Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS • Nutritional Periodontist
September 8, 2015 [printfriendly]
I was going to title this post, Gadgets I Can’t Live Without in My Paleo Kitchen After Getting Rid of All the Junk That I Thought I Couldn’t Live Without But Discovered That I Didn’t Need. But, that would be too long of a title, and you would lose interest before you finished reading it. So, I chose the shortened title.
Over the last 2 1/2 years, I have learned to cook Paleo with great success, if I must say so myself. During this time, I have used so much gadgetry that I could open a used cooking-utensil store. My experience, however, has led me to eliminate most of the useless items and retain those few devices that actually make my love for cooking easier, more efficient, and most fun. My kitchen includes the obvious things that every chef would use during his or her meal preparation. But, here is my list of the 13 essential gadgets that I cannot live without and that I use the most in my Paleo kitchen:
1. Avocado slicer
This slicer makes cutting, pitting, and removing the meat from an avocado an easy job. My wife and I eat avocados daily.
2. Flexible cutting mats
Not only are these great for cutting foods, but they bend. So, I can easily transfer its contents into a saucepan or wherever it needs to be placed.
3. Hand citrus juicer
When I need some lemon or lime juice for acid in my food preparation, this easily allows me to squeeze what I need without the seeds or the mess of squeezing the citrus fruit in my hand.
4. Manual food chopper
Chopping onions, garlic, jalapeno peppers, and similar foods finely can be difficult and time consuming. A manual food chopper makes the task quicker and more efficient than using a chef knife.
5. NutriBullet Rx
This power blender has a smaller capacity than the Vitamix Blender, but it is more convenient, easier to clean, and the actual mixing containers become storage containers – a big convenience. I couldn’t make a smoothie without this. And, I drink smoothies everyday. See my recipe for my favorite smoothie.
6. Reusable cheesecloth bags
I make my own ghee. My main purpose for the cheesecloth bag is to use this as a liner in a funnel to filter hot, melted butter and separate the butter fat (ghee) from its butter solids.
7. Salad spinner
After washing salad vegetables in preparation for a salad, you could dry them with a towel or you could use a salad spinner to remove the water efficiently and effectively. I choose the latter.
8. Slow cooker
I use my slow cooker at least once a week. I am always making batches of bone broth. If not bone broth, I am preparing some of my favorite slow cooker recipes like dry ribs, French onion oxtail stew, or meatloaf wrapped in bacon.
9. Spiral slicer
This is a quick and easy device that transforms zucchini, squash, or any tuber-like vegetable into spaghetti-like forms to add to a salad or to cook like spaghetti.
10. Splatter screen
When cooking oils and fats, there may be a serious splatter problem. This could result in staining your clothes or burning your body. A splatter screen will eliminate potential danger.
11. Stainless steel box grater
This hand-grater is a quick way to slice hard boiled eggs to make egg salad, grate frozen ginger to use in recipes, or anything else you need to grate or slice. This particular box grater has six sides that offer various cutting options.
12. Stick blender
I have found this to be invaluable to blend my salad dressings, my spiced bulletproof matcha, spiced bulletproof coffee, and my healthy mayo to name a few.
13. Strainer for bone broth
After cooking bone broth for hours, the solid ingredients need to be removed. This 8-inch diameter funnel is large enough with a sufficiently fine mesh to remove all particulates, rendering a perfect liquid broth.
No doubt you will have your favorites. But, these 13 essential gadgets have made my life in my Paleo kitchen easy and fun.
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