Seafood Corn Chowder

Seafood Corn Chowder

Seafood Corn Chowder

Now that summer is coming to an end, I thought it would be appropriate to make one last dish to celebrate the season. And what would be better than something with fresh seafood and something that requires minimum cooking effort in this scorching weather?

Seafood

I decided to make a delicious Seafood Corn Chowder, chock full of seafood – lobster, scallops, crabmeat, shrimp, fresh corn,

fresh veggies

and all kinds of fresh veggies – multi-colored bell peppers, onions, potatoes, garlic and spices, all cooked in a chicken stock finished with cream and garnished with fresh chives and parsley.

Seafood Corn Chowder 2

I made this chowder in my gorgeous KitchenAid® Professional Seven-Ply 8-Quart Stockpot, which is perfect for making soups, stews, chili, and one-pot dishes for a crowd.

Pour Cream

It’s extra large and made out of multi-layered stainless steel so it’s sturdy and heats up quickly and evenly. It also has optional pasta and steamer inserts, which I love, that fit right inside the large pot and lid. This is definitely one of my favorite go-to pots that I use for everything and it all fits conveniently together with a stainless steel lid to seal in moisture and heat.

Seafood Corn Chowder 3

It’s heaven in a bowl, really.

READ THE FULL STORY & GET THE RECIPE ON THE KITCHENAID BLOG HERE

Homemade Fruit Leather with KitchenAid

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I love Spring because it’s the perfect excuse to eat more fresh fruits and veggies and eat lighter now that the sun is out and all the gorgeous fresh produce is beaming at the farmers markets.

KitchenAid Torrent Blender

I recently was challenged to make some Homemade Fruit Leather with KitchenAid’s new Torrent Blender and quickly accepted the task at hand!

Melissa's Produce

Melissa’s Produce sent me some gorgeous fruits and veggies and herbs, and I decided to make some fun twists and flavor combinations with them.

Homemade Fruit Leather

I made two flavors of the Fruit Leather: Strawberry-Jalapeño Lime, and Blackberry Vanilla Thyme. So easy, so healthy and totally delicious!

Check out how I made it and get my recipe on the KitchenAid blog here!!

Superfoods Recipes for a Healthy New Year

Once the holidays are over, it’s time for a break from all the super rich food and cocktails and detox with some healthy recipes made with some of my favorite superfoods for a fresh start to a healthy New Year!

What’s all the fuss over superfoods about? They help step up your immunity, boost energy, slow down aging, lift your spirits, improve circulation, detox, improve sleep, and they have healing benefits too. And they just make you feel better and healthier all around. Colorful fruits and vegetables possess tons of vitamins and minerals – start ‘eating the rainbow’, and you’re off to a healthy start, and you can complement it with supplements as thai kratom.

Veggie Bean Soup

The best way to get your fix of Superfoods is to make a big pot of veggie soup in the middle of winter, not only for it’s warming properties, but also because soup gives a big dose of healthy vegetables that boost the immune system, as well as detox and cleanse the body with its healthy ingredients, antibacterial properties, vitamins and minerals, also people use different kind of supplements to burn fat and be healthy just visit site and find out the best ones.

Simmer Soup KitchenAid Stockpot

I’ve created a super healthy soup recipe that I made with my KitchenAid 11-cup Food Processor, that is so convenient to chop, grate and shred all those lovely veggies. Then I just threw them all in my KitchenAid 8-Quart Stainless Steel Stockpot (part of the Stainless Steel 8-piece set that I just got!) to make a delicious and heartwarming Vegetable and Bean Soup. The Stockpot is great because it heats up fast on the stovetop to sauté all the veggies and seasonings and it has etched measurement markings inside the pot that make it easy to measure all the liquids for the soup.

Soup_Ingredients

My soup is full of onions, garlic and chicken stock, which all help build the immunity system and keep the colds away. It also has tons of fresh veggies including zucchini, kale, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and northern white beans topped with grated Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil and some crusty whole wheat bread for dipping.

Kiwi Apple Berry Blast Smoothie

The New Year is also a great time to cleanse and detox by eating lots of healthy Superfood fruits! I love all berries that are full of antioxidants, with plenty of vitamins for a super boost in the morning.

