Food Processors And Blenders

Oster Digital Food Steamer 5712

The next best thing to eating raw food is to use a food steamer. When you cook and use a food steamer the food never comes into contact with the water, so vital nutrients are not lost in the cooking process. It is brilliant for steaming fish, chicken, vegetables, dim sims, dumplings and my favorite steamed Lobsters.
When it comes to choosing a food steamer, it’s a matter of personal choice and budget but pick a well known brand name you can trust. – such as the

Oster Digital Food Steamer 5712

The Oster tiered food steamer 5712 is equipped with instant steam so you can start cooking immediately. The Food steamer has an LCD panel with 95-minute safety auto-off time and an automatic keep warm setting. This food steamer has fully collapsible steaming trays for easy cleaning and the large bowl includes eight egg holders for making soft or hard cooked eggs. The food steamer has an external water fill system with a see-through reservoir so that you can easily monitor the water level and you’ll never run out of steam.
Features and benefits of Oster Digital Food Steamer 5712

* 2-Tiered 6-quart capacity food steamer creates instant steam for preparing all kinds of food
* Delay cooking up to 12-hours
* LCD display with 95-minute timer
* Auto keep-warm setting
* External water-fill system with see-through reservoir allows you to never run out of steam
* Fully collapsible steaming trays
* Includes 3.8-quart and 2.3-quart steaming bowl
* 8 egg holders for soft-or hard-cooked eggs
* food steamer measures approximately 14 by 9-1/2 by 10-inch

Absolutely outstanding price of $43.44 — available at www.buyqualitykitchenware.com

Food Processors and Blenders as part of a Healthy Lifestyle

You can use your food processor or blender as part of a healthy lifestyle. Try a fruit smoothie for breakfast and don’t forget that a food processor makes an awesome hummus, great vegetable soups and a wonderful Pesto. The best thing about making your own food is that you know exactly what goes into it ~ no preservatives, no colorings or no flavorings.

Find your balance between food and physical activity.

Becoming a healthier you isn’t just about eating healthy—it’s also about physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness. It also helps you control body weight by balancing the calories you take in as food with the calories you expend each day.
• Be physically active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
• Increasing the intensity or the amount of time that you are physically active can have even greater health benefits and may be needed to control body weight. About 60 minutes a day may be needed to prevent weight gain.
• Children and teenagers should be physically active for 60 minutes every day, or most every day.

CONSIDER THIS:
If you eat 100 more food calories a day than you burn, you’ll gain about 1 pound in a month. That’s about 10 pounds in a year. The bottom line is that to lose weight, it’s important to reduce calories and increase physical activity.

Guidelines supplied by the USDA Dietary Guidelines

Food Processor and Blender Drink Recipes

Personally (as you know) I prefer a blender for all liquid recipes but I know lots of you disagree so I have included two recipes today one for a food processor and one for a blender. Have a go at making them and tell what you think!

Watermelon Cooler (for a food processor)

Ingredients
• 1 1/2 pounds (4 cups) sliced seedless watermelon, rind removed
• 1 cup lemon sorbet
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• Watermelon wedges and mint, for garnish

Directions
1. In a food processor, blend watermelon, sorbet, and lemon zest until very smooth.
2. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cold water; cover and refrigerate until very cold.
3. Serve over ice and garnish with watermelon wedges and mint.

Creamy Mango Smoothies (for a blender)

Ingredients:
• 2 mangoes, seed removed, peeled and chopped (it should be about 2 cups)
• 2 cups of mango sorbet
• 2 containers (6oz each) of Fat Free Vanilla Yoghurt
• 1 ½ cups of fat-free (skim) milk or soy milk

Directions:
1. Put all ingredients in a blender.
2. Place the cover on and blend at high speed until smooth.

Cleaning your Food Processor

Unplug the unit. Safety first always before you start taking things apart or toss the food processor bowl and blades into the sink, remember that it is an electrical appliance. Take the precaution of unplugging the unit from the wall and keeping the base power section away from the water.

Remember to rinse any food leftovers from the bowl or blades before washing them so that the food does not dry on them and make it difficult to clean. Take your food processor apart and make sure that all pieces of food are removed.
If you have dishwasher safe parts put them in the top rack. If they go in the bottom rack of the dishwasher, they could get damaged over time from the intense heat of the water.

You will need to take extra care when it comes to washing the blades as they are very sharp. You should wash the them in warm soapy water and gently wiped to preserve them. Do not scrub the parts of the processor with abrasive cleaners or pads.

Base/motor unit and exterior
Should be wiped down with a damp cloth, as it is an electrical appliance do not submerge of pour water over the base of the base/motor unit.

After all removable parts are fully dry put the food processor back together and store.

Food Processor Vs. Blender

People ask me do I need a food processor or a blender?

Actually I have both as each of these have specific jobs but at the same time can overlap in the jobs they perform.

