A New Toy!

A deep fryer is a must for safely deep frying certain foods such as yeast doughnuts, fresh cut fries and English style beer battered fish. Sure you can use a pot of oil on the stove but this really is not the safe way to deep fry. One of the kitchen appliances we received as a wedding gift was a deep fryer. It was avocado green with a removable basket and glass lid that looked very much like the old style slow cookers. I quickly learned that deep fryers are a pain to clean and despite cleaning they tend to get gunky. Over the years the deep fryers were improved to use filters to help reduce odours. At the same time they still were a pain to clean and still got gunky. Fast forward to more recent times and if I recall correctly my fourth deep fryer, a nice Moulinex that served me well for almost 8 years. Despite all the changes in deep fryers, it was still a pain to clean, the oil still needed straining and it got gunky around the top.

A few weeks ago I found a 1 - inch long tan coloured threaded connector by the counter kick plate. I set it aside figuring it was important and we would soon find out which appliance it belonged to. It turns out it was too the deep fryer. The part would no longer stay on either causing the inner fryer compartment to be quite loose. My husband declared the fryer unsafe so it was time to look for a new fryer. This time I really knew what I didn't want in a fryer!

T-FAL® Deep Fryer

Last Christmas we gifted parents of oldest grandbaby with a T-FAL® deep fryer. They had done the research and were very specific that was the fryer they wanted. They were telling us how pleased they were with the fryer. They made buttermilk fried chicken using the fryer when we visited last. I saw how the fryer worked and asked a lot of questions. My mind was made up, so it was just a matter of waiting for a sale. In the end, Canadian Tire had the fryer on sale so we sacrificed all of our Canadian Tire money so actual money spent was $22 CDN. Pictured is my new T-FAL® Ultimate EZ Clean Deep Fryer.

The fryer has a lot of nice features. It has a large capacity (1.2 kg) two position basket. The lid contains a permanent odor filter and viewing window for splatter free cooking. The adjustable thermostat is graded in both Fahrenheit and Celsius. Unlike other deep fryers the 1700 W ultra quick heating element is immersed directly into the oil. Cost to operate at our electric rates is 20¢ per hour. The frying bowl, lid and fryer basket are dishwasher safe for easy washing after each use so there should be no gunky build-up. The real selling feature was the automatic oil filtration system that drains the oil through a filter once it is cool enough into a storage oil box. The oil box can be stored in the fryer or refrigerator.

Fresh Cut Fries

When testing out a new small kitchen appliance always test it against something you know what the outcome should be. We decided to test out the new fryer by making fresh cut fries. The fryer came with a bonus French fry cutter but we already had one so put the bonus one away as a spare. It took 3 L of 100% vegetable oil to get to the correct oil level. The oil was and still is on sale for $3.99 for the next week which is a $2 savings per jug so we will be stocking up.

I really like that this deep fryer has actual temperatures on the thermostat. The old deep fryer had pictures but no temperatures making it difficult to judge the frying temperature for other foods. True to its word there was no splattering. The fryer heated faster and the cook time was a couple minutes shorter than the old fryer as well. In terms of cost savings this is less than a penny but as part of the Every kW Counts it means we used less electricity to get the same results! As you can see the fryer did a lovely job of frying the fresh cut fries.

When we were finished frying, we set the fryer to auto-filter. I don't think it was a full 3 hours before the oil was filtered into the oil box. I dismantled the fryer and washed the parts by hand simply because I was already washing a few other things. I like the idea that the parts are dishwasher safe. Tonight's test will be ...!

Kitchen Quick Tips - Candy Making

Don't try to make candy including fudge on a rainy day or during periods of high humidity. Extra moisture in the air will cause the candy to fail.

Rustic Cottage Pie

What's in a name? While still a newlywed I made a casserole dish that had been handed through our family under the name of Shepherd's Pie. Imagine my shock when one of our guests told me it wasn't Shepherd's pie. She then went on to tell me what Shepherd's Pie was so I just had to try making it. The casserole was a huge hit the first time I served it! The casserole dish that was handed through our family has remained a family favourite but has since been renamed Hamburger Casserole or affectionately known as Mommy's Surprise.

In recent years I learned that Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with lamb. The same dish made with game meat is called Hunter's Pie. I have not found an actual name for the dish made with beef as it is widely referred to as Shepherd's Pie. I also make similar casserole dishes using ground pork or ground chicken. I think these types of country casseroles using beef, pork or chicken are best described as Cottage Pies. They are simple, frugal, budget stretching meals that really is what down home cooking is all about!

