By Lisa Golden Schroeder

Who doesn’t want to save time and money? Or have a second pair of totally efficient hands assisting you in the kitchen? If you’ve got a food processor languishing in a cupboard or dusty corner of the kitchen, this is the season to pull it out. It does feel a little counter-intuitive to think about using a large machine now, when you’re trying to spend as much time outside as you can. But engaging a food processor—whether full size or a mini chopper—can speed up those repetitive tasks that slow down dinner prep.

When home kitchen food processors first appeared in the late 1970s, a version of a tool used by professional caterers and chefs, I was just entering college and catering small dinner parties for my parents’ friends. They were expensive and my mother didn’t have one, so I continued chopping by hand. But Julia Child, by then the undisputed queen of TV cooking shows, loved her food processor. Her effusive declarations that she couldn’t do without one catapulted them into kitchen stardom amongst passionate cooks. But it took a few more years before they became mainstream and affordable, and one of my favorite college graduation gifts was my first Cuisinart. As the years go by, I’m grateful that I don’t have to hand process everything I make, from puréed sauces like pesto to chopping lots of onions or julienning carrots for my kids’ favorite salad. But do you find your machine intimidating? Here are some basics to help you unleash your kitchen magician…

1. Use your processor strategically. Not every kitchen job warrants pulling it out, but it’s worth its weight in gold if you want to make your own hummus for snacks (super simple) or just chop up lots of veggies for a pot of chilled summer gazpacho, or a spicy salsa or relish to spoon into grilled chicken tacos.
2. Handle the metal blade carefully. That blade is as sharp as any knife you own, so be sure to wash it right away or put it in the top rack of the dishwasher, so it’s not hanging around the bottom of the kitchen sink ready to nick someone’s fingers. Take time to notice how the work bowl and lid fit together on the motor base—the machine won’t turn on unless all the pieces are lined up and closed properly, guaranteeing you won’t hurt yourself.
3. Practice using all the blades and the pulse button. Once you’re familiar with how each blade works (you most likely have the all-purpose metal blade, a plastic dough blade for kneading bread or pizza dough, a slicer and a shredding disk), it’s easy to think about all the ways you can use them. Save yourself lots of money by buzzing up your own flax meal (not to mention the freshness) or shredding or thinly slicing sweet potatoes, beets, cabbage, or carrots for fries or slaws. Pulsing, or turning the blade on and off in short bursts, allows you to control the action and evenly chop everything.
4. Take advantage of the feed tube. That narrow tube that extends from the top of the machine lets you run the machine, while slowly adding ingredients like olive oil for a sauce or small ingredients that you just want lightly chopped into a larger, more fully chopped mixture. The wider tube is for adding ingredients for slicing or shredding, like pieces of carrot or potato. Then you use the plastic pushers that fit into the tubes to lightly press on the ingredients as they are fed into the blades, rather than your fingers!
5. Use your rubber spatula. Don’t be afraid to stop and open the food processor and scrape down the sides of the work bowl with a spatula if you’re chopping or pureeing ingredients. This shortens the time it takes to do the job and lets you control how coarse or fine the final mixture is.
6. Pick the right processor for the job. If you know you want to regularly make recipes that need lots of chopping—or you frequently entertain family and friends—then a large- size processor will serve you well (look for an 11-cup capacity). But if you know you want to make smaller amounts of puréed herb sauces or salsas, or grind up flax seeds or nuts, then a mini chopper may be just the ticket. I’m not a huge fan of the ultra-large food processors with the nested work bowls, as you end up with extra parts to wash when you use the smallest work bowl.

I think a food processor can become an indispensable partner in making healthy, affordable meals. Once you use one, you’ll see they’re nearly foolproof in their design, making them terrifically easy to use and very safe. And you’ll have that efficient extra set of hands that will get you outside faster, eating with your family or on the deck enjoying your guests!

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

Last year, the United Nations officially dubbed 2013 The International Year of Quinoa. Really? I’m guessing they dubbed all sorts of things as mascots for this year, but with many Just BARE fans asking about how to cook it, I thought I’d tackle the question of what’s the buzz about quinoa.