Smoothie_Ingredients

I’ve created a delicious Kiwi Apple Berry Blast Smoothie recipe made with kiwi, apples, vanilla greek yogurt, almond milk, blueberries, acai berry puree, honey, lemon zest, flax seed and raw almonds.

Fruit and Almonds KitchenAid Diamond Blender

I simply threw all the ingredients into my powerhouse KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender with 5 different settings that does all the stirring, mixing, blending, pureeing and heavy lifting for me.And the smoothie is a healthy breakfast or snack, giving a big boost of protein and energy from the yogurt, almond milk, flax seeds and almonds; antioxidants from the berries and honey; and betacarotene, vitamin E and C from the kiwi fruit and lemon zest.

Click here to read the full post on the Kitchenthusiast blog by KitchenAid for more photos and recipes!

A Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Side: Fall Harvest Galette w/ Maple Sweet Potatoes, Caramelized Onions, Bacon & Gruyere

FallGalette1

#Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year, simply because it’s a time to spend with friends and family and a great excuse to gather around the table and celebrate our blessings with some delicious bountiful food!

Whenever I go home to cook with my family, my mom takes care of the turkey and dressing, my sister makes a dessert, and I am in charge of making all the delicious side dishes. We normally make the usual green bean or broccoli casserole, squash, Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes, and have enough food to feed the entire neighborhood!

KA-Mixer

I recently got a gorgeous new KitchenAid® Artisan® Series Stand Mixer and decided I wanted to use it to make a non-traditional Thanksgiving side dish this year. The Stand Mixer comes in 30 vibrant colors (I got Grape – my favorite) and makes cooking for the holidays so much easier, especially when it comes to making pie, tart dough and sauces. It comes fitted with a ceramic flat beater, dough hook and a wire whisk, has 10 speeds, and also has a plastic one-piece pouring shield to help keep ingredients in place when you’re mixing. And I also got the new KitchenAid® Ceramic Bowl in white to replace the metal one, which is a great accompaniment. The KitchenAid® Stand Mixer also has plenty of cool attachments that are available including food grinders, ice cream and pasta makers, juicers and more!

Fall_Galette

Using my new #KitchenAid® Artisan Stand Mixer, I decided to make a beautiful Fall Harvest Galette, with roasted maple sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, crispy bacon, sage and Gruyere cheese. The pastry dough was made in my Stand Mixer in less than 10 minutes and came out perfectly. The galette has the delicious warm flavors of fall and it’s a lovely addition to the Thanksgiving table as a colorful, healthy side dish that will blow that green bean casserole away.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL POST WITH THE RECIPE AND MORE PHOTOS ON THE KITCHENAID BLOG!

Savory Herb and Cheese Scone Calzones with Sausage, Veggies & Cheese on the KitchenAid blog!

KA_Blog_SconeCalzone

 

Baked calzones are one of my favorite Italian dishes to make when I want an alternative to pizza or pasta. Calzones are savory turnovers filled with meat, veggies and cheese, baked into little pockets of tasty goodness, served with a side of fresh tomato sauce for dipping.

For a recent KitchenAid recipe challenge for the Kitchenthusiast blog, I made some delicious Savory Veggie and Cheese Scones Filled with More Cheese & Meat – stuffed, baked calzones, but made with an herb and cheese scone dough that is light and buttery and super tasty.

They are filled with tons of fresh veggies: tricolor peppers, onions, garlic and spinach with a little spicy Italian sausage and more cheese inside.

 

KitchenAid Food ProcessorI made the scone dough with my new KitchenAid 11-cup Food Processor that I absolutely love – it does everything from making the dough, to chopping the veggies to shredding the cheese and making the homemade fresh tomato marinara sauce!

 

Check out the blog post and get the recipe and more photos here!

 

Scone Calzones

 

Scone Calzones

King Crab BLT’s + a Gorgeous New Candy Red Toaster | KitchenAid Blog

Crown the BLT for KitchenAid
Crown the BLT for KitchenAid

There’s nothing I love to eat more in the summer than some fresh seafood to enjoy with friends for a backyard BBQ, picnic or beach party. Everyone loves Lobster Rolls, but they can get a little pricey, and take a lot of work to make enough for a crowd. If you’re in the mood for seafood, Alaskan King Crab BLT sandwiches are a fresh, healthy and less expensive alternative, and a fun addition to your next outdoor BBQ party or picnic. And, they’re a breeze to make with the help of the new KitchenAid Pro Line® Series 4-Slice Automatic Toaster.