Rustic Cottage Pie

The beauty of country pies lies in their simplicity. They don't need to have fancy or expensive ingredients. Instead they should be kept simple but that doesn't mean they can't have a lot of flavour. I made the pictured country pie using lean ground beef. This yummy country pie had a rustic look because the top layer was on the chunkier side rather than the normal smooth mashed potato layer.

Rustic Cottage Pie

2 lb lean ground beef
½ medium onion
1½ c beef gravy*
1 c green beans (homecanned or canned)
1 c corn niblets
6 medium potatoes
3 carrots
½ c flavoured cream cheese
¼ c sour cream
milk

Wash potatoes and carrots. Peel carrots. Do not peel potatoes. Cut both into chunks. Steam until tender. Pour into KitchenAid® stand mixer bowl (or similar). Add cream cheese and sour cream. Use the beater paddle to beat into a chunky mixture. Chop onion. Brown the ground beef and onion. Drain. Stir in gravy. Pour the meat mixture into a casserole pan. Drain green beans and pour over meat mixture. Pour corn niblet on top. Spoon the potato mixture over the vegetable layer, spreading evenly. Bake at 180ºC (350ºF) until about 30 minutes or until potato mixture is lightly golden brown.

*If you do not have left-over gravy on hand, use the same amount of canned or powdered brown gravy mixed with 1½ c of water.

Frugal Kitchens 101 - The Instants

In general convenience foods are more expensive than homemade versions. They tend to be high in salt, sugar, artificial colourants/flavours and preservatives as well. That being said there are a few of the instants that I consider frugal additions in my pantry. Most of these instants fall into the category of emergency preparedness food items in the pantry as well. While all can be used for their intended purpose, they usually used as an ingredient in other dishes. All of these ingredients are relatively inexpensive must haves in the pantry.

• instant potatoes - Instant potatoes are an ideal thickener for soups and stews. In a pinch they substitute nicely for fresh mashed potatoes. They also are a good nutritious food for someone recovering from an illness. Buy a good quality instant potato. I prefer the instant potatoes that are powered rather than flaked but either will work. Protect from insects and humidity by stored in vacuum sealed mason jars.


• instant coffee - I wouldn't say instant coffee is as good as fresh brewed coffee but it will give you that morning caffeine boost. Instant coffee is often used as an ingredient for both flavour and colour. When using instant coffee as an ingredient you can use regular or decaffeinated. Stir a tbsp into the milk when making chocolate pudding to give you a mocha flavoured pudding. It is one of the ingredients in dark rye, some multi-grain and pumpernickel breads. Use instant coffee to boost the flavour of any chocolate batter (eg. cake, brownies). Add to bean soups, stews and chili to give both depth and colour.
  


• instant pudding/pie filling - Cooked puddings can be from scratch however instant pudding mix can be used as an ingredient in batters (eg. cake). The prepared pudding can also be used as an ingredient for quick to make summer desserts. The most common instant pie filling is lemon which basically is an instant form of lemon curd. Again this can be used as an ingredient.
  


• instant milk - At one time instant milk was always recommended as a way to save on milk costs. In recent years instant milk has fallen out of favour even with the frugalistas as a milk substitute or milk stretchers mainly because in most cases instant milk is no longer less expensive than fresh. Still instant milk is often used in baking. It is one of the secrets to getting a soft crust on home baked breads. Adding instant milk to the fresh milk when making yogurt will give a firmer, thicker yogurt without dramatically increasing the fat content.
  
• jello/gelatin - Jello and gelatin are pantry staples not only because they can be used to make inexpensive dishes and deserts but because they are a great way to get extra fluids into someone recovering from an illness. Keep several boxes on hand including unflavoured gelatin. Unflavoured gelatin can be used for meat dishes, salads and thickening yogurt. There are several recipes online for using jello/gelatin in jam making as well.
  


• instant gravy - Instant gravy wouldn't be something I would recommend using as a substitute for homemade gravy. However, it is good for those times where you just need an ounce or two of gravy and do not have any homemade gravy on hand. I find it generally works well for hamburger where you might just want to thicken a little.
  


• powdered cheese - Powdered cheese really is an emergency preparedness food item but it is a good item to have on hand. Powdered Parmesan cheese can add a punch of flavour to salads and sandwiches for those times you are out of fresh Parmesan. Powdered cheddar cheese can be used to make give that vegetable dip a little twist or to make homemade versions of cheese and macaroni. Powdered cheeses can be added to bread dough for a different flavour as well. The main advantage of powdered cheese is it is a shelf stable product.
  


• powdered eggs - Powdered eggs are another emergency preparedness food item. In a pinch they can be used to make scrambled eggs simply by mixing with water and cooking. A good way to use them is as an ingredient when baking. The main advantage of powdered eggs is it is a shelf stable product so no refrigeration is needed.