Last week I told you about some tools that Good Cook sent me which they felt were handy tools to have in the kitchen.  I agreed with them and loved the tools they sent me.  But as part of that post, I also told you that they were having a Build Your Own Draw contest.  As part of that contest, I was able to build my own draw as well with tools I needed in my kitchen.  I’ve been loving the Good Cook tools so I was excited to be a part of this.

Here is what I choose..

Digital Timer
Fine Edge 6 inch Chef’s Knife
Double Handle Colander
Good Cook 3′ Serrated Paring Knife
Small Bottle Spatula
Stainless Steel Slotted Spoon
5 piece Prep Bowl Set
Stainless Steel Basting Spoon
Corn Skewer
Stuffed Burger Press
5.5′ Serrated Cook’s Knife
Spreader Spatula
Clear Handle Silicone Spatula
Spatula Set – Regular and Long
Stainless Steel Oven Thermometer

Tools In My Draw

I arranged these all in my draw and looking at it I can totally see that these are must have tools so I did a good job picking them out.  Don’t you think?

Look for these tools and more on the GoodCook.com website and click the ADD ME button to add them to your draw.  During this promotion they are all 25% off!

Now it was time to come up with a signature dish using most of these tools.  I love raw veggies and I love to incorporate them into a meal as often as I can.  My kids prefer most veggies raw as well and my husband, well he’s working on liking veggies in general.. and it’s a work in progress!  So I decided to make my favorite cold pasta salad – Rainbow Veggie Pasta Salad – as a side dish to our favorite way to eat chicken (breaded) and some corn on the cob.  We eat a lot of Corn on the Cob in the summer!  The salad contains a lot of veggies and the pasta makes everyone happy.  I used 9 of the tools that Good Cook sent me to make this dish and they made it so much easier.

Here is what I got:

First I cooked the pasta according to the box instructions and used the Good Cook Digital Timer to make sure I didn’t over cook it.  No one likes mushy pasta.

While the pasta cooked, I began to prep my veggies.  First I cut the Bell Peppers with the Good Cook Fine Edge 6 inch Chef’s Knife.  This is a high carbon stainless steel knife that slid right through the peppers like I was putting a knife through butter!  Such a great tool to use and it’ll get a lot of use in my kitchen.

Then I rinsed the peppers in the Good Cook Double Handle Colander.   I love this colander because it sits perfectly in the smaller side of my sink so I can just run the water over the veggies and it’ll drain right into my sink.  And since it has rubber handles, it wont slide!  Best thing in my opinion!!

Such pretty colors!!!   I would have added red pepper too but all the red peppers looked pretty scary when I went shopping so I left them out.

Then I sliced the olives.   I used my Good Cook can opener that I told you about last week.  This one has permanently replaced my old can opener!!!

I could have bought sliced olives but first of all, they cost more and second I use olives all different ways and sometimes like them whole so I prefer to buy them that way.  It takes seconds to slice them especially using the Good Cook 3′ Serrated Paring Knife.  It has a short blade for more precise cooking and it’s super sharp as well.  It worked great.

I didn’t use the entire can of olives so my daughter asked if she could have some.  They are a favorite treat of her’s.    And of course the best way to eat olives is …

… putting them on your fingers first, then eating them.  (My little one photo bombed her!)  See another reason why I buy them whole and cut them when I need them smaller.  Because they are fun to eat this way.

Next up was the celery.  I love celery in so many things and while I purchased a whole bunch, I don’t plan on using it all.  But I did clean it at the same time so I have it handy in the fridge.

I used the Fine Edge 6 inch Chef’s Knife again to cut the celery.  Worked great!

And then it went into the colander to rinse off … (love this colander in case I didn’t tell you yet!)

I then chopped it into small bit size pieces.   I love adding celery to pasta salad.  Not only does it taste great, but it’s super crunchy!

Since we had so much celery and we clearly needed to have snacks while cooking, I used the Small Bottle Spatula to put some peanut butter on the celery for a mid-cooking snack.  It worked great and cleaned up really well to!  I can see this handy little tool being put to use a lot in my kitchen.  I hate to waste anything so if this helps get to the bottom of the bottle, then it’s a tool I will use!

In the meantime I had to keep an eye on the pasta.  Even though I was using my Good Cook Digital Timer, I had to stir the pasta a few times so the Good Cook Stainless Steel Slotted Spoon was the perfect tool for the job.

