why you need halloumi (cheese) in your life

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If you enjoy cheese in any way, shape or form, you need halloumi in your life.

Salad topped with pan-fried halloumi and pesto dressing.  Tasted even better than it looks.

Halloumi hails from Cyprus and is a semi-hard, unripened, brined cheese.  It's typically made from a mixture of sheep and goat milk, but most of what I find here in Canada is made from cow's milk.  What sets halloumi apart from other cheese is it's uniquely high melting point.  It can be fried, or grilled without melting, and the cow's milk cheese I buy here is basically like a slightly firmer cheese curd.

It's salty, mild and delicious.

We have a fabulous local restaurant called Amuse (Ottawa peeps - check it out!  Awesome west-end eats), where I recently ate an appetizer that had pan-fried (and then flambéed) halloumi.  It was so good that I was inspired to create a variation at home. With fewer carbs because I think if I entered cheese and garlic bread into MyFitnessPal, it would explode.  :p.

I made a salad topped with pan-fried halloumi, which I then dressed with a pesto dressing (my favourite Costco pesto + white wine vinegar) and it was FABULOUS.

I shared a photo of the salad (above), and I got a lot of questions about it, so I thought I would put up a brief post with a couple of ideas of how you could use halloumi (note that due to halloumi being a protected Cypriot product, you will sometimes find it marketed under similar names like halloom - Ottawa folks - I bought mine at Food Basics.  Most well-stocked grocery stores should have it if you poke around a bit).

Here are a few ways to enjoy your halloumi:

- pan-fried in a bit of oil, then served over salad (note that I particularly loved this with a pesto dressing....so rich and delicious)

- pan-fried, then flambéed with a bit of ouzo, then served over crusty garlic bread, with chopped heirloom tomatoes (similar to the fabulous Amuse appetizer....or better yet, head straight to Amuse and just have them make it for you!)

- on skewers - I did this over the summer and it was a huge hit with our family - the cheese holds up well to grilling, and a light brush of marinade is all you need.  You can skewer just cubes of cheese, or mix it up with vegetables (that's I how usually make all our skewers - a mix of vegetables and protein)

I have also pinned a couple of ideas that I haven't yet tried, like this Winter Caprese Salad with beets and halloumi and this Warm Lentil dish with fennel and halloumi.

Have you tried halloumi?  What's your favourite way to eat it?

healthy peanut butter chocolate smoothie (vegan)

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A year and a half ago, I caved and finally got myself a high end blender (a Blendtec) and since then, I have been blending up a storm (599 storms, actually, according to the handy counter on the front of the blender).  Obviously it's great for soups and sauces but I really really love what it does for smoothies.

I'm really picky on my smoothie texture (NO CHUNKS.  EVER.) so I found that a high powered blender was necessary to get the results I wanted.  I've perfected a number of smoothie recipes in the last 18 months or so, and I wanted to share one of my favourites with you today.  Another of my favourites is the Oh She Glows green monster - I don't even like bananas, and this smoothie recipe is great.

For me, a morning smoothie (or meal replacement smoothie) needs to meet certain criteria:

1. Above all, be full of healthy, wholesome ingredients.  No added sugar.  No juice.

2. Be filling - I like to make sure my smoothies weigh in at 250-300 calories, so there's enough energy in there to get me to lunch time.

3. Have a solid amount of fibre and protein - I do this through adding various seeds.  Generally, my protein intake is fine, so I don't add protein powders.  I find that between the fruit and the seeds, most of my smoothies have at least 10g of fibre, which is awesome.

4. Relatively low in sugar (I like to keep them at less than 20 grams of sugar if I can, including that from fruit).

My smoothies are not a dessert-type smoothie.  This is pure, tasty nutrition.  Some of them are hits with the kids and some are not.  The recipe below is one that's been a hit with pretty much everyone who has tried it.  If you haven't made this type of smoothie before, you'll likely have to scramble for some of the ingredients (powdered peanut butter, hemp hearts and chia seeds), but the good news is that if you decide to get into regular-ish smoothie making, the ingredients will serve you well and last quite a long time.

