Ten Best Kitchen Gadgets Under $30

If you've ever struggled trying to laboriously peel the skin off a clove of garlic, you know what a pain it is. It's thin, it's crinkly, and removing it is really hard.

The Zak Garlic Peeler ends all that. Just put a clove of garlic inside the tube, roll it around on your counter, and voila! It's amazing - and so easy, you may want to whip up a batch of garlic mashed potatoes or shrimp scampi.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

9 cloves of garlic (peeled)
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk (or light cream, if you feel decadent)
freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover them. Then put in the garlic and 1/4 tsp of the salt. Bring it to a boil. Once it's boiling, turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. The potatoes should be tender (stick a fork in them, if it goes through easily, they're done). Remove the potatoes and drain them in a colander. Pat dry with a towel.

Get a small saucepan and heat the butter and milk on low heat. You want to melt the better, without getting the milk too hot.

Take the cooked potatoes and add them to a bowl. Mash them with a potato masher. Or, use a Kitchen Aid mixer. Add the butter/milk mixture and stir (or mix) until smooth. Add remaining salt and season with pepper to taste.

The microplane started its life in woodworking, as a rasp, and moved over to food. I have a lot of gadgets, and this is the easiest way I've found to grate cheese, shave chocolate, or zest lemons.

Once you've got all that cheese grated, here's what to do with it.

Spaghetti with Broccoli and Parmesan Cheese

1 bunch fresh broccoli
salt and pepper to taste
4 tomatoes (canned) - about 1/2 lb. total
1/2 lb. spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cut off the bottom stems of the broccoli (the tough, hard part). Cut the remaining florets (the top pieces) into small pieces, around 1 inch (2.5 cm). You want about 4 cups of broccoli.

Remove the tough (bottom) stems of the broccoli and discard them. Cut tops into 1 inch pieces. There should be about 4 cups.

Cube the tomatoes (you want about 1/4' cubes/ (about .5 cm) About 1/2 cup altogether.

Boil water in a large saucepan (big enough to hold all the broccoli). When the water is boiling, add the broccoli and salt to taste. Cook for about two minutes, then drain the broccoli in a colander.

Get another saucepan (for the spaghetti) and boil water to cook it. Add the spaghetti when the water comes to a boil. While the spaghetti cooks, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and cook on low heat. Be careful not to burn it or brown it, as it will get bitter.

Add the tomatoes to the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring as you do. Add the cooked broccoli, salt and pepper.

Drain the spaghetti and add it to the broccoli mixture in the frying pan. Add the hot pepper, basil, cream, and toss, bringing the mixture to a boil.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the contents into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the pasta with the grated cheese and serve.

Lots of soup recipes call for you to make the soup, puree it in small batches, and then return it to the pot. You have to get the big blender out, pour small amounts of soup in, puree it, then get a big bowl or another pot to put it in, and keep repeating over and over. You end up with 2 dirty pots and a dirty blender to clean.

A Powerful Stick Blender
This Cuisinart hand blender, sometimes called an immersion blender, makes this whole process much easier and faster. You just make your soup, turn off the heat, stick the hand blender into the pot and whirrr away. It's the best immersion blender I've tried.

Easy to Clean
It snaps apart when you push a button, so you can just wash the shaft with the blade, and put the motor half to the side (where it won't get wet).

Tomato Soup
Adapted from recipesource.com

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 T minced garlic
2 lb. plum tomatoes
1 C dry white wine
3 T chopped fresh herbs (any mixture of basil, oregano, thyme, and marjoram)
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the oil to a three quart (3 liter) saucepan over low heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Cook very slowly, without letting the onions turn brown (caramelize). This should take about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, wine, and the herbs.

Cover the pan and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes. Break up the tomatoes as they cook, using a wooden spoon. Taste and correct seasoning (add salt and pepper as needed).

Puree the soup with a hand blender and serve hot.

Tropical Smoothie
from Jo Anne Merrill, via recipesource.com

2 1/2 C unsweetened pineapple juice (well-chilled)
1 C sliced strawberries
1 sliced banana (or papaya or mango)

Put all the ingredients in a sturdy pitcher, or the container that comes with your immersion blender. Puree until it's thick and there are no lumps.

Serve in a tall glass with a whole strawberry on the rim.

The Black & Decker Mini Food Processor is great for mincing and chopping, without having to haul out (or clean) your big food processor. Use it to chop onions, bread crumbs, nuts, and fresh herbs. It's easier to clean than a blender, and comes with a mini spatula to scrape down the sides.

Since it's so small, you can keep it out on your kitchen counter, where it's handy, rather than having to drag it down out of a cupboard.

Almond-Mustard Coated Chicken
2T canola oil
½ C half and half (or you can use sour cream and dilute it slightly with milk or water)
1 ½ T Dijon mustard
1 ½ C almonds
1 t salt
2 boneless chicken breasts (or thighs, if you prefer)

Grind the almonds in a mini-chopper. Whisk the half and half (or diluted sour cream) and mustard together in a bowl. In a separate, shallow dish, miix the almonds, salt and pepper together.

Dip the chicken first in the mustard mixture and then in the nut mixture.

Heat oil in frying pan. Place chicken pieces in pan and cook 3-5 minutes per side.