Food processors can seem large and clunky and not always suitable for quick, small uses, but for the right job, they are priceless. Most often they will save you time and give you a superior result. And remember, all the attachments can go in the dishwasher! Here are four suggestions for different ways you can use your food processor as a go-to kitchen tool.
1. Grating cheese
Elbow grease and a hand-grater will get it done, but for a recipe that requires a lot of cheese, using the grater blade on the food processor is a much faster option. And while you’ve got it going, why not grate extra cheese to have on hand for the rest of the week. The grater blade is also perfect for carrots as well as beets and apples.
2. Slicing onions
Flip that grater blade upside down and your teary onion slicing days are over. The slicing blade on a food processor makes this a fast and easy job and the onions will be sliced uniformly, helping them to cook evenly.
3. Mixing pastry
Incorporating butter into the flour by hand, the way our mothers did, is the traditional way of making pie crust. But for a fast and easy alternative, use your food processor. The speed of the blade cuts through the butter quickly, without the warmth of your hands affecting the dough. The result is a lovely, flaky pastry.
4. Puréeing soups, dips and spreads
Winter is a great time to make soup. Instead of bothering with finicky chopping, give your vegetables a rough chop when making your soup, then purée the final product into a lovely smooth and cozy bowl of comfort food.
Here are 12 recipes to get you started:
Gallery
Originally published October 2011, Updated January 2016.
