How to take care of knives

"You spend good money on a knife; take care of it, it should last a lifetime."

When you learn valuable things from others you feel the urge to share them. I have been shopping for kitchen utensils lately and I found a merchant who is fun to talk to and has shared many valuable tips with me on how to take care of knives.

How to take care of knives:

1. No metal is completely “stainless”. Do not allow acidic or salty foods to remain on the blade after use. This may pit and dull the finish and/or damage the sharp edge.
2. Try not to put your knives in the dishwasher. This is unsafe. Heat and detergent, along with banging into other knives and metal pans, can damage the sharp edge and the handle.
3. Wipe your knife clean with a wet cloth and dish detergent. Rinse. Dry immediately.
4. Do not cut through bones with your knife. Do not poke, pry, or separate frozen foods with your knife. Use only to cut food, not as a screwdriver.
5. Sharp knives are safe; dull knives are dangerous. If a knife goes straight and cuts cleanly, you have control. If a knife slips off the top of a lemon or citrus fruit, or doesn’t cut through meat cleanly, it is much more dangerous to use.

Richly-Spiced Beef Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tsp McCormick® Marjoram

2 tsp Haritham® Coriander powder

2 tsp of McCormick® dried oregano

Pinch of Mustard seeds

2 tsp McCormick® Curry

2 tsp American Garden® Kebab Mix

1 tsp black pepper

2 Jalapenos

9 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)

½ Onion (chopped)

2 tsp Turmeric

2 tomatoes

2 tsp of McCormick® Spanish paprika

2 tsp of McCormick® chili powder

½ tsp of McCormick® cayenne pepper

2tsp of McCormick® cumin
Salt to taste

½ kilo foreshank beef (thinly sliced)

¼ kilo of mini potatoes (cut in half)

250ml Cream

To prepare:

Put the thinly sliced beef in a bowl, sprinkle salt to taste, 1 tsp of marjoram, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp of dried oregano, 1 tsp of curry powder, 1 tsp kebab mix, 1 tsp of garlic, 1 tsp of turmeric, 1 tsp Spanish paprika, 1tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp chili powder. Set aside.

In a skillet, put 4 tsp olive oil and sauté the remaining garlic until golden brown. Add tomatoes, stir until cooked. Add onion, stir until translucent, not golden brown. Add 2 jalapenos, stir. Add the potatoes, stir. Add the beef and stir until the beef’s water comes out. Add the rest of the remaining spices: add more salt (optional), 1 tsp marjoram, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp of dried oregano, 1 tsp of curry powder, 1 tsp kebab mix, 1 tsp of turmeric, 1 tsp Spanish paprika, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp chili powder, add ½ tsp cayenne pepper. Stir until all the ingredients are evenly distributed on the beef. Lower the heat and put a lid on the pan. Wait until the water had almost evaporated. Add the cream. Stir until the cream thickens.

Best served with cucumber salad.

Good for 7 servings.

Easy-to-prepare Egg Sandwich

Ingredients:

4 eggs

5 tbsps of evaporated Milk

Mayonnaise

Two tomatoes sliced

½ onion sliced

Sandwich bread or any kind

Salt to taste

Butter

How to prepare:

Beat the eggs, add salt, and add the 4 tbsps of evaporated milk.

In a pan, melt the butter. Add the tomatoes. Stir until the tomatoes are cooked. Add the onions. Cook until the onions are translucent not golden brown. Add the egg. Stir it to avoid burning.

To prepare the bread:

Spread mayonnaise and add the egg mixture.

Good for 4 to 5 servings

My Recipe: Creamy Mediterranean Spicy Beef

Ingredients:

2 ½ tbsp of olive oil

2 tbsp of McCormick® coriander powder

McCormick® marjoram

McCormick® dried oregano

Black pepper

2 sliced tomatoes (seeds removed)

4 cloves of garlic minced

1 onion finely chopped

2 whole jalapeños

1 can of sliced button mushrooms

½ kg foreshank beef, thinly sliced

250ml of cream

Salt to taste

How to cook:

In a bowl, sprinkle salt, marjoram, black pepper and dried oregano on the thinly sliced beef and mix them well. Set aside. In a skillet, sauté garlic in olive oil until golden brown and add the chopped onion. Next, add the tomatoes. Add the mushrooms. Add the coriander powder, a sprinkle of marjoram, a bit of salt, black pepper and oregano. Mix them well. Next, add the beef to the skillet mixture. Stir all the ingredients in the heated skillet until the herbs and spices are evenly distributed on the beef. Put a lid on the skillet and let the beef’s water come out. Let it boil, slowly. Stir it from time to time until the water evaporates. When there’s little water left, add the cream. Lower the heat and stir until the sauce is thick. Good for 7 servings.