I like hemp hearts and chia seeds because they have some great nutrition, but also they are a bit softer than alternatives (like flax seeds or psyllium husks), so they blend into a smoother final product.  I can often find them on clearance at Winners or HomeSense.

You can easily substitute regular peanut butter for the powdered, but it will substantially change the calorie content, if that's a concern to you (2 T of powdered PB has 50 calories, while 2 T of regular PB has 200 calories).  If you're looking to bulk up the caloric content, totally go for regular PB!

Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie (vegan)
serve 1, but easily doubled

1 c unsweetened almond milk
2 T powdered peanut butter (like PB2, Tru-Nut or other brand)
1 T cocoa powder
1 T chia seeds
1 T hemp hearts
2 pitted dates, roughly chopped (alternative: use a frozen banana instead of dates for a chunky monkey smoothie!).  If your dates are small, or you have a real sweet tooth, try 3 dates - I find 2 is perfect, but I don't like really sweet smoothies
splash vanilla extract
1.5 c baby spinach
6-8 ice cubes

1.  Place all ingredients except the ice cubes in your blender.  Blend until smooth (on my blendtec, I use the 'smoothie function' and then about 15-20 seconds on high speed.  Dates don't blend super easily, so I find they need a bit more time to get smooth.  If you're using banana instead, it should blend pretty quickly.  It will probably take a minute or so to blend your smoothie.

2. Add ice cubes, and blend again on high speed for 15-20 seconds for a more milkshake-type consistency.

3. Enjoy.

To speed things along in the morning, I'll often pre-measure my dry ingredients into the blender at night (i.e., the hemp, chia, cocoa powder and PB powder).  I am not at my best before coffee* so this works well for me.

* massive understatement.  I cannot handle pre-coffee life.

epic easy homemade balsamic dressing

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So it's January, and many among us are trying to eat a healthier, more wholesome diet.  And this usually means adding the odd salad (either as a side, or as a meal unto itself).  I actually love giant salad meals, and bulk them up by adding seeds, nuts, beans, tuna, eggs, cheese, etc.

The thing that can often trip you up with salad is the dressing.  So many purchased dressings are full of low-quality, filler ingredients.  Now that lil Z is reading, one of the things we do together is look through nutritional labels, and even at 8, she understands that a long list of ingredients, full of things she can't pronounce, probably isn't the best choice.

Case in point, we took a look at the label on her favourite ranch dressing and sure enough, sugar figured prominently, as did all sorts of fillers and other ingredients.

When I don't have time or energy to make my own dressings, I really love the dressings from my local Farm Boy because they have very simple ingredients and taste great (the no-sodium Greek and the Mediterranean are my favourites, but they are all fabulous).

But when I have my act together, this is by far my favourite salad dressing recipe.  It whisks up fabulously, stays emulsified, and best of all, it tastes amazing with fresh crisp vegetables.  It doesn't take long to make and doesn't require too many ingredients.  It also scales up well (if you really loved it, you could make a bigger batch and keep it in a jar in your fridge) so you could make it ahead, or make it for a crowd.

The quality of your initial ingredients does make a difference - make sure you use a vinegar and an oil that you actually really like, as those are the flavours that will come out in this dressing.


Epic Easy Homemade Balsamic Dressing
(single batch is good for a side salad for four people)

1 T balsamic vinegar
sea salt
pepper
3 T extra virgin olive oil (one you really like the flavour of)
1 T dijon mustard (you can go more generous on this if you like mustard, but I find you need at least 1 T for emulsification)

option: 1 t grainy mustard/moutarde à l'ancienne
option: 1 T minced shallot
option: change up the vinegar and oil for a different flavour profile, but do be sure to keep the 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar

1. Measure the balsamic vinegar into a small bowl or cup.  Add a sprinkle of sea salt (I use a salt grinder, but I'd estimate I add about 1/4 t).  Give it a quick stir to dissolve the salt (it won't dissolve in oil).  Add some fresh cracked black pepper.  If you're adding shallot, add it now.

