Equip Your Kitchen

Getting married is a wonderful thing. I got several kitchen items that I NEVER would have afforded (or bothered to buy) on my own. However, I still find that there are only a few basics I regularly use. If you are fairly new to cooking, or looking to reinvest in a few key pieces, here's what I would recommend as the most crucial items:


Skillets - I would suggest 2 in two different sizes. If one is oven-safe, that's a big plus.
Sauce pan - at least one medium-sized
Stock pot
Cookie sheet
Grill topper - a must-have for grilling veggies
casserole dishes - at least one round and one square
9x13 pan - for brownies! (and other things)
Crockpot - a medium-sized one is sufficient. I think mine is only 2 quarts.
Blender - I tend to use my Magic Bullet for small projects. But any blender or food processor would be useful, I'm sure.
Toaster
Mixer - can be a hand or stand mixer. Whatever you (or your budget) prefers.
Some good knives in at least 2 different sizes.
Assorted spatulas, spoons, tongs, measuring tools and kitchen scissors are also must-haves.


The blogger over Amateur Gourmet had a more specific list. But I took one look at the prices and thought "no way!"


Thank goodness I immediately found this story from NBC's Today show, explaining how to equip a kitchen with only $200.


To tell the truth, I cooked with old hand-me-down pots and pans just fine for several years. While it's nice to have good quality, I don't think it's necessary. As long as you have something the generally resembles the required equipment... you're ok ;)

Stock the Pantry

I'm in Milwaukee for business for today and tomorrow, so I thought I'd touch on kitchen supplies/staples since I won't be cooking dinner and adding recipes here.

I refer to the "staples" in my kitchen pantry quite a lot. And the truth is, those staples are different for everyone. It depends on where you live, what's in season, what kind of cuisine you like, etc...

But I thought I'd go through the fridge and pantry and jot down the things I can't live without.

From A to Z: (kind of)
Angel hair pasta
Bacon
Baking powder
Baking soda
Bar-B-Q sauce
Basil
Black pepper
Bread
Bread crumbs
Canned tomatoes
Cheese – Cheddar
Cheese – Mozzarella
Cheese – Parmesan
Chicken stock
Chili powder
Cinnamon
Cornstarch
Dry mustard
Eggs
Flour
Frozen veggies (your choice, but spinach and corn are very good frozen)
Garlic powder
Grill seasoning
Honey
Italian seasoning
Jelly/jam
Ketchup
Lemon juice
Lime juice
Margarine
Mayonnaise
Milk
Mustard, Dijon
Mustard, yellow
Nuts (I typically keep almonds and peanuts)
Oatmeal
Orange juice
Oregano
Peanut butter
Red pepper flakes
Rice
Rosemary
Salad dressing – Caesar
Salad dressing – Ranch
Salad dressing –Balsamic vinaigrette
Salt
Soup – cream of chicken
Soup – cream of mushroom
Soy sauce
Spaghetti sauce
Sugar, brown
Sugar, white
Tarragon
Thyme
Vanilla extract
Vinegar – Balsamic
Vinegar – Red wine
Vinegar – White
White wine
Plus meat: I usually cook chicken, pork and beef. I always buy and freeze until I’m ready to use it.

There are plenty of similar lists out there to guide you.

This one, from Teri's Kitchen, seems very thorough. I personally, think I can get by without a lot of this, but it's good to have other opinions!

This, from livingonadime, is a bit more my speed. It has a lot more suggestions for canned goods. I don't keep a lot of canned fruits and veggies, but I know they are very useful for a lot of people.

What's For Dinner: Chicken Dijon

From: the Better Homes and Gardens "New Cook Book, 10th edition" (copyright 1989!)

I don't normally buy cookbooks. There are so many resouces on the Internet that I don't think it's necessary. However, I found this one at a consignment shop for $1.99 and couldn't pass it up!

My unofficial rule for buying cookbooks: there must be at least 5 recipes you would DEFINITELY use. Otherwise, it's not worth it.

The ingredients:

2 medium chicken breasts

1 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning

1/4 tsp. onion powder

2 T butter or margarine

light cream or milk

2T flour

1 T Dijon mustard

My substitutions:

I don't have lemon-pepper seasoning, so I used a bit of lemon juice.

Similarly, I don't have onion powder so I used Italian seasoning. Garlic powder would probably also work too.

**Don't be afraid to substitute! If it seems like a good idea, smells good, then go for it!

The process:

Rinse the chicken. Pat dry.

Squeeze a bit of lemon juice on either side of the breasts. Sprinkle with pepper and seasoning (Italian, in this case).

Put a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Melt about a tablespoon of margarine in the skillet.

When warm, add the chicken. The recipe says to cook 10 minutes on each side. I prefer cooking 5 minutes on each side for a total of about 20 minutes. The chicken should be nice and browned.

When the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Measure out 2/3 cup of light cream or milk (I used milk).

Pour at least half into the skillet, scraping up the chicken drippings with a spatula.

Add two teaspoons of flour to the remaining milk and mix it together. Add that mixture to the skillet. Also add the tablespoon of dijon mustard.

Stir until it is thick and bubbly.

I like to drop the chicken back in the skillet to coat them and then pour the sauce over the chicken on the plate.

Side dishes:

I did some Bird's Eye steamfresh rice and veggies. Four minutes in the microwave and then straight to the plate. Easy and no mess.

You could, of course, easily boil some rice yourself.

Some asparagus or green beans would also be great with the dish. Boil some water and drop the green beans in. Top with a bit of margarine.

Or, put your asparagus on a baking sheet with a bit of olive oil and salt at 400 degrees. Either option is easy and delicious.

The damage:

All of this should only take about 35 minutes from start to finish.

I used a skillet, a plate to season the raw chicken, tongs, a spatula, one liquid measuring cup, a teaspoon measure and a tablespoon measure. The only thing I needed to hand-wash was the skillet. I think this clean-up aspect is super important. You don't want to spend much of your night in front of the sink!

The finished product:

(I'll work on my food photography in the future!)

Why I've created this Quick and Easy Cooking blog

I’ve spent two years trying to kick the College-kid habit. (Read: grabbing fast food for dinner, eating out of a box, carb-loading.) Now that I’m cooking for two people, I can’t get away with it anymore!

Additionally, my husband and I have decided we need to be healthier. After trying a couple of diets (with only moderate success) we’ve decided to just focus on being healthy. This means more whole foods, less overly-processed materials and well-rounded meals. Thinking about side dishes every night has only made this cooking thing harder!

To top it off, I’m working 40+ hours a week and don’t want to spend a lot of time menu planning, shopping, cooking or cleaning up. I’ve spent many nights trolling the Internet for recipes, each time wondering “why aren’t there simple, satisfying dishes that only require the basic ingredients I have in my kitchen?”

Well, I finally decided no one is going to create such a resource for me, so I should just do it myself.

I’m not a chef, and I can’t take responsibility for any of the ensuing recipes (unless genius somehow strikes). I’ll always credit the source so you can find it yourself.

I’ll include pictures, video (on an occasional basis) and tips or trick I discovered while cooking the recipe myself.

If you’re looking for gourmet food, you likely won’t find it here. You will find food to make your family happy without stressing yourself out. I hope it is useful!