You don’t need an expensive blender but they usually work better with liquids and will generally do a better job of pureeing than a food processor. If you want smooth soups or sauces (without lumps) then use a blender. Blenders are not built for mixing dough, whipping egg whites, grinding meats, nuts or hard cheeses or extracting juices from fruits or vegetables.

For safety reasons when adding foods to the blender when it is operating, remove the filler-cap from the container cover and add ingredients through the opening. If blending stops while you are operating it turn the blender OFF, unplug it, remove cover and use a utensil to push mixture downwards and away from blades. NEVER use your fingers!!

The food processor usually works better with more solid foods. As they can certainly chop, grate, slice, knead and mix everything by hand, it does do all these things very quickly and efficiently and saves you time and energy. It can chop 1lb (450 g) of onions in seconds and will therefore save you masses of time. It can also chop other vegetables, fruits and nuts.). The safety reasons given in the blender section also need to apply to food processors. They are ~ if you need to add foods to the food processor when it is operating remove the filler-cap from the container cover and add ingredients through the opening. If your food processor stops while you are operating it turn it OFF, unplug it, remove cover and use a utensil to push mixture downwards and away from blades. NEVER use your fingers!!

What features do I need in a Food Processor?

Capacity: There are dozens of different designs and sizes however it is generally better to upsize (if you can afford to) rather than buying a smaller version (such as the tiny three cup food processor). You don’t have to use it to its full capacity but if you need to it is always there if you ever need it. The only down side is the counter space that you need and also the storage space that is needed. Have you got room to spare? Having it plugged in and ready to go is vital – if it’s stashed away in a store cupboard you won’t want to be bothered. The bigger the model the more room you need.

Attachments: The standard mixing blades offered by most manufacturers are a chopper, grater, shredder and a slicer blade. These allow you to prepare cuisine easily and if your food processor does not have this, then it is likely that you got a substandard item. You need to be careful about bonus features as these can be add-ons that you may rarely or never use, yet at the same time cost you extra dollars that you do not need to spend. Some food processors include extra blades, additional bowl, and additional yet wider chutes and so on so that ration preparation will be very easy and convenient.

Speed settings: Again if your budget allows go for the machine that has the most variable speed settings. Importantly opt for a pulse button (most newer models offer this as a standard function).

Wide feed tube: A wider tube lets you push larger pieces of food through as a faster rate. You might like to also consider a continuous feed slicer/shredder. This is an extra attachment that allows you to slice or shred as many vegetables or as much cheese as you want without having to stop and empty the bowl. A chute directs the processed food into another bowl instead of depositing it in the integrated work bowl.

Safety features: As you can appreciate food processors can be a dangerous item in the kitchen with all those moving parts and blades. Some models offer more safety features than others ~ look for a locking lid and importantly a safety storage for blades and that the processor will not start unless the unit is locked together.

Caring for your food processor:
Look for models with dish washer safe parts as this can help in the clean up afterwards and if it is easy to clean up then you will use it more regularly.

I have had a food processor for many years now and I find it a dispensable tool, saving both time and energy. For me they slice fruit and vegetables quickly and evenly and pulverize soups, dips, and sauces into smooth liquids. Yes I know that you can do all of this by hand, but it will take a lot longer and you will tire out your hands, wrists, and contribute to wearing out your knives. Most food processors today have an On, Off and Pulse settings. Some machines have more speeds, so as always consult your owner’s manual for the best use.

You will need to carefully monitor the ingredients so that you do not produce puree when you wanted diced or cut ingredients. The food processor is not a set and forget piece of kitchenware. As with all good pieces of equipment you will need to adapt your way of preparing food.

A few general guidelines

# Make sure the machine you choose is powerful enough to handle the tough jobs such as: kneading stiff dough’s etc. If they cannot handle these things you may find that your burn out the motor – and believe me that is a smell that you do not forget in a hurry.

# The only thing I don’t put in my food processor is cream or eggs to be whipped. As the food processor does not have the speed to make good peaks. User a hand or stick mixer for mixing eggs or cream.

# Always select the appropriate blade you wish to you use and put into the food processor.

# Lock the lid down according to you manufacturer’s instructions.

# Prepare the food you wish to chop (by trimming leaves, etc) and put the food into the processor’s feed tube.

# Usually there is a fill line on the bowl of the processor so do not fill beyond this line. This is especially important when using liquids!

# Use the plastic pusher provided with your processor to help move the foods down the tube if needed. NEVER use your fingers to push food down the tube especially if the motor is running.

# Be extra careful when handling the blades of your processor as they are very sharp.

# You can use your food processor for chopping, making graham cracker crusts, smoothing sauces, making soups or pureeing baby food.

# To chop food without making it into a puree you should use the S-shaped blade. It is important to use the pulse button and keep an eye on the food consistency.

With some practice, your food processor has become indispensable because everyone’s cooking styles and needs are different.

Oster Digital Food Steamer 5712

Food Processors and Blenders as part of a Healthy Lifestyle

Food Processor and Blender Drink Recipes

Cleaning your Food Processor

Food Processor Vs. Blender

What features do I need in a Food Processor?

Food Processors and Blenders

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