Why you need a decent chef's knife and two recommended knives for the home cook

Without a decent chef's knife in your kitchen, you're almost doomed if you want to eat healthy (unless you're microwaving all of your potatoes and veggies and eating boxed soups which is 100% okay.  And yes, you can achieve great health doing this as long as it's the right foods).  Having a decent chef's knife is the most essential ingredient you can have in the kitchen.

Here's why...

You need a chef's knife to cut well, everything!  -- your favorite veggies for salads and stir-fries, fresh fruit for daily desserts or oatmeals, tofu for marinating, veggies for pizza toppings, sweet potatoes for fries and the list goes on and on and on and on!

If you need some knife motivation or inspiration, here's Trisha's Healthy Table Meals Executive Chef, Erik Hoffman, showing you how to properly dice an onion. 

Here's Chef Erik Hoffman cutting carrots (purple on the outside, orange on the inside and way more fun) for our veggie miso bowl...

Why do you want a decent chef's knife compared to a crappy chef's knife?

You want good chef's knife because they're sharp.  Having a sharp knife is essential so you can dice and slice almost effortlessly.  When your knife is sharp enough, you can cut veggies without almost chopping your fingers off (unlike dull, cheap or flimsy knives) or having to put all of your might into each slice of the knife (again, from a dull, cheap or flimsy knife).  You can more easily make uniform cuts, which will help your food cook evenly and look more pleasing to the eye. 

Chef's knives are also long.  This is important because you have enough knife to cut through winter squashes, cantaloupes, watermelons etc.  Imagine trying to cut through a watermelon with a knife the length of your pointer finger.  It wouldn't work and it would be a big pain in the butt.

So go on and get yourself a decent chef's knife.  It'll make a world of difference in your kitchen and how you prepare healthy, plant-based meals.  

If you need some guidance choosing a good knife that doesn't break the bank, here are two recommendations from Chef Erik (and no, we do NOT receive any kickbacks or perks from sharing these knives with you.  We just want you succeed in the kitchen).

Two chef recommended in-home chef's knives

1.  Suisin Inox Western-Style Gyutou 8.2"

Erik recommends this knife because it's a blend of the best of Japanese and Western style knives at a very reasonable price for the quality.  

The Japanese style of the knife comes through with the shape and thinness of the blade.  It's also made by a reputable Japanese maker.  The Western contributions of the knife are it's stainless steel blade.  This means your knife will stay nicer longer without having to take as much care of it (aka great if you're not a professional chef or knife hobbyist).  

The price?  It's $112.50.  You may think this is pricey, but goof chef's knives can cost thousands of dollars.  Trust me, you don't want a $40 knife.  That being said, this is a steal of a knife, especially for the quality.

2.  Misono UX10 Gyutou 8.2" 

This knife is also a combo blend of Western and Japanese knife styles for the same reasons.  It's just a little bit sharper (makes cutting easier), a little bit nicer and a little more expensive.  It's $185 on Amazon.

If you want even more help using a chef's knife, consider a 14 week course with me in Columbia, SC.  Seven classes of plant-based evidence and lifestyle skills and 5 weeks of hands-on cooking, including how to use a chef's knife, over 14 weeks.  Cutting homework included.  Click here to learn more.

Now it's time to hear from you.  Answer today's Take Control Now Question by clicking 'comment' below and share your thoughts and questions around knives...

Take Control Now Question

How do you struggle using a knife in the kitchen?  What can Chef Erik and I teach you about knives to make cutting plants easier for you? 

Answer today's Take Control Now Question by clicking 'comment' below. 

Gazpacho recipe (or the healthiest smoothie ever)

Gazpacho (a cold, tomato-based soup) is so refreshing in the summer, especially in the thick South Carolina humidity.  Fresh garden tomatoes and veggies chilled for a cool, refreshing soup to counteract the record high heat in Columbia.  Yes please!

But not only is it great for lunch and dinner (we serve it with "decorated potatoes" (aka baked potato bar) for our Trisha's Healthy Table clients, but my personal favorite way to eat gazpacho?

I love drinking a small cup of this gazpacho with breakfast or any time during the day.  Not only is the taste just so good, it's so insanely good for you!  Move over green smoothies, the healthiness of gazpacho has definitely got you beat.  

