Cast Iron Cooking Essentials For The Home Chef – Gift Guide

Cast Iron Cooking Essentials Gift Guide by Give It A Whirl Girl

Today I will be talking about some cast iron cooking essentials for the home chef. Here is a little story for you as well. A couple years ago I received some cast iron pans and accessories for my birthday. I will be honest and say I was not very thrilled at the moment to receive them and I would have rather received something else. I had no idea what I was going to use them for. Back then I was just getting my feet wet with cooking and I was not as passionate about it as I am today.

When I look back on the day when I received them, I laugh a little now. I am totally in love and infatuated with cast iron cooking. I use my pans frequently now and I also would like to build up my arsenal of them. And if you care for these items properly they can last you a lifetime! These are some heavy duty items and with a bit of TLC they will not let you down.

I really enjoy busting out my cast iron and cooking my meals with it. In fact, my current favorite way to prepare my steak is with my cast iron. I promise you that you will get the most tender and juicy steak when you use a cast iron pan. I will not even throw my steak on the grill anymore. Cast iron is the way to go! See the photos below for a couple of juicy steaks I recently created with my cast iron pans.

Food creations made from cast iron cooking essentials

Cast Iron Medium Rare Ribeye Steak with Chimichurri

Cast iron is great for savory meals but it also great for sweets. Have you ever had a warm, giant cast iron chocolate chip cookie? No? Then what are you waiting for? Check out these two cast iron cookies I recently created. Nom nom nom!

Cast Iron Snickedoodle Cookie with gelato — Cast Iron Snickerdoodle Cookie with gelato

Cast Iron Chocolate Chip Cookie with ice-cream

I broke down my cast iron favorites in this list today. Some of these tools I already own and the others are currently on my wishlist. These items were all found while browsing Amazon and if you have Amazon Prime you will receive free shipping and receive them in a couple of days so you can quickly get started. I

If you are not yet an Amazon Prime member, no worries! Right now you can sign up for a 30-day free trial

And here we go with another one of my top 10 lists that I really enjoy creating and sharing with you.

Cast Iron Cooking Essentials

Lodge Essential Cast Iron Pan Set

This is a wonderful cast iron starter set from Lodge. This is the most trusted brand when it comes to cast iron cooking. This cooking set includes:

grill pan
a skillet
a griddle
pot holders
handle holders
and a scraper

Staub Cast Iron 5.75-qt Coq au Vin Cocotte – Turquoise

Staub is another great brand that comes to mind when I think of cast iron cooking. If you are looking for a great pot to cook your next chicken in, this 5.75-qt Coq au Vin will hold a whole chicken that is up to 5 pounds in weight. It comes in several different color options and it is also dishwasher safe. This Coq au Vin isa designed to help your meal retain moisture and not dry out.

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5-1/2-Quart Round French (Dutch) Oven, Palm

Le Creuset is an innovator in the cast iron cooking world. I absolutely love the green color on this dutch oven. If you are not digging the color there are 12 different color options. I believe every kitchen needs to have a dutch oven on hand and Le Creuset is a brand that is designed to last a lifetime. This dutch oven can withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees.

Lodge Pro-Grid Cast Iron Grill and Griddle Combo. Reversible 20″ x 10.44″ Grill/Griddle Pan with Easy-Grip Handles

This is a grill and griddle duo from Lodge. This fits conveniently over two stove burners. This grill and griddle duo would be super to have for your next big Sunday breakfast. You can use the griddle for pancakes and the grill for some breakfast sausage and big fat strips of bacon. Did I hear a tummy growl?

Lodge Cast Iron Mini Cake Pan. Pre-seasoned Cast Iron Cake Pan for Baking Biscuits, Desserts, and Cupcakes

This here is a versatile cooking essential for baking up your next batch of biscuits, cupcakes, and other desserts. Each cavity is 3 1/4″. The surface of this is non-stick and this comes preseasoned and ready to cook with.

