Green Cooking seems to be a favorite topic. It outlines the more environmentally-friendly ways of preparing food from basic ingredients to the cooking pot. It’s even the simplest way to cut down on energy consumption in the kitchen. In turn, you save money on your energy bills and you benefit by releasing far less carbon than you used to. In a nutshell, you get cleaner air to breathe and healthier meals to eat.

However, eating only healthy meals throughout the holidays can be very hard with the abundance of rich foods along with the different joyful activities that prevent people from concentrating in the kitchen. Grab the challenge by cooking food in clay pots beginning with Schlemmertopf clay pot recipes.

Schlemmertopf Clay Baker

Schlemmertop clay pot is a type of clay cookware with a lightly-glazed bottom. But just like cooking in its unglazed counterpart, it also offers the same benefits of cutting down on added fats and oils, sealing in nutrients in the food. The only difference is the glazed cooking surface that resists stains and will not absorb odors and flavors of the food. Schlemmertopf Clay Pot recipes offers casseroles with the maximum flavor and tenderness from the slow cooking. Braising would also be great with the fat-free moistness in vegetables, meat and even the most delicate fish. You can even bake and roast achieving succulent-tasting meat and veggies.

To preserve your Schlemmertop clay pot for many years, never bring it to a sudden change of temperature. If you’re serving food on your clay pot right from the oven, use mitts to move it and place it on a trivet or a folded dishtowel. Cleaning a glazed-bottomed clay pot is easier. Simply wash glazed part of the roaster with hot water, using a mild detergent, and clean the top (unglazed) part with only hot water. Baked-on foods can be removed by gently scrubbing with soap and water.

Adding a touch of green to your holiday cooking is like reviving the art of old style cooking repackaged for a new generation. If you enjoy clay pot cooking, why not share the same experience by giving your loved ones a gift of Schlemmertopf Clay pot so they too can enjoy “green” Christmas meals. They sure will like the idea of preparing holiday foods without all the grease so common in today’s cooking style.

With all of the talk about “green products” and making our lives more environmentally friendly I did a little research and found some cool information. Most of this is common sense but I thought I would make sure my information was correct. One of the most versatile and green cookware products is glass; this would also include ceramics. Glass is, at its most basic definition, super heated sand or silicates if you want to get technical. Glass has absolutely no chemicals  that can be released as the glass ages or is heated unlike some plastics.

Unlike some materials such as plastic that in recent studies shows certain kinds of plastics release harmful chemicals when heated. Not all plastics have this property so if you use plastic do a little research. I will post some more about plastics later on..back to the glass. Glass allows you to see what is cooking whether it is in the oven or the microwave which is another reason to use glass. Glass can go from oven to refrigerator to microwave and back again. Some glass containers can also be used in the freezer. Look for tempered glass as it has the best properties for cooking and durability. Pyrex is another chef favorite prized for its heat properties and durability.

I enjoy glass because it is affordable and cooks great!! You can use it for almost anything, breads, pastas, sauces on the stove top, casseroles, desserts and the list goes on. Storage, as mentioned above, is a prime example of the versatility of glass. No known bugs can eat through glass and since glass releases no chemicals your food is safe from extraneous and foreign substances. Glass is a bit more prone to breaking then with stainless steel or copper but with the tempered glass or Pyrex shattering is held to a minimum. Glass can be recycled and used in other glass products. This is a general statement for glass as some forms of glass cannot be recycled for new uses.

All in all glass is affordable, reliable, versatile, and environmentally safe and friendly. So why aren’t you using more glass?

Green Kitchen Products: Clay Bakers

1. Clay bakers are completely Earth friendly and require no chemicals to be used in their manufacturing processes.

2. Clay bakers seal in nutrients without the use of additional oils and fats for cooking.

3. Clay bakers can be used in the microwave and oven increasing the ease of use of the product.

4. Cleaning is simple and easy and requires only warm water and a little baking soda to clean up.

5. Clay bakers are the original slow cookers and produce juicy, delectable food time after time.

6. A variety of sizes and shapes allow for cooking any meal in a clay baker from turkey dinners to delightful desserts.

7. The clay baker operates by steaming the food and has always been a healthy choice in cookware.

8. In addition to their ease of use they are extremely affordable.

9. Entire meals can be prepared in a single pot and then set on a timer for busy families to have freshly cooked meals at home.