2. Add the oil and the mustard(s).  Use a fork or small whisk to combine until it thickens and is emulsified.  If you're doing a larger batch, go ahead and use a mason jar and shake it.

3.  YUM.  Give it a taste and see if it needs more salt or other seasoning.  If it's a bit thick, you can add either some vinegar, or water to thin it out.

Once you've mastered the basic vinaigrette, feel free to experiment with flavoured oils and vinegars, but again, make sure they are flavours you like (i.e., don't use a stale or yucky-tasting oil because you won't like the result).  I don't use super high-end products, but a nice fruity olive oil is totally worth it here.  :)

Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto with Lobster (and IP lobster stock recipe)

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Over a year ago, I posted a list of my kitchen faves and wants, and on that list was an Instant Pot.  I was fortunate to receive one for Christmas last year from hubs, and I've really been enjoying it ever since. (Also, cool side note: the creators of Instant Pot are from Ottawa, like me!  Gotta love unexpectedly supporting a local business).



While I might be the queen of kitchen gadgets, this is one gadget that doesn't sit on the shelf for very long.  For the last year, I've been experimenting with hard boiled eggs (4 minutes on high pressure is perfect!), roasts, beans, overnight oatmeal, stews, curries, etc.

I love this thing - in fact, I'm going to use it again tonight, and give this honey-bourbon chicken recipe a try (I'll serve with some quinoa and roasted frozen broccoli).

I recently read about making risotto in the instant pot, and that really appealed to me.  I'm always multi-tasking in the kitchen, so I don't often make risotto, as it takes way too much attention at the stove, for far too long.  I had read that you could make deliciously creamy risotto in the instant pot, so I decided to give it a go.

I did a twist on this mushroom risotto recipe, and it turned out really well!  I changed the quantity, and I think in the future, I might reduce the liquid by about a 1/2 cup, and when I do the larger volume in the pot (1.5 c rice, vs the original recipe's 1 c), I would reduce the cook time to 4 minutes, just to reflect that the larger liquid volume takes longer to build pressure, and that in turn cooks the rice for a bit longer than necessary.  I've put those changes in the recipe below.

This tastes great, and best of all, no stirring.  I wouldn't say it's really any faster than stove-top risotto, but it is a lot more convenient.  I made my own lobster stock and I found that really added a nice flavour to the risotto, but it's by no means necessary - normal stock (veg or chicken) would work very well.  And this recipe very easily becomes vegan by just skipping adding butter at the end and using veg stock.

I'll separate out the recipe for the lobster stock, so anyone who isn't making their own stock can just ignore that portion.

Sobeys had lobsters on for $8.99/lb, so I picked up a couple of lobsters there (and had them steamed in store, which Sobeys does for free - yay!).  They were not huge lobsters, and I knew they wouldn't be enough to feed all four of us dinner, so risotto was a great way to serve something indulgent and pricey, without having to spend a fortune (the two lobsters came to about $20).  Hubs was kind enough to take the lobster meat out of the lobsters for me.

Instant Pot Lobster Stock

lobster carcasses (I had 2, but more would probably be more flavourful), meat removed
1-2 onions, quartered (don't bother peeling)
1 shallot, halved (don't peel)
3-4 garlic cloves (crush lightly with a knife, but don't worry about peeling)
1 carrot, very roughly chopped (don't peel)
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped (include the leaves, if you have them)
1 bay leaf
1/2 t thyme
fresh black pepper
salt to taste

1. Add all ingredients to the instant pot (or other electric pressure cooker, or just a large pot on the stove).

2. Add enough water to cover, up to about the 3.5L line.

3. Cook on high pressure (use the Manual function) for 30 minutes.  You can do a natural release or a quick release, depending on how rushed you are.  If you're doing it on the stove, just simmer for 2-3 hours on low.

