Toaster Oven Cooking

I visited a dear friend this past weekend in her new home. It was stunning in every way, although quite small. The kitchen was actually behind double doors and completely out of sight. It was unusual to be in a place where the kitchen was not on display. Studios can be a challenge design wise, but this was so amazingly well done with every high end detail you can imagine...still, I don't think I've ever seen a place with no kitchen revealed. Even with these new tiny, tiny houses, the kitchen is built in. Her kitchen did have a stove but I suggested perhaps she get a toaster oven. They are energy efficient and can do just about everything a full size oven can do...except you don't have the advantage of using larger pans. The space is limited and most don't have double racks. I'm not a fan of counter appliances, but when the stove went out and I needed something quick to cook with, a toaster oven was the answer. Now, I cook many things in the toaster oven. As mentioned, it is energy efficient, so why fire up the big oven. In reality, it actually cuts down on the per-serving cost. Most home cooks don't consider the cost of the electricity, water and clean up in their meal prep and present.

Here is a simple serving of a toaster oven pork chop topped with asparagus. This serving checks in at about $2.50 and was perfectly delicious. So, if you have a small space or just want to save some money, get a toaster oven. In my opinion, this rivals any restaurant and I did not have to spend a fortune to enjoy it.