Month: June 2021

If you know me or have been reading this blog for a while, you know that I’m usually late to the party when it comes to a lot of things (unless I’m hosting the party… then I’m always on time.)

Amongst my friends, I was the last to own a microwave oven and the last to own a grill.  I actually didn’t own a grill, or use on for that matter, until Pampered Chef introduced the Indoor/Outdoor Portable Grill.

Before I had the grill, I would read recipe and watch cooking shows where people were grilling and it was always something I wanted to do but most of my adult life I lived in an apartment with no personal outdoor space so have a bigger grill would never have worked. This one I love because it’s truly portable.

Now that I have outdoor space, I find myself using the electric feature most because it can take around 30 minutes to get the coals going and usually I’m ready to cook and eat.

With this grill, I can serve freshly grilled food any time, anywhere—even indoors! I can fill it with charcoal for an outdoor cookout or I can gather friends around the electric grill in my kitchen to cook together.  I love the versatility!  The innovative grill grate covers the electric coil to reduce smoke.  And since it is portable, it can travel to tailgate parties, picnics and we use it down by our pool.

The electric grill feature heats up much faster and are much easier to turn off and cool down than when using charcoal, making it ideal when traveling.  It can also be used to keep foods warm when outdoor entertaining.

One night we did a fun Korean barbecue right in our kitchen. I set the grill in the middle of the table and everyone cooked their own food.  We had a great time and it was a neat way to entertain our friends.

And because this grill isn’t huge, it’s easy to store. I keep it right in our kitchen and can use it there or outside on our deck. 

Here are the details:

• Converts from electric for indoor use to charcoal for outdoor use.
• The exclusive, custom-designed grill grate covers the electric coil to reduce smoke.
• 15½” wide; 16″ tall. 13¼” square cooking surface fits up to 9 burgers made with the Burger & Slider Press.
• With the turn of a knob, you can customize the grill’s electric cooking temperature.
• Safety features include a locking lid, stay-cool handle, and nonslip legs.
• Removable drip tray for easy cleaning; grill grate is dishwasher-safe.

Get yours here: Shop Indoor/Outdoor Portable Grill

Early on I learned to never fly blind when cooking.  Especially when you’re newer to it.  Ingredients are precious and there is no sense in ruining a dish when it could be easily avoided.  Enter in the food thermometer.

I remember so many asking me how long to cook chicken, steak, fish… you name it and my answer would always be the same… “I don’t know! It’s done when the thermometer beeps.” Okay, probably not the best answer but it was the truth.

This digital food thermometer lets you keep an eye on the doneness of your beef, chicken, pork, or turkey without ever opening the oven door. The Instant-Read Food Thermometer unfolds so that the probe can monitor the meat inside your oven while the display stays outside, attached to your oven door or refrigerator by magnet.

The removable corded probe is 3 feet long so it’s great for oven cooking or using on a grill.  It folds flat nicely for storage and has a handy bottle opener (just in case!).  

So why would you use a food thermometer?  Using a food thermometer is the only reliable way to ensure safety and to determine desired “doneness”.  And once i got the hang of it, I was able to figure out what temperature to cook things to, then pull off the grill, stovetop or out of the oven (because most proteins will continue cooking for a bit after removing from the heat source).

Sometimes cooking can be stressful enough, why not eliminate the part where you worry about things being cooked completely?

Get yours here: Shop Food Thermometers

SHOP MY KITCHEN!

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Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. Colleen Finley is an independent advanced director for Pampered Chef. She earns a commission by linking to products she uses and trusts. If you purchase a product through her website link, your cost will be the same, and Colleen will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps us enrich lives, one meal and one memory at a time!

Everything on this site, recipes and photos belong to the author and any reprints are only by permission of the author.

When I was a senior in college and getting ready to move into my first place of my own, I couldn’t get enough kitchen products. I thought if I had all the cool things, it would magically turn me into an amazing cook.  Guess what happened?  I had a bunch of cool things (or so I thought) and I wasn’t much of a cook.

What I realized in my culinary journey was that good products and good recipes were what helped turn me into someone who can hold her own in the kitchen pretty well!  And because I didn’t really know what I was doing, I had a lot of products that weren’t really that good.  Thankfully Pampered Chef changed all of that for me when I became a customer and later a consultant.

An excellent set of mixing bowls is essential in every kitchen. I remember my mom had a set of stainless bowls that seemed like she had them forever.  They were durable and trustworthy and it felt like we could practically destroy them and they still always looked great.  Pampered Chef’s Stainless Mixing Bowl set is brushed stainless steel with nonskid silicone bottoms that have padded, rubberized thumbholes to help you keep them steady as you mix.

