Essentials every girl should have in her kitchen!

When you're just learning how to cook and starting to adventure with new recipes, it seems like stocking your kitchen can be SO expensive; but here are some essentials you should always keep around.

1. Olive oil: The store brand is usually pretty inexpensive and will last you a while.  You can use olive oil to make sauces for pasta, coat chicken for the oven to keep it moist, or brush veggies before baking them in the oven.

2. Kosher Salt and a Pepper grinder: If you buy a box of Kosher salt from the grocery store, I guarantee you it will last at least 1 year.  I've had mine for two and use it to season pastas, meats, soups, and just about everything else (except for baked goods, use regular salt for that!).  A good pepper grinder is also invaluable!  Fresh pepper gives food a little extra spice to bring out the flavor.

3. Fresh garlic (and a garlic press):You can buy a pack of 3 garlic heads in the fresh fruit/veggie section for relatively cheap and it will last a while.  So many recipes call for garlic, and the real stuff makes the difference between a good dish and a great meal.  I bought my garlic press (below) from Ikea for $5 and love it.  It is metal and has a removable piece so it is sturdy and easy to clean.

4. Parmesan cheese: You can buy a good block of Parmesan at the grocery store for about $9.  It will keep in the fridge for months, and you can grate it as needed.  Parmesan can spice up soups, grilled veggies, pastas, grilled bread, etc. plus they add salt.  Once your block of cheese is done, you can add the rind to broths when making soup to give it a great flavor.

5. Milk and eggs: Not only is milk great for you (sorry...that's the PA student in me), but it works great to thicken sauces, mix in with scrambled eggs, as a complement to any sweet treat... Eggs are great to to have around when you have friends over for breakfast, or if you're craving breakfast for dinner :-), and they are in so many recipes.


Notable appliances I couldn't live without:
- George Forman: $15 at Target and perfect for grilling meats, making paninis, etc.
- Cheese grater: good for cheese, but also hard chocolates and any citrus rinds
- Blender: smoothies, mixing for soups, making tasty adult cocktails, need I say more?
- Silicone basting brush: use it to brush olive oil on chicken or veggies and it can go right in the dishwasher

A easy and delicious meal example using these simple ingredients:
Steak au Poivre

• 4 3/4 inch thick New York strip or sirloin steaks, patted dry
• Kosher salt
• 3 tbs coarsely ground black peppercorns (you can dial up the pepper grinder to grind them course, or if you don't have one you can crush them on a cutting board with the back of a knife)
• Olive oil
• 4 to 6 tbs butter, sliced into cubes 
• Red wine (may I suggest 2 Buck Chuck)

    Heat oven to 500 degrees.  Sprinkle steaks with salt on both sides and press the ground peppercorns into steaks on both sides.  Set the steaks in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough olive oil to make a light film.  When the oil is hot, add steaks and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes.  Flip the meat over and put the skillet in the oven.  Cook for about 3 minutes for a medium rare roast, but if they don't look done cook them a little longer.  Check doneness by cutting one open with a knife.     Remove any fat from the skillet with a spoon then put the skillet on the burner and heat to medium-high. Add the wine and reduce to about 1/4th a cup, then whisk in the butter one slice at a time until it is melted.
    Pour the sauce over each steak and mmmmm....My boyfriend still attests this is the best meal I've ever made him.


Asparagus

• Head of asparagus rinsed with ends snapped off
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lay the asparagus out.  Brush olive oil over the asparagus, just a light brush, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with a little grated cheese.

Enjoy!!