This Week for Dinner – Weekly Meal Plans, Dinner Ideas, Recipes and More!: Kitchen Tips

Category: Kitchen Tips

Tuesday, July 12

New Member of the Family! And Cutting Mangoes Like Avocados

No, I’m still pregnant. But we do have a new member of the family…well, of my cutting board family, which continues to multiply like bunnies. I think I may be addicted to beautiful wood cutting boards. Just maybe. Anyway, I spotted this beauty at the Ferry Building a few weeks ago and knew I had to get it. We needed a small cutting board – the one we had was yucky and cracked. Plus, I knew that every time I would use this, it would make me happy. And I was right. You can’t put a price on that!

The board is made by Russell James Ooms from Walnut Grove, CA. He is a cabinetmaker/woodworker who saves the cut-offs from commissioned work and combines that with found wood to make these cutting boards. The shop where I found this board was also selling big, beautiful mosaic cutting boards that Ooms makes (you can click here to see a sample). BUT…I didn’t need a big board, so I resisted. See, I do have self-control!

Doesn’t the board look absolutely stunning paired with mango?

Which leads us to topic #2. My dear friend Liz commented on Sunday sharing a great technique for cutting mangoes. Nate and I have tried so many different ways of cutting up mango I’m surprised we never thought of this one…especially since this is how I “chop” avocados.

You cut off the wide sides, cut a grid into the fruit, without cutting through the skin, then scoop the fruit out with a knife. Genius!

The core portion still has plenty of yummy fruit on it, so I cut the skin off around the edge and then just sort of hacked off the remaining fruit.

I have to say, the spoon is more blunt than a knife, so the pieces were a little mushier and I feel like I get closer to the skin when I cut slices and then cut the fruit out with a knife. BUT…it really was MUCH faster to cut it this way, which is good when you’re hungry and/or pregnant. Plus, it felt a little safer and more in control since these slippery little buggers can be downright dangerous when you introduce a sharp knife to the mix!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 1:04 pm 17 Comments
Categories: fab faves, Healthy Eats, Kitchen Tips, the goods
Tuesday, June 21

A Healthy Twist on Classic Potato Salad
When I discovered my next Newman’s Own “Own It” recipe challenge with Martha’s Circle involved utilizing one of their salad dressings, I immediately knew what I was going to make. Back when I was first married and still learning how to cook, Nate’s Gram Maynard was the one to teach me how to make potato salad. I loved her potato salad. Simple and classic, it always hit the spot. Not too sweet and not filled with too many surprises. (I’m not a big fan of surprises in potato salad.)

Gram had a trick, one that I have never forgotten and have always used since. Once the potatoes are cooked and cut, instead of using vinegar, she would toss the potatoes in Italian dressing. You get your vinegar in there, along with a bunch of built-in seasonings. It’s a genius idea that I absolutely love.

Since I needed to also add a “twist” to my potato salad recipe, I decided to go for a healthy twist. In fact, I went for three healthy twists on this classic!
1. Replace the bulk of the mayonnaise with fat-free yogurt…less fat and the health benefits of yogurt to boot!
2. Leave the skins on the potatoes…that’s where are all the vitamins are!
3. Throw in some cauliflower…easily hidden, most people won’t even know it’s there (Nate didn’t notice after eating a whole serving) and this nutrient-packed veggie adds an additional healthy kick to the salad.
And guess what? This healthier version of the classic potato salad tastes just like…potato salad! Go figure. Seriously, it tasted just like the much less-healthy version I used to make. These twists are here to stay!

Classic Potato Salad with a Healthy Twist
From Jane Maynard, This Week for Dinner
- 3 pounds potatoes of your choice (I used russet this time around)
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped small
- 1 1/2 cups cauliflower, chopped then steamed
- 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup Newman’s Own Lighten Up Italian Dressing
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup fat-free strained Greek yogurt or other thick yogurt
- 1/2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 1/8 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/4 tsp. paprika

Chop unpeeled potatoes into 1″ cubes. Add to a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and lightly boil 5-10 more minutes, until potatoes are easily pierced by a fork but not falling apart. Drain potatoes and put in refrigerator until cool. Feel free to fish out potato peels that have fallen off any potato pieces…some of them may do that after cooking.

Mix together the potatoes, eggs, cauliflower and onion. Pour Italian dressing over the mixture and toss to cover.

Mix together mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, dry mustard, salt, pepper and paprika. Add to potato mixture and stir to combine.

