All thumbs in the kitchen? with these handy gadgets, even kitchen klutzes an whip, whir and chop in a jiffy.

  • Hand-held immersion blenders. Thickens soups and sauces by pureeing the ingredients whole still in pot.
  • Stove-top grill pans. Perfect for indoor grilling.
  • Coffee grinders. Great for grinding beans, peppercorns, and spices.
  • Vegetables cutters. Whether electric or hand held, anything that speeds up the process of chopping vegetables and fruit makes up more likely to include those foods in our diets.
  • Blenders. Multifunction machines that handle heavy duty jobs (like ice). Great for smoothies, pesto and salad dressings (less oil is required to make an emulsion).

Fruits and Vegetables

We all need `em and most of us don`t get nearly enough. Stock up and it`ll be that much easier to get the recommended 6-9 servings per day.

  • Arugula. Add to salads and vegetable dishes.
  • Carambola (star fruit). Use in fruit, pasta and chicken salads.
  • Cranberries. Use in fresh salsas and chutney or dried in place of raisins.
  • Celery root. Saute with onions or slice into salads.
  • Escarole. Toss into mixed green salads or add to sandwhiches.
  • Fennel. Use this slightly licorice tasting vegetable in stir-fries and salads or nibble on stalks to cleanse the plate.
  • All-American fruit. Apple, bananas, blueberries, grapes, grapefruit, strawberries -the list is endless.
  • Kale. Add to bean dishes or soup. Loaded with vitamins A,B, and C.
  • Mangoes. Slice over pancakes, puree into shakes or mash into salsas.
  • Mustard greens. Add to mixed greens for a unique salad or throw a handful of chopped leaves into stews and soups. Extremely high in vitamins A and C and loaded with calcium, potassium and iron. Refrigerated up to three days.
  • Papayas. Slice and use in salsas, fruit salads or in sweet and savory chutneys. About 39 calories per serving and great source of potassium and vitamins A, B, C. Store at room temperature until ripe. Refrigerate up to three days.
  • Plantains. Also known as the cooking banana. Saute slices with sweet onions and apples to serve as side dish. Add slice to hearty soups and stews. Boil until tender (5 minutes) and mash with sweet potatoes and yams. High in potassium and vitamins B6, and C. Keep at room temperature up to one week.
  • Potatoes. The richest-tasting spuds include Yukon gold, Idaho or russet, Red bliss, purple and Finnish. Bake, roast, mash, saute and vitamin C. Store in a cool, dry place up to 10 days.
  • Wild Mushrooms. Cremino, portobello, shiitake, porcino and chanterelle are large varieties of mushrooms. You can grill them whole and eat them like a piece of meat or cut them up and use them in stir-fries for meat replacements. Or add to salads and pizza toppings, saute in wine or serve over chicken. Low in calories and high in iron and potassium. Refrigerate up to a week.