Sotya Cast Iron Teapot Japanese Tetsubin Tea Kettle Durable Cast Iron with a Fully Enameled Interior

This is a gorgeous cast iron kettle for your next tea party. This is a beautifully crafted kettle and contains an internal tea infuser. I am thinking this would be perfect for my next cup of matcha tea.

Lodge 14 Inch Cast Iron Wok. Pre-Seasoned Wok

Whip up your next Asian stir-fry with this 14-inch seasoned wok by Lodge. This wok is designed to retain heat and evenly distribute it. Great for the oven, grill, or campfire.

Lodge 14 Inch Cast Iron Wok. Pre-Seasoned Wok

Lodge Manufacturing Company Cast Iron Care Kit

If you are going to dive into the world of cast iron cooking you will need to be equipped with the proper tools to take great care of your new pans. This kit includes:

Seasoning Spray
Pan and Grill Scraper
and Scrub Brush

I highly recommend getting a can of the seasoning spray so you can keep your pans in tip-top shape. After cleaning your pan it is advisable to oil it up and this spray is perfect for keeping the pan well-coated.

Lodge Manufacturing Company Cast Iron Care Kit

Caron Doucet – Cast Iron Care Bundle – Oil & Soap – 100% Plant-Based Formulation – Helps Maintain Seasoning

This is another great cast iron cooking maintenance bundle that will help promote the life and longevity of your pans. This bundle includes soap and oil that will improve the seasoning of your pans. The oil is made up of highly refined coconut oil and enhanced with food grade essential oils. These products will reduce rusting of your pans.

Cook It in Cast Iron: Kitchen-Tested Recipes for the One Pan That Does It All (Cook’s Country)

Here is a versatile cookbook that will teach you everything that you need to know about cast iron cooking. This cookbook is chock full of recipes for breakfast, lunch, appetizers, dinner, and my favorite part~ dessert!

Want to see how easy it is to cook a steak in a cast iron skillet? Watch the video below:

The question of how to clean and care for cast iron often arises. Here is an informational video from Lodge that breaks it down:

Final thoughts on these cast iron cooking essentials

I hope you enjoyed this cast iron gift guide. These cast iron cooking essentials will have you on your way to creating delicious meals at home. Just make sure you take great care of these cast iron items. They do need some love and TLC. If you do that for them, these cast iron cooking essentials will last you a lifetime and they can be passed on to other generations.

Question Time! Have you ever tried cooking with cast iron? What is your favorite meal to cook with it? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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October 16, 2018 0

How To Get A Tender And Juicy Ribeye Steak With Herbed Ghee In A Cast Iron Pan

Can you think of anything better than a big juicy steak for dinner? Nope! Not me! This is definitely a favorite for my whole family. I am going to fill you in on how I use my cast iron pan and some herbed ghee to make the most tender and juicy steak!

You only need a few simple things to obtain a tender and juicy steak in the kitchen. First things first, you will need a cast iron pan. I am a true believer in cast iron and I won’t even throw a steak on the grill anymore. I get the best results with my Lodge Cast Iron. You will also need an herbed ghee or you can make your own herbed ghee with a few ingredients: garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme. The herbed ghee is going to make your steak burst with flavor. It is so simple to do and the results are spectacular. It requires only minimal effort.

The first thing I do when I am prepping to cook a steak is to take them out of the fridge and let them rest for a bit. This is when I salt and pepper them on both sides. You also need to start heating your cast iron pan. You want to ensure that your pan is hot when you throw the steaks on so they can get a nice sear to them.

Ribeye steaks cooking in a Lodge Cast Iron Pan

4th & Heart makes wonderful garlic ghee that you can add your seasonings (rosemary and thyme) to. If you cannot find this brand with the garlic already in it, any kind of ghee will do. I do highly recommend 4th & Heart though. I know my Kroger store carries the regular one. These ghees are also available on Amazon and you can get them conveniently delivered in two days if you have Prime. If you do not yet have Prime you can try a free 30-day trial through this link.