Eat!

P.S. Part of my participation in this project with Martha’s Circle was my recipe featured in a Newman’s Own advertorial in Everyday Food (kind of like the last recipe I did with them, which appeared in Martha Stewart Living).

CHECK. IT. OUT. My name, blog, recipe and photo are on the inside front cover of the July issue of Everyday Food! Somebody pinch me! Get out there and get a copy for your scrapbook!
Posted by Jane Maynard at 7:38 am 15 Comments
Categories: eat less meat, featured recipes, Kitchen Tips, Martha Stewart, Recipes, side dishes
Thursday, June 16

Buying the Right Amount of Strawberries & Raspberries for Jam
My jam is all made and stored in the freezer, ready and waiting to make our year a happy jam year indeed! We ended up with 28 cups (14 containers) of raspberry freezer jam and 48 cups (24 containers) of strawberry freezer jam. I bought WAY more berries than I realized, but I must admit that I’m happy to have such a large supply!

Every year when I go to buy my berries and pectin, I end up standing in the store feeling frustrated. I can never figure out how many boxes of pectin I should buy for the amount of berries I have. Generally the containers the berries come in are measured in ounces, but the pectin recipe tells you how many pints of berries to buy. And it’s surprisingly annoying to figure out how those match up. AND…I’ve found that the amount of pints that the pectin box recipe suggests doesn’t necessarily yield the amount of crushed berries that they tell you it will.

SOOOOOOOO…this year I kept track! And I crushed so many berries that I feel like this is pretty fool proof. This post will be helpful for those of you who are planning to make strawberry or raspberry jam. And it will be very helpful for me next year when I go to make more jam. I’ll actually have all the amounts written down. No more frustrating google searches on my iPhone and hasty calculations on the back of a receipt while my girls tear the store apart, only to end up being wrong! This post will forever keep me on track. Yippee!

So here’s how it broke down:
- Four 6-ounce containers of raspberries crushed to 3 cups (if you’re making freezer jam, this is the amount you want for 1 box of regular pectin and you will use 5 1/4 cups of sugar – this will make 7 cups of jam)
- A 64-ounce container of strawberries (which was also labeled as 4 pounds) crushed to 6 cups with a few berries left over (if you’re making freezer jam, this is the amount you will use with 3 boxes of regular pectin and you will use 12 cups of sugar – this will make 15 cups of jam)
This year I used sixteen 6-ounce containers of raspberries (4 boxes of pectin and 21 cups of sugar) and three 64-ounce containers of strawberries (9 boxes of pectin and 36 cups of sugar) to end up with the amounts of jam I outlined in the first paragraph of this post.

Someone asked in the last freezer jam post about the Ziploc containers I use. Growing up my grandma and mom used all kinds of containers – jars, random tupperware, even Ziploc bags! For freezer jam, as long as it’s clean and can close, you’re good to go! I personally use the small (2-cup) round Ziploc containers that have a screw-top lid. We always eat our jam within a year and we’ve never had ice crystals or freezer burn. Then I save the containers for next year – they stack nicely so they don’t take up too much space while waiting for the next batch of jam. (One quick tip – often there is a $1 coupon inside the Ziploc containers for the pectin I use. I never discover the coupons until the jam is already made and am kicking myself for not saving $13! Just keep that in mind if you buy these containers for jam.)

I hope all of this is helpful for at least some of you. Even if it isn’t, I have to admit it will be for me. I know, so selfish.
Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:18 am 23 Comments
Categories: fab faves, Kitchen Tips, sweet things
Tuesday, June 14

Miracle of Miracles…An Organized Spice Cupboard!
I have never attempted to organize my spice cupboard. I don’t know why because I have always hated my spice cupboard. If I want to know if I have a particular spice, I literally have to pull out every bottle in the cupboard to see if it’s there. And I often end up with multiple bottles of the same spice floating around. I could go on and on with the troubles my spice cupboard has caused me…and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one!

So, this past week, I couldn’t take it anymore! I took a trip to the store and bought a lazy susan-type double shelf thingy and went to town on my spices. Here’s what I did:
- The spices I use most frequently are on the bottom shelf, organized on the lazy susan. I can easily see them all and spin the shelf around to reach the ones in the back with no problem!
- I put all the spices I use less often on the second shelf.
- I wrote down every spice I have in the cupboard and taped it inside the cabinet door. Now I can look at the list and see if a spice even exists in the cupboard before I begin the big search!
I know it’s not much. For example, I could type my list and alphabetize it. I could also better organize those spices on the second shelf. But what I have going on right now is sooooooo much better than what I had going on before that I don’t even care! Maybe one day I’ll have that perfectly organized spice cupboard that I’m sure Martha Stewart has, but, until then, I’m downright ecstatic over my “new” spice cupboard!