Here are the quick details:
– Standard and metric measure marks inside the bowls give you a quick reference.
– Spouts help you pour liquids, portion pancake batter and more.
– Bowls and included lids nest for compact storage.
– Set of 2, 4 and 6 qts.
– Dishwasher- and freezer-safe.

Because the stainless steel is lightweight, it makes these bowls super easy to handle and they won’t get heavy when filled like glass bowls will.  Also, they won’t break. With the three sizes, you’re covered when put to any task. 

One note is that stainless bowls are reactive to acid so you shouldn’t use them with acid foods like citrus and tomatoes.  But they will cover you for everything from marinating to cookie and cake batters to your bread rising.  And a second note, and I really wish this went without saying but I have to say it… do not use metal bowls in a microwave oven!

These bowls will last you a lifetime.  Isn’t it time to upgrade your mixing bowls?  Get yours here: Shop Stainless Mixing Bowls

SHOP MY KITCHEN!

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Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. Colleen Finley is an independent advanced director for Pampered Chef. She earns a commission by linking to products she uses and trusts. If you purchase a product through her website link, your cost will be the same, and Colleen will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps us enrich lives, one meal and one memory at a time!

Everything on this site, recipes and photos belong to the author and any reprints are only by permission of the author.

One of the bummers of being GF/DF can be finding recipes that taste like the real-deal. Thankfully amazing food bloggers and authors have filled the internet and book stores with endless recipes to help us navigate the allergy-filled waters. Sometimes the recipes are spot-on and others sadly fall short. This one I’m happy to say is spot on!

With summer fast upon us I’m finding that I’m turning to my countertop appliances more and more.  I’m using my Quick Cooker electric pressure cooker frequently to free up time so I can play more in my pool and I’m not standing over a hot stovetop. I’ll save that for the cold evenings when the snow is falling in the background.  I’m using my Deluxe Grill & Griddle instead of standing over a hot grill outside. I honestly never understood seeing people wheel their grills to their driveway to make dinner when it’s 100 degrees outside and they are standing on blacktop.  If you know why, please explain it to me!  I’m using my Deluxe Air Fryer more and more and we give this baby a workout in our house. It’s used a minimum of once daily… sometimes for every meal we have!  The microwave looks on as we use that less and less.  We really only use it for reheating soup or boiling water at this point. 

This recipe uses the Deluxe Air Fryer. We use the air fryer to make potatoes each morning for breakfast.  At lunch it’s used to make this chicken recipe to throw on a salad or to reheat leftovers.  Before I had a microwave, I reheated all leftovers in my conventional oven so this feels natural to me.  Plus it doesn’t make everything soggy like the microwave does.

I’ll make it when I’m in the mood for pub food. I love making pub food on Friday nights when we are in instead of at a sports bar.  We can throw on a game in the background and have the same experience without the noise (yes, I’m THAT old) and expense.  Plus we can take our time and not worry about our table being turned over.  This recipe is super versatile too… it can be used to make chicken & waffles, fried chicken salad, chicken fingers with French fries for happy hour or dinner.  You can even use the same recipe for a chicken cutlet for chicken Milanese.  (I see that recipe in our future!)

While getting the ingredients together can feel like it takes a little time (I’m talking less than 5 minutes), it’s so worth it.  This is pretty darn close to going through the drive-thru without the gut-issues on the back end (pun intended).  But then when you realize it’s 282 calories per serving vs it’s gluten-filled deep-fried counterpart, I’d say it’s worth it!

County Fair Fried Chicken
Makes 6 servings

½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon paprika
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried ginger
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound chicken tenders
½ cup flour
3 cups cornflakes
2 eggs
olive oil for spritzing

1. Add the thyme, basil, paprika, oregano, celery seed, garlic powder, pepper, mustard, pepper and ginger to the Medium Stainless Mixing Bowl.  Add the oil and stir to coat using the Small Mix ‘N Scraper.  Add the chicken tenders and stir gently to coat the chicken.   

2. Add the flour to one Coating Tray. Whisk the eggs to a second coating tray using the Stainless Mini Whisk. Crush the cornflakes in the Manual Food Processor and add them to the third coating tray.

3. Working in batches, coat the chicken in the flour first, then the eggs, and then the cornflakes, pressing to adhere.

4. Divide the chicken tenders onto two cooking trays for the Deluxe Air Fryer and spray the tenders with oil using the Kitchen Spritzer. Place the trays on the top and middle racks. Turn the wheel to select the AIR FRY setting; press the wheel to select. Turn the wheel to adjust the time to 10 minutes. Press the wheel to start. Switch the trays halfway through cooking (you’ll hear beeps as a reminder). Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on the Instant-Read Food Thermometer.