This gazpacho is lower in calorie density, and higher in herbs and veggies than green smoothies.  That's what makes it even better for you.  Green smoothies are normally a few types of fruit, one dark leafy green with juice or plant milk.  Gazpacho is all veggies.

Think you won't like it?  We've served shots of gazpacho to 100+ people at the SC State Museum (and repeatedly to our Trisha's Healthy Table clients) and here's some of their shocking feedback.... 

“Your food is great! I didn’t think I’d like the gazpacho — I don’t like tomatoes, but that’s good! And the garden caesar salad is awesome y’all. It’s really good!”

— Victoria Justice, age 56, Department of Justice, Columbia, SC

Gazpacho

By: Trisha's Healthy Table, Chef Erik Hoffman

Ingredients

5 large tomatoes
2 cucumbers, peeled
1 red onion
1 red bell pepper
3 scallions
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c flat leaf parsley
1/4 c chives
1/4 c champagne vinegar
2 T salt
1 T black pepper
fresh lemon juice
sherry vinegar

Instructions

1. Cut veggies into approximately 2 inch pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Combine garlic and herbs with veggies. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper and toss until well coated. 
3. Cover and marinate for 1-2 hours (though over night in the fridge is ideal). 
4. Once marinated, blend in batches until entire mixture is well blended (we use a high-powered blender to make it extra smooth). 
5. Strain through a fine mesh strainer (you may need to force it through using the back of a ladle to get all liquid through). 
6. Add fresh lemon juice, sherry vinegar and salt to taste.  
7. Chill in the refrigerator. 
8. Once chilled, it's ready to serve.  Be sure to stir the gazpacho right before serving though. It may have naturally separated a bit (which is normal).

Don't have enough time to make gazpacho? Let us do it for you.

Want someone else make gazpacho or other healthy but dang delicious meals for you?  Look no further.  Trisha's Healthy Table makes healthy meals to-go for the nights you just don't want to cook, but don't want to compromise your health with greasy restaurant food.  

Order meals on-line, schedule your pick-up date, then pick-up them up on your way home from work, reheat or assemble at home.  Bing, bang, boom, dinner is done.  Located at 1305 Assembly St., Columbia, SC.

Right now, Trisha's Healthy Table is offering a limited amount of highly discounted meals on pre-sale until September 20th.  Some are already sold out!  Want in?  We hope so!  You can't get these deliciously healthy, plant-based meals anywhere else.  Check out www.THTmeals.com before they'll all gone!

Now it's time to hear from you.

What foods do you crave in the hot summer months?  Or, what would you like to see Trisha's Healthy Table make so you don't have to?

Answer by clicking 'comment' below.

Erik's Black Bean Burger

Erik's Black Bean Burger                                                                                                                    By: Erik Hoffman                                                                                                                                  Prep and cook time: 40 minutes                                                                                                     Serves: 7 patties

Ingredients

• 2 15 oz cans black beans rinsed
• 4 T ketchup
• 2 t dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium white onion diced
• ¼ c red bell pepper diced
• 3 T parsley chopped
• 1 scallion thinnly sliced
• 1 T kosher salt
• ¾ c instant oats
• water or veggie broth for sautéing

Directions

1.  Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Mash beans.  Drain and rinse beans and place in a large mixing bowl. Mash beans with a fork or in your hands until they’re evenly broken down.  You should be able to still tell they’re beans. Don't mush them until they turn into paste.

3.  Saute veggies.  With enough water to just coat the bottom of a saute pan, cook over medium heat the onion, garlic and red pepper for about five minutes until translucent.  Add to black bean mash.

4.  Add the rest.  Incorporate the rest of ingredients. Then mix in oats. Wait 2 minutes for oats to absorb the moisture and better bind the mixture.

5.  Form into patties. I get about 7 burgers out of this mixture. I like to make the patties a little on the thinner side so when they cook, they get a nice sear on the outside and are not too mushy on the inside so they are easier to eat… i.e. not sloppy or falling apart.

6.  Bake burgers.  Place patties on a non-stick baking sheet or silpat and cook for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes carefully flip and cook for an aditional 8 minutes. The outside of patty should be fairly crisp. Let set for two minutes then serve on bun, bread, salad, wrap or pita with ketchup, mustard, pickles, relish, avocado, hot sauce, salsa, or what ever your heart desires. Enjoy.

What's your favorite veggie burger topping?  What do you think of Erik's burger?