And, one day, when I have a giant kitchen, my dream is to have a spice drawer, with the names of all the spices on the lids. Doesn’t that sound heavenly?

Please do share any spice organizing tips that you may have. I’m certain you people are full of great ideas!
Posted by Jane Maynard at 1:28 pm 20 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips
Thursday, June 2

Kitchen Tips: Maximizing Dryer Sheets

Okay, today’s kitchen tip about dryer sheets doesn’t have anything to do with the kitchen. BUT…it’s a tip I love, so I’m sharing it anyway. Plus, I store my dryer sheets in the kitchen, so technically it is a kitchen tip in the Maynard household!

Let’s begin with this…I love dryer sheets. Not for the smell, I use fragrance-free dryer sheets. I just love how they keep clothes from getting all crunchy-like and also keep static in control. I never dry clothes without throwing a dryer sheet in with the clothes!

Years ago when I was visiting my Aunt Barbara, I needed to do some laundry at her house. When I popped open her box of dryer sheets, they were all cut into strips. Barb simply said, “You don’t need a whole dryer sheet, a strip will do it!” I believe her because she lives in UTAH…the driest, static-iest place I’ve ever been to!

And you know what? She’s right. You really do not need a whole dryer sheet for one load of laundry. Cut those babies up! Or just rip off a piece, which is what I usually do. I usually use 1/3 or 1/2 of a dryer sheet, while Barbara uses only about 1/4 of a dryer sheet.

And, can I tell you, my boxes of dryer sheets last FOREVER. It’s kind of awesome. Saves money and resources, can’t beat that!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:33 pm 28 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips
Tuesday, May 24

Where have you been all my life, Scoop?

Remember the kitchen disaster story contest? Remember how I came in second and didn’t win the $3500 Pampered Chef shopping spree? In all honesty, I was totally fine with not winning. I loved reading all of your fantastic disaster stories and my life is just as happy with or without oodles of kitchen gadgets floating around my house. However, there was one item that I was intent on using my winnings to purchase. When I didn’t win, that one item came immediately to mind. I begged The Pampered Chef people to hook me up with this item. Which they did. They’re nice like that.

So, what is this item I was dying to get my hands on? A scoop. For scooping cookie dough. I’ve wanted one for years and, for whatever reason, just never got one. The Pampered Chef folks were kind enough to send me their medium and large scoops. Well, I finally used both of them for the first time this week.

And, can I say, I don’t know how I lived without them!!!

The medium scoop was PERFECT for cookies. It was so easy to bang out cookie dough ball after cookie dough ball, all perfectly shaped, all exactly the same size. Why has no one insisted I get one before now? This scoop seriously rocks my cookie world.

The large scoop is pretty big, so I wasn’t entirely sure I would use it that often. I rarely make giant cookies. But then, this past Sunday, as I was making pancakes and dribbling batter all over the pan off the back of my 1 cup measuring cup that I always use to pour the batter with (that was a mouthful!), I thought about that large scoop. I pulled it out and…yup…it worked like a charm. The batter poured into the pan so nicely and all the pancakes were the same size. I love it!

So, if you don’t have a scoop yet, get one. Or two. Because you need a smaller one and a bigger one. Life will never be the same!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 2:51 pm 32 Comments
Categories: fab faves, Kitchen Tips, the goods
Friday, May 13

Leftover Boiled Potato Problem Solved!

I know that leftover boiled potatoes is not a frequent problem for most of us. It isn’t for me. But I’m writing this post anyway because I’m feeling all proud and stuff. Occasionally I end up with leftover boiled red potatoes sitting in my fridge. We always have them with Swedish Meatballs (whether homemade or from the Ikea freezer section), and I almost always end up cooking more than we end up eating.

We had Swedish meatballs last weekend (the Ikea variety) and have had about 8 boiled red potatoes sadly sitting in our refrigerator ever since. They just wanted to be eaten, but I honestly didn’t have anything to eat them with!

