Have The Right Knife For The Job

Preparing our own food at home is often healthier and less expensive than eating out, but many of us dread the chore of cooking each evening.  Making sure our families get plenty of fruits and vegetables involves more preparation time, so often we resort to less healthy canned vegetables.

To make preparation of fruits and vegetables quicker and easier, you need the correct tools including the right knife and cutting board.   Here are a few tips and tricks to make the chopping and slicing parts of meal preparation easier...

• Dishwasher-safe cutting boards that don’t slip are ideal. Once you find one you like, get a couple of them. Try the white plastic cutting boards with non-slip rubber grips on the edges. Flexible plastic ones that you can use to chop and then slide the ingredients into a pan or bowl are also handy. A stack of them is great! Multiple cutting boards make every day in your kitchen easier. With a bunch of boards, you can easily prevent cross-contamination.
• A Japanese mandolin is a workhorse for your kitchen. It’s so cheap and makes creating thin slices a breeze. Plus, with a mandolin you don’t have to peel much of anything because it slices everything so thinly that the peel can stay on to provide more fiber and nutrients (think beets, carrots, fennel, etc). Plus, most mandolines can go in the dishwasher when you are finished with them. Just be sure to use all the safety equipment they provide and be careful near the sharp blades.
• Stock up on great chef’s knives that are both big and sharp. Santoku knives are often less expensive for their size compared to French Chef knives ($79 versus $120) and they’re easy to use because their blades have built-in air pockets so that food doesn’t stick.
• Serrated knives are very handy and sturdy as well. You can buy a serrated inexpensive chef’s knife with a plastic handle in most value stores for about $8. These are great for any kitchen as utility knives.
• A sharp paring knife is essential for small jobs and peeling misshapen vegetables.
• Good vegetable peelers that are sharp and easy to handle make lots of kitchen chores an absolute breeze.

Check out the slicing infograph below.

Information adapted from: Kitchen Hack: Easier Meal Prep