Food processors are great modern conveniences. However, for all those times when you need to make a recipe, but there is no electricity, or the kitchen you are in has no robot, or your device has just broken down, you need to be able to cook in efficiently even without.
While many of the solutions provided in this article are fairly straightforward, others require you to know how to use common kitchen utensils in a variety of ways. The combined use of all these indications should be able to replicate the work of a robot and, even if this takes more time and a little elbow grease, it is still an excellent experience for those who want to learn how to cook from scratch. Such methods also require no electricity - great for those nostalgic or slow-cooked slow cooker dishes.
Steps
Step 1. Grind using a grater
To prepare shredded foods, most foods can be grated with a manual grater.
- You can also use the grater to make fresh breadcrumbs.
- Try to get a commercial grade food grater, as it will be less prone to rust.
Step 2. Grate or slice with a mandolin
Be careful with mandolins; when affected, always use them holding them by the handle they are equipped with.
Step 3. Grater by slicing into thin slices
Then julienne again, as if you were making cuts on a smaller scale.
Step 4. For very thin slices or shavings, use a peeler
Step 5. Use a rigalimoni to obtain small thin strips, useful if you need to garnish dishes, or to obtain small quantities of food
Step 6. The following methods are suitable for crushing:
-
Crush fresh ingredients (for example, if you need to make pesto or dough), put the food in a sealed bag and pound with a rolling pin or meat mallet.
Cook Without a Food Processor Step 6Bullet1 -
For crushing foods like biscuits or stale bread for the crumb, use the same method, then sift through a colander or sieve to filter out the thin crumb, then crush the larger residues again.
Cook Without a Food Processor Step 6Bullet2 -
An electric coffee grinder can also be used to pulverize dry ingredients, such as herbs or grains. It should be thoroughly cleaned from coffee before, and also after its use is finished.
Cook Without a Food Processor Step 6Bullet3
Step 7. For harder foods like nuts, spices or garlic, mash them with a pestle in a mortar
Step 8. For purees, use a vegetable mill
Alternatively, if you want to make a pate, press the food through a clean fine mesh screen or sieve.
Step 9. Here is an alternative to the robot dough hook
To make a dough for pasta, pastry or bread, use a stiff whisk, table knife or fork. These can be used to mix ingredients together while keeping your hands clean. However, it is useful to knead by hand if you want faster results.
Step 10. For vegetable soups or other similar products, use the following solutions:
-
For a velvety / thick intermediate texture, use a potato masher.
Cook Without a Food Processor Step 10Bullet1 -
For a very soft soup, mash until every visible piece is removed, then pass through a sieve, and press the rest through the sieve with a spoon.
Cook Without a Food Processor Step 10Bullet2
Step 11. To make a coarse cut, where a homogeneous result is not required, use a crescent knife
This will allow you to chop quickly. A standard knife and cutting board will suffice for fruit and vegetables.
Step 12. To whip, use a whisk
This is the simplest way, but you could also use a series of thin bamboo kebab sticks to simulate one.
For churning, to make butter or ice cream for example, use a whisk if you have one
Step 13. For shredding or grinding, use a mechanical meat grinder if you have one available
This will give the minced meat a unique texture that is very difficult to replicate by hand.
- If you still don't have such a tool, then slice thinly, chop and mash with a pestle, or a potato masher, or knead by hand until you get the mince.
- Semi-frozen meat can be grated to produce a good mince. Take all proper hygiene precautions.
Advice
- Experiment with using different tools to get similar results.
- A stiff wooden spoon can be useful for kneading the bread mass.
