Kitchen Must-Haves: Part 2

My next kitchen staple is small but mighty: the mini-chopper.

Sometimes, admittedly, I do like to chop food the old fashioned way. I’m certainly not as fast as I’d like to be, but there’s something relaxing about chopping up many vegetables in uniform size. However, there are times when I’m running late or just don’t have the energy top do the handwork myself, so I pull out my “mini- chop”, as I so lovingly call it. They’re fairly cheap, about $30-40. Though small, the mini-chop is mighty! Throw in a quartered onion and it has it chopped in seconds–tear free!

My favorite thing to do with the mini chop is make garlic butter:

1. I throw in 2-3 cloves of garlic, depending on their size, and press the chop button til they’re in tiny bits. 
2. Next, I dump in a stick of softened butter, cubed, and season with some salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper and fresh parsley. 
3. Give it another whirl to combine and you’ve got great, homemade garlic butter for spreading on your favorite bread.

The mini-chop is also great for pestos (when you only want to make a 1-2 servings); tapenades, marinades when you're only making one steak; etc. And it's so small, it's easy to store and clean.

Stay tuned for my other favorites!

What's a must have in your kitchen?

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