4. Strain contents.  Taste.  I found mine was a little bit bland (with just two carcasses), so I added a small spoon of Better than Bouillon vegetable base, to just up the salt/umami quality and it was perfect then.  If you have more lobsters, this probably would not be an issue.

Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
(adapted from Make Real Food)
serves 4-6 (depending on your serving size)



1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 t thyme
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 c arborio rice (or other short grain italian-style rice)
1/2 c white wine
4.5 c broth or stock (I used lobster stock) - ideally room temp or warmer
juice of half a lemon
1/4 c nutritional yeast (or parmesan....but I have to confess that nutritional yeast is super tasty in this recipe!)
2 T butter
chives
flat leaf parsley

1. Using the Sauté function, heat the Instant Pot on high, then add the olive oil.  Sauté the onion and mushrooms for a few minutes, then add the garlic.

2. Once the mushrooms have released their liquid (and the liquid has evaporated), add the rice and stir well.  Then add the white wine and stir until it's mostly evaporated.

3. Add the broth, then seal the instant pot.  Switch the IP to manual (high) and set to cook for 4 minutes.

4. When the time is up (if this is your first time using an instant pot, note that it takes a while to come to seal, then the pressure needs to build, and THEN it starts counting down....it doesn't really cook in 4 minutes total!).

5. Once the timer is done, grab a light tea towel, and carefully do a quick pressure release.  My experience with starchy things like rice and pasta is that they often sputter and make a bit of a mess.  I usually put oven mitts on before I do a QR, then release with a wooden spoon.  If I see any mess, I toss the tea towel over top to catch it.  It works pretty well, though be sure to use a nice light towel.  This didn't make as much of a mess as I was expecting, but it did sputter a bit.  Also, quick release isn't instantaneous - I think mine took about 3 minutes to come down.

6. Remove the lid once the pressure has released.  Stir in the lemon juice, butter and nutritional yeast/parmesan.  Stir in a nice handful of chopped chives and parsley.  Serve with more fresh herbs over top.

While my risotto was cooking, I reheated my lobster in a steamer, just for a few minutes.  I then tossed the warm lobster with some butter and sprinkled some chives on.  I served the risotto with the lobster on top, topped with more chives and parsley.  I love the fresh burst from the herbs.

This was so good!!  It could serve 6 as a an appetizer/side dish portion, or 4 as a hearty main dish.  I confess to trying to be on track with My Fitness Pal these days, so I stuck with a 1/6th portion, but I know I would have been happier with a bit more.  :)

quick and easy breakfast casserole with ham, peppers, potato pancakes and cheese

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Hard to believe that it's been a year since my last post...I have to confess there have been many occasions when I've been tempted to just shutter the whole blog idea.  I'm still cooking a lot, but with kids, work, and life in general, something just really had to give and it was the blog.  I'm going to try to post more often in 2017 (though I'm sure I've said that before).  Part of my strategy is that I'm going to try to make things a bit easier on myself...I just got a new phone, and it takes pretty decent photos.  So you'll probably see more posts with phone photos.  Not the same as the DSLR, but it's also WAY less hassle for me.

Anyway, back to this recipe.  I actually feel compelled to share it, because I've made it three times in the last month.  And for anyone who knows me, this is a truly, truly exceptional circumstance. It's just really good and really simple, and could not be more perfect for busy holiday times.  

There are a million different breakfast casserole ideas out there, and this one is not hugely groundbreakingly different, but here are the reasons that I like this one:

1. You can throw it together in about 15 minutes.  No pre-frying, nothing complicated.  Some chopping, but not a crazy amount.

2.  The secret ingredient potato pancake crust gives this casserole a little bit of indulgence.  It's not super healthy, but it's so tasty.  An alternative could be to shred your own potatoes and pre-saute them with some grated onion, salt and pepper. But trust me on the potato pancakes.

3. It uses a dozen eggs.  Many of the other casserole recipes out there only use 6-8, so I find they aren't as hearty and filling as this one.  This makes 12 legit servings.