4th & Heart ghee is top-notch when it comes to all of the ghees available. Ghee has wonderful health benefits and is a much better alternative to butter. With ghee, all of the milk fats are removed. It is considered a clarified butter and is lactose-free and dairy-free. Ghee is known to improve the digestive tract and repair it. Ghee is very aromatic and when you are cooking with it in the kitchen your house is going to smell amazing.

Fourth & Heart ghee is made from the milk of grass-fed, pasture raised New Zealand cows. Why did we have to go so far from home? We find the best quality to be in the place where the greenest grass grows and that’s in New Zealand. (source)

Ghee with added herbs - garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme — Ghee with added herbs – garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme

Ribeye with herbed ghee (garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme)

For the ghee, what I do is I melt down a few tablespoons. Your ghee keeps in the fridge and is solid like butter. You can melt your ghee down in a small pan and add some garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme to it. You don’t need to go crazy with the seasonings here, just give the ghee enough to have some flavor infused throughout it.

While the steaks are cooking in the cast iron pan you can spoon the herbed ghee onto the steaks. I just keep spooning in on over the top of the steak and it marinates it with absolutely awesome flavor. I like my steaks medium rare so I only cook my steaks for a few minutes on each side of them. I served these ribeye steaks up with some roasted red skin potatoes that also had garlic powder, rosemary, and thyme on them. It was a perfect pairing for the steak.

Ribeye steak with herbed ghee (garlic, rosemary, and thyme) and roasted red skin potatoes

We truly enjoyed this steak and potatoes meal on Labor Day. There were lots of ooo’s and ahhh’s coming out of our mouth while taking our time and devouring it slowly. I hope you give this a whirl. If you do please let me know how you liked it. It is one of my favorite ways to cook a steak nowadays.

How do you like to cook your ribeye steak? Leave me a comment and let me know how you serve them up!

Get your products on Amazon:

Also, learn more about another simple way I have about cooking a juicy steak featuring products by Primal Kitchen! CLICK HERE

Other products you might enjoy cooking with:

September 5, 2018 5

Paleo Cookie Dough Cheesecake and Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger Ribeye Steaks – Saturday Cooking Adventures

My husband is off work Fridays and Saturdays. We did not have any plans for those two days so we just had a chill time at home. I needed something to pass the time so I resorted to cooking. What better way to spend the time! I started off Saturday with some multigrain pancakes for Joe and Chloe. I got started on dessert, a Paleo Cookie Dough Cheesecake, early because those cheesecakes take a few hours to set. And dinner was simple~ ribeye steaks marinated in Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger and peppered bacon wrapped in asparagus. It was a delightful day of cooking from start to finish.

Seems kinda contradictory though to make a vegan cheesecake for dessert after a ribeye dinner! I mainly chose to make this type of cheesecake for the fact that it is paleo and uses only gluten-free ingredients. I do try to eat vegan meals on occasion though because I do enjoy them. My favorite vegan food to make is “nice cream”. It is a vegan ice-cream created with frozen bananas, coconut milk, and other fruits, etc. It is a simple, healthy dessert to create at home and a nice alternative to regular ice-cream.

In this post I will be discussing how I made the dessert and the dinner and I have broken it down into sections for you.

Continue reading “Paleo Cookie Dough Cheesecake and Primal Kitchen Sesame Ginger Ribeye Steaks – Saturday Cooking Adventures” →

September 2, 2018 2

Paleo Balsamic Steak With Primal Kitchen – Simplicity Is Often Best When It Comes To Steak

I had two New York strip steaks to cook yesterday. I often opt for a garlic herbed ghee when cooking up my steaks but I wanted to mix things up a bit last night and try something different. I have been trying out many of the flavors of Primal Kitchen dressings/marinades that I ordered recently and I am completely and totally satisfied with their quality. I had Primal Kitchen Balsamic Marinade and that is exactly what my steaks ended up marinating in.

Balsamic Steak w/ Primal Kitchen Foods Balsamic Dressing/Marinade and Roasted Balsamic Asparagus

Last night I wanted to do something simple with my steak that would still result in a juicy piece of meat and I opted for the Primal Kitchen Balasmic. This is an avocado oil based dressing that only uses real food ingredients and no BS whatsoever. This is paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and does not contain any added sugars. Many Primal Kitchen items are also Whole 30 friendly but this particular one is not, due to the added honey.

