Cuisinart SPB-6SS - Manual (Page 8)

8
RECIPE TIPS
The simple recipes that follow include some old Cuisinart favorites
as well as some creative combinations that are sure to please your
friends and family. Thanks to the superior ice crushing power of
the Cuisinart
® SmartPower Classic ™ Blender, you’ll also be able to
make delicious frozen drinks.
Chopping Nuts: Place 1 ⁄
2
cup shelled nuts in the blender jar and
cover blender. Select Chop and pulse until desired chop is achieved.
Pulse fewer times for coarsely chopped nuts. For best results
process small amounts,
1 ⁄
2
cup or less.
Bread, Cookie or Cracker Crumbs: Break or cut bread, cookies or
crackers into pieces
1 ⁄
2
-inch or less in size. For best bread results,
use day-old bread (drier bread works best). Place bread, cookie or
cracker pieces in blender jar. Select Purée and pulse to chop, then
blend continuously until desired texture of crumbs is achieved. For
best results process 1 cup or less at a time.
Crushing Ice: Add up to 10 standard ice cubes to the blender jar.
Cover. Press the Ice Crush button, using short bursts, 10 times, or
until cubes are the consistency of snow. Turn blender off. Pulse
fewer times if coarsely chopped ice is desired.
Grating Fresh Citrus Zest: For best results, blender jar and cutting
assembly must be clean and dry. Remove zest from fruit in strips
using a vegetable peeler; use a sharp knife to remove the bitter
white pith from the underside of the zest. Cut strips in half. Process
no more than 8 strips at a time (zest of 1 medium lemon). Add strips
and 1 or more teaspoons of sugar or coarse salt (from recipe) to
the blender jar. Cover blender jar. Select Purée; blend for 15–20
seconds. Turn blender off.
Baby Food: Combine 1 ⁄
2
cup cooked vegetables, fruit or meat with
3–4 tablespoons liquid (water, milk, fruit juice, broth, or cooking
liquid) from the family’s meal in the blender jar. Select Liquefy. Blend
for 15–20 seconds until a smooth purée is reached. Add more liquid
as necessary and process further until desired texture is reached.
For “junior” type foods, select Purée and use the pulse. Always
consult with your pediatrician/family physician concerning the best
foods for your baby and when to introduce new foods to his/her diet.
Grinding Hard Cheese: Cut cheese into 1 ⁄
2
-inch pieces; remove all
outer hard rind. Place cheese in blender jar. Select Chop or Mix.
Pulse to chop cheese, 10–12 times, and blend until desired grind is
reached. For best results, grind no more than 3–4 ounces of cheese
at a time.
Grinding Spices: For best results, blender jar and cutting assembly
must be clean and dry. Add
1 ⁄
4
– 1 ⁄
2
cup of spices/seeds/peppercorns to
blender jar. Select Chop and pulse 10–15 times. Then blend
continuously until desired texture is achieved. Turn blender off.
Whipping Cream: If possible, chill blender jar and cutting assembly
in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
to blender jar. Cover jar. Select Stir (1-second pulses) 20–30
times until cream is thickened. (Do not overprocess – bits of butter
will begin to appear.) If desired add 1 tablespoon sugar and 1–2
teaspoons of vanilla or other flavoring. Consistency with be that of a
thickened but not fluffy whipped cream and is most appropriate for
topping desserts or coffee drinks.
When using the Cuisinart ® SmartPower Classic ™ Blender to purée
hot mixtures such as creamed soups and baby foods, strain the
solids from the liquid, reserving the cooking liquid. Then place the
cooked solids in the blender jar along with
1 ⁄
2
to 1 cup of the
reserved cooking liquid. Use the Pulse to chop, then blend until
desired consistency/purée is reached. Blending hot mixtures is often
better done in several batches.
Allow hot foods to cool slightly before blending to prevent steam
build-up which may cause the lid to lift up from the blender jar.
Cover top of covered blender jar with a clean dish towel and hold
down gently before and while blending.
Keep your blender out on the counter within easy reach and you will
be surprised how often you will use it.
Keep ice cubes made of juices, yogurt, milk or fruit purées on
hand and use instead of plain ice to make smoothies and frosty
beverages without diluting the drink.
For quick cleaning, add 1 cup of warm water and a drop of liquid
dish soap to the blender jar. Cover and blend on Mix for 30–40
seconds. Discard the soapy water and rinse blender thoroughly
before the next use.
Xanthan gum may be added to dressings and marinades to prevent
separation.