Gourmet at Home with Monoprice Strata Home Small Appliances

This post was sponsored by Monoprice as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

As much as I enjoy eating at restaurants, few things are more satisfying than preparing an amazing meal with my own two hands. Since deciding to live a healthier lifestyle I have really enjoyed trying new recipes and new cuisines as well as new kitchen tools and appliances. Recently I had the opportunity to try out two new small appliances - a Strata Home Pro Blender and a Strata Home Sous Vide Immersion Cooker - both available from Monoprice.

Monoprice is your one-stop online shop for more than 6,500 high-quality, affordable electronics and accessories at a fraction of typical store prices. They offer everything from audio video home theater equipment, 3D printing and Drones, and my favorite - Strata Home Appliances. In my opion, one can never have too many cooking tools!

I was excited to try the Strata Home Sous Vide Immersion Cooker as I have recently heard a lot about Sous Vide cooking in the keto community. With the Sous Vide method of cooking, food is juicier and more tender, with all the nutrients, which are often lost from ordinary cooking methods.

With the Sous Vide, you simply fill a deep pot with water, affix the machine to the side, and set the time and temperature for whatever the ingredient is that you are cooking and how well done you want it to be. For proteins, you can also choose to sear before or after cooking with the Sous Vide.

I decided to try it out on my favorite Keto Protein - Lemon Pepper Salmon. Now I generally cook this in the oven in a matter of minutes, but with the Strata Home Sous Vide Immersion Cooker I simply seasoned my salmon filet and sealed it tightly in a sandwich bag that I clamped to the side, and let the cooker do the rest!

It was SO tender I had trouble getting it on the plate in one piece! And one big thing I noticed was it seemed to be almost infused with lemon flavor. When I bake it I always have to add more lemon, but this was flavored perfectly.

The Strata Home Pro Blender was a BIG win - pun intended! I have never had a blender this large - nor this powerful! My first thought was how many margaritas I could make at one time! I mean... #priorities, right?

But, since I am more focused on health than margaritas these days I decided to try it out on something a little more... responsible for 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon. I have recently seen an influx of gorgeous Smoothie Bowls on Instagram and wanted to try my hand at making my own.

Generally, I shy away from Smoothie Bowls because they are so full of sugar, but I was determined to make a Keto Smoothie Bowl that would not only tame my sweet tooth but also help me reach my daily macros.

Speaking of macros, make sure to check your specific protein powder for exact measurements, but using my Quest brand, each Keto Smoothie Bowl ended up with approximately 5 Net Carbs, 14 grams Protein, and 21 grams of fat before I added the toppings!

The Strata Home Pro Blender holds two full liters and has blades that are sharp and powerful enough to effortlessly cut through ice and frozen fruits with ease. My ingredients were mostly soft, so it only took seconds to be a perfectly smooth delicious smoothie.

It was amazing to me how deliciously chocolatey this Keto Smoothie Bowl turned out  - the avocado flavor seemed to almost disappear! The Protein Powder gave it plenty of sweetness, and I added some additional raspberries, chopped walnuts, and even some hemp hearts for added protein and crunch!

I am super stoked about making all new gourmet meals at home with these two awesome appliances and have my eye on a few others on the Monoprice website. I love being able to order online and have them arrive right to my door without having to leave the house or stand in line! Does it get any better!?

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