4.  You can either bake this right away or let it sit overnight, which makes it great for either a last minute brunch or for one where you need to plan ahead.  It reheats well too.  The first time I made it, I just cooked it Sunday night and then hubs and I ate it for breakfast all week.  Yum!

I took this photo on my phone!!!!  Not bad, eh?

quick and easy breakfast casserole

12 servings

1 package McCain Potato Pancakes (I'm linking so you can see the package - this post is not sponsored.  I just really like these)

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2-3 cups ham, cubed

2 c. shredded cheese (aged is better!!!)

1 dozen eggs

1.5 c milk

3 T dijon mustard

1/2 t salt

pepper

To assemble:

1. Lightly oil a 9x13 pan.  Line it with the potato pancakes.  I like to have them go up the sides, because the top bit gets extra brown during baking.

2. Sprinkle the diced onion, diced red pepper and ham over top.

3. Put the grated cheese on top.

4. In a large bowl/pitcher, crack the eggs, add the milk, dijon mustard, salt and some pepper.  I like to use my immersion blender here to make things perfectly smooth.  You'll have best results with a well-blended custard mixture.

5. Pour the egg mixture over the casserole.  You can either bake right away or let it sit in the fridge overnight.

To bake:

1. Put the casserole in a cold oven and turn the oven to 350F (this may just be paranoia on my part, but when taking a cold glass pan from the fridge, I prefer to place in a cold oven to avoid sudden temperature changes).

2. Bake about 1 hour, uncovered.  I like to bake mine in the top third of my oven, because that way the bottom doesn't get super brown, but the top does.  

3. IMPORTANT: The casserole is done when the egg mixture is set, but you shouldn't eat it right away.  Let it cool for at least 15 minutes.  When you cut in right away, it will be watery.  But if you let things settle and cool for a bit, it's perfect.

We had it on Christmas morning and it was great - super easy for me to just pop in the oven and we let it bake while the kids opened their gifts.  :)  

A kitchen-based gift guide for the last-minute gifting Canuck

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There are thousands (possibly millions?) of gift guides out there, so I hesitated adding to the noise.  But, there is a bit of a difference between my guide and a lot of the others out there....essentially, I have no stake in this.  No sponsors.  No affiliate links.  Just honest recommendations of things I know and love, with links to where you can find them (hopefully in time for Christmas).

For the foodie or kitchen newbie in your life, these would make great gifts!

~under $25

CHOSIGT grater (from Ikea) - $3.99

Grating cheese is always a bit of an annoying, messy task.  And if you're like me, and you're too cheap to buy pre-grated (and I don't love that it's all coated in cellulose....not that it's unsafe, just seems unnecessary)...this is the best grater I have ever owned.  The little container does a great job of containing the mess and it has rubber feet, so it doesn't slide all over the place as you grate it.  There's also a lid, so you can grate your cheese in advance and just store it in the fridge.  I've had my Chosigt grater over five years and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

KONCIS garlic press (also from Ikea) - $10.00

Another gem from Ikea.  I've gone through a whack load of garlic presses.  I really like garlic and I don't really like chopping it up, so a garlic press is one of my favourite things.  I like this garlic press in particular because it is all metal and you get great leverage with it.  You know those presses with the squishy handles?  That squishiness means that you have to use much greater force to crush garlic.  This is easy-ish to clean (as far as garlic presses go) and would make a great stocking stuffer for anyone who cooks.

