ZWILLING Pro 3″ Paring Knife Review

ZWILLING J.A. Henkels‘ May Knife of the Month was the paring knife, a versatile knife that every kitchen needs (in my humble opinion). I was sent the ZWILLING Pro 3″ Paring Knife to test, and I ended up using it almost daily!

 

 

The 3 inch paring knife is small and light, with a slim blade and centered tip. Paring knives are one of the most versatile tools in the kitchen and can be used for peeling, cutting, cleaning, and preparing fruits, vegetables, and meat. It’s no wonder they are the knife of the month, this knife is perfect for seasonal produce that is now available!

 

I used the knife for prep almost every night: slicing peppers, mincing garlic, chopping onions, etc. The slim blade also makes it perfect for chopping more delicate produce, like green onions/scallions.

 

 

I asked my fiance to help me prep some ingredients for a post recently, and he seemed to have almost too much fun using the paring knife!

 

The paring knife also really came in handy with my recent dessert post with peaches and plums.  The knife is sharp enough to cut into the fruit but is delicate enough to not bruise the fruit in the process.

 

Paring knives can also be used to peel fruit (such as apples or oranges),  devein shrimp, hull strawberries, clean the seeds out of peppers, and many other uses.

 

ZWILLING J.A. Henckels knives are made in Germany and designed in Italy by Matteo Thun. The knife is forged from one single piece of steel, is ice-hardened, and is hand sharpened and polished. The knife is dishwasher safe, but it’s suggested you hand wash it to keep it in great shape longer (dishwashers are really tough on knives).

 

I’ve reviewed the ZWILLING Pro 8″ Bread Knife in the past, and continue to be impressed with the quality of these knives! Currently, paring knives are on sale, with the 3 inch paring knife I reviewed on sale for $39.99.

 

Note: I was sent a ZWILLING Pro 3″ paring knife for review. Opinions are my own.

 

Grilled Fruit with Bourbon Butter Sauce #BourbonBBQ

Did you know that May is National Barbecue Month? The weather is perfect for going outside and grilling, and with Memorial Day behind us, it’s time to take full advantage of grilling season!

 

I’ve partnered with Four Roses Bourbon to make an oh-so yummy summer barbecue-themed dessert. A lot of the steps of this can be made ahead of time to make serving the dessert easy enough for a weeknight.

 

This dessert includes ice cream, grilled fruit, a spiced bourbon butter sauce, and toasted pound cake pieces… what more could you ask for?!

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup Four Roses Bourbon Yellow
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 cardamom pod (crushed with a knife)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 peach, quartered and pitted
  • 1 plum, quartered and pitted
  • 1/5 pound cake (~2 oz) cut into small cubes
  • vanilla ice cream

Continue reading Grilled Fruit with Bourbon Butter Sauce #BourbonBBQ

Slow Cooker Saucy Chicken Over Rice

This Slow Cooker Saucy Chicken Over Rice is one of my favorite go-to recipes, so I was really surprised to find that I hadn’t shared it on my blog yet!

My fiance is a runner, so I tend to make this recipe a few days before the race because it has a nice balance of carbs and protein with no dairy. (Note: every runner is different and has their own preferred menu on the days leading up to a race, this just happens to be one of my fiance’s favorites.)

This recipe from MyRecipes.com is a really simple slow cooker meal that involves about 15 minutes prep in the morning before popping everything into the slow cooker. The result is a yummy, tender, chicken recipe that freezes and reheats great as well! I’ve adapted the recipe slightly, but the general concept is still there. If you’d like to see the original, visit MyRecipes.com.

Ingredients:

  • 4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (or 2 lbs thighs and 2 lbs drumsticks)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 3 cups hot cooked rice

Continue reading Slow Cooker Saucy Chicken Over Rice

Natural Balance Foods- Healthy Cereal Bars and Snacks

A while back, I was contacted by a healthy snack company based out of Britain called Natural Balance Foods. Their Eat Nakd Bars are snack bars made from natural ingredients including fruits and nuts and are gluten free, wheat free, and dairy free with no added sugars.

 

The company was kind enough to send me a bunch of the Nakd Bars to try, including their Cashew Cookie and Berry Delight Bars, which were my two favorites.

I brought a bunch of the Nakd Bars hiking and they were the perfect portable treat for the day. (I actually ended up spraining my ankle and spent most of my day at the base of the mountain, but hey, sprains work up an appetite as well!)

 

These little bars don’t skimp on flavor and are a great on the go snack for busy days.

 

So, what sets Eat Nakd apart from the rest?

 

A typical cereal bar can contain as many as 30 ingredients, many of which I can’t really pronounce.

It only takes 35 minutes to make an Eat Nakd bar, from start to finish, while a baked cereal bar can take almost 4 hours to process.

 

The lack of sugars doesn’t result in a cardboard tasting bar, however. The bars typically are made with dates, which adds natural sweetness to the other flavors. Eat Nakd currently has nine different bars, so it’s worth trying them all to find your favorite!

