Our Favorite Kitchen Tools

We've been wanting to mix things up on the blog for awhile and thought it would be fun to talk about some of our favorite kitchen tools. A few weeks ago we realized that none of us had anything ready to go for this week's post (Internet high fives all around) so it is the perfect time to give this a go.

So without further ado, here are a few of our "can't live without" kitchen tools. 

Southwest Soufflé

My sister, Natalie, is a chicken whisperer. She keeps about 7 chickens in her backyard coop. She has a constant supply of amazing fresh eggs and when she recently brought me a fresh batch, I knew what I had to make.

I made my first soufflé about 6 months ago. I love to cook...but a soufflé? That is chef-level culinary skill. I was intimidated. What if it fell? What it if did not have that subtle buttery outer-layer? Also, how do I get more veg in that rich and decadent dish? Well, I did it. I was so proud of myself that I started making soufflés as often as I could. My first was a watercress and feta soufflé...delicious. I dabbled with all different versions that I could make up. I finally landed on my all-time favorite version. The best part, it was significantly more healthful (almond milk and less cheese and loaded with veg). You are welcome. :)

This recipe is totally customizable and is a great way to get in small diced or chopped veg into a yummy package. It uses whole wheat pastry flour and almond milk and much less cheese than normal. It's a great way to bump up the nutrient content and still have a impressive and decadent dish. Bonus, this is very friendly on the grocery budget. Eggs can be inexpensive and so is veg, so win-win!

Don't be intimidated by this dish. If you can beat egg whites, not open the oven door, and use a wisk...you can make a soufflé. I challenge you to challenge yourself and try something new.  You can make a soufflé!

Asian Steak Lettuce Wraps

My mom and several of the older sisters were able to travel to Korea for a "sister city" high school exchange program a number of years ago. On their travels they fell in love with the traditional Korean BBQ beef, bulgogi. In my moms traditional fashion she was wanted to recreate this dish for her whole family when she got back,  not being Korean or having any Asian culinary experience she created her own version which became a fast favorite in our family. We loved these tasty lettuce wraps and the versatility of them. I still request them for my birthday every year, so my husband has become a "Wixom-style bulgogi" master. I should give him credit for this post because all these pictures were taken when he actually made them.

Simple Garlic Green Beans

Food doesn't always need to be fancy. Sometimes the simplest treatment - a drizzle of good olive oil, a splash of lemon juice, or a bit of fresh herbs - is enough to make flavors sing. Simple food treatments are incredibly quick and easy, two things I highly value in cooking. Well, in anything really.

After many years of overcooked green beans I finally wised up and applied this concept to green beans - so often treated as a side dish afterthought - and found that green beans really shine when treated with the lightest hand. After some trial and error (mostly error) I hit on an easy and simple cooking method that works really, really well EVERY TIME. (Very important!) The beans crisp-tender and the garlic and lemon juice add just enough flavor without being overwhelming.

I almost didn't post this recipe because I thought it was too easy and simple. But then I realized that this is something people would actually use - not just pin and never look at again. On top of being really, really easy, this recipe is just about perfect for spring and summer. Since I pretty much live for summer, it's really a win all around.

Citrus Carrot Cookies

Over the past month I have been on a reading frenzy, which may be due to two things: (1) never seeing my husband while he prepares for medical school finals, and (2) my son being sick and taking 2 1/2 hour naps every day. This has given me plenty of time to prepare for my book club. Last month we read this darling little murder mystery novel called Lemon Tart. Throughout the book, the main character, Sadie, shares a few of her favorite recipes. One of the recipes that she shares that really caught my eye was for carrot cookies! Once I glanced through the recipe I knew there would be a lot of things I would want to change about it; it looked like it was going to be more of a shortbread type cookie, without a lot of complementary spices. I made up a few improvements in my head, and they turned out to be better than I imagined! So, without further ado, here is my dressed-up citrus carrot cookie, in perfect time for Easter.