Microplane Zester - $17.99

No joke, I use my microplane almost every day.  I've had it for years and it is still just as amazingly awesome as the day I got it.  I use it mostly for parmesan cheese and zesting citrus, but it's also great for creating delicate shavings of chocolate, grating nutmeg (or other hard spices).  If you buy a lot of blocks of parmesan, this will pay for itself in a month or two - the fine, fine shavings mean that you end up using a lot less cheese, but maximizing your enjoyment because the tiny little layers create more surface area out of the cheese (rather than big chunky shards).  You also get more bang for your buck with zest because again, the fine, fine zest that is created maximizes the citrus flavour.  You can get these tons of places, but they are generally under $20.

the Oh She Glows Cookbook - $20

While there are tons of great recipes available online, I still think that there is a place in the kitchen for a few specially curated cookbooks.  Oh She Glows is one of my favourites - the recipes taste fantastic, and give you a nice variety of vegan options.  I am obsessed with the salt and vinegar chickpeas (seriously the best snack ever), the glow bars (best homemade granola bars I've ever had) and the channa masala (super easy and quick).  This is a great addition to any cookbook collection.

Looneyspoons Collection cookbook - $22.11

This is the other cookbook that I like to recommend, and it's also one of my favourites.  This is a great first cookbook for anyone - there is a wide variety of recipes inspired from flavours around the globe, and an emphasis on pretty healthy cooking.  The jokes are corny, but the book is really well done, and I've loved almost everything I've tried from it.  I also like that this book is Canadian (like OSG as well!), because it means that it's generally pretty easy to find most of the ingredients.

~under $50

spiralizer - $25-$45

Today, the spiralizer is coming up as $24.99 for me on Amazon.ca, but the price tends to fluctuate...but this is a really fun tool.  I've had my spiralizer for a couple of years and I get a pretty good amount of use out of it.  I don't spiralize everything, but there are a number of things that spiralize really, really well.  I love spiralizing potatoes, sweet potatoes and zucchini, though if you check out the Inspiralized blog, there are tons of other things that can be spiralized.  It's a fun way to serve vegetables and while it is a tiny bit of a one-trick pony, I totally love mine.

oster immersion blender kit (or any decent immersion blender) - $38

If you are short on space, the one and only gadget I think you should buy is an immersion blender.  It doesn't take up a lot of space, and a model like this with a few gadgety attachments can take care of a lot of small tasks - you can blend soups with the blender itself (or blend salad dressings, etc.).  With the whisk attachment, you can easy whip cream or egg whites.  The mini chopper is great for small mincing jobs (small batches of chopped nuts, vegetables or creamy blended dressings).  I've had this one for about a year and it's pretty good, but any decent immersion blender would also be a great gift for someone.  It doesn't fully replace a full-size blender or food processor (you're not going to get super smoothies or big batches of hummus out of this, as it's not powerful enough), but it's a great first small appliance.

the thermopop - $39.99

Digital thermometers are integral to any kitchen.  It's not just about getting a roast or steak perfectly medium-rare, but more importantly, it's about making sure your food is safe to eat.  The Thermopop is fantastic for cooking because it reads temperatures a lot faster than most thermometers (5 seconds), and it has a huge range (-50C to 300C), which means you can use it for everything from checking the temperature of your deep freeze (should be a cool -18C), to candy making to checking the temperature of oil for frying.  You only need one thermometer for all this!  It is also super cute, compact, and comes in a great array of colours (mine is purple), and can switch from Celsius to Fahrenheit (for the imperial holdouts among us).

5 qt crockpot with a timer - $35

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of my slow cooker - it has been a lifesaver for me on at least a weekly basis.  Between full-time work and managing the mini-foodies, there are many nights where I just need dinner to be ready when I get home (or when hubs gets home).  Slow cookers come in lots of shapes and sizes, and with all sorts of fancy features.  I like this one, which is a step up from the manual switch basic cooker.  It has a timer function (for cooking on low and high) and switches to the "warm" setting when the cooking cycle completes.  This is great because most of us are gone from our houses for more than 8 hours when we work - the timer means you don't come home to overcooked mush.  This size should accommodate most dishes, but if you live alone, you'd probably want to size down, or size up if you have a large family.

splurges for your favourite people

These are some of my all-time favourite kitchen splurges.  These are things I get a TON of use out of and that I really think are worthy investments, if your budget allows for it.   None of these is a necessity, but they would all make amazing gifts for your favourite foodie.