 

The company also has Eat Nākd Crunch bars which are are dairy, wheat and gluten free, packed with soya crunchies for extra protein to keep you feeling fuller for longer, and are completely vegan friendly. Flavors include Banana, Strawberry, Apple and Cocoa.

 

I enjoyed these bars so much that I want you to be able to try them too! One I Can Cook That Reader will will an Eat Nakd Sampler Box! The Sampler Box includes one of each of their yummy bars —

  • One of each 9 Eat Nakd fruit and nut bar flavors; Rhubarb & Custard, Caffe Mocha, Cocoa Orange, Cashew Cookie, Pecan Pie, Berry Delight, Cocoa Mint, Ginger Bread and Cocoa Delight (9x 35g bars)
  • One of each 4 Eat Nakd Crunch bars: Apple Crunch, Strawberry Crunch, Banana Crunch and Cocoa Crunch (4x 30g bars)

 

Use the widget below to enter. Also, be sure to check out their website and pick up some of the bars for yourself — because Natural Balance Foods is relatively new to the U.S., they are currently offering free shipping on all U.S. orders!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry

I have been having a crazy couple of weeks, so despite cooking a bunch of weeknight-friendly meals, I haven’t had much of a chance to write any posts to share those recipes! This one is too tasty to not share right away though.

 

This Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry from Cooking Light’s latest issue is super simple and really flavorful. I served it with Cashew and Green Onion Rice (because I didn’t have any bulgar on hand) and it was an awesome complement!

 

The whole recipe took about 20 minutes to make (including the rice) so it’s a nice option for busy weeknights. I made a couple of substitutes to the original recipe, so be sure to check out the original to see if it’s more your style.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 poblano chile, thinly sliced
  • 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 red bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 onion, vertically sliced into thin slices
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

 

Continue reading Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry

Tortilla Crusted Fish with Strawberry Avocado Salsa #strawberrymonth

May is National Strawberry Month! I have many a strawberry-filled recipe on my blog (like this recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes) but most are desserts. Strawberries are considerably more versatile than I give them credit for and can be used in all sorts of recipes from breakfast, to drinks, to dinner. Driscoll’s recently contacted me to highlight National Strawberry Month so I decided to make a more savory recipe this time around!

 

 

The sweet strawberries in this recipe help offset the spiciness of the jalapeno and work really well with the creaminess of the avocado to bring a super balanced salsa.

 

 

This recipe for Tortilla Crusted Fish with Strawberry Avocado Salsa is adapted from two separate recipes; a blue tortilla crusted fish recipe from Food Network, and a Strawberry Avocado Salsa recipe from Cooking Light.

 

Ingredients:
Fish:
  • the juice of 1 lime
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 12 ounces corn tortilla chips
  • 4 mahi mahi fillets (about 6 ounces each), or any other white fish you prefer
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Salsa:

  • 1 cup finely chopped strawberries
  • 1/2 an avocado, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • zest of one lime
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper

 

Continue reading Tortilla Crusted Fish with Strawberry Avocado Salsa #strawberrymonth

Mother’s Day Gift Options from GourmetGiftBaskets.com

Mother’s Day is just days away! If you’re still scrambling to find the perfect gift for your mom, GourmetGiftBaskets.com has developed a number of awesome gift baskets that would be perfect for this Sunday!

 

 

Gifts range from chocolate dipped strawberries to spa gift baskets. Some of my favorite food-themed gifts include:

 

Bountiful Harvest Fruit Gift Basket ($99.99) –  Nestled in a beautiful willow branch basket is an arrangement of freshly harvest orchard fruits, including crisp apples, juicy oranges, and sweet pears, plus irresistible snacks, like classic farmhouse cheddar, handcrafted popcorn, and a hearty trail mix.

 

Mother’s Day Wine basket ($89.99).  Mom will find two bottles of coveted wines (Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva by Alto Tierrucav and Chardonnay by Backhouse) along with an array of delectable accompaniments: a sensational summer sausage, deli-style crackers, smooth Wisconsin cheese, mocha chocolate California wine wafers and more.

 

LadyBug Insulated Lunch Tote ($69.99) loaded with goodies including peanut M&Ms, honey mustard and onion pretzel bites, pepperoni pizza combos, Cheez-its, crackers, Rice Krispie treats, Oreos, snack mix, Mike & Ikes, a protein bar, spearmint gum, a Healthy Choice micro soup, and even a Bursting Berry Blow Pop.

Mother’s Day Golf Gift Basket for $54.99. This creative basket is really a cooler in the shape of a golf bag that can be transported easily to the course or other sporting events. It’s replete with sweet and savory snacks, including: chocolate wafer petites, sugar cookies, snack mix, roasted peanuts, Fuji apple crunch dried fruit, jelly beans, roasted edamame, and a blueberry, pomegranate & almond orchard bar.

 

GourmetGiftBaskets.com is also generously offering I Can Cook That readers the chance to win the Golf Gift Basket! Unfortunately, the winner will not be chosen until Mother’s Day, so be sure to pick up a gift for your mom!

 

Looking for more inspiration? Check out the rest of GourmetGiftBaskets.com’s Mother’s Day gifts here!

 

Enter to win by using the widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Exit mobile version