I received kitchenware from KitchenAid in hopes that I may share a feature including it on my website. No further compensation was provided. All photos and opinions are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2015.
Momma Told Me: I'm not exactly cooking for the president.
Growing up there were vegetables with every meal, and usually more than one. Unfortunately, Momma made it amply clear that she had no patience for the cost, or shelf life, of fresh vegetables when cooking for such a small family. I'd wager near 90 percent of the vegetables consumed in my childhood were store-bought frozen or canned; and it's hard to instill a passion for veggies when the highest quality is determined by a manufacturer. Serving fresh vegetables, direct to table, is the surest way to help children and loved ones fall in love with the flavors and textures of these important dietary components. After all, nothing was less appealing than a pile of mushy microwaved carrots in neon orange goop!
I am far from a master chef, and I certainly reach into my freezer for a frozen pizza more often that I'd like- but I am constantly striving to learn new tools and techniques that will ultimately help me bring fresher food to my family more often. When I received the gorgeous KitchenAid
12" Stainless Steel Skillet with Glass Lid I was immediately intimidated. A skillet of this size and quality could easily become the most used tool in my kitchen for everything from pancakes to sauteed vegetables but it's significant size and heavy build meant I would need to step-up my kitchen skills. Not only is this gorgeous bad boy made with riveted stainless steel handled and a tempered dome glass lid, but it is oven safe up to 500F, opening a whole new world of cooking techniques I look forward to exploring in 2015.
For now, my first mission was to take some of the beautiful Brussels Sprouts flourishing in season through the end of Fall, and preserve them in
Make-Ahead-Meals, and side dishes for the coming Winter. Considered a cabbage, Brussels Sprouts are one of the more criticized side dishes from the vegetable arena. If they are not cooked properly they become dark, tough, and plain unappetizing. Blanching Brussels Sprouts is a great trick to seal in that fresh green snap of color and keep your vegetables as fresh as first pick, even months down the line.
1. Begin by trimming your Brussels Sprouts close to the stem and removing any yellowed leaves. If your sprouts are extra large you may wish to halve them. In a colander, give them a good rinse in room temperature water.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and slowly add your Brussels Sprouts, so as not to splash any hot water which may cause burns. The water will die down as you add the sprouts, be sure to return it to a boil once all sprouts have been added. Allow your sprouts to boil until crisp and tender (about 3-4 minutes depending on size.) You should be able to pierce the sprout with a fork, allowing a little give, but not cutting clear through.
3. Carefully transfer Brussels Sprouts from boiling water to a ice bath with a slotted spoon or tongs. This will 'shock' the vegetables, halting the cooking process. Remove the sprouts from the ice bath after 10-20 seconds and place them in freezer safe bags for frozen storage, or straight into a saute or roast pan for immediate preparation and serving. When blanched properly and sealed air-tight, Brussels Sprouts will maintain the peak of freshness for up to 6 months in a freezer, making them perfect for Make-Ahead-Meals and least minute side dish portions.
Getting the pan to a consistent and quick rolling boil was easy with my new KitchenAid 12" Stainless Steel Skillet, and I love that I can transfer the final batch of blanched Brussels Sprouts directly into the oven with a little bit of butter and garlic. Learning to pre-cook, or blanch and shock fresh vegetables at the peak of freshness is a great skill to master for chefs in busy home kitchens where preparation time is often in short demand. For more time saving tips to great food check out our
7 Meals In 70 Minutes series, complete with printable shopping list and instructions, and click the image below to be taken to our Honey Parmesan Pork Roast Recipe! For more great tips and cooking tools follow KitchenAid on
YouTube and
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What Daughter Says: Learn how to cook first class for your family with simple kitchen shortcuts such as blanching vegetables for freezing.
