Art of Sandwich Making !

Hi again all!

So, over the New Year and Chinese New Year holidays, I’ve been spending a lot more time in the kitchen than before.  Having just added two new additions to our kitchen appliances, (a slow-juicer, and a Philips Air-fryer), I wanted to get down to basics and make breakfast and snack-time easier.  So, I got online, and ordered myself the Philips Sandwich maker (Model HD 2393).

UNBOXING THE MACHINE

Well, it’s really a simple machine which gets the job done quickly and efficiently.

All we need is: 2 slices of bread, some butter, and almost any filling you can get your hands on!  Seriously, leftovers sitting in my fridge, is now a thing of the past.  I hate wasting food, so using almost any leftovers in my sandwich and toasting it to perfection is what I get with this appliance.

Here’s my take on the Philips Sandwhich Maker HD 2393:

PROS: 

• §  Extremely compact, and simple to use.
• §  Very well designed -and I say this, as it’s especially handy to store upright in any tight space available.
• §  It heats up quickly and warms the food so well, to make the sandwhich super fresh.
• §  Very easy to clean due to it’s silicone non-stick coating.
• §  The cut-and-seal plates allow the sandwich to be removed easily without the ingredients spilling out.
• §  The rubber ‘feet’ hold the machine in place.
• §  Handle is cool to the touch, even when sandwich maker is heating up.

CONS:

• Extension cord is rather short, and could have been longer for convenience.

Well, let me share a few of my favourite sandwhich recipes which I’ve tried so far:

Basic Recipe:

      1.      Take 2 slices of bread, and trim the sides (if you prefer). 

                                                                                                                                                                          2.      Butter the outer surface of each slice.

      3.     On this, place filling of choice.

4.      Cover with the second slice of bread, again with the buttered side facing upwards to come into             contact with the machine. 

               

            5.    Place the buttered side of one slice into the grooved portion of the sandwich maker.

           6.     Cover the machine, turn on and wait for the sandwich to be ready…….. voila!!  It’s done                    when the green light on the machine flashes! Your perfectly cut, warm sandwich, ready in a                 matter of minutes.

Fillings and Variations:

1.  Tomato and cheese toasty: an all time vegetarian favourite:

A few slices of tomatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper, a couple of basil leaves, topped with a slice of cheese.

  

2.  Hot turkey pastrami and cheese toasty:

     Shredded peppered turkey pastrami, with sliced edam cheese.  This childhood  favourite or mine comes out perfectly in the Philips toaster. 

3.  Grilled veggie toasty:

     Thinly slice some tomatoes, red & green peppers, zuchinni and onions.

     Season the above with salt, pepper, olive oil and Italian seasoning.  Grill till soft in oven.  Remove and use as filling.

So, hope you enjoy this very simple and easy-to-use toaster as much as I do!!

Hello Air,Good Bye Oil !

Hi there folks!!

Greetings from my kitchen, which is my homely abode and comfort roomJ

I love cooking, and have been doing so since I was 16!!  Proud to have kept it up for so many years to feed my little family of four!  So, I get a bit obsessed with picking up new gadgets, crockery, cutlery and knick-knacks for the kitchen, especially when I have a get-together with friends coming up.

On the whole, I enjoy shopping, so I usually like to see the product in person, the colour, shape, size, etc. before I decide to go for it.  (very old-fashioned you may so, but it works for me!!) 

But, while surfing the net in December, I came across a website: Modtrendz and they had a Philips slow-juicer, which was on sale for the holiday-season.  It’s just what I wanted, as my husband and I love our green juices in the morning with breakfast.

Being really satisfied with it, (and proud that I was now an on-line shopper); I decided to go for my next online purchase, a Philips airfryer (Model: HD9240). So, once again, I shopped at Modtrendz, and the machine arrived two weeks ago.  I was delighted to say the least, and extremely satisfied with myself, as I got it for a bargain price of $290.00, which appears to be the cheapest price online. 

PS:  Electronic stores are selling it for about $400, whereas the cheapest online quote was $330.00.  So, the Modtrendz price was a bargain!

You see, being a health-freak, I’ve more-or-less banished deep-frying in my kitchen, much to the dismay of my ‘not-so-health-conscious hubby’!  So for the past few years, no more fried chicken, samosas, French-fries, Indian fritters (pakoras), falafel, etc.

But all that has changed after the Philips Airfryer arrived.  Now, we happily cook our ‘forbidden deep fried foods’ with just a spray of oil; so now, enjoying our favourites are guilt-free!

PLUS POINTS:

§  Minimum or no-oil used, so food is healthier

§  Taste is hardly compromised, as the food retains its flavor.

§  Great price and great value.

§  Easy to use even for cooking novices

§  Food cooks faster than it would in a convection oven

§  Looks trendy on kitchen counter

§  Preset options for your favourite foods

MINUS POINTS:

§  A little bulky in a kitchen with limited work top space

§  Takes time to clean every component of the fryer well

§  May produce smoke while cooking

§  Small learning curve to perfect usage

In conclusion, this Philips deep fryer is one of my favourite kitchen appliances right now.  So glad I decided on it.  All our food cravings are being satisfied ……LOL!  Even my helper has got the hang of it.  It’s just one knob to set the estimated cooking time, and another for the temperature.  Then pop in your food, and voila..…instant gratification of a healthy, sinless ‘fried’ dish!