Then today a lightbulb finally went off in my head. Home fries! I quickly cut the cold, boiled potatoes up into chunks and within minutes we had perfectly cooked home fries. Anna and I ate them alongside french toast made with stale bread. I was feeling quite resourceful…and our bellies were very happy! Plus, they cooked so fast. It was fabulous!

Home Fries of the Leftover Boiled Potato Variety
From me…this is not really a recipe, more me telling you what I did with my leftover boiled red potatoes
- Leftover boiled red potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks, skin on
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Olive oil

Pour a bit of olive oil into a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add potatoes. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper, then evenly with a bit less paprika and garlic powder. Cook until heated through, less than 5 minutes. Stir occasionally during cooking time.

One more thing…I know most of you are still waiting for Spring to arrive, and I feel a tinge of guilt whenever I mention my CSA, but I just have to say this: the red potatoes we receive from our CSA taste way better than the ones I used to by at the store. Another 10 points for joining a CSA!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:35 pm 13 Comments
Categories: CSA, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, side dishes
Wednesday, February 16

Let’s Talk Knives
I have been wanting to do a post about knives since I started this blog, but it just hasn’t happened. I even took photos at one point…photos that have since been relegated to the trash bin. But, today is the day! The post is happening! Let’s talk knives!

1. What knives do you need?
Well, you only need THREE knives. That’s right, three. A paring knife (or other small knife that you are comfortable with), a chef’s knife (larger, multi-purpose) and a long serrated knife. If you have that, you’re all set. Of course, there are lots of other great knives out there that I’m sure are perfectly loveable. But if we’re talking need, these three will do it.

For Christmas years ago Nate bought me three Wusthof knives - a 3″ paring knife with hollow edge, a 6 1/2″ santoku knife with hollow edge, and a super slicer (serrated). They’ve been perfect. I’ve never felt a need to buy anything more. I use the serrated slicer only for bread and slicing cooked meat. My paring and chef’s knives take care of the rest.

Quick note on the chef’s knife. We originally bought a Japanese santoku knife, which has a flat edge. Wusthof recently sent me an 8″ cook’s knife with their new PEtec edge to try out. This new knife has the classic shape, where the blade curves up towards the end. I honestly can’t tell you which I like better. (See the two knives in the picture below, side by side.) The classic shape is definitely nicer when chopping herbs, but other than that, I like both shapes. The best thing to do is to try them out and see what feels good in your hand. I think I do like the smaller 6 1/2″ size as opposed to 8″, but that might be just because that’s what I’ve used for so long and it’s what I’m used to.

For the paring knife, I do wish that mine had the classic shape, instead of the santoku flat shape. It’s just so small that the flat edge doesn’t work for me as well. That said, I still love my paring knife and have done just fine using it over the years.

2. Invest in high-quality knives.
Buying knives is a lifetime investment. Buy good ones. They will last you forever. And since you only have to buy three knives instead of a huge set, you can afford to!

3. Hone your knife every time you use it.
Yes, every time. Honing realigns the edge of the knife and will keep your knife sharper longer.The video below from Fine Cooking is a great tutorial on honing.

4. Have your knives professionally sharpened.
Not much else to say here. If you’re honing at each use, you won’t have to sharpen them very often, probably once a year or so. Sharpening is different than honing and actually grinds the metal to get your edge back to a sharp state. There are plenty of sharpening tools out there, and my friend who is a chef has equipment to sharpen her own knives. But unless you really know what you’re doing, I would go to a professional.

5. Take care of your knives.
- Store them properly. I store mine on the wall with a magnetic wall holder, but a block (either on the counter or in your drawer) is a great option. Bottom line – you want them stationary and not touching one another. And you want them safely stored so no one gets hurt!
- Don’t put your beautiful knives in the dishwasher! It’s not that hard to hand wash them, so just do it.
- Don’t cut bones with your knives. Unless you buy a knife specifically for that purpose, the bones will damage the blade.
- Don’t cut on glass – plates, cutting boards, whatever. I get the chills just thinking about it!
I think that’s it! This post has been bumping around inside my brain for years, so I’m hoping I remembered everything! Feel free to share your own thoughts and suggestions, or tell us about the knives you use and love!
Posted by Jane Maynard at 11:59 am 28 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips, the goods
Friday, February 4

