No matter what brand Food Processor you own, there are tricks to making it work for you! Food Processors have either a two blade or 4-blade system. In my opinion, four blades work better than the two blade processors because they allow you to uniformly chop a larger amount of food at the same time without over-processing the food at the bottom. However, the majority of the time, you will use your food processor for purposes other than coarsely chopping vegetables so don’t worry if you have a traditional two-blade processor!
Although the recipes in this book that utilize a food processor give specific directions, there are several basic things for you to know to get the best results from your processor. There is a Quick Guide to a Perfect Chop at the end of this section, but please take the time to read the General Information on Chopping below; I think you will be glad you did!
General Information on Chopping
Regardless of the brand or type of food processor you are using, there are capacity markings on your food processor bowl; use and trust them! Even though there is additional room above the capacity mark, never go above the highest mark, because:
- the end results will not be good; mushy, uneven, under-processed
- it is messy if you have a spill over when the blades start swirling high-liquid food around the bowl
- the food “grows” when processed; think about whipped cream.
In fact, I try to stay 1 cup below the allowed capacity just to be safe.
It really doesn’t matter the exact food you are chopping, what is really important is:
- the food hardness
- the texture
- the amount of liquid in the food
- the size
To get a good end result, you must give the blades room to chop the foods properly. For example, if you are chopping onion you will get much better results if you do 2-3 at a time rather than to pack the machine too tightly. So use your best judgment when loading the processor bowl to give the food ample room to be chopped; it is always better to do 2 perfectly chopped batches than 1 uneven batch.
When using your processor to prepare recipes not listed in this book, you should know that the quantity of whole foods you put into the bowl is not necessarily how much you will end up with once the food is chopped. For example, 6 cups of whole mushrooms will come down to about 4 cups coarsely chopped or 2 cups finely chopped! After you use the processor a few times you will get the hang of “eyeballing” vegetables at the produce stand and know what will yield 1 cup. To get you started, I have found that 1 medium onion, 2 medium tomatoes or ¼ of a small cabbage all equal about 1 cup when chopped!
Preparing fresh foods to go into the processor bowl is very similar to preparing them to chop with a knife; only you don’t have to do the actual chopping! Always wash and pat dry your foods and if you would normally remove the peeling, seeds, roots or stems, then do so. Cut the food into reasonable-sized pieces of no more than a 2 ½ inch cube, a 4” length or a 4” sphere.
When loading the processor bowl, insert the blades first and then put in the food. As discussed above, do not crowd the blades with hard whole foods! Try to place the foods from the bottom upwards evenly disbursing the load. For example, do not lay a half of an onion across the top of the blades. Instead, slide it lengthwise down the side; be careful not to cut yourself on the blades! If you are chopping celery, carrots or anything that is in stalks, place them vertical in the bowl instead of lying down. If you are chopping meat, raw or cooked, do not load the bowl first, turn the machine on a medium high speed first and then drop the pieces into the food shoot. Otherwise you may end up with Pate!
If you are making something that requires multiple ingredients, try to layer them using the following tips:
- Liquid should go in last so that it covers the food in the bowl before it settles to the bottom.
- Fresh herbs with stems should be placed between ingredients whereas dry spices can go on the top.
- The hardest items should be near the bottom.
- Soft cheeses should go toward the bottom.
For example, if you were making a salsa you first put in the onion, then the cilantro followed by the peppers and tomatoes. Top with your dry seasonings and cover all with the lemon or tomato juice.
Another example, spinach artichoke dip, would start with the cream cheese and be followed by the artichokes, spinach, lemon and seasonings!
Speed determines the size of the chop and the texture of the end result. I always start by quickly pressing the pulse button 2-3 times and then checking the chop; it is usually perfect. If a few pieces are too large, do not continue processing to get them chopped as you will over-chop the rest. Just remove the under chopped pieces and pulse them again separately after the rest has been removed.
The only time I find it necessary to turn the processor on a medium to high speed is if I am:
- chopping something extremely hard like ice or frozen fruit
- making a puree or creamed soup
- making a layered dip that uses cream cheese or canned beans/peas
- grinding meat
But, even with these items, I pulse a few times first before turning the machine onto a moderate speed until desired consistency is reached.
The worst thing you can do is to over-process something.
Remember you can always process more if something is too chunky but you can’t reverse the process if it’s too mushy!
Quick Guide to a Perfect Chop
Fresh fruits and vegetables:
- Remove any coarse, thick, papery or undesirable peels from foods such as onions, garlic, citrus fruits and melons.