Epicurean non-slip cutting board - 13 x 18 - ~$60-75 (or less if you hunt around)

It seems completely ridiculous to pay this much money for a silly board.  But trust me that it's worth it (although you should hunt around because they can sometimes be found for less - and Amazon always has this weird thing where different colours are different prices).  How many times have you cut something on a warped cutting board....or a cutting board that slides across the counter as you try to cut?  These boards are amazing.  The non-slip edges mean that they stay put.  Whatever magical substance they are made of means that they don't warp.  And best of all they are manufactured in a sustainable way AND they can go in the dishwasher.  I've had mine for about seven years.  It's still my favourite board.

wusthof - 7" Classic Ikon Santoku Knife - $139.99

There are a lot of great knives out there, but this is the one that I love.  For almost all of my chopping, I really like the shape of a Santoku knife (I prefer it over a curved blade) and the granton edge (the little divots) help keep food from sticking to the knife.  If you're not too superstitious, this is a great idea for chop-happy cook in your life.

Classic French Mandoline - $149

As with many of my other favourites, there are a lot of other slicers out there.  But I've had this French mandoline for about five years now and I think it's amazing.  If I'm making sushi or rice paper wraps, it gives me the most perfectly julienned vegetables (carrots/cucumbers).  When I want uber thin potato slices for a gratin, it never lets me down.  And when I'm in the mood for delicious shoestring oven fries, it is effortless.  The parts clean pretty easily (it's all metal so there aren't too many nooks and crannies to get all dirty) and the hand guard works really well.  If your foodie friend has a love of beautifully presented meals, they will love this.  It saves a ton of time too, if you do a lot of slicing.  Be careful though because it can give pretty serious cuts if used improperly.

le creuset 3.2 L braiser - $244.99

I love this braiser.  Seriously, seriously love it.  And the price above is pretty much the best price I've seen anywhere.  Even hubs, who thinks my kitchen equipment addiction is a bit over the top, admits that this is one item that we use ALL the time (at least 3-4 times a week) and that is amazing to use.
I use it for spaghetti sauce, braises, pan-roasting, casseroles, etc.  I love that it goes from stove to oven to table and it cleans up really well.  I brown stuff onto it ALL the time, and it generally deglazes easily (making amazing sauces) or comes off with some hot water and a little bit of scrubbing.

Cuisinart Elite 12-c Food Processor - $269.99 (on sale)

This food processor is a true kitchen workhorse.  I love LOVE using it for things like energy balls, hummus, bread dough (even smoothies in a pinch!).  I like the attachments - it makes short work of any big grating or slicing job, and the small bowl is really handy for smaller batches.  The only downside is that it's a pain to clean.  It takes up half of the top rack of my dishwasher.  But it is a HUGE timesaver for so many cooking projects.  I had a competitor brand for a while, but it didn't last nearly as well as this one.  So the Cuisinart gets my vote!  It's amazing!

Blendtec Total Blender with Wildside Jar - $479.99

A fancy blender is one of my most recent purchases (got it in August), but it's one that I have really, really been enjoying (according to the display on the front, I've used it 260+ times).  I make a ton of smoothies in the morning and the Blendtec effortlessly blends up my concoctions.  I've also used it to blend soups, pulverize dried mushrooms and a bunch of other things.  The reason I picked the Blendtec over similar competitors is that the Blendtec is shorter, and is really easy to clean.  I love that the container is all one piece (no blades to wash separately!) and the blades themselves are dull, so you won't cut yourself if you're cleaning them out.  This is a complete luxury and I love it.


As for me....what's on my own culinary wish list?

I'd personally freaking LOVE to have an Instant Pot.  I can't personally vouch for it, but it sounds amazing and it has great reviews.  It replaces your slow cooker, rice cooker and pressure cooker, offers a yogourt making function, AND you can brown stuff right in the pot (awesome for so many slow cooker recipes).  I also would love to have some good quality half-sheet pans and maaaaaybe if I'm really, really good, Santa would consider the 4.7L Le Creuset Braiser.  :D