So I was thinking there must be other ways I can use my blender than just making smoothies! BTW, I have had my blender for at least 30 years. It's not very pretty anymore and I definitely don't keep it on the counter, but the thing still works!
Anyway, I did a bit of research and I found lots of ways to use my blender. My favorites are the grated cheese and whipped cream. What about you?
Puree
You can puree any type of cooked vegetable in your blender. Just add 1/4 cup liquid (the cooking water works great but experiment with other liquids such as broth) to 1 cup of cooked vegetables and blend until smooth. Soups can be made really creamy too, such as avocado or tomato.Baby Food
Just like above for Puree. Pureeing makes simple work of making your own baby foods and gives you the added assurance of knowing exactly what you are feeding your child.
Grated Cheese
- Cut cheese into 1-to-2 inch cubes and use your blender to grate the cheese for pizza and casserole toppings.
Grate Raw Vegetables
Use the blender to grate raw vegetables, such as zucchini for zucchini breads, or to mix into salads or soups. Using the pulse feature of your blender, you can also chop ice, grind nuts and make bread crumbs.Grind Spices
- Use your blender to grind peppercorns into freshly ground pepper. You can do the same with cinnamon, nutmeg and other dried spices. Grind coffee beans for fresh coffee in the same way; pulse the blender until the beans are at the desired grind. Most percolators use a coarser grind than drip models, which prefer a fine grind.
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Make Salad Dressings or Mayonnaise
- A blender will make quick work of making salad dressing or mayonnaise. Combine salad dressing ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. I found this Paula Deen recipe for mayonnaise here... . Also try some mayonnaise variations like maybe Basil Mayonnaise? Yum
Smoothies
- A smoothie is a blended drink with fruit, crushed ice, milk or cream and fruit. This frothy drink is made in a blender. First crushed ice is added to the blender, or cubed ice is pulverized in the blender. Fruit such as strawberries, bananas, mango or oranges is added to the blender. Sugar and milk is sometimes added for taste. The smoothie is blended on high in the blender and served cold right away. This drink is popular as a healthy alternative to shakes.
Frozen Bar Drinks
- Drinks requiring crushed ice are also made in a blender. Margaritas are perhaps the most popular. This drink combines crushed ice, a margarita mix and tequila and is served in a large glass sometimes rimmed with salt and garnished with a lime. To make a margarita in a blender add ice, margarita mix and tequila and blend it all together. Some premade margarita mixes are also available that do not require blending. Other drinks made in a blender include mudslides, which contains ice, chocolate syrup and Kahlua.
Other Frozen Drinks
- For frozen drinks, add approximately 6 ice cubes and the ingredients of your drink recipe. Blend until the ice cubes are crushed and the drink is a slushy consistency and serve.
Milk Shakes
- A milk shake is blended ice cream and milk. This drink is also made in a blender by adding any flavor of ice cream and milk and blending for a few seconds. Or, for a thicker shake, add more ice cream and very little milk. Blend the ice cream to a smooth consistency and serve. Another option is to add crushed up bits of cookies, brownies or candy bars. These popular combinations offer a tasty, cool treat for the summer. If you put the milk in the blender first and then the ice cream it will be able to process more smoothly.
Spreads and Dips, Hummus
A spread is something you can use on bread to add flavor, or with a sandwich. One popular spread made in a blender is a chick pea spread, also called hummus. This is created simply by adding chick peas right from a can into your blender. Season it to taste with salt or crushed red pepper and blend to a uniform consistency. This spread goes well on toasted bread, crackers and as a side dish. Dips are also made in blenders. Most dips are created from sour cream and contain blended onions or chives. Bean dip, which consists of blended beans, is made in a blender as well.
Pesto and Chopping
Pesto is a popular topping for pasta and chicken. It is also made in a blender. Pesto is chopped basil with cheese or a cream sauce blended to a fine paste. To blend up a batch of pesto it is best to have chopping blades on your blender, or set the blender to the chop speed setting. Blenders are also used to create other pastes and toppings. Some high speed blenders will process foods by cutting them at high speeds and forming a soup, as well.
Bread Crumbs
It is very easy to make your own bread crumbs in your blender. You can also make your own Seasoned Bread Crumbs. You can even make your own gluten-free bread crumbs using pieces of toasted GF bread. For easy seasoned bread crumbs mix the following:
- 4 cups plain breadcrumbs (make your own)
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano or 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Powdered Sugar
Whipped Cream
Add 1 cup whipping cream or heavy cream (not half and half), 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to your blender and blend. As I understand it the difference in whipping cream and heavy cream is the fat content. Also whipping cream may have more stabilization additives You may want to put the blender blades and container in the refrigerator for a little while. The colder everything is the faster it will whip. Remove the center of the lid, the trick is to allow lots of air into the cream. Run the blender for no more than five seconds at a time to avoid making butter. The cream is done when it holds a peak.
BTW, I also found this video comparing 5 major blenders that I thought you might find interesting.
BTW, I also found this video comparing 5 major blenders that I thought you might find interesting.
As always, I would love to hear your comments!
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