KitchenAid Toaster
KitchenAid Toaster

This gorgeous candy apple red beauty is a new product in the KitchenAid’s Pro Line® Series engineered and designed for culinary pros (and is no ordinary toaster at that!) It’s not only a beautiful addition to your kitchen appliance collection, but also smart as a whip with plenty of options to make the perfect piece of toast in a snap. And it even comes in three sleek colors to choose from: black, white or red. Isn’t it pretty?

King Crab BLT
King Crab BLT

These delicious Crab BLT’s are made with fresh lump Alaskan King crab meat (you can find it in your local grocery market in the seafood section or buy it fresh from a seafood market). They have tons of flavor from all the fresh veggies and herbs inside: minced red bell peppers, jalapenos, fresh cilantro, scallions and chives. For some extra kick, I add a dash of spicy Sriracha (hot chile pepper sauce), a little bit of mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice and capers, and a few breadcrumbs to bind them all together. Simply make the crab cakes by patting them into medium size patties, then coat them in some Japanese Panko breadcrumbs and lightly fry them to perfection in some oil and drain. Rest the crab cakes on a gorgeous bed of lettuce and juicy tomatoes, garnished with crispy bacon and a light and refreshing coleslaw for crunch. The crowning touch is a homemade Sesame-Sriracha Mayo on a beautifully toasted  (or grilled) sesame hard roll. Let the fun begin!

CLICK HERE TO GET THE RECIPE & LEARN MORE ON THE KITCHENAID BLOG

 

The Perfect Beach Bash + An Amazing Shrimp & Veggie Salad w/ Lemon-Herb Dressing

TableHeroShot_Crop

Summer is here and it’s absolutely my favorite time of the year! The sun is shining, the trees are in bloom, and everyone is outside enjoying the weather making it prime time for entertaining family and friends with barbecue and cocktails by the beach, lake or even in the backyard by the pool. I’ve put together some party planning and decorating tips for the perfect summer outdoor beach party, along with some menu ideas featuring lots of fresh seafood, finger foods, and refreshing fruits and veggies.

ShrimpPastaSalad-RecipeShot

One of my favorite recipes to make for a summer outdoor beach party is a Shrimp and Veggie Pasta Salad with Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette. It has a light, lemony herb dressing with fresh basil and tarragon, lots of veggies including cucumbers, celery, roasted red peppers, grilled corn and scallions for some extra crunch, and fresh sautéed savory shrimp. It goes perfectly with grilled chicken, burgers, skewers and fresh fruit like watermelon, pineapple and mango.

Standalone_1175X1290

I made this amazing summer salad using my KitchenAid® 3-Speed Hand Blender – check out the full post on KitchenEnthusiast.com for the full recipe and all my fun tips on creating the Perfect Beach Bash this Summer!

CLICK HERE FOR PARTY PLANNING TIPS AND THE FULL RECIPE! http://blog.kitchenaid.com/tips-perfect-beach-party-recipe/

Spring is here! Spring Canapes & Cocktails Party with KitchenAid

Spring Canapes & Cocktails!
Spring Canapes & Cocktails!

Spring is here, and there’s nothing better than gathering a few friends together for a casual get together with some canapés and cocktails featuring the fresh produce of the season. Fava Beans, Baby Garden Peas and Strawberries are a few of my favorites that start popping up in April and May with the first bloom of Spring.

I love to use my KitchenAid® 13-Cup Food Processor for making quick and tasty dips and spreads – I simply toss all the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor and give it a few whirls to make easy canapés and appetizers for sharing with friends.

An easy, fun idea is to serve crostini with a spread made of baby garden peas and fava beans, mixed with roasted garlic, mint, greek yogurt, feta cheese, lemon zest and olive oil. The flavors are bright, and it’s a light and healthy appetizer, perfect for spreading on toast and serving with fresh veggies for dipping. I love to serve them with some light Spring cocktails made with vodka, lemonade, fresh strawberries, mint and soda – perfect complement for the bite sized crostini! You can also make crostini with different veggies such as roasted red pepper, artichokes, avocado, olives – whatever you’re in the mood for!