Why You Should Buy a Toaster Oven…and the Giveaway Winner! (You have to read her comment, trust me.)
I think I’ve convinced a fair number of you that a toaster oven is worth having. But a few of you seem to be on the fence. And I want to push you off that fence! Here are the reasons why I much prefer having a toaster oven over a regular toaster:
- A toaster can toast toast. That’s about it.
- A toaster oven can toast toast. And so much more! Big thick bagels? No problem! Want to toast more than 2 pieces of bread at one time? Bring it on!
- We use our toaster oven for reheating food all the time. For example, pizza. I’ll zap my pizza in the microwave for 20 seconds or so to get some heat infused. Then I toast it in the toaster oven until the crust crisps up nicely. Until I had a toaster oven, I HATED pizza leftovers. Never ate them. Now I’ll eat leftover pizza til the cows come home. (Side note: you don’t even need to use the microwave at all, it just sort of speeds the process along.)
- Pizza isn’t the only thing I’ll reheat in a toaster oven – pretty much anything with bread involved works wonderfully. Another example, muffins on the bake setting for 5 or so minutes…yum! Let your reheating imaginations run wild!
- As many of you commented on the giveaway post, it’s great to have access to a small oven without having to heat up a big old traditional oven. Sometimes you just don’t need a full oven. It saves energy and, in the summer, doesn’t heat up your house quite as much.
- You can bake in a toaster oven. Show me a toaster that does that and I’ll eat my non-existent hat.
- This is specific to my new Smart Oven that is HUGE…but, it’s going to be awesome at the holidays because I’ll have more oven space to work with. So excited about that!
I’m sure I’m missing something. But those are the main benefits that I’ve really grown to appreciate over the years. Hope that helps tip a few of you off of that toaster oven fence!

And now, the winner of the Breville Smart Oven. And, I SWEAR the random number generator picked her…but when you read this comment, you’re going to think I rigged it so that we could share this little story with the world.

Sue, who said “I had lunch with a 90 year old friend who pointed to a really really old microwave that she says she has never once used. She sent her husband to get her a toaster oven and he came home with the microwave. She said she had no interest in it and let it sit all these years in silent protest for having not gotten her toaster oven. I’d love to have one as nice as this!”

How great is that story? LOVE it. And I love that 90-year-old woman. Congratulations, Sue! I’m certain you will enjoy your new Smart Oven!

Big thanks to Breville for such a fabulous giveaway! You can follow them on Facebook, which I think you should. They’re great.
Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:01 am 12 Comments
Categories: fab faves, Giveaways, Kitchen Tips, the goods
Tuesday, January 25

Kitchen Tips: The Secret to Tender Chicken
I love my meat tenderizer mallet. It’s my secret to tender chicken.

This handy dandy tool came into my possession pretty much by happenstance. When Nate and I were first married, I was kind of clueless about cooking. As a result, we had more than our share of tough chicken dinners. In an effort to make our chicken actually chewable, I randomly grabbed this meat tenderizer at our local grocery store. I had no idea what I was buying, I just hoped it would work.

Well, It did work and has ever since! Whenever I have a recipe that calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts served whole, I always pound them with my tenderizer mallet before cooking. For recipes where it makes sense, I have been able to pound the chicken very thin and the results are great.

Here are the reasons I like my particular mallet.
- I like the hammer style of my mallet. I feel like I can get good leverage and power by pounding the chicken with a hammer motion.
- I love the pointy tenderizer surface of my mallet. Not only does my mallet physically get the chicken flat from the force, but the textured surface really does what it says it does – tenderizes meat! Nate’s mom mentioned to me once that when she wants super tender chicken, she stabs the breasts like crazy with forks. We decided the result of our two methods is the same, and it is a darn good result at that!
- I would offer a link to the mallet I have, but I haven’t the foggiest idea where it came from. Just search “meat tenderizer mallet” and look around…there are many variations out there. Who knows? Maybe your grocery store has a simple one like mine, too!
If you’ve never pounded meat before, place the meat on a cutting board and then lay plastic wrap over the top of the meat before pounding. The plastic wrap holds up surprisingly well, even when I stab it repeatedly with my scary looking mallet!

Another side note. I don’t pound my chicken when I’m cutting it into bite-sized pieces or slices before cooking. But if I plan on cutting or slicing the chicken after cooking (or not cutting it at all, for that matter), then the tenderizer makes an appearance!

By the way, I highly recommend pounding your meat when you’ve had a bad day. Cheaper than therapy and the meat can take a beating.
Posted by Jane Maynard at 11:03 am 20 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips, the goods