Enjoy!

SHOP MY KITCHEN!

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Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. Colleen Finley is an independent advanced director for Pampered Chef. She earns a commission by linking to products she uses and trusts. If you purchase a product through her website link, your cost will be the same, and Colleen will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps us enrich lives, one meal and one memory at a time!

Everything on this site, recipes and photos belong to the author and any reprints are only by permission of the author.

Everyone knows they need to clean their grill, yet so few do it.  I’m not going to get into the weirdness of not cleaning your grill, but I will get into why this Wooden Grill Scraper is the bomb-diggity!

There are plenty of grill scrapers on the market… ones with nylon bristles, ones with metal bristles… heck, I’ve even seen suggestions on using wadded up foil to clean a grill!  Nylon and metal bristle brushes make me a little nervous for a few reasons.  First, the nylon can melt and compromise the quality of the grill grate.  Second, metal bristles can come out and get lodged in your grill grate, then transfer to your food.  Why shouldn’t you use foil?  Did you know when foil is manufactured, various oils are sprayed on it to keep it from sticking when rolled.  If you’re cleaning your grill with it, it will transfer onto the grate… then onto your food.  Any which way… no bueno. 

Enter in Pampered Chef’s Wooden Grill Scraper! It should arrive wearing a cape! This sturdy oak scraper is a great natural alternative. Wooden scrapers are far more durable than their nylon and metal-bristled counterparts.  The more you use it, the better it works because as you use it, customized grooves develop.  It can be a little clunky to get it started but by the 3^rd or 4^th use, you’ll see teeth burned right into place. Then you’re off to the races.

Details:

• The beveled edge will develop grooves customized to your grill. 
• 14¼” length lets you clean your grill safely and easily. 
• Made from strong white oak wood. 
• Leather hanging tie for convenient storage.
• Wipe clean.

Ready to get your grill clean?  Click here to get yours: Shop Wooden Grill Scraper

SHOP MY KITCHEN!

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Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. Colleen Finley is an independent advanced director for Pampered Chef. She earns a commission by linking to products she uses and trusts. If you purchase a product through her website link, your cost will be the same, and Colleen will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps us enrich lives, one meal and one memory at a time!

Everything on this site, recipes and photos belong to the author and any reprints are only by permission of the author.

Like a lot of recipes, this one was developed because I wasn’t feeling like making a lot of effort for dinner one night.  Writing up this post actually takes more effort than the recipe itself.  This recipe is going to be a favorite that you will make again and again because it uses things you already have on hand (okay, you will need to get the seasoning mix but once you have it, you’re good to go! I promise it will be the best $8 you spend all summer) and you can add in anything you’d like or need to use up.

Don’t have ground sausage? No problem! Throw in some ground turkey or ground beef.  Have some bell peppers that need to be used up? Perfect! Toss them in before you add the pasta!  Don’t have tomato sauce? Just use some marinara you have on hand.  See where I’m going with this?

And it’s all done right in your electric pressure cooker so there is very little clean-up.  You’re welcome!

Pizza Pasta
Makes 6 servings

1 small onion
1 pound Italian-style ground pork
1 tablespoon Pantry Everything But The Pizza Seasoning Mix
8 ounces gluten-free penne (I used this one)
1 ½ cups water
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 15oz can diced tomatoes

1. Chop the onion using the Food Chopper.
2. Set the Quick Cooker to SEAR and press START.  Allow the Quick Cooker to heat for 2 minutes.  Add the sausage and onion to the inner pot and cook, stirring occasionally to break up the sausage using the Teak Wooden Spatula, for 5 minutes.  Add the Everything But The Pizza Seasoning and stir to combine.  Press CANCEL.
3. Add the pasta, water, sauce and tomatoes to the inner pot in that order.  Do not stir.  Place the lid on the Quick Cooker and lock into place.  Make sure the vent valve is in the sealing position and press CUSTOM.  Adjust the time to 6 minutes and press START.
4. When the Quick Cooker beeps, manually release the pressure, remove the lid and stir using the Teak Wooden Spoon to combine.

Enjoy!

SHOP MY KITCHEN!

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Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. Colleen Finley is an independent advanced director for Pampered Chef. She earns a commission by linking to products she uses and trusts. If you purchase a product through her website link, your cost will be the same, and Colleen will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps us enrich lives, one meal and one memory at a time!

Everything on this site, recipes and photos belong to the author and any reprints are only by permission of the author.