Now that I have a blender..

[ardchoille]

Forgive me if this is the incorrect section for this thread.

Now that I have a blender I'm wondering what else I can do with it besides making fruit smoothies. It's a 7 speed, Hamilton Beach blender (Scovill?). I'm not sure I'll ever use all 7 settings, but I am sure I can do a lot more with it.. I just need ideas. I'm also learning to loosen my dietary restrictions, so don't be shy about ideas.

 

[Addie]

Throw in small pieces of cheese and grind them up to small. Make bread crumbs for starters.

Anyone else with more ideas?

 

[CraigC]

I use ours mainly for Mexican sauces and some marinades. We have an immersion blender for hot stuff that requires blending. So much easier than having to transfer to the blender.

 

[BoracayB]

I use it to grind crushed tomatoes for marinara sauce .

 

[Whiskadoodle]

As soon as you can get your hands on garden grown tomatoes, make Gazpacho.

I like to chop the raw veggies individually so they all reach the desired consistency and then blend them all together.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Try making mayonnaise.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f17/iso-help-tips-making-mayonnaise-82003.html

 

[ardchoille]

Wowsers! I didnt realize some of these things were possible. Keep the ideas coming, you folks are great

 

[Dawgluver]

Salad dressings.

 

[taxlady]

I used to make a nice peach mousse using canned peaches, vanilla ice cream, and gelatin and a bit of boiling water. It was in a booklet of recipes from Knox Gelatin.

 

[CWS4322]

I don't use my blender very often. I usually use the food processor, magic bullet, or immersion blender. However, I do use the blender to make pesto, crush fruit for ice cream, nuts, and for things that are too small to blend in the food processor.

 

[creative]

Maybe obvious....blending soups.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I used to make a nice peach mousse using canned peaches, vanilla ice cream, and gelatin and a bit of boiling water. It was in a booklet of recipes from Knox Gelatin.

Your post made me think of this great recipe for cantaloupe mousse from Dori Sanders' Country Cooking: Recipes and Stories from the Family Farm Stand.

Recipe: Cantaloupe Mousse (blender or food processor) - Recipelink.com

 

[taxlady]

Your post made me think of this great recipe for cantaloupe mousse from Dori Sanders' Country Cooking: Recipes and Stories from the Family Farm Stand.

Recipe: Cantaloupe Mousse (blender or food processor) - Recipelink.com

The one I mentioned was easier:

Peach Mousse
2 pouches of gelatin
250 ml (1 cup) boiling water
1 can (540 ml - 19 fl.oz) peaches
6 scoops of ice cream

• Put the liquid from the can of peaches in the blender.
• Sprinkle the gelatin on the liquid and let it stand until the gelatin is softened, ~5 minutes.
• Add the boiling water, put the lid on the blender, and whiz it until all the gelatin is dissolved.
• Reserve some of the peaches as garnish.
• Put the ice cream and the peaches in the blender, put the lid on the blender and whiz it until smooth.
• Pour it into six individual serving bowls or one 1 litre (1 quart) mold.
• Chill until set, ~ one hour, if I remember correctly.
• Garnish with reserved peach halves or slices.

 

[Kayelle]

Both those recipes sound good, but Taxi I'm shocked you haven't shared your recipe for "The Perfect Margarita" with your little icon.

 

[taxlady]

Both those recipes sound good, but Taxi I'm shocked you haven't shared your recipe for "The Perfect Margarita" with your little icon.

Hmm, I don't know if it would be someone else's perfect Margarita.

Taxlady's Margarita Recipe

1 part triple sec
2 parts tequila
1/2 part mixed lemon and lime juice

Put it all in a shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into Margarita or cocktail glasses.

 

[Kayelle]

Hmm, I don't know if it would be someone else's perfect Margarita.

Taxlady's Margarita Recipe

1 part triple sec
2 parts tequila
1/2 part mixed lemon and lime juice

Put it all in a shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into Margarita or cocktail glasses.

I love that shaky little gal. Personally, I'd use a blender for frozen Margarita's.

 

[taxlady]

I love that shaky little gal. Personally, I'd use a blender for frozen Margarita's.

Go for it, if you like frozen Margaritas. I don't. My teeth have always been sensitive to cold.

 

[Kayelle]

Maybe obvious....blending soups.

I've been burned badly by using a blender for soup, so fair warning.

On the other hand, a stick blender is perfect for hot soup.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I don't use my blender very often. I usually use the food processor, magic bullet, or immersion blender. However, I do use the blender to make pesto, crush fruit for ice cream, nuts, and for things that are too small to blend in the food processor.

Blender ice cream:

One whole, peeled, frozen banana (peel before freezing in air-tight zipper bags), 8 oz. near freezing whole milk. Put together in the blender and process until smooth and creamy. Add cocoa, or Ovaltine Chocolate malt, or add frozen berries with the bannana to change the flavor of your blender ice cream.

Look up Orange Julius. It's made in a blender.

Use your blender to crush graham crackers into crumbs for pies and such.

The blender can be used to make a bisque creamy smooth. It will also make cheese sauces very smooth.

You can use it to process meat for home made pate's or terrines.

Use it to crush ice.

Use it to make certain types of beverages. I'll let the other members of DC help you with that as I don't consume anything with alcohol.

Use it to make guacamole, or humus, or aioli, or a host of other sauces.

Use it to make pesto.

Use it to make chicken velvet, where the raw chicken meat, along with an egg, and seasonings gives you a mixture that can be formed into patties that are then fried until done through. This is a great way to make chicken for people who have trouble chewing solid meat, very tender.

And there are many more uses for this wonderful machine. Just don't use it to frighten old Uncle Ted.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[creative]

I've been burned badly by using a blender for soup, so fair warning.

On the other hand, a stick blender is perfect for hot soup.

Yes well, I think you are supposed to wait until the soup cools down a little before blending.