Healthy Kitchen Hacks #2
Healthy Kitchen Hacks is a weekly series on Teaspoon of Spice. We share fellow bloggers' and our own favorite cooking shortcuts, kitchen tricks and "aha" ideas for making healthy meals a snap.
Last week, we launched this new Healthy Kitchen Hacks weekly series (posted each Wednesday) with lots of positive feedback from you all - so, apparently we aren't the only ones who look for kitchen shortcuts and healthy culinary tricks!
If you missed it, here's last week's Healthy Kitchen Hacks #1.
So, let's get right down to it....here's this week's Healthy Kitchen Hacks that I've (Deanna) tried out:
1) How To Seed a Pomegranate Without the Mess
via Tieghan @Half Baked Harvest
Old way for me: Cut pomegranate into wedges. Tap seeds loose with wooden spoon. Curse at the stains all over my cabinets, countertop, and me.
New way: Remove seeds underwater. Tieghan shows you how (I also cut my pomegranate underwater, so no stained cutting boards.)
Bonus: My 7 year old now loves doing this task and this hack even got her to eat pomegranate seeds.
2) How to Clean and Restore Wood Cutting Boards
via Courtney @Sweet C's Designs
Talk about one of those kitchen chores I never do. I'm anal about only using plastic boards for cutting raw meat/chicken/fish but my wooden boards take a beating from all that veggie and fruit prep.
I followed Courtney's post step by step (I used coconut oil for final step) and what a difference in the before and after.
3) No Bake, No Added Sugar Chocolate Pudding
via Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Brianne calls this her Chocolate Pudding "Snack Hack" and I was skeptical as it's only 3 ingredients with ripe banana as the sole sweetener.
But it worked! Next time, I'd add another half of very ripe banana to sweeten it up just a bit more - but the consistency was spot on. (I added a splash of milk as my batch was too thick to pour at first.)
4) How to Measure Sticky Ingredients
This is a hack I picked up years ago and it saves my sanity any time I'm measuring honey, syrup, molasses, peanut butter or anything super sticky:
- Coat measuring cup with cooking spray or a touch of canola oil.
- Measure sticky ingredient.
- Pour/dump easily into mixing bowl as the ingredient slides right out.
5) Formula Meals For Easy Weeknight Dinners
via Danielle @ Food Confidence
While I don't mind following a recipe, I can't live without my "throw it together" meals - no instruction needed.
Enter Formula Meals from dietitian Danielle Omar. She shares a basic template - like this Simple Stir Fry - and you adjust it for the ingredients you have on hand. A GENIUS idea for easy, healthy weeknight meals.
Would you try any of these hacks? Any healthy kitchen or healthy living shortcuts to share? Shoot us an email (ddaly@teaspooncomm.com or sball@teaspooncomm.com ) or share below and we'll try them out.
Seriously love this series! Can't wait to try the pudding. I use store bought sugar-free, fat-free pudding which I think is better than a sugar-packed dessert but still not the greatest option. Also love the tip for measuring sticky ingredients! No more honey mess!
Let me know if you try the pudding!
This series is fantastic- learning lots of great tips! I am a big fan of your tip on how to measure sticky ingredients- that tip has saved me a lot of dishes over the years 🙂 I'll have to share that stir fry recipe with my clients; I'm always looking for an easy and versatile way to prepare vegetables- thanks!
Sweet - glad you are enjoy the series - so appreciate the feedback 🙂
Love these, esp how to restore a cutting board. I just got a new beautiful new walnut board and I want to keep it beautiful as long as possible! And thanks for featuring my Formula Meals! xo
Clearly I dig those formula meals - keep 'em coming! And where did you get your cutting board. I'm thinking of getting another one to add to my collection 🙂
I have heard of the sticky measuring hack before but haven't tried... I'm lazy and buy pomegranate aerials but maybe I should try actually opening one haha...
I'm that way about butternut squash (despite last week's kitchen hack on how to cut it easily) - I usually buy it precut!
Good ones! Love the cutting board trick...which I badly need to do asap!
I know - I need to to my other ones now - it didn't take much time at all and the results were pretty cool 🙂
This is such a genuis idea for a series, can't wait to continue to follow along! I knew the pomegranate trick but interested to read more about the formula meals and use the wooden cutting board cleaning!
Hello Deanna,
I just saw Mary's post on Facebook about your Wednesday blog series, and I also remember your posts from Mary's blog comment section. The pomegranate seeding technique sounds interesting!
Bala
I just saw you comment on Mary's vinaigrette post 🙂 - small world the blogosphere is 🙂 The water trick really works - it's the only way I'll de-seed a pomegranate at this point.
I am completely intrigued by the chocolate pudding snack hack ... I am totally trying it this weekend! And I also cut my pomegranates under water ... it truly was a wonderful day when I learned this trick ... no mess!
Looking forward to next week's list of hacks!
Let me know how the pudding turns out!!
Love it! I learned the trick for measuring sticky ingredients a couple of years ago and it saves me so much aggravation! heading over to read about the wood cutting board cleaning - hope I can get mine to look as good as yours!
Take a before and after photo on IG - 🙂
That is the ONLY way to deseed a pom!
YES! The sticky ingredients gets me every time! I have a particular recipe that uses a teaspoon of multiple sticky ingredients and I always get annoyed. I will be trying the cooking spray hack for sure
That technique for seeding pomegranates is awesome, I've been doing it a for a while and it works great! Tip #4 is a lifesaver!
So many decisions! Should I make Danielle's Stir Fry....Shine my cutting boards....Or, maybe, just maybe, make a batch of no added sugar, no bake chocolate pudding 🙂 Love all your hacks!
Thanks for this post. All the hacks were very helpful. I liked the cutting board care tip, thanks for the link. Greets!