As you can see in the photo below I did not have too many ingredients at all. I had the Balsamic, some Heavenly Organics Acacia Honey, and not shown was the Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil, and the salt & pepper. That is all I worked with~ 5 simple ingredients.

I preheated the oven for my asparagus to 425 degrees and lined a sheet pan with foil. I took some of the Balsamic and a bit of the honey and mixed it together. I then made sure that all of the asparagus was doused in this mixture. It took about 15 minutes to roast the asparagus. It came out with a little bit of sweetness from the honey, which I thought was great. The Balsamic was not too overpowering with the veggie.

Primal Kitchen Balsamic Dressing/Marinade

I used my Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan to cook the steak, as I usually do. That pan is by far my favorite way to cook a steak. I no longer use my grill outdoors for steak. This pan will produce one hell of a juicy and tender steak. I poured just a bit of avocado oil in the pan and warmed it up. Once the grill was warm I threw the steaks on. Don’t you just love that sizzling sound when your meat is cooking on the grill? Music to my ears. I poured a bit of the marinade on the steaks while they were cooking. Gosh the smell of the Balsamic paired with the meat was an incredible smell. Hubby even remarked and said, “something smells good in the kitchen”.

So there you have it… a big juicy piece of medium-rare balsamic steak and roasted balsamic asparagus. Clean Plate for Joe and I and the steak was so perfectly cooked I could have probably eaten half of another one.

How do you like to prepare your steak? What is your secret to a juicy, tender steak? Leave me a comment and let me know.

You can find Primal Kitchen items in their online store and save with coupon code: GIVEITAWHIRL10

or….

Want to give the Balsamic Primal Kitchen dressing/marinade a whirl? You can find it on Amazon:

You can also treat yourself to a Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan on Amazon:

Find out more about Primal Eating with the Primal Blueprint book available on Amazon:

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August 19, 2018 2

Food creations made from cast iron cooking essentials

Cast Iron Cooking Essentials

You might enjoy: My Honest ButcherBox Review

This is a gorgeous cast iron kettle for your next tea party. This is a beautifully crafted kettle and contains an internal tea infuser. I am thinking this would be perfect for my next cup of matcha tea. Lodge 14 Inch Cast Iron Wok. Pre-Seasoned Wok

Want to see how easy it is to cook a steak in a cast iron skillet? Watch the video below:

The question of how to clean and care for cast iron often arises. Here is an informational video from Lodge that breaks it down:

Final thoughts on these cast iron cooking essentials

Question Time! Have you ever tried cooking with cast iron? What is your favorite meal to cook with it? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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How do you like to cook your ribeye steak? Leave me a comment and let me know how you serve them up!

Get your products on Amazon:

Other posts you might enjoy:

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Also, learn more about another simple way I have about cooking a juicy steak featuring products by Primal Kitchen! CLICK HERE

Other products you might enjoy cooking with:

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Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

How do you like to prepare your steak? What is your secret to a juicy, tender steak? Leave me a comment and let me know.

or….

Want to give the Balsamic Primal Kitchen dressing/marinade a whirl? You can find it on Amazon:

You can also treat yourself to a Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan on Amazon:

Find out more about Primal Eating with the Primal Blueprint book available on Amazon:

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. I DO RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF ITEMS ARE PURCHASED THROUGH THESE LINKS. THIS HELPS MAKE FOR A BETTER BLOG EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF MY READERS. ALL PROCEEDS GO TOWARDS MAKING IMPROVEMENTS ON THIS BLOG.

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Disclaimer – The Fine Print

This is a gorgeous cast iron kettle for your next tea party. This is a beautifully crafted kettle and contains an internal tea infuser. I am thinking this would be perfect for my next cup of matcha tea.

Lodge 14 Inch Cast Iron Wok. Pre-Seasoned Wok