Gravy.  There’s really not a whole bunch more that can be said about its awesomeness.  We love gravy, everything from sausage gravy to gravy for roasted meats.

And you can’t even have Thanksgiving without gravy.

No really, it’s true.  Thanksgiving without gravy isn’t Thanksgiving, it’s just Thursday.

You can look that up.

As much as I love homemade gravy sometimes I get a little impatient while making it.  First you have to make the roux (fat + flour = roux) and wait for that to get a nice caramel color to it.  Then you can start adding in the liquid slowly stirring constantly so no lumps form.  Then you let that simmer to thicken up a bit and then finally, finally, you can serve it up.

Sometimes I don’t want to want that long and I just want to go straight to faceplanting into some gravy.

We’ve all been there.

While I haven’t fully got the gravy making part down to mere seconds, I have decreased the time required by a significant amount.

I introduced my blender to making gravy and now I don’t think I’ll make gravy without it.  Unless forced at will to do so, which I hope I’m not in that type of position.

The concept is pretty simple, I basically just dump everything in the blender and let it blend away till everything is smooth.  Then it gets poured into a sauce pan and cooked on the stove till it thickens.

I always use onions and carrots in with a roast, no matter if it’s beef or poultry, so those get added to the blender as well.

Blender Gravy:
What you’ll need:

• Extra stock for the gravy
• Juice from the roasting pan (you can remove some of the fat if you like)
• Some roasted onions
• Some roasted carrots (not too many or the gravy will become sweet)
• Roasted garlic if there is some
• Flour (either All-Purpose or White Whole Wheat)
• Extra seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning etc)

Add in a few pieces of the roasted onions and carrots, along with the garlic.  You don’t need a lot, about 3-4 onion pieces and 1-2 carrot pieces.  We like garlic so I add 2 cloves.

Add in the juice from the roasting pan (or from the slow cooker if you used that method).

Add in the flour, usually about 2-3 Tablespoons and then blend until everything is smooth.

Pour into a sauce pan on the stove and heat over medium heat till it starts to simmer.  Add in any additional stock as needed to help keep it from getting too thick.

Allow to simmer for about 5-7 minutes.  This allows the gravy to thicken up and cooks out the flour.

Add in any additional seasonings as needed.  I usually add in extra salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  If it’s a chicken or turkey gravy, I’ll add in more poultry seasoning.  Sometimes if I want some spice to it, I’ll add in chili powder.

Once it’s thickened up and you are satisfied with it’s taste, it’s ready to serve up!

Pretty simple right?  I’ve done spicy gravy as well with some roasted chili peppers tossed into the blender along with everything else.

Gravy is a great thing to play around with because it can change up an entire dish just by how you season it.

Aside from the fact that the gravy making time is decreased, a side bonus with using the blender is that you don’t have to worry about lumpy gravy!

There will be a small amount of texture from the veggies but if you don’t even want that, you can strain the gravy to make it ultra smooth.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

This week has been a busy one for me. I was prepping for a webinar that I presented on Wednesday evening.  And we all know that when preparing for a presentation, you are constantly practicing and tweaking what it is that you’re going to say.  Even how you’re going to say it!

Basically I was focused on that event and nothing else leading up to the evening of the event.

This meant that when it came to meal planning I need quick and easy.

One thing I always stress with the majority of my recipes is: Go Big, or Go Home.

This is my way of saying, make a lot because you’ll want to have leftovers.

Leftovers are like a Food Insurance Policy.

By having leftovers ready to go either the next day or tucked away in your freezer, you are making sure that on those nights when you’re working late, or the kids basketball game ran over, or you are super tired, you’ve got something to turn to that isn’t fast food or take out.

You’ve got a homemade meal ready to go and all you have to do is heat it up.

Sometimes we can just heat up something as is, and sometimes we can tweak those leftovers to jazz them up.

By taking the time to plan a head just a bit, we can make sure that we feed ourselves wholesome foods even when we’re at our most busy or at our most tired.

This week, I turned to leftovers and simple dishes a lot.

• Sunday I pulled out some chili from the freezer.
• Monday I made a HUGE pot of haluski (recipe soon!) that would feed us through Tuesday as well.
• Wednesday, it was breakfast for dinner with scrambled eggs and black beans.

Having leftovers accesible made sure that even on this super busy start to the week, we had homemade hot meals ready to go at dinner time.

Now it’s on to planning my next webinar series and making lots of meals to stock my freezer back up with leftovers!

Leftover Ideas:

Potato and Green Bean Hash

Fish Po’ Boys

Veggie Stuffing Bowls

Tell me about your relationship with leftovers! Love or hate them?

Ever since I discovered the “bulk bin” section at grocery stores, I’ve been in love and visiting them frequently.  Most grocery stores have them and the variety of items varies per store but typically you can find some high quality products.

