The Healthy Kitchen


Having a bunch of quick and easy recipes is only part of the battle of getting a nutritious meal on the table in no time. You also need the right ingredients and tools to make it all happen. Sidra Forman, Best Life chef, shares her favorite must-have gadgets that make home cooking a snap, plus, the ingredients she always has in her kitchen. Most of these foods are non-perishable and can be used to round out or enhance a meal. All you'll need to do is pick up fresh veggies and a piece of meat, poultry or fish; it's much easier to run into the store to pick up one or two items instead of a whole grocery list worth of items.

Must-Have Tools

1. A Peeler. A good peeler that is comfortable to hold, sharp and efficient can open up a whole world of fresh vegetables that might otherwise seem like a huge amount of labor to get through, says Sidra. Because a healthy diet incorporates a large variety of vegetables, anything that will make preparing them easier is a huge help. This would have to be my number-one tool..

2. A Salad Spinner. In addition to being the best way to clean and dry salad greens, it's also important for when you're cooking veggies. For instance, if you're making any dish where you have to roast greens, you'll want to start with them dry, otherwise you'll most likely end up with boiled greens. And a salad spinner is the best tool for the job. "I've tried other methods, but they don't get greens dry enough and inevitably, the greens end up getting beaten up," Sidra says.

3. A Heavy-Bottom Skillet. You may have roasted vegetables in the oven before, but with a heavy-bottom skillet, such as a cast iron skillet, you can also roast them right on the stovetop burners. Or, you can start them stovetop, then finish them off in the oven, so they're crispy, but not too crispy, on the bottom. (All metal pans can go in the oven, but not those that have plastic or some other non-metal substance on the handle. It will melt!) Roasting is one of the best ways to bring out the flavors in all sort of foods, whether you're cooking vegetables, meat, fish or poultry. Having a nice heavy-bottom skillet is key. That way, you can use high heat and know that it's being distributed evenly throughout the bottom of the pan. This makes food cook more evenly and makes it easier not to burn what you are cooking. Plus, it enables you to get a nice browned surface on your food. Heavy-bottom skillets are also a great choice for quickly cooking fish, lean meat, or poultry, turn the burner up high, oil the cut, then place it on the hot surface for just a few minutes on each side.

4. A Good Knife. "I'm partial to the Japanese knives, like the Shun, that have a sharp edge," Sidra says. "When working with veggies and things that require fine chopping, a good knife is essential for cleanly and evenly chopping everything! Personally I think it makes cooking more fun." You can find quality knives at Williams-Sonoma and other stores that sell kitchen goods.

5. A Blender. "I use my blender a lot, making soup (both hot and cold) and shakes, and even for things like grinding flax seeds, for example. Not all blenders are created equally; a high-speed blender is great for getting really smooth purees for both soups and sauces," she says.

6. A Food processor. "I feel like I use this for almost everything, including making sauces, dressings and marinades," she says. "I also use attachments, especially if I'm cooking a meal for several people that requires a lot of shredding, cutting or dicing."

Essential Ingredients

1. Garlic and onions. These keep for several weeks and can be used in many different recipe to punch up the taste. Most of my savory food includes garlic or some member of the onion family.

2. Herbs and spices. Fresh herbs are most flavorful, so if you can get them at your supermarket or have space to grow a few yourself, go for it. Or, you can use dried herbs, too. You can use herbs and spices to season and enhance the taste of your foods. They can also help you limit your intake of salt.

3. Fruit. "I always have a generous supply of whatever fruit is in season," Sidra says. You can eat a piece right out of the crisper for a snack, add chopped fruit to cereal or yogurt, or incorporate it into both sweet and savory dishes to add a little sweetness to your recipes.

4. Dried or Canned Beans and Grains. Go for quick cooking ones, such lentils and quinoa, to save time. Also canned beans with no-salt added are good to have on hand. These can be the basis of many meals, such as soup, bean and grain salads which pair perfectly with fresh vegetables.

5. Vinegars and Oils. Vinegar adds flavor to dishes like salads, cooked veggies, and sauces or marinades for meat, poultry or fish, without adding any extra sodium. Oils such as good quality olive oil, nut oils and sesame oil also pack a flavor punch when used modestly to dress salads and finish dishes. Other oils such as canola, grapeseed or pomace olive oil are great for sautéing. Use a touch of oil to limit calories; about one to two teaspoons per serving of a stew, soup, casserole, stir-fry other other dish is about right.