So You Had To Have A Mandolin Hey? Now What???

Mandolins are a culinary piece of equipment that have been around for years. They are magnificent in their efficiency but can be intimidating to use. I have put together a little list of uses for that slick gadget as well as a couple recipes to follow.
Tupperware has just released an amazing mandolin that you can purchase only if you host a party!

Here is the user guide to make each precise cut:

So once you get one - here are some great uses for this kitchen must have:

• Trimming fingernails if you are foolish enough not to use the finger guard – rest assured, you will only make this mistake once! A friend of mine who is a chef recommends using a Kevlar Glove (search online or any store that sells Hardware Supplies like Lee Valley Hardware/Home Hardware etc – average around $20 but are totally worth the investment). It will give you much more control of your slicing and also allow for less waste. The gloves are machine washable and usually come in a pair (reversible for either hand) so you will always have one available when the other one is in the wash! It will change your Mandolin experience from ho-hum to spectacular!!! (On a side note – these are also a must for oyster shucking!!!)
• Slicing Onions tissue paper thin for soups (Wonton, French Onion, or Pho) or salads (Greek, Marinated Onion Salad, House), as well as for Pizza Toppings – plus + no more tears.
• Great for perfect consistency for Caramelized Onions as a side dish. Perfect consistency means consistent cooking rate.
• Potatoes Au Gratin or Scallop Potatoes.
• Slicing pears or apples for a salad with goat cheese, spinach, nuts and a vinaigrette or for a fruit tart like Pear & Gorgonzola Tart.
• Good for making potato crisps or to slice ribbons out of any firm vegetable like zucchini to dip in a batter and fry or grill.
• Easy to julienne carrots or cucumber for summer rolls or sushi.
• Baked Apple Chips, Sweet Potato Chips, Zucchini Chips, or Beet Chips for a healthy snack!
• Great for slicing cucumbers for pickles – uniform slices present perfect pickle presentation – say that 10 times!
• Slicing cucumbers for tea/finger sandwiches, pinkies up!
• Shaving fennel or beets for salads, cabbage for making sauerkraut.
• Ribbons of summer squash that you can quickly blanch to add to pasta dishes

Potatoes Au Gratin

Slice about 4 large potatoes (skin on or off – up to you – I leave it on because I like the look!) and 1 large onion, thinly sliced…with your mandolin
Layer, alternating potatoes and onions, in stack cooker if preparing in the microwave or ultra pro if using the oven.
Mix 1 tub of sour cream with 1 tsp. garlic seasoning (I use Johnny’s Garlic Seasoning from Costco), 11/2 cups – 2 cups of milk, 1 cup grated cheese, salt and pepper.
Pour over the top layer of potatoes and onions. Sprinkle with one more cup of shredded cheese.
If baking in the oven – approximately 45 mins or 15 mins in the stack cooker in the microwave.

Baked Apple Chips

2 small apples
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a wire rack with cooking spray and place in a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan.
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring frequently.
Using the mandolin, slice apples to 1/16 inch thick slices.
Quickly before they start to brown, place apple slices in the boiling sugar mixture. Turn heat down to a simmer. Cook apples, stirring often, until translucent and syrup start to thicken, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove from heat and quickly remove apples from syrup 1 at a time using tongs and place flat on wire rack set inside the jelly roll pan. Discard excess syrup.
Bake apple slices 10-15 mins, or until golden. Transfer to lightly greased wax paper. They will feel soft at this point but will crisp up as they cool.
Optional For Apples: Sprinkle with Tupperware Vanilla Cinnamon Seasoning

Optional For Sweet Potatoes or Beets: Sprinkle with fresh cracked sea salt

Optional For Zucchini: Sprinkle with paprika & sea salt - paprika not only adds flavour but helps to boost your metabolism, reduce your appetite, and lower your blood pressure - according to the people in the know!

Summer Rolls

Serves 16
Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Summer rolls:
2 heads Boston lettuce
3 carrots
4 scallions, including 3 inches of green
16 rice paper wrappers (spring roll)
32 fresh mint leaves
32 sprigs fresh cilantro
2 red bell peppers, julienned

Peanut Dipping Sauce:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp.chili paste
2 tbsp. peanut butter
1 tbsp. water
1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1 fresh red Thai Chili pepper, seeded and thinly sliced, optional
Sriracha sauce, for garnishing, optional

Rinse lettuce and pat dry. Do not use center ribs and leaves. Set lettuce aside. Peel carrots with Universal Peeler. Cut carrots, scallions, and bell pepper into julienne pieces, using Chef Series™ Pro Chef's Knife. Dip a rice paper into a bowl of water for 5 seconds. Shake off excess and place on Simply Perfect™ Pastry Sheet. Place several lettuce leaves on the bottom third of the rice paper; top with carrots, scallion, bell pepper, mint and cilantro leaves. Fold the bottom of the rice paper up over the vegetables. Fold in the sides and then roll up. Repeat with remaining wrappers and vegetables. Keep rolls covered with a damp paper towel until serving time. Arrange on serving platter and serve rolls with dipping sauce.

Peanut Dipping Sauce:
Heat the oil in the Chef Series™ 8"/ 20 cm Open Nonstick Fry Pan and, when hot, add the garlic and Chili paste, and cook until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add the peanut butter and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before serving. Serve in small bowls, garnished with the peanuts, sliced chilies and optional hot sauce. May be served warm or at room temperature.