For me, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has been hanging around the co-op grocery and health food stores for years, but it’s a bit of a newcomer to the average American pantry. I first made a pilaf with it years ago, when my kids were little—and honestly wasn’t that impressed. But I realize now that at that time what I could buy in bulk at the co-op was minimally processed—a good thing—but it hadn’t been pre-rinsed like a lot of the quinoa we can buy now in mainstream grocery stores. That pre-cooking rinse removes a slightly bitter outer coating that protects the tiny seeds from birds. But that first experience left me reluctant to make it a pantry staple. Until two years ago, when a fantastic salad recipe landed in my kitchen via the first Just BARE Just 5 Cooking Challenge: Pico de Gallo and Chicken Quinoa Salad became the vehicle for making quinoa a regular at my table. I loved how the small grains melded with the spicy dressing and complemented the meatiness of the chicken—no bitter taste, super-fast to make. Since then I’ve developed recipes using quinoa and we continued to get entries in last year’s Just 5 contest using this terrifically versatile and easy to cook grain. Last night I was at a potluck supper, where there were four quinoa-based salads on the buffet table!

Some fast facts about quinoa…

1. It’s been lumped into the “ancient grains” family that includes triticale, spelt, and kamut (more grains we wonder what to do with and see in loaves of hearty breads), but it’s really a tiny Peruvian seed that’s related to leafy green vegetables, versus grains like wheat or barley, which are grasses.
2. We eat it like a grain. It has a mild, nutty flavor (though if it’s not rinsed before cooking it can have a vaguely smoky, bitter flavor) that makes it as versatile as rice—absorbing the flavors of other ingredients, broth, or seasonings.
3. It’s a nutrition powerhouse. Its protein content is high, as it contains all the essential amino acids needed to make it complete. It’s also high in lysine, an amino acid important for tissue growth and repair, is a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, has a high iron content, and has a respectable amount of fiber.
4. Quinoa is very easy to cook. It takes only 15 minutes, making it perfect for quick meals. And it’s easy to tell when it’s done because the seeds display a little white thread that curls around them. You can buy it in most grocery stores, in a variety of colors, from pale yellow to red (I love red quinoa—it just has an eye appeal that you don’t get with rice.)

I really want to encourage you to try it—as a terrific go-to pantry staple, for its “super food” status, and for the great tasting meals you can make with it. Try these other recipes in our archive: Grilled Chicken with Sage-Infused Quinoa & Harvest Vegetable Bake and Country Thai Chicken & Quinoa Salad.

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

It’s time folks. May Day is officially done and as far as I’m concerned, it’s tolling the start of eating with our hands. Outside. On the deck, porch, or in the grass. In the boat, on the dock, in the woods. Little kids and big kids alike, I say chuck the forks and let’s eat everything that we can carry outside, or better yet, cook outside. Sweet, buttery corn-on-the-cob, frosty popsicles, and juicy chicken drumsticks! Watermelon, berries, and thick drippy burgers… all we need is a big roll of paper towels (or slightly damp washcloths, if you want to be green about it—my mom’s favorite kind of napkin). I’m practically full just thinking about being freed from the tyranny of dinner inside, free to move the “table” someplace fun. The promise of warm breezes and sunny evenings is working me up and I’m gathering all my favorite go-to ingredients in my head.

So at my house (or cabin), if I want to please every single person called to the supper table, it’s gonna be chicken drumsticks and/or bone-in chicken thighs. Whether roasted fast in a super-hot oven at home or char-grilled on the tiny Weber perched on a flat rock outside the cabin, those meaty chunks are always eaten with our fingers. And I’m not so choosy that I’m compelled to home-make every glaze or sauce—I’m way okay with good jarred barbecue sauces, the sweet-spicier the better. But I’ve got a kid who’s not okay with conventional American barbecue sauce, so I’ve got a handful of easy off the shelf combinations that still deliver those savory-slightly sweet-tangy elements that meld magically with deliciously dark chicken—even better if the element of smoke is thrown in. I’ve doctored up Asian barbecue sauce—fragrantly pungent hoisin—with a spoonful of creamy almond butter, to slather on the meat just a few minutes before serving. I’ve stirred up mango chutney with a dollop of Dijon mustard (talk about fusion food!) or along the same lines, blended local maple syrup with coarse country-style mustard, to make a glaze and dipping sauce. Honey, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, orange juice, apricot jam, horseradish… take a stab at saucing mixology the next time you dream of crispy drumsticks. Just start with nice meaty legs, roast or grill till nearly done, then sauce away.

