What are the latest and greatest health-related products? How can I spice up my ho-hum workout? Are the new nutritious food products and health-focused restaurants worth my money? If you're asking any of these questions you've found the right spot!Note: While I'm a journalist with a Bachelor's degree in kinesiology and am a Certified Health Education Specialist, I don't replace the guidance/counseling that comes from a good chat with your doctor or dietitian. For more information, feel free to contact me at karlaswalsh@gmail.com!
Healthful Bites
Longtime readers may have seen this coming…First I shared some delicious grilled recipes for Memorial Day, then bemoaned the fact that I had no equipment to cook this way after enjoying a grilled meal at a restaurant that specialized in the method. So I decided to invest in a pan so I could treat my meat (and fruits, veggies, bread, etc.) to some grate cooking too! (Puns make me almost as happy as they make Anderson Cooper. :) )
I snapped up a cast iron pan that grills on one side and griddles on the other, since multitasking kitchen gear is a studio apartment dweller’s best friend.
To break in my new find, I grabbed some chicken breasts and veggie kebabs from Trader Joe’s. An extra red onion may have also found it’s way into the mix since I’m a fan…
First step: Add some spice to the veggies—I’ll share the exact mix in a few weeks on a guest post over at OrderUpOrg, so stay tuned for a link! Then I tossed them on the grill pan set over medium heat. I also preheated my oven on low so the kebabs I planned to eat immediately could stay toasty while the chicken cooked.
Once the veggies were either stored in the fridge for later meals or warming in the oven, it was chicken time! For “blackened chicken” as seen on many restaurant menus, I added plenty of spice. When the meat just around the edges of the uncooked side starts to turn the white color of cooked poultry, I grabbed my tongs to flip. (Note: If you’re following along, be sure to use a different utensil and plate for raw and cooked chicken!) The second side cooks a bit quicker than the first, so dinner was ready in no time. But you can be sure it is cooked through by slicing the center with a knife to see that the breast is cooked evenly, or check the temperature—it’s finished when the center is 165 degrees or higher.
I plated up a kabob, a red onion round and a chicken breast to enjoy the fruits of my new tool. It was restaurant-quality, if I do say so myself! The hard part is going to be deciding what to use the new equipment for next.
What is your most indispensable piece of kitchen equipment and what do you use it for?