Happy slicing my friends!!!
MWAH~
Bootybella

A Spicy Re-org...

And now to tackle that hideous "SPICE CABINET".....
Listen...I am going to spare you the confusion, disgust, and trauma that a photo of the "before" would have given you!

I am just going to cut to the chase - long story short - THESE are the containers that used to house my many spices!!! They would fall all over you when you opened up the cupboard, IF you could get the lid off without ending up with spices all over you, you would be pissed to find out that you were completely out of chilli powder whilst the chilli was simmering on the stove, awaiting it's last ingredient!!! Something HAD TO BE DONE!!!!

These are the AWESOME Tupperware containers that the spices are GOING to be in!!!

I used my handy-dandy Dyno Labelmaker and clear Dynotape to make the labels, trimmed them and put them onto the containers.

Filled the containers with the coordinating spices and ta-dah!!! No more mayhem!!!
Off to prepare a spicy dinner!!!
MWAH~

What's In YOUR Pantry?

So I have been on a mission to organize my pantry (or the Bomb Shelter as my dahling hubby refers to it as)into a state that he has NO choice but to conform to the impeccable organization of each and every piece of it!! This has become a weekly chore of "straightening out" the disarray that it has ended up in because he continues to just toss stuff WHEREVER!!! I got a little carried away and personalized baskets and carried on into my spice cabinet so I will be posting three consecutive posts to break it down a little!
So ladies and gents, please let me introduce you to what "Tupperware" meets "Dollarama" meets a little "CREATIVITY" can do for you....

Welcome to my pantry! I got this wreath at Homesense about two years ago - I love love love it!!!! Spilling with olives, artichokes & pears with many hues of green, I think it screams..."Come In..."

Can you hear that????? Ahhhhhhhhhhh - that is "Organangelo", the organization angel singing his utmost praises to this immaculate pantry!!!!

This is the top two left hand side (LHS) shelves! The modulars are from Tupperware (I hosted a party and earned a lot for free, but did shell out some of it) and I purchased the little black baskets at Dollarama (3 for $2). The modulars house loose ingredients (i.e.: flours, sugars etc.). The baskets house things I want easy access to that are self contained (i.e.: jello, seasoning packets etc.). I will show you how I assembled the labels for the front on the baskets in the next post.

Second from top shelf on LHS - Major "go-to" daily use modulars...

Second from bottom shelf on LHS - all my baking supplies (chipits, nuts, etc) and oils.

Bottom shelf LHS - home of my "must-have" Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer for easy-peasy access, breakfast supplies, crackers, popcorn seasonings and snacks.

Here is a close up of our popcorn seasoning basket - it it great because when we have movie nights, you can just grab the whole thing and bam - they are all together for your choosing!

Floor bottom LHS - my bag-o-recycled-bags, my onion bin and my potato bin (both Tupperware - vented so contents don't spoil as quickly.

Floor bottom right hand side (RHS) - this area won't normally be so "POP-CONCENTRATED" - there was a great sale on these and we were having a party so stocked up! This area will be refurnished with large baskets that will hold my tupperware containers that I will use to put leftovers in the fridge or freezer (one for containers, one for lids. Convenient easy access!

This is the RHS bottom shelf - it is home to my morning routine of COFFEE!!!! There is our Costco K-Cup Box, along with a basket that holds other ground coffees. To the right of it is our film/foil station. To the left - other powdered bevies...including the hubby's "Workout Protein Supplements"(whatever is in them?!)

This is the second and third from bottom RHS shelves - I recently had these "soup shelves" added into my pantry, as well as the very top shelf on both the LHS and RHS of the pantry for additional shelving space! It has made a world of difference!
Right now the bottom soup shelf is holding Jaxon's baby food in the jars, as well as baskets at the end with his snacks and rice cereals. This really makes it easy to see what I have for stock and what I am running low on (currently NOTHING at the time of this photoshoot! LOL!!) The main shelf holds canned goods like pasta sauce, cheese whiz (don't judge me!)jams, jellies, salad dressings and boxed products. PLEASE NOTE* These are all UNOPENED, as they are not shelf stable once the seals are cracked!

Baskets containing Jaxon's snacks and rice pablum...

Middle shelf on RHS - baskets in the corner containing snacks and sides...soups and all canned goods, followed by my collection of Epicure Seasonings tucked into the far right corner...

These baskets hold stuff I "shouldn't" have in my pantry probably...but do! Cookies, candies, pre-done sides like rices and noodles, oh yah...and the healthy granola bars are tucked way back in the corner!!! Might need to re-visit this set up!

Second from top RHS shelf holds all of our cereals - Tupperware containers keep these fresh with pour spout tops.

And finally the top RHS shelf with stuff that I don't need all that often...excess garbage bags, excess Ziplocs, gloves - stuff I need to call the hubby to help me reach!

I put a couple hooks on the wall on the LHS to hang aprons off of...for a quick grab!

I simply love this apron my girlfriend sent me in the mail - "Chefabella" - how fitting!!

Well, that's it folks - hope you enjoyed a little sneak peak into my secret obsession of ORGANIZING!!! Stay tuned for my spice pantry re-vamp and learn how I am going to tackle my fridge and freezer!
MWAH~