Archive for the ‘cutting mats’ Category
Whether you’re an amateur, novice, or even gourmet chef, you almost certainly spend time cutting up meats and veggies. Unfortunately, bacteria is capable of lurking on various types of surfaces used for cutting. But the solution is easy! Follow these steps to keep your cutting mats and boards clean and bacteria-free.
Instructions
1. Wash it! First of all, wash your board after each use with hot, soapy water..doesn’t matter if it’s bamboo, natural wood or plastic, warm, soapy water is the best germ-killing solution there is.
2. Salt it! Salt makes life miserable for most bacteria, specifically nasty germs like Salmonella and E. coli. Sprinkle table or kosher salt onto your cutting mat. With a damp towel, scrub the entire board. Rinse thoroughly and let air-dry.
3. Bleach it! One tablespoon of liquid chlorine bleach mixed into a gallon of water acts as a sanitizer on wooden and synthetic cutting mats. Sanitizers remove microorganisms and reduce the risk of food-borne illness. Allow the solution to stand on the board for a few minutes before rinsing with hot water and blotting dry with a paper towel.
4. Let someone else do the work (i.e. ‘Mr.’ Dishwasher). The elevated water temperature in your dishwasher is capable of killing the bacteria on your synthetic cutting mats. But don’t put your wood boards in the dishwasher. They can warp, split and absorb the odors of the detergent.
Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Parmesan Chicken Thighs Recipe
Parmesan Chicken Thighs (Ingredients):
-1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs (roughly 7 thighs), ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese ,Salt and Pepper to taste, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, Spinach and Mushroom stuffing from previous step
1. Preheat oven to 350°F; Fold open thighs and place between to pieces of plastic wrap (Or, if you like life easy, just spread ‘em all out on one flexible plastic cutting mat and sandwich between another, that way you can do it all at once.).
2. Pound flat using a mallet, rolling pin or an empty wine bottle, stuffing down center of each thigh (where the bone was removed), Wipe pan clean and return to heat, Roll thighs around filling and secure with a toothpick.
3. Salt and pepper liberally, brown chicken on all sides in olive oil over medium heat, Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, place in oven and cook through (about 15 minutes), Remove from skillet and cover with foil to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Filling Ingredients:
-1 8oz package pre-washed spinach (you can use frozen as well as a time-saver), 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced, 5 cloves garlic, sliced, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, Salt and pepper to taste,
Heat skillet over medium high heat - melt butter. Sauté garlic until browned (be careful not to burn it!) Add mushrooms and sauté until caramelized. Add spinach in portions if necessary and cook until completely wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and set aside.
Creamed Spinach Sauce Ingredients:
-1 8 0z. package spinach, 8 oz. sliced mushrooms, 6 cloves garlic, sliced, 2/3 cup milk or half and half, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, Salt and Pepper to taste
Using same skillet that was used for chicken, sauté garlic and mushrooms until desired doneness is achieved. Stir in spinach and wilt thoroughly. Add milk, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low for 5 minutes -season to taste with salt and pepper.