- Cut off and discard the root and/or stem.
- Cut away any bruised, brown or hard spots.
- Cut all onions and large tomatoes in half (lengthwise).
- Celery, broccoli, zucchini and the likes should be cut into pieces no longer than 4 inches.
- Load the veggies into the machine from the bottom up evenly disbursing the load.
- Place long items in vertically, not horizontally.
- If layering veggies or fruits, place the harder ones near the bottom and softer ones on top.
- Do not crowd the blades!
- Always use the pulse button to avoid over-processing.
Raw meats:
- Trim away any large areas of fat.
- Wash the meat and pat dry.
- Cut the meat into strips, against the grain if possible, no larger than 2 ½” wide X 2 ½” thick X 4” long.
- Turn the machine on a medium-high speed and drop the meat, one piece at a time, down the food shoot and process until the desired texture is reached.
- If making a meatloaf, meatballs, etc. pulse the veggies first then turn on the machine and drop the meat through the food shoot.
- If adding seasoning to raw meat, add it immediately after the last piece of meat has been dropped through the food shoot so the spices get mixed in but the meat is not over processed.
Cooked Meats:
- Trim away any large areas of fat.
- Cut the meat into strips, against the grain if possible, no larger than 2 ½” wide X 2 ½” thick X 4” long.
- Load the meat into the processor bowl and pulse until desired texture is reached.
- If making a meat salad, pulse the onions and/or celery 2 times first, then place meat, seasonings and mayonnaise into processor and process at low speed until desired texture is reached.
Using Your Accessories
Dough Blade:
Use your dough blade to make bread dough, pizza dough, pie crusts, cookie dough, biscuits and anything else that is thick and needs to be mixed and/or kneaded.
When using the dough blade, insert the blade and add all dry ingredients. Turn the machine on a medium speed and add the butter, oil, water or other liquid slowly down the food shoot. Adjust your speed as necessary to accommodate the amount and thickness of the ingredients you are mixing. You can easily make a 2 lb. bread mix or 2 pizzas crusts at one time.
I often use my dough blade after I have chopped or shredded something into the bowl. I simply remove the other blade, insert the dough blade and dry ingredients and continue as directed above! You can make great cheese biscuits, olive breads, onion rolls, etc. by using multiple blades.
The dough blade is also great for recipes calling for soft cheeses; cheese dips, cheese cakes, ricotta mixtures and holiday cheese balls. Canned meat salads and spreads like tuna, chicken, beef, or ham can also be made using the dough blade as well as crab and fish cakes.
Basically, if you want to mix something very well, but not chop it, reach for your dough blade. As with chopping, start on a low speed and increase as necessary to achieve the desired results.
Slicing, Shredding, Grating & French Fry Blades:
There are various blades that came with your Processor to accomplish many food prep tasks. The product manual gave instructions on how to insert the blades for use, but there are a couple of tips that will help you enjoy using the blades more.
First, selection and preparing the veggies are important. Try to use firm, straight vegetables as close to the size of the food shoot as possible. Then cut off both ends so that it will fit flat next to the blade and the pusher.
Next, position the food securely into the food shoot. If you are working with carrots, celery or other thin vegetables, you may want to put 2-3 in the shoot at the same time; this way the veggie will be secured in an upright position and not end up being pulled sideways across the blade!
After, the veggies are loaded, turn the machine to the lowest speed and apply gentle, even pressure to push the veggies down. Adjust your speed as necessary to the hardness of the vegetable. Potatoes and carrots will require a higher speed than tomatoes or cucumbers.
Whipping Attachment:
The whipping attachment is great for whipped cream and meringue. Place the blade in first and then add the liquid. I never whip more than 3 cups of cream or 8 egg whites (room temperature) at a time. Turn the machine to the highest speed for 30 seconds or so, slow it down to low speed and add sugar or spices slowly through the food shoot and then continue on high until done. Watch it; it whips very fast! When you see the level of cream pulling down, check the texture. If you go to long, you will make butter…which is OK but refer to the butter recipe in this book for the particulars!
Whisk Attachment:
Use your whisk attachment as you would a hand mixer. The only trick is to add the liquid first so the cake mix or other dry ingredients don’t get stuck to the bottom. After the ingredients are in the bowl, put in the whisk and turn on the machine to a medium speed. You will probably have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then continue mixing until the batter is smooth.
Try using the chopping blades first to chop a little onion, pepper and ham. Then add 3 eggs and some water. Put in the whisk attachment and turn it to a medium speed…you are now ready to make your western omelet!