10. Because they are earthen ware they are completely biodegradable and safe for use anywhere.

Here is a great article on clay bakers on Hubpages.

The holidays bring us much joy, happiness and food, to say the least. What to do with the left overs? Where can I store them and in what? Most of us probably use plastic containers which would be fine if they were more environmentally friendly, not to mention that not all plastic storage containers can be used in the microwave. What a bout a set of containers that can be taken form the freezer and put into the microwave? A set of glass storage containers from Kinetic are perfect for storing, cooking and freezing.

A 3 piece set of GlassLock containers from Kinetic are made from tempered glass which is resistant to breaking and safe to use in the freezer and in the microwave. The tempering process also protects the glass form having the colors and juices of the food from penetrating the glass and discoloring it unlike plastic containers. Plastic containers, depending upon the materials used in manufacturing, release BPA a synthetic estrogen, into food when heated. The glass containers from Kinetic are completely 100% safe to use at any temperature setting. Keep your family and friends protected against these synthetic by products.

The glass storage containers come in 2, 5 and 11 cup capacities. Use the 2 cup container for small side dishes to be consumed later as a snack or for pot luck night at the house. All of the GlassLock containers have watertight and airtight lids; these lids should not be used in the microwave for as they are made from plastic and the heat will release unwanted toxins and by products into your food. The larger container, the 11 cup capacity, is perfect for meat loafs, fish and other entrees that need a bit more room for storage. You could even use it for a small batch of pudding, cake, or some brownies.

These are also completely dishwasher safe and can be placed on the top rack. This makes clean up a breeze, just toss them into the dishwasher and press start. Of course these are microwave, refrigerator and freezer safe. It is recommended to wrap the item to be frozen if possible to further reduce the possibilities of freezer burn, although it is not required. The storage containers are FDA approved which means you can be sure of the construction and that no unwanted chemicals are used in the production of the containers. Stop using plastic and convert to glass containers to save money and protect your health.

This holiday season let’s go green! Everyone is trying to keep the environment safe and intact these days and the kitchen is no exception. Green or environmentally friendly open frying pans are now available at YOURsmartkitchen.com from Kinetic Classicor. The pans have eliminated the PTFE and PFOA in the non-stick coating. Although testing is still being done these chemicals can cause harm to animals and in rare cases, humans. They also do not biodegrade well when discarded.

Kinetic Classicor Go Green Frying Pan

Kinetic Classicor has used a non-stock coating that does not require the use of the prior stated chemicals; the chemicals are used to adhere the Teflon to the metal in traditional non-stick technology. The open frying pans come in three sizes 8 inch, 9.5 inch and 11.5 inch to satisfy any meal or entrée for preparation. The pans are constructed form high grade stainless steel which means you can count on them to have a long and useful life in the kitchen. Durability is the name of the game when speaking of stainless steel.

The entire assembly is stainless steel including the handle. Be sure to use proper heat pads or a good kitchen towel when cooking with the Kinetic Classicor Go Green pans. Avoid using a damp or wet cloth as this will conduct heat quicker and more easily and possible burn your skin. While you may be tempted to use this pan in the oven, high temperatures should be avoided to limit damage from the heat. Even though the non-stick coating is a newer formulation it is still susceptible to heat as with all non-stick coatings.

These pans create a safer environment and delicious meals for your family and friends. Because they are non-stick clean up is a snap; remember to avoid dishwasher cleaning with non-stick pans, again due to the heat. Know someone who is eco-forward? The Kinetic Classicor Go Green pans make a wonderful gift to the environmentally friendly people in your life. Aside from the environmental advantages the pans are well constructed, sturdy and designed to heat evenly producing beautiful meals.

Differing sizes allows any recipe to be created and served. These green pans also work on any cook top surface including induction stoves. The open frying pans are deep enough to keep food in but shallow enough to get them out to be served. Surprisingly the pans are pretty light weight and no one should have a problem using them in the kitchen. Not to mention the pans are very affordable; the 8 inch pan sells for less than $20.00.

Green is the color of the environment and the holidays, why not expand your kitchen, or someone else’s, to include environmental thinking in the kitchen? The Kinetic Classicor Go Green pans are durable, environmentally friendly and extremely affordable. With proper care and use the pans will last any chef, eco-minded or not, for years to come.