It’s Friday

Kitchen gadgets recommended forcook’s convenience

By Peggy Walker, R.D.

On this Friday, the last day of September, I have a couple of recommendations to make.  I appreciate good recommendations…for restaurants, recipes, movies, washing machines, good buys, and good things….and especially kitchen gadgets.
Recently a friend noted that she didn’t serve many salads at her house because she just didn’t like washing lettuce and getting water everywhere.
“Oh, you need a salad spinner,” I recommended with authority.  I could because I’m on my second one, wore the first one totally to pieces.  My new one is better and much easier to spin.  Yes, it’s very useful and practical.
They are not just gimmicks; salad spinners are handy kitchen tools and a junior high science lesson all in one. They use centrifugal force to dry lettuce and other leafy greens, even fresh herbs.
For those of you who don’t have one:  you place your head of lettuce (with core removed and leaves separated) or bunch of loose greens in the inner basket that looks like a colander and sits inside an outer bowl. (I also recommend placing the spinner on a dish towel to keep it from vibrating on the counter top.) Fill the bowl with water and a few ice cubes and let it sit on the kitchen counter for a while, I’d say 30 minutes or so.  Pour off the water, put the lid on it and spin away.  The force of the spin throws off the moisture (and dirt and debris) from the leaves into the outer bowl.
I usually stop and rearrange the leaves a couple of times and spin some more to get as much of the water off the leaves as possible.  And there you have fresh, clean, dry lettuce leaves ready for your supper’s salad or for a sandwich or a wrap. Or you can store the fresh, clean leaves in a lettuce keeper or zip lock bag in the fridge. Dry lettuce keeps longer than damp lettuce and stays crisper too.  Salad for supper anyone!  Recommended.
And with October just one day away and cooler temps already in the neighborhood, it’s time to get an immersion blender, another extra convenient kitchen utensil. Cream soups can be messy and actually dangerous to make if you have to ladle hot liquids from the pot to the blender and back.  But with this tall, narrow, handheld blender you just “immerse” the tool right into the pot and blend away to make cream- of-anything soup.
It’s mobile and has a rotary blade at one end with variable speeds. It can mix, whisk, whip, blend, chop, cream and purée. Besides cream soups you can make salad dressings, whipped cream, mayonnaise, sauces, smoothies, marinades, pesto, and baby food with your immersion blender.  Useful, yes. Recommended, definitely.
Caution: Just remember that an immersion blender is not for children; it can be very dangerous if handled incorrectly. It’s not a kitchen gadget to use carelessly.  Follow the instructions on how to clean it, store it and to be extremely careful when using it with hot liquids.  It’s a serious tool, but oh, the wonderful things you can make ….
I also recommend that you try this salad recipe. It’d be so good with a nice bowl of cream of potato soup!
Recipe of the Week

Greek Cucumber Salad
Healthy, refreshing, easy, tasty, pretty…what other recommendation do you need!

2 cucumbers, sliced and each round cut into quarters
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ red onion, sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Place prepared vegetables in large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, oil, and seasonings.  Pour over vegetables and toss until coated.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top of salad to serve.