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[R99]Recipes For Food Processor

by Steve Albright, Ste

Food Processors are fantastic inventions and can be a great deal of help to any home cook. When you decide to invest in a food processor be sure that you are actually going to use it. There are plenty of people with kitchen cabinets brimming with appliances that seemed practical at the time of purchase but are now nothing more than expensive dust collectors.

One of the benefits of investing in a food processor is that it can actually replace many of the appliances that you have stored away. If you purchase one with versatile attachments it can take the place of mixers, blenders, grinders, and other kitchen gadgets.

These days food processors have so many different attachments that you don't even need to buy the most expensive one to get all the benefits. The one thing that you do need to decide on is the size of the processor you want to purchase.

When doing your shopping consider the amount of food you prepare at one time, if you a large family or are a professional caterer you may want to consider the larger models. These have mixing bowls that can hold up to twenty cups of food. On the other hand mini models may be more suited for your lifestyle and cooking needs, with a capacity of seven to ten cups.

One tip that can save you preparation time is if you get a food processor with as wide of an insert tube as possible. The wider the tube is the less time you have to spend cutting down your food to fit it. Therefore you can shave some extra minutes off your prep time.

The other thing to consider when purchasing a food processor is the necessary attachments you want on it. You obviously want the standard blade and disc attachments but there can be some fancy extras.

You can get ones that have a dough blade, an egg whip, a julienne disc, French fry disc, citrus and non citrus juicers, and more. Again don't waste money on food processors with all these extra features if you know that you're never going to use them.

Another thing that you may want to keep in mind when selecting your food processor is the amount of power it has. Any one you find should have sufficient power to perform routine tasks but if you need it for more demanding food processing there are professional models that have over 600 watts of power, which should get the job done.

Finally make sure your processor is easy to clean, most are dishwasher safe but some are easier than others. If you buy one that is a pain to clean you'll be a lot less likely to use it.

If you keep these simple tips in mind when shopping for a food processing appliance you should end up with one that most aptly fits your needs on a budget you can afford. You can also look for sales going on for your favorite brands or find ones with instant rebates. A quality food processor can save you tons of time in the kitchen and can make for a great gift to a friend or family member that enjoys cooking.

Below are 3 recipes for soups that can be made in your food processor or blender. If you have the ingredients on hand, none of them take more than 10 minutes to make. They are all delicious, nutritious, and really refreshing on a hot day. While the recipes all suggest you use a food processor, you can get very good results by using a blender or hand blender too.

These are all very simple recipes, so don't be shy to modify them and get a taste that your whole family can enjoy.

Here are the recipes.

Summer Vegetarian soup
This is great tasting soup with a touch of Italy included. It is super easy to make and very healthy. It is particularly good on a hot summer day

an avocado - skin and pit removed of course
4 Roma tomatoes - they may not be quite juicy enough (see below)
Basil to taste (Thai basil is really good in this)
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Process
How easy is this soup? Simply throw everything into your food processor and mix until it is smooth. If you find that it is more like a smoothie than soup, simply add more liquid (or swap one of the Roma tomatoes for another more juicy variety). Pour into bowls, garnish as you wish (minced chives are nice) and enjoy.

Sensational Salsa & Black Bean

This soup is a very simple soup that takes just a few minutes to prepare. It can be served hot or cold, but always benefits from being heated.
Roughly 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
2 normal sized cans of black beans (any brand is OK, but try for low salt)
1 1/2 cups soup stock (Just use chicken, beef, or vegetable bullion)
1 cup of your favorite salsa (chunky makes a heartier soup)
1 teaspoon cumin (best to use fresh ground in the soup and you can sprinkle seeds on top too)
1/4 cup of sour cream
1-2 green onions chopped fine

Process:
Put the beans, salsa, cumin, and soup stock into a food processor (a blender is OK too). Puree the mixture until it is creamy in texture. Pour the mixture into a mid-sized pot and heat on low-medium until it is completely hot. This allows the flavours to merge. If you are going to serve it cold, move it to the fridge to cool off till it is time to eat. To eat it hot, simply serve into bowls and garnish with the onions and some of the sour cream.

MANGO SOUP

Mangos are simply divine. They are great as a fruit, mixed into drinks, added to salads. They also make a really good cool summer soup which is explained below.

Ingredients:

1 large RIPE mango (it will be soft, no squishy, to touch)
2 cups chicken soup stock (make your own or use bullion if you must)
1 TBSP lemon grass (available in most Asian markets, it looks like long greenish reeds when you buy it)
1 TBSP ginger - Freshly chopped is best
Ground chili peppers to taste
1 cup yogurt (2% plain is best)
2 TBSP cilantro (chinese parsley) chopped fine

Process:
Chop mango and put in food processor. Mix briefly and then put in the ginger, lemon grass, chili and 1/2 cup of soup stock. Mix again till everything becomes very smooth. Move the soup into another bowl (be sure it is large enough) and mix in first the rest of the stock, and then the yogurt. This is best served cold, so put in fridge till you are ready to eat. Then put into bowls and serve with the cilantro as the garnish.

As the temperature starts to go up give these soups a try. They are all very simple and will add a new delicious and healthy dimension to your summer diet.

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Both Steve Albright & Lynne Birch are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

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