I try to purchase most things from the bulk bin. Things that I always get are:

• Variety of raw nuts
• Raw pumpkin seeds
• Oats
• Spelt Flour
• Buckwheat Flour
• Wheatberries
• Speltberries
• Dried beans

And then whatever random items I want to try out.  My local Whole Foods has an amazing bulk bin section featuring lots of things like unsweetened coconut, goji berries, raw cocao nibs and other awesome things.

Bulk Bins can be extremely beneficial whether you’re buying a lot of something or just a small amount to try out.  I’ve learned a few things along the way regarding bulk bin items.

Always Write Down The Product Number:

In the bulk bin section, you’ll find a box of twisty-ties that are made from paper and are wide enough to write on.  Each item is assigned a product number, usually four numbers in length.  Think of it like an ISBN number or that little number on produce that you buy.  Those four numbers are like its ID card. The cashier needs to know what those are in order to be able to charge you properly for the item.  Save time at the checkout and make sure you have those numbers written down.

Speaking with a few cashiers, they’ve told me that most people don’t write down the product number and then checkout doesn’t run as smoothly as it should.  Take that extra moment to make sure you write that down.

Label The Containers For Your Bulk Items:

You want to remember what you just purchased and if it’s something not easily recognizable (a lot of flours and grains can look alike), we can easily forget what it is.  Put the items in a container or bag that can be labeled with what the item is and the date you purchased it. This makes storing and organizing really easy.

Freeze Your Bulk Items:

YES! Once you have the items in a storage container and properly labeled, put them in the freezer and don’t use them for at least 48 hours.

The reason being is that bulk items can be hard to manage. Plus as a consumer we can’t be positive on what the turnover rate is for that particular item.  Or perhaps someone left the container open for a period of time.  We just don’t know and therefore can run the risk of some not so desirable items being in the food.

By freezing the product for at least 48 hours you’re going to kill anything undesirable and/or stop any processes from forming or completing its phase.

I’m not saying bulk items are unclean or unsafe.  What I’m saying is since these items are not sealed up in packages, we need to take that extra step to make sure we get a clean and pure product.  It’s up to us to be responsible with the items we purchase and choose to use.

Does your grocery store have a bulk bin section? What are some of your favorite things to get from the bulk bin?

I was getting caught up on my recipes making sure I had them typed out and ready to post when I realized that I talk a lot about using a high sided skillet.  Then it occurred to me that maybe people don’t quite know what that is?  Maybe it’s called something else in your house or maybe you’ve never seen one.

Because of that, I thought I should talk about it and it would be a great way to kick off the Kitchen Essentials Series.  There are several kitchen items I consider “must haves”.  Basic things that you need to help make things easier in the kitchen for you and things that help you create the best meals that you can.

Kitchen Essentials don’t have to be super expensive items but they shouldn’t be cheap either.  Remember, these are things that are helping you create awesome meals that you are serving yourself, family, and friends. You want them sturdy, durable, and able to withstand lots of use.

So let’s get started with the first Kitchen Essential!

High Sided Skillet or Saute Pan

I looked it up online and this item is referred to as a “Saute Pan” so that’s what I’m going to call it from now on as well.  That seems more universal though I may also put “high sided” in parentheses just to be super clear on what I’m referring to.

I cannot live without the Saute Pan. It’s perfect for making just about everything you can think of, from sauces, to stir-fry, to sauteeing up things from veggies to chicken.  Next to my chef’s knife this is the most used item in my kitchen.  No joke.

I use it so much that I want another one and I would like a larger one.  Most Saute Pans are about 3.5 to 5 quarts which is a very decent size to get you started.

Things to look for when buying a saute pan:

Make sure that it can also go in the oven. Trust me on this, it is very handy to be able to toss your pots and pans in the oven to allow items to finish cooking.  I place mine in the oven typically when I am wanting a meat to finish cooking.  Things from stuffed chicken breasts, to pork chops can finish off in the oven.  Even pasta dishes, maybe you have a pan full of pasta and sauce that needs some cheese melted on top.  Sprinkle on the cheese and give it a minute in the oven.  All you have to do is turn off the stove heat and put the saute pan right on the oven rack.  Just remember to use a pot holder when checking on it or removing it!

Skip the old school non-stick.  If you are looking for a non-stick style, go with hard-anodized.  This is not like the slip-n-slide teflon old school non-stick that can flake off and then you ingest.  Lovely, no?  Hard Anodized is hardened and is extremely durable.  It is made for high heat and food doesn’t stick to the bottom. For a more scientific description, you can check here. If you are curious and want more information, a Google search will provide you with a bunch.

Otherwise check out stainless steel pots and pans.  You’ll need to make sure that you use enough oil for cooking so that the food doesn’t stick but you will be able to use metal utensils with them.

Hard-Anodized is supposed to be able to resist scratches but I take caution and use either wooden or silicon utensils with my pots and pans.

Make sure it comes with a lid so that if you’re simmering sauces, you don’t have to worry about splatters all over your stove top.

My saute pan is my go-to pan for just about everything under the sun. I adore it so much and would be lost without it!

Do you have a saute pan? Do you use it very often? If you don’t have one, will you be purchasing one soon?