New ProCook Damascus Knives and Knife Sets Range!

Get Samurai strength and precision in the kitchen this season!

Introducing ProCook’s stunning range of Damascus X100 knives, made from Japanese steel acknowledged for being the best in the world.

Beautifully crafted using the same great artisan skills traditionally used in making samurai swords, the Damascus X100 range of knifes offer impressive hardness and impact toughness.

Crafted from Japanese Damascus steel with an official Rockwell hardness rating of 60+2 with 1% carbon for surgical sharpness. Each knife bladeboasts 66 layers of steel around a super hard central core offering unmatched sharpness and strength.

The ProCook Damascus knife range includes a paring, utility, 5” santoku, 6” chefs knife, 8” chefs knife, carving and bread knife. Damascus knives are available individually and in sets including the striking 3-piece knife set presented in a stylish gift box.

Each knife handle is constructed from G10, a material formed by layering fibreglass cloth soaked in epoxy resin, which is then compressed and baked resulting in outstanding strength.

Individual knives start from £39, sets from £179 and all come with a 25 year guarantee.

The ProCook brand has been well established for more than 18 years and excels in well-designed value for money cookware and accessories.

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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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