water, but have you moved beyond your container of all-purpose flour? Gluten free flours can can give your favorite baked goods a flavor AND nutrition twist, so it’s time to update your pantry. Today, I’m sharing my favorites. The 6 Best Gluten Free Flours Almond Flour – Great for those seeking low carb, higher protein treats. While high in fat—and mostly “good fats”—almond flour also contains a large amount of omega-6 fatty acids. Though it’s an essential fatty acid (your body can’t create it on it’s own so you must get it from your diet) they are also proinflammatory, and therefore potentially detrimental to your health in high amounts. Try balancing the flour with chia or flax seeds – good sources of anti inflammatory omega-3s. Try making banana bread with almond flour instead of your favorite all-purpose gluten-free blend. Almond flour is a source of calcium, which is important for optimal bone health, magnesium, which helps the body absorb calcium and relax your muscles and mind, and vitamin E, which helps to protect you against free radicals and toxins that speed up the aging process. Coconut Flour – A dietary fiber powerhouse, coconut flour is not high in fat but the fat that it does have is of excellent quality. Because it’s highly absorbent and a little goes a long way, recipes with coconut flour tend to call for more eggs or liquids than recipes with other flours. Baked goods made with coconut flour have a particular dense texture—and, of course, delicious coconut flavor. One of my fave treats to make with it is a cookie that’s actually healthy and perfectly portable for an on-the-go breakfast: mix ⅓ cup coconut flour with 1 cup of your favorite nut butter, 1 egg, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of salt and add in about 1 cup of your favorite mix-in combo (think hemp, chia or flax seeds, shredded unsweetened coconut, dried cranberries, dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs…) Scoop out tablespoon-size dough balls and flatten with your fingers or the tines of a fork and bake at 350-degrees on a parchment lined sheet for 14-15 minutes (should make about 20 or so cookies—enough to share or freeze for another week!). Coconut flour is a source of trace minerals such as manganese (for hormonal balance), iron (vital for muscle health) and copper (which keeps connective tissues such as hair, skin, nails, and ligaments, strong). Quinoa Flour – An excellent, all-purpose and versatile flour, quinoa flour is high in protein and works great in many classic recipes. It’s a great way to get more of this ancient super-seed in your diet. It’s also easy to make at home: just put your uncooked organic quinoa into a strong blender or use a coffee grinder and pulse until a fine powder forms. Then try using it in your favorite cookie recipe. In addition to being high in protein, quinoa flour is a source of manganese, calcium, and vitamin B2, which helps in energy production. Garbanzo/Chickpea Flour – So much love for chickpea flour! Between the fiber, the protein, and the versatility, it’s a go-to for savory and sweet recipes alike. My favorite use is for binding healthy fritters; zucchini, carrot, sweet potato—you name it. You can also make very simple crêpe-like wraps by mixing a 1:1 ratio of chickpea flour and water, allowing to sit for 30 minutes, and then cooking just as you would pancakes. Chickpea flour is a source of folate, which helps with cellular repair, and also iron and magnesium. Cassava Flour – Especially great for those who can’t have nuts or coconuts, cassava flour is made from the whole cassava root, also known as yucca. It’s great for gluten-free tortillas, pizza dough, and pasta. Delicious and chewy pasta dough can be made with a simple mixture of: cassava flour (1 cup), eggs (2 + 1 yolk), olive oil (2 tablespoons) and salt (¼ teaspoon). Roll the mixture into a ball and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes, then roll it out and slice or shape. Top your cooked cassava pasta with a beautiful veggie sauce for a decadent and healthy meal! Cassava flour is a source of vitamin C, which helps the body heal and repair—it actually has more C than potatoes or yams! You can also bump up its nutrition profile by including mix-ins like chia, hemp and flax seeds. Tigernut Flour – There are no nuts in Tigernuts; they’re actually tiny tubers and a super-ancient superfood. This small root vegetable is a stellar source of fiber and resistant starch, which fuels your gut’s good bacteria. The flour is also naturally sweet so you can cut down on sweeteners (which is always good to do regardless!) You can make delicious no-bake chocolate chip cookies with tigernut flour. It’s hard to come by in regular grocery stores, but if your local health health food shop isn’t carrying it, you can purchase it online. Tigernut flour is a source of phosphorous, which is just as important as calcium for healthy bones, and zinc, which supports immune system health. There really isn’t one golden-ticket in the gluten free flours department, so grab your mixing bowl and spatula and dive in to discover which ones call your name. Also, you’ll be nudging even closer to “salad status” if you include your favorite veggies or fruits in your baked goods—zucchini, sweet potatoes, apples, even avocado—and consider throwing a savory treat into the mix every so often (warm basil and feta
Is Ghee Healthy?
