This isn\u2019t good and this isn\u2019t bad. It\u2019s just how I am. I don\u2019t want to pay more for something than I have to and I don\u2019t buy stuff that isn\u2019t necessary (my cat pants<\/a> were 100% necessary).<\/p>\n Luanne can call me Podunk Mol anytime. I have what I need and I\u2019m perfectly happy and content with that.<\/p>\n My kitchen is no exception.<\/p>\n Cooking plant based recipes and meals isn\u2019t complicated and it doesn’t require fancy expensive equipment. I\u2019m sharing the 10 kitchen tools that I use in my kitchen most often. I\u2019m also sharing how much I paid for them and where I got them. I\u2019ll give you the first five today and the next five next week. Deal? If I can eat a Whole Food Plant Based diet and create weekly Plant Fueled Meal plans for you with only these items, than you’ll be totally set!<\/p>\n Here are five of the 10 most frequently used tools in my kitchen. I list them in order of how much I use them, starting with the most used first. Some of these items are brand specific, some aren\u2019t. I have no affiliation with any of these brands and I’m not being paid to mention them – it\u2019s just what I happen to have.<\/p>\n 1: Blender<\/strong> I use my blender every single day, sometimes two or three times a day. I use it for my morning smoothie and for making dressings, sauces, soups and other yumminess for our weekly Plant Fueled Meal Plans.<\/p>\n What I\u2019m rolling with:<\/p>\n Oster 12 speed blender.<\/p>\n This is $40 at Target. I got it used for $20 from Rufus<\/a>, the guy who has a fruit stand\/oddities\/permanent yard sale on the side of the road near our house. It was missing the O-ring, so I picked one up from Home Depot for .99 and called it a day.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve never owned a Vitamix or any other fancy blender. I know they\u2019re orgasmic and at some point I might get one, but for now I\u2019m perfect with my $20 blender from Rufus.<\/p>\n 2: Salad Spinner I live in a small town in Hawaii and the very best and most affordable place to buy produce is from our local organic farm, Johnson’s Farm. They have a booth at our Sunday Farmers Market where we go each week and stock up on produce. We usually spend around $25 and it lasts us through the week.<\/p>\n As soon as I get home from the market, I lay out all my produce and start my produce washing party. This party consists of a big bowl, my salad spinner, all my leafy greens and lettuce, a couple big storage containers, a cup of tea and my favorite Podcast, WTF (tea just doesn’t sound cool, damn it).<\/p>\n I wash my greens, spin them super dry in my salad spinner and store them in a couple containers in my fridge. This gives me washed greens ready to go anytime I want. And because I have them washed and ready to go, I eat WAY more of them throughout the week.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no point washing your greens in advance if you can\u2019t get them super dry because if you store them wet, they start to slime and go bad really quickly. A salad spinner is the difference between your greens lasting three days and your greens lasting seven days. A simple salad spinner will help you eat more greens, it’ll save you time and it’ll save you money on wasted produce.<\/p>\n What I\u2019m rolling with:<\/p>\n I got my salad spinner for $1<\/a> from a yard sale. I dropped it on the floor shortly after I brought it home and it cracked in several places. Luanne patched it up with some duct tape and we’ve been good to go ever since.<\/p>\n 3: Fine Mesh Strainer Here\u2019s why. Without the dependable fine mesh strainer, how would one rinse such a grain as tiny as quinoa? It’s impossible. It\u2019s fine mesh strainer city or bust.<\/p>\n I also use this gem for rinsing beans and other grains. I use it for straining water from soaked nuts or seeds when I make yummy sauces and dressings. I use it for straining water from simmered sweet potatoes and removing excess water from steamed broccoli and greens. At any given moment this tool is either being used or it\u2019s in my dish rack drying.<\/p>\n What I\u2019m rolling with:<\/p>\n I bought my fine mesh strainer<\/a> from Ross Dress For Less for $5 (and kitchen stuff for less as it were). It has a wooden handle and a double mesh lining.<\/p>\n 4: Instant Pot The Instant Pot is a multi-functional electric pressure cooker. It functions as a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, a rice cooker, a steamer and a yogurt maker. You can also saut\u00e9 ingredients directly in the inner pot, which comes in handy when making soups, stews and curries. Beans can take up to three hours to cook on the stove. I cook my beans in 15 minutes in my Instant Pot. I mean, come on!<\/p>\n I used to think overnight oats were the best way to make steel cut oats. That has changed since I bought my Instant Pot. I now make steel cut oats in 10 minutes instead of 8 hours. #thankyoulife<\/p>\n What I\u2019m rolling with:<\/p>\n I have the IP-LUX60-6-in-1<\/a>. I ordered it from Amazon for $99.<\/p>\n Here’s a post on the how and the why the Instant Pot is freaking amazing<\/a>.<\/p>\n 5: Steamer Basket I add about a cup of water to a pot, place the steamer basket inside, add my veggies (usually leafy greens or broccoli) and place a lid on the pot. After 3 or 4 minutes, I take out my veggies, place them in a bowl, add some sauce like T-Crack<\/a> or Coconut Aminos, sprinkle with chopped nuts or seeds and dig in.<\/p>\n Buy one with legs because it keeps it slightly elevated and will work in any pot.<\/p>\n What I\u2019m rolling with:<\/p>\n I bought my steamer basket<\/a> at Walmart for $5. I usually don\u2019t shop at Walmart for a lot of reasons, mainly because of their poor labor practices and the negative impact that they have on communities. That said, sometimes in a pinch, Walmart happens.<\/p>\n Okay – that wraps up the first five. I\u2019ll be back next week with the next five<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the meantime, go make today\u2019s recipe and post a pic in our private Facebook group<\/a>!<\/p>\n What are your favorite kitchen tools? Tells us about it in the comments below.<\/p>\n
\nThis is non-negotiable.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>I use this once or twice a week and I enjoy the benefits from it every day.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>If I had to pick the most under-appreciated cooking item, the fine mesh strainer would be it (and I\u2019ve thought about this more than five times).<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Believe the hype. It\u2019s good. It\u2019s really, really, really good.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>I use this sucker every day for steaming veggies.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/files.cleanfooddirtygirl.com\/20180308005110\/cat-e1612476572788.jpg\")
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