Sometimes I get turned off from a recipe immediately when I read that it needs a kitchen tool or gadget I don’t have. For example, with limited counter space and limited budget, I never acquired a big food processor; and with limited drawer space, if a gadget can’t do double duty, I often don’t have it either. But then again, there are a few gadgets that have been gifted to me that I never use but haven’t parted with.
So, if you’re like me and you need some ideas on how to make do without a specific gadget, or have a gadget you’d like to put to more use, read on!
No food processor?
I did break down recently and bought a 1-cup food processor. It was on very reduced sale, and was really small, and I knew I could store it on top of the big mixing bowls that live on the corner of the counter because they don’t fit in the cabinets. Anyway, you don’t need to know that part, but what you should know is that I lived without a food processor for years because I did have a blender.
It doesn’t do everything well, but if you stick with small batches, cut ingredients smallish to begin with, don’t overdo it (the pulse function is helpful), and focus on recipes using liquids or oils (like pesto), it can suffice when a good sharp knife isn’t enough.
No immersion blender?
Regular blender to the rescue again! Some soup recipes call for immersion blenders, but you can use a regular blender instead. It’s usually best to do in multiple smaller batches rather than pour it all in at once, especially if the soup is hot. Try it with this Butternut Squash and Apple Soup recipe.
No muffin pan?
A mini meatloaf recipe I tried called for a muffin pan (they had sauce on top, which meant I couldn’t just put them on a baking tray directly without a lot of the sauce oozing away). Google helped me out and suggested making forms from aluminum foil—a tip originally meant as cupcake liners—which could then go directly on the baking tray. This would work nicely for muffin batter, too (try these Blueberry Corn Muffins).
Apple corer
I have never understood the apple corer, because I’ve never had an apple so perfect that it actually got rid of the core properly. That, plus the one time I used it when I thought it would be really handy—making a big batch of applesauce—the palms of my hands hurt a lot from its repeated use more than 2 dozen times.
So, it sat in the overflow gadget tub until I came across an alternate purpose for it: making potato wedges for oven roasting. Yes, cutting potato wedges with a knife works really well, but the cylindrical potato wedge created by the center of the corer makes me chuckle.
Ice cream scoop
Eating healthier may mean that your ice cream scoop isn’t as useful as it used to be (good for you!). Here’s another way to give it some life: use it for portioning meatballs (try these Baked Meatballs), or batter for muffins (check out our recipe for Apple Oatmeal Muffins), or serving mashed potatoes. If it has nice sharp edge, use it to scoop the seeds out of a butternut squash, pumpkin, or cantaloupe.
Speaking of batter…
It’s not really a gadget, but if you have kids or someone who might appreciate it, you can try making pancake art without any special tools. Hold on to an empty squeeze bottle (not too small, say a 20 oz or bigger), give it a good wash, and the next time you make batter, fill it up and use it to draw shapes in your frying pan.
You might need to cut the tip a little for better flow. Draw the outline first, and then fill it in, for best effect. Works best for a batter without lumpy additions like blueberries, but works well with these Pumpkin Pancakes.
Vegetable peeler
After learning how much nutrition is in the skins of vegetables, I stopped peeling them for the most part, and suddenly my vegetable peeler didn’t see much action. However, it does also make lovely lasagna-like zoodles (the cute name for zucchini “noodles”), and other decorative vegetable ribbons and curls. And if you want just a little shaved parmesan for your salad, it’s also a useful tool. Try the zoodle shape with this Zucchini Au Gratin recipe.
Cookie cutters
I inherited a set of cookie cutters. I’m not a fan of sugar cookies, so I gave most away, but I do use the remaining ones occasionally just to make fun shapes out of other foods (melon slices, cheese slices, sandwiches, bread/toast). If you have metal ones, they can also be used in pans to give shapes to pancakes or fried eggs.
If you’ve got any gadget tips you’d like to share, or questions about the recipes we’ve shared, please let us know, we’d love to hear from you! Contact our nutrition educators: Michelle Leveski, mml39@cornell.edu, 518-234-4303 x115 or Kimberly Ferstler, kmf2349@cornell.edu, 518-234-4303 x 120.
