Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog: Food Network's Healthy Eats: Healthy Recipes, Weight Loss Tips & Nutrition Information

There’s one kitchen appliance that seems relegated to smoothies, margaritas and slushies. Think beyond drinks and get creative with this useful kitchen tool:

• Puree eggs with a little water or milk before making omelets. Using the blender adds air to the egg mixture and produces a lighter, fluffier omelet.
• Turn chunky soups into velvety purees (puree soup in small batches to prevent overflow and cover the lid with a towel to prevent burns).
• Puree softened light vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt to create a rich sauce for fresh fruit and slices of angel food cake and quick breads.
• Make pesto: puree fresh herbs, toasted nuts, garlic and olive oil until smooth, adding oil, broth or water as necessary to create a thick puree. For herbs, try parsley, basil and cilantro. For nuts, try toasted pine nuts, walnuts and almonds.
• Make your own salad dressings: combine vinegar (red wine, balsamic, sherry or cider vinegar), olive oil and mustard (Dijon or honey mustard) and puree until smooth; add shallots, garlic and fresh herbs as desired.
• Grind whole peppercorns for a distinctly fresh black pepper taste. You can also grind white and pink peppercorns or combine black, pink and white to create a peppercorn medley.
• Grind whole coffee beans: grind on the “crush ice” setting and process until you reach the desired grind.