Everyone who owns a toaster oven would agree that it is a convenient way to cook foods while saving energy. But did you know that you can use it for things other than toasting breads and baking foods? Here are some unique ways you can use your Black & Decker toaster oven that will keep you creative in your kitchen.
#1 Toast more than bread.
Sure you have toasted breads and snacks in your toaster oven, but you can also toast meal ingredients quickly too. Some things that need a little roast to get their flavors going include nuts and spices. There’s no need to crank that big conventional oven or take out that sauce pan for something so simple and small of a job. Instead, place your nuts or spices in a single layer on your baking sheet and place in a 350 degree oven. Roast for 10 minutes, making sure to turn over the nuts and spices so that they do not burn. You will save time, energy and most of all, still get an evenly toasted ingredient.
#2 Dehydrate foods.
With all of the raw and healthy foods trends going on, there’s no need to give in and buy expensive dehydrated products. You can make them in your toaster oven. Dehydrated foods have been “cooked” at very low temperatures to remove water. The foods shrink and take on very different textures. Vegetables often crisp up and replace addictive chips and other crunchy snacks. Fruits, on the other hand, tend to turn chewy which mimics chewy junk foods like candy and cookies. To dehydrate foods, cut them in thin slices, lay on your baking sheet and set the temperature for the lowest it can go. Prop the oven door open to let condensation escape, and cook for a few hours, or until the foods are fully dehydrated.
#3 Keep plates warm.
If you’ve ever cooked something to perfection and placed it on cold plates, you’d notice that your delicious food turns cold by the time its set on the table. Warming your plates up before serving food eliminates this problem. But there’s no need to turn on your conventional oven if you’re cooking for just one or two people. Turn your toaster oven on bake and let the plate warm up for a few minutes. Be careful when you take the plate out and serve food. The plates will be very hot and will require you to wear oven mitts.
Think that rice cooker can only do rice? Think again; this underused appliance can do so much more. Like the popular wedding registry item, the Crockpot, rice cookers have basic functions that act like a slow cooker and can prepare a variety of foods, from stews, steamed meals and even oatmeal. Rice cookers, like ones from Black & Decker, are basic, yet extremely useful in the kitchen; read on to learn about just some of its uses and why it should be a staple in your kitchen.
Most electric rice cookers have two basic functions: cook and keep warm. How it “knows” when the food is ready is simple; when all or most of the water boils off, the inside temperature changes, thus alerting the appliance that food is done. Once this process happens, the rice cooker switches to a low-heat, keep warm setting. This means that nearly anything that requires boiling water to cook can be prepared in your rice cooker.
Oatmeal is one such meal that can be easily prepared in this appliance. According to Rober Ebert, who wrote a book about the many uses of the rice cooker, called “The Pot and How to Use It,” cooking oatmeal in a rice cooker requires just oats, specified water on the packaging (or less if you like it al dente) and a fruit or two of your liking. The easiest combinations are ones that make the most sense. For example, try the classic strawberry and kiwi, or peaches and bananas for peaches and cream. Whichever you choose, just put everything in the pot, select the cooking setting, and your rice cooker does the rest for you.
You can even make soups and stews in the rice cooker by following a recipe of your choice, or by creating your own. Put the longer-cooking ingredients in first with the stock, broth, or water and cook for the specified time the recipe says. You may need to continue adding more water, but for stews, leave the consistency thick. Put in vegetables and other ingredients you want crunchy during the last few minutes, along with seasonings to make a wonderful and comforting meal.
Lastly, you can steam healthy meals in your rice cooker, like our recipe for steamed pork dumplings. Some models, like the Black & Decker 16-Cup Multi-Use Rice Cooker, comes with a steamer basket to make steamed meals in your rice cooker even easier.
If you have a hard time getting the motivation to prepare a home-cooked meal during the workday, you also know the pressure of making it satisfying and taste good. A super fast way to add flavor without hassle to food is the utilization of spices that you can grind up in a snap with your coffee grinder.
Spices, which are any plant material that’s used whole, dried or ground up and added to food, can be roots, barks, seeds, fruits or herbs. Adding spices to food doesn’t necessarily make it spicy but rather aromatic, pungent and distinct. Achieving the best possible flavor isn’t a science or formula—you add what appeals to you. Therefore, your dishes will always be tailored to you and your family’s individual liking and preference.
Your coffee grinder, like the simple yet effective Smartgrind® Stainless Steel coffee grinder by Black & Decker, will grind up all your spices with ease and power. Before grinding, however, you will need to first prepare the spices, which requires a quick toasting. Taking the extra step to toast spices ensures maximum flavor and couldn’t be any simpler. Just add spices to a dry pan over medium heat and shake periodically for 2-3 minutes. Once ready, spices will give off an aromatic smell, but if they burn, throw them out and start over.
You’ll need to make sure you clean the grinder properly between savory and sweet spices to eliminate excess odors and flavors. To do this, you can pulse some kosher salt and shake out, or uncooked rice to remove particles and oils. If you are using similar herbs all the time, a quick wipe with a damp paper towel will easily do the trick.
You may also want to consider owning a separate coffee grinder just for spices as the strong flavor of coffee is hard to eliminate. This is easy with Black & Decker because of the affordability and value of our grinders. In no time, you’ll have a repertoire of flavors and custom blends that will make you a spice master.
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