Saturday, September 5, 2009

The Cuisinart Duet Really Simplifies Your Cooking

By Sierra Nevi

Why purchase 2 separate appliances when you can get the benefit of both a blender and a mixer in the Cuisinart PowerBlend Duet? In a time when most of the people are looking to save cash and make smarter investments, choosing a dual-purpose appliance is a smart choice. Not only will you save cash ; you will use less space. And, you'll probably use this product more than if you bought them individually.

The ingenuity of this product is the interchangeable base. The base features a seven-speed touchpad control for turning the machine on and off, pulsing, stirring, cutting, mixing, pureeing, food processing and crushing ice. The base fits both the standard 56-ounce glass blender jar and the three-cup blender work bowl. The base also features convenient push-in twine storage capability. The appliance is easy to clean also because all of the removable parts are dishwasher safe. And, the Cuisinart PowerBlend Duet is backed by a limited three-year warranty.

The Cuisinart PowerBlend Duet is so versatile that you could use it to prepare an entire meal. To show this, we will use recipes courtesy of Cuisinart.com. For a dinner, you could prepare Butternut squish Soup with Leeks, Asian Slaw with Peanut Dressing and a Go Green Smoothie. And, with a name like Cuisinart you know that this appliance will be part of your kitchen arsenal for years to come.

Butternut crush Soup with Leeks

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves 2 small or 1 medium leek, about 5 ounces, rinsed well and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 pounds butternut squash 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup dry white wine 3 cups low sodium chicken broth 1/4teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Instructions Insert the metal blade. With the machine running, drop the garlic thru the feed tube and process to tightly chop. Scrape the work bowl. Add the leeks and pulse to chop, about ten pulses.

Place 6-quart stockpot over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, stir in the chopped leeks and garlic. Sweat the vegetables over medium low heat so that they become soft. Stir occasionally so that they do not pick up any color.

While the leeks are cooking, replace the slicing blade with the slicing disc assembly. Peel and seed the crush ; cut to fit the feed tube. Slice the squash.

Add the chopped squish into the stockpot with the leeks and garlic ; stir well. Add the pepper and salt. Cook for an extra five minutes.

Add the wine to the pot. Bring to the boil and let the wine reduce by half. Add the chicken broth and nutmeg. Bring soup to a low boil. Lower heat and let cook till squash is very soft and is simply pierced with a knife, about twenty mins.

Strain the solids from the cooking liquid, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer half of the cooking liquid to a clean pot and reserve. Insert the metal blade. In 2 batches, add the solids to the mixer and process to pure, two to 3 minutes. Scrape the work bowl to insure the mixture is homogenous. Return the pured solids to the cooking liquid and stir to incorporate. Add the lemon juice. Stir in reserved cooking liquid to obtain desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. If using the heavy cream, mix in last and bring to the boil.

Asian Slaw with Peanut Dressing

Dressing: 1/2 cup toasted unsalted peanuts 2 garlic cloves 6 slices of fresh ginger, peeled, each about the size of a quarter 4 tablespoons natural style peanut butter 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce 2 teaspoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons low-sodium tamari or soy sauce 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salad: 4 ounces carrots, peeled and trimmed to fit the feed tube horizontally 4 ounces red radishes, washed, ends cut flat 1 broccoli spear, washed, flowerets trimmed and reserved, stem peeled 3 green onions, trimmed, cut to 4-inch lengths, include tasty green tops 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1 x 3-inch pieces 1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1 x 3-inch pieces 8 ounces Napa cabbage, washed and cut into 3-inch lengths 6 ounces bok choy, washed and cut into 3-inch lengths (include leaves if pretty & tender) 4 ounces snow peas, trimmed

Instructions Insert the metal blade. Heart beat to slash the peanuts, about 10 times. Remove and reserve. With the machine running, drop the garlic and ginger down the feed tube to slash. Scrape the work bowl ; process 5 seconds longer. Add the peanut butter, sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and tamari. Process till smooth, about ten seconds. Scrape the work bowl. With the machine running, add the oil in a regular flow through the small feed tube. Process till emulsified, about 10 to 15 seconds. Remove and reserve. The dressing may be made up to several days ahead. Cover well and freeze. Allow to sit for 30 minutes at a comfortable temperature before using.

Clean the work bowl. Insert the shredding disc. Prepare the radishes in the huge feed tube, cut side down, and shred. Arrange the carrots horizontally in the enormous feed tube and shred. Insert the trimmed and broccoli stem in the tiny feed tube and shred. Transfer the shredded vegetables to a large bowl.

Insert the slicing disc. Arrange the green onions in the small feed tube and slice. Arrange the peppers in the massive feed tube, cut side down and slice. Prepare the Napa cabbage in the feed tube, cut side down and cut. Organize the bok choy in the feed tube and cut. Transfer the cut plants to the bowl with the other veggies. Add the snow peas and throw the vegetables to combine. Decant the dressing over the plants and toss to coat well. Move to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved cut peanuts.

Go Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 Cup Orange or Apple Juice 2 Kiwis, cut into -inch cubes (3/4 cup cubed) 1 Cup Honeydew melon, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 Cup fresh pineapple cut into 1-inch cubes

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in order listed into the Cuisinart Duet blender cup. Pulse for 30 to 40 seconds or until blended to preference. Enjoy immediately.

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1 comment:

Cal Orey, Author-Intuitive said...

Like your philosophy about good food. Ditto. You truly can have a positive relationship with food and maintain an ideal weight and stay healthy. Good food in moderation. It's as simple as that.