Healthy Cookware: Your 2015 guide to healthier cooking

With the start of a new year comes the aspiration to lead a healthier lifestyle. More exercise and a cleaner diet are always great resolutions to make. But when it comes to improving your diet, where do you start?

Along with choosing the right ingredients it is important to have the right cookware for making sure you get the maximum health benefits from your meals.

Here is a list of our favourite healthy cookware to get you started!

1.     Reversible Griddle

Griddles are great for preparing lighter healthier meals in very little time. From red meat and poultry to vegetables and eggs you can prepare a high majority of foods with minimal fuss and maximum gain.

Cooking meat on a griddle is a great way to reduce fat content. It requires little to no oil and as the meat cooks any excess fat will drain way.

The reversible griddle can be used indoors and outdoors on the Barbeque making it a great piece of cookware all year round.

Quick tip: Always use your griddle on a high heat to prevent sticking.

2.     Steamer

The main benefit of steaming food is that it will retain the maximum amount of nutrients.

Steaming your vegetables will mean they will maintain their taste, colour and overall structure, require no oil and contain a high level of vitamins and minerals.

This wonderful piece of cookware is also great for cooking fruits, grains and legumes and will mean you can prepare food on several levels at the same time, saving energy.

3.     Wok

Wok cooking, also called stir-frying, can be a healthy way to prepare meals. However this is only the case if you do not use a lot of oil or high fat and high salt ingredients.

If you take the above points in to consideration its benefits consist of limiting fat content and minimising nutrient losses. Using this versatile piece of cookware will require you to use a little bit of oil to prevent sticking but due to cooking on a high heat, stir-frying vegetables will minimise the loss of vitamins and minerals compared to boiling, microwaving and roasting.

4.     Stockpot

Stock is an ingredient that we use time and time again in a wide range of recipes and this great piece of cookware will mean you can create your own from scratch. This will 100% result in healthier tastier meals. Stock is not as laborious as many people think, once it has been set up it will quite simply take care of itself.

Homemade stock is healthier due to lower salt content, more natural ingredients and will also save you money and reduce waste.

5.     Cat Iron casserole

Although in this article we have explained that quicker cooking times mean food retains its nutrients better, slow cooking is also a great way to prepare meals low in calories and with little effort.

By preparing meals in cast iron cookware such as a heavy casserole dish you will almost always include vegetables, stock (preferably homemade) and meat that requires tenderising  - meaning lower fat content.

You can always serve with additional vegetables at the end for a nutrients boost.

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7 uses for your stockpots

Everyone loves a delicious, warming casserole or homemade gravy but what else can you use your stockpots for?

Here we look at some alternative uses to make the most of your stockpots and revolutionise your cooking.

1. Broths, stocks and soups

Stockpots are fantastic for making large batches of broth, stock and soups. Broth is predicted to be huge in 2015 so be one step ahead and master making your own. Individually frozen down soup portions make a great healthy lunch for work and homemade stock outshines store bought in any recipe.

Chicken broth, cooked chicken pieces and sweetcorn make a great warming meal that takes 2 minutes if you already have stock prepared.

2. Blanch vegetables

This is great for those green-fingered cooks out there. If you have a large quantity of vegetables and no have time to use them all before they turn bad, simply blanch in a stockpot and freeze.  Frozen vegetables make a great quick side dish to most meals.

 Avoid freezing vegetables with high water content such as courgettes, bean sprouts and radishes as these will go mushy.

3. Cook for a crowd

Invited friends for dinner but have no idea how you are going to cook for 10 with one oven and no prep space? Make anything from chilli to chicken chasseur in your stockpot. It will require one hob and a chopping board. Simple.

4. Use it as a water bath

A great use for your stockpot is for making small batches of jams, jellies and other preservatives. With slight modification turn your stockpot in to a water bath. Please note that this will only work for small quantities.

5. Pasta sauce

Is pasta your go to weeknight dinner? I so make sure to use homemade pasta sauce wherever possible. Make a large quantity in your stockpot, preserve the sauce in jars using the water bath technique and away you go.

6. Mulled wine & mulled cider

This tip might only come in to play at Christmas but that is still once a year!

Make your mulled wine or mulled cider in a stockpot and make sure there is plenty to go round.

7. Brining

This may not be the healthiest use for your stockpot but is certainly tasty. For those that are not sure what brining is here is a quick definition:

Brine is a salt and water solution used to preserve foods. In the case of meats, the solution can help increase the amount of liquid inside the meat cells; basically a way to make meat moister.

8. Soak beans and pulses

Soak dried beans and lentils in a stockpot overnight. The following day simply rinse and then simmer until cooked. These can then be frozen for later use.

9. Baking

If you are an avid home baker and tend to make large cakes such as wedding cakes you can use your stockpot to make up large batches of mixture. The tall sides will also prevent spillages and mess.

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Pan Sets: Pan Set Buying Guide: What To Look For

Are you about to buy a new pan set but not sure where to begin? Are there a hundred different dishes you would like to try, but you’re not quite sure which pan to do it in?

Here is a comprehensive list of pans every kitchen needs, and what they’re used for:

1.     Saucepan

Considered a staple in any pan set, saucepans are deep cooking pans, often accompanied by lids and used to cook foods with a high liquid content.  Saucepans come in a variety of sizes and materials, including stainless steel and aluminium, and can come with one or two handles, depending on their size, for ease of use.

Smaller, low-sided saucepans, also known as ‘milk pans’ are best for reducing sauces. Large pans are great for family-sized dishes, boiling and poaching techniques. Typical saucepan sizes range from 14cm in diameter to 28cm.

When purchasing your saucepans, consider the weight, handle material and pouring features.

2.     Frying Pan

The frying pan is a shallow pan with a long handle, used for cooking foods in hot fat or oil. These pans can be used for a wide range of tasks, from frying eggs to searing meat, and come in a variety of sizes and materials, similar to the saucepan.

3.     Griddle/ Skillet

The griddle is considered a healthier alternative to the frying pan. It is typically made from cast iron with a ridged, interior base ideal for searing meat and vegetables. This versatile piece of cookware can be used indoors on the hob or outside on the BBQ.

It is recommended that you oil the interior surface of your griddle pan before and after use to keep it at tits best and to only use hot water without detergent to clean it.

Griddles also come in stainless steel, aluminium and enamel.Great for steak, chops, and fish, griddles make a great addition to any pan set.

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