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

I’m really hungry for something slightly creamy and sort of rich. Not so rich that I feel a bit sick after eating a plateful, but rich enough to meld with a big spoonful of rice. A splash of something tart, like lemon or vinegar, will cut through the richness and balance everything out. I’m not a huge heavy cream lover—at least not in savory recipes—but coconut milk can hit the spot. I know not everyone is a coconut fiend like I am, but partnered up with spices and a few vegetables it offers that nutty note to a sauce without being overwhelming. So a simmered cut-up chicken, that proverbial chicken in a pot, is once again the ultimate comfort food.

Even though we’re on the cusp (or you may be there already) of grilling season, I won’t abandon the economy and satisfying results of cutting up a whole chicken and stewing it up. I just bought a new pair of really sharp kitchen shears that make short work of dividing up a chicken into manageable parts. A nice 3-1/2 or 4 pound bird feeds six grown-ups nicely when divvyed up into two breasts, two legs, two thighs, and two wings. Or keep the wings attached to the breast halves for heartier servings. For the following recipe the most serious time you’ll spend is prepping the chicken—be sure to really brown it nicely, so once you add the coconut milk and tomatoes the skin won’t get too flabby, and a good sprinkle of coarse salt before serving will add back texture to each bite. Once the chicken is done, and I’d remove the breast pieces first as they cook faster than the legs and thighs, you can cook the sauce down a little to thicken it. But you might want to leave it alone, to be soaked up by that spoonful of rice.
 

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

Fennel is one of those mysterious inhabitants of the fresh veggie bin. Its flavor, like sweet anise or licorice, has a firm foothold in Mediterranean cooking. In southern French fish stews, as a grilled Italian side, slow-braised as an elegant first course, or thinly sliced in salads, fennel is versatile and adds a unique edge to recipes. I’ve chopped it up and simmered some in spaghetti sauce, with a palmful of fennel seed, and tossed it in a creamy coleslaw. It does have that love-hate element—everyone has a relationship with licorice-tasting foods in some way. But it’s a beloved flavor in many parts of the world.

Spring fennel, plump pale green bulbs with long stalks and feathery fronds (they look like fresh dill), is a treat as far as I’m concerned. Mild and crisp if served up raw, think about subbing it in recipes where you might use celery. Chopped into a chicken salad, with a spoonful of chopped fronds stirred into mayonnaise? Made into a salsa with multi-colored cherry tomatoes and lime…or trimmed into wedges you can grill with chunks of bell pepper and baby Yukon gold new potatoes? Or just sauté fennel slices with lots of spring onion and boneless chicken breasts. If you’d like to experiment, look for bulbs that are creamy white with few spots or blemishes and lively green stalks and leaves. A nice big fennel bulb will keep in the fridge for several days, but the stalks will dry out quickly. To prep fennel, cut the bulb in half and slice out the core. Cut into wedges or thinly slice—it’s tailor-made for a mandolin slicer.

Fennel loves citrus, pungent cheese like Parmesan, and garlic (though what doesn’t?) It’s a happy partner in leafy salads, and a combo of baby arugula, thin strips of fennel, and sliced ripe avocado with a lemon or orange vinaigrette is about as refreshing a salad you can make. Serve it up with smoky grilled drumsticks or thighs. Or make the following 5-ingredient salad, with crisply crumb-coated boneless chicken breasts on a bed of fennel, red onion, and sweet oranges. The combination is just slightly addicting!