Try pulsing carrots, garlic, and herbs in the blender to chop them. Puree your vegetables in the blender before adding them to a soup or a sauce for a perfectly smooth texture. If you’re having a hard time blending firmer foods, like nuts, or fibrous foods like celery, make sure your blender blades are sharp. If you’re not sure how to sharpen them, read the manufacturer’s instructions.
A mixer is especially helpful when you’re combining a liquid mixture with a dry mixture, like for baked goods. You can also use a mixer to whip meringues, mayo, and homemade whipped cream. A hand-held immersion blender is perfect for blending homemade mayo or pesto, and its compact design will take up a lot less space in your kitchen than a food processor would. If you have a hook attachment, you can use your stand mixer to mix dough for bread, pies, and cookies.
This is a great option if you want to add chopped nuts to a delicious dessert. If you have whole spices like allspice or cardamom seeds, grind them to release their fragrance before you use them in a dish!
This is a great way to make riced cauliflower, a popular low-carb alternative to traditional rice. You can also use your food mill to quickly process cooked potatoes for a creamy mash.
Garlic, onions, and celery can all be finely minced by hand, for instance. Of course, always remember to be careful when you’re cutting anything with a knife. Hold the knife firmly in your dominant hand. With your other hand, curl your fingers in so they look like a bear claw, then use that claw to hold the food you’re cutting. This way, even if the knife slips, it will just brush against the back of your knuckles.
Graters are perfect when you’re making a slaw, salad, or hash. This is also a good option if you need grated ginger for a sauce, stir-fry, or drink. Be sure to keep your fingers free of the grater, or you could get a nasty scrape!
For an even finer texture, pour the puree through a sieve and push it through with the back of a spoon. This is perfect for creating fruit toppings for ice cream or your own homemade tomato sauce!
This is a great way to break up chips or cookies for a crunchy topping for casseroles and desserts! You can also use this method to crush chickpeas for homemade hummus.
If you have a very wet dough, like cookie batter, mix it with a wooden spoon instead.