And of course I used my handy Spoon Holder that I told you about last week too!

Okay, back to chopping!

Next up was the broccoli.

I sometimes use frozen steamed broccoli but since I was at the store and they had a nice little bunch, and it was on sale, I picked up some broccoli.  It’s the only veggie I cook a little before adding it to my pasta salad.   I cut the stems almost all the way off using my Good Cook 6 inch Chef’s Knife, again!  See it’s a very handy tool!

 

And of course I rinsed it off in my Good Cook Colander.

While I like it raw in just about anything, I found my family prefers it cooked even in pasta salad so I steamed it in the micro wave for about 2 minutes before I added it to the salad.

By now the pasta was done so I drained it in… you guessed it – my Good Cook Colander and then rinsed it with cold water.

While I loved all the tools that I used in this post, If I had to pick a favorite I would have to say it is the 5 piece Prep Bowl Set.  I mean seriously how did I get by without using this.  I have some of their mixing bowls already and really love them and these are just as awesome.  They don’t slide across the counter, they come in a fun blue color, they are a hard plastic so they won’t break but the best part is they each have two measuring units so you know exactly how much you are using.  Fill them to the first line and it’s one measurement, fill them to the top and it’s another.   They start at 1/4 cup and go up to 2 cups with 10 different measurements in just 5 bowls.  And they stack together nicely so they don’t take up a lot of room.

Here are all my veggies all chopped up and measured ready to be added to the pasta.

Doesn’t this look beautiful with all the different colors?

I used 1/2 cup of salad dressing and it was the perfect amount.  Of course I used the Good Cook 1/2 Cup Prep Bowl to measure it out!

Then I mixed it up with the Good Cook Stainless Steel Basting Spoon (which is not just for basting!) and we were good to go.

I like to let this chill for at least an hour so all the flavors come together nicely.

Now it was time to cook the corn.  I rinsed it off in the Good Cook Colander.   I have a feeling this will be in my sink most days while I cook.

I just added more water to the pan I used for the pasta and tossed the corn in to boil.  Once again I used the Good Cook Digital Timer which by the ways is super easy to use and has a very loud ring.  So if you leave the room you probably wont have to take it with you, unless you have a huge house (which I don’t have so I could hear it fine).  And it also has a magnetic easel stand that also functions as a memo clip.  Nice!  My last timer broke and I haven’t had one in a while.  Since I don’t have a computerized stove, I don’t have a timer on it.  This is something I really needed.

While the corn cooked I breaded the chicken and cooked that on the stove top in hot oil.  I use eggs and breadcrumbs.  Nothing scientific about that but it’s my families favorite way to eat chicken breast.

And then dinner was complete!  My kids were so happy to eat after watching me put this all together today (and sample in between!).

The Good Cook Corn Skewer’s are probably the best I’ve ever used.  I’m not just saying that because I work closely with Good Cook.  They are perfect for little hands to use because they are big and chunky – and not small and wobbly.  They really stick into the corn and even with slippery buttery hands, you can hold onto them easily.  And I love the fun colors they come in too!

A nice balanced meal – some carbs (pasta and bread crumbs), some protein (chicken) and lots and lots of veggies!

Here is the recipe for the pasta salad:

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Rainbow Veggie Pasta Salad

1 pound pasta
1/2 cup black olives sliced thin
2 cups assorted colors of peppers
2 cups steamed broccoli
3/4 cup celery
1/2 cup Italian Dressing

1. Cook Pasta according to instructions on package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
2. Rinse and chop all veggies.
3. Put broccoli in microwavable bowl and add a little water.  Steam broccoli in microwave for 2 minutes.  Rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
4. Add all veggies to pasta. Then add salad dressing and mix well.
5. Chill in fridge for at least an hour before serving.
6. Serve along side favorite protein meal.

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What would you put in your drawer? Head to the Good Cook website and Look for the “Add me” button and start building your drawer. They have tools for everyone!

Plus, don’t forget throughout this event on GoodCook.com you will be able to save 25% off everything!  So it’s a good time to add some of these items to your own kitchen.

Be sure to check out all these other great recipes and kitchen tools. Everyone’s draw is different so if you aren’t sure what you’d want to include in your draw, you can get some ideas from these bloggers!