Q: Is ghee healthy? A: Ghee is actually healthy? Say, it is so? Everyone wants to slab a little butter on their morning toast and doing so in the name of health is just so. much. butter, I mean better. As a little refresher, butter is a dairy product made from churning milk until the buttermilk (liquids) separates from the butterfat (solids). It’s this solid part that’s known as butter, the creamy yellow product that pretty much makes anything and everything taste better. “Ghee”, is a form of clarified butter and is different from traditional butter in that it’s made by boiling butter until the water in the butter has evaporated. What you’re left with is three layers—whey protein, liquid fat, and casein particles. After skimming off the top protein layer, you’re able to pour off and separate the liquid fat layer. This liquid fat is what’s known as clarified butter, a more pure version of traditional butter. Ghee is a form of clarified butter and only slightly different in that it’s prepared by simmering longer at a lower heat (versus simply boiling) until the butter is caramelized and then strained again. Thanks to this lower heat preparation, ghee retains more nutrients than other forms of clarified butter. While ghee may now be popping up in grocery store aisles across the globe, this rich, golden clarified butter has been used for thousands of years in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. It even plays a key role in Ayurveda medicine for its proposed anti-inflammatory, digestive, and healing attributes. Ayurveda recommends roasting cooking spices in ghee to boost their flavor and nutrition. So, should we all start spreading, melting and drizzling clarified butter or ghee on all of our fave dishes? Let’s discuss. Ghee vs Butter One tablespoon of traditional butter offers about 100 calories and 11 grams of fat (7 of which are saturated fat). Ghee has 123 calories and 14 grams of fat (8 of which are saturated fat). Not that big of a difference, right? But, we all know that just like actions speak louder than words, ghee’s health benefits count more than calories. The traditional yellow butter you know and love might be on par in terms of calories, but ghee is richer in vitamins A, D, and E, which can help repair damaged skin, improve vision, help balance your hormones, and regulate your metabolism. Ghee also contains 25 percent medium and short chain fatty acids compared to normal butter which contains only 12 to 15 percent. Unlike long-chain fatty acids, medium chain triglycerides are rapidly broken down and go straight to the liver where they can be used as an instant energy source and are less likely to be stored as fat. Butyric acid, one of the short chain fatty acids found in ghee has been linked to better gastrointestinal health, anti-inflammatory properties as well as helping the body use it for fuel more efficiently. Recent science has even shown that people who consumed higher amounts of ghee had a lower occurrence of coronary heart disease, lower LDL cholesterol, improvements in psoriasis, and enhancement of memory. It may even have a positive effect on wound healing. Ghee is also a better choice if you have a milk allergy or lactose intolerance. Because ghee separates milk from the fat, you won’t find any lactose or milk proteins in this butter alternative. When it comes to cooking, ghee has a higher smoke point compared to its traditional butter counterpart. This means that next time you’re whipping up that asian stir fry, you’re less likely to inhale smoke or consume any carcinogenic byproduct that’s produced by drizzling your cooking oil into a searing pan. So, if you’re planning on frying, sauteing, or grilling, ghee might be a better choice. It will also add a sweet, nutty flavor and richness to any of your dishes. You can try melting it into your mashed potatoes, drizzling it on top of your veggies, or even tossing your popcorn with it. The only exception is with baked goods. If you love that classic buttery flavor in your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, then it might be best to stick with traditional butter. Now, back to the fat issue. Even though ghee is high in saturated fat, studies have shown that the old school thought of of all saturated fat is ‘bad’ for you might be a grand oversimplification. The relationship between the dietary intake of fats and health is complicated. Fats overall, even including some saturated fats, are important for our health and wellness. Like just about all foods, there’s of course a spectrum of crummy fats (think processed, refined, and hydrogenated) and then there’s nutrient powerhouse fats like those found in ghee and avocado. But this all comes along with a balanced mindset. A diet overabundant in anything (including good healthy fats) can still be harmful to your health. Ghee is often marketed as a “health food” but even the healthiest of foods can be overdone. After all, it’s still a form of butter, and butter is a ‘use in proper portion’ kind of fat. A little healthy fat goes a long way, but too much can work against you in attaining or maintaining your health and weight goals. I’m a big fan of a little bit (think a teaspoon or two) of real nutrient dense fats at every meal. Add ghee to the list next to avocado, coconut or almonds as a fat food that can play a healthy role in your diet. Just don’t eat with a spoon out of a jar no matter how tempting it may taste and how many health benefits you can rattle off.
