“I have more healthy cravings than my normal eating habits, like I crave fruit and cold things like smoothies.”
Kourtney Kardashian
Food processors and blenders, what are the differences between them?
If you only have a small kitchen then you may be wondering if you really need both a blender and a food processor. The fact is that although both gadgets have blades, and a reputation for dicing and slicing, they actually have quite different uses.
If you are going to be able to do all of the jobs you need to in a kitchen the chances are you are going to want to use a blender and a food processor at some point; especially if you regularly make smoothies or soups.
When does a blender come into its own?
The shape and blades of a blender are designed to cater for soft fruit and liquids. The name really says it all; these gadgets are excellent for blending ingredients into such delights as tasty smoothies. Depending on what fittings your blender has it may be able to cope with slicing ice for use in the smoothies; this can make them into an extra special treat on a hot summer day.
These tasty additions to any menu are a great way of getting fruit into a child’s diet. You can use the pulp produced when you are juicing to create imaginative and colorful smoothies that most children will love. The shape of a blender is slender and designed to accommodate soft and liquid products, and not usually more solid produce.
What about a food processor?
If you are using liquids then it’s a good idea to stick to using your blender, but for anything more solid you should switch to a food processor. Food processors have blades that are designed for chopping and slicing.
They also have a bowl that is larger and can accommodate more solid produce. If you have vegetables that you want to reduce in to small pieces to use in a soup then a food processor is the perfect gadget to use. It can cope with all sorts of vegetables and nuts, and in no time you will have all of the ingredients you need to make as much delicious soup as you want.
Which is the best to have, a blender or a food processor?
The answer to this question is really going to depend on what you need to do most. Is it more important to you to be able to blend together liquids, making drinks and smoothies; or is it more important to you to be able to slice vegetables for soups or stews?
It may be that you need to do both. There are blenders that have blades which provide a certain amount of chopping capacity, and food processors can deal with a very small amount of liquid, but generally if you want to be able to blend and chop you are going to have to make room in your kitchen for both a blender and a food processor.
Summary: Time for SMOOTHIES! Come join me. Grab a bunch of fresh seasonal produce, pair it with a medium you like, throw in some nuts, seeds, herbs and get going. 3 recipes to get you going …
Persimmon Orange Strawberry Smoothie
Flesh of 2 fully ripe persimmons
5 strawberries {approx 50g}
Juice of 1 orange
1/2 cup water
Pinch rock salt
Place in jar of Thermomix, processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Add extra juice or water if desired.
Cucumber Spinach tender Coconut Water Smoothie
1 small English cucumber, with skin {approx 100g}
Small bunch fresh spinach leaves{approx 35g}
200ml tender coconut water
Pinch rock salt
Place in jar of Thermomix, processor or blender. Blend until smooth
Banana Chocolate Oats Smoothie
2 bananas {chopped, frozen in summer, normal in winter}
300ml low fat milk, soy milk, almond milk
1 tsp brown sugar{optional}
1 tbsp oats {or almonds}
2 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
Place in jar of Thermomix, processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
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