The Pink Confetti product line over at Paper Eskimo makes a wonderful addition to any Spring Party! You can view the entire Pink Confetti Product line by visiting: https://www.papereskimo.com/product-category/shop-by-color/marshmallow-pink/.

Check out my post on KitchenAid’s Kitchenthusiast Blog for recipes, party ideas and how-to’s to get your Spring party started!

Spring Ingredients
Spring Ingredients
Minted-Pea-&-Fava-Bean-Crostini
Minted Pea & Fava Bean Crostini
Strawberry Mint Vodka Lemonade Cocktails
Strawberry Mint Vodka Lemonade Cocktails

Sunset Wine & Dine KitchenAid Cook for the Cure Event in Support of Susan G. Coman

Sunset Wine & Dine Rooftop Event

Hey folks! We’re throwing a big rooftop party for a good cause!

*UNFORTUNATELY WE NEED TO CANCEL TONIGHT’S EVENT DUE TO WEATHER, AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING A NEW EVENT DATE FOR THIS – WILL BE ANOTHER EVENING IN EARLY AUGUST! STAY TUNED FOR THE NEW DATE ANNOUNCEMENT OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS! 

miditto + the artful gourmet present:

Sunset Wine & Dine KitchenAid Cook for the Cure Event in Support of Susan G. Coman Foundation for Breast Cancer Research

http://www.kitchenaid.com/rest/a_thousand_cooks.cmd

 

Event Details: 

Thursday, July 26th 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Limited to 40 people only – tickets $30 per person

Private rooftop with panoramic city views (The Monterey Rooftop on E. 96th St)

Wine provided by miditto wine clique, business member Pierre Loti Wine Bar and Restaurants

Food created by The Artful Gourmet (stuffed mushrooms, caprese cocktails, mini skewers and more!) – that’s ME!

 

We’re championing the health benefits of good life, good people, good food and wine.

Join us in our efforts to raise a toast AND exceed our fundraising goal of $500

 

This is how you can help the cause, while you are enjoying the fiesta!

1. Tip the Tip.  Ayza Wine Director, Lea Williams, will be present to answer questions about wine and food pairings.  All we ask is that you “Tip the Tip” jar, which will ALL be donated to the KitchenAid Cook for the Cure Charity.

2. Tip and Be Merry.  For every glass you drink, we ask you to consider tipping the Tip Jar.  ALL funds will be donated to the KitchenAid Cook for the Cure Charity.

 

Everyone who tips and attends will be eligible to win a special gift from miditto business member sponsors:

Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar – Worth $100+

Pierre Loti Wine Bar and Restaurants and Bar Chevere – a case of wine!

 

Space is limited to 40 people. Support the cause and purchase your tickets.

RSVP by 7/25 at http://sunsetwinedine.eventbrite.com/

Join the Conversation on our Event Facebook Page!

Whipping Up Some Goodness w/ KitchenAid: Mixed Olive Tapenade & Parsley Toasted Nut Pesto

Parsley Pesto and Olive Tapenade
Parsley Pesto and Olive Tapenade

There’s something exciting about getting a new, shiny toy that makes you feel like a kid again. There’s something even more exciting about making something super delicious with that new toy and sharing it with the world. In this case, it’s my new KitchenAid 13-cup Food Processor – a powerhouse culinary machine that demystifies and simplifies big, scary food processors into a joyful thing, and makes slicing, dicing and pureeing the easiest thing ever. Not to say that all my knife skills I learned in culinary school have gone to waste, but this certainly makes my life easier, especially when I have a lot of ingredients to prepare and want perfectly blended, sliced and diced food in an instant.That “something super delicious” I decided to make is some dee-lish Mediterranean-inspired recipes – a Mixed Olive Tapenade and a Parsley & Pistachio-Walnut-Cashew Pesto, which turned out pretty impressive, if I must say so myself.

KitchenAid 13-Cup
KitchenAid 13-Cup

The machine comes with two different metal chopping blades (1 multi-purpose and 1 mini-blade with a bowl insert), a dough blade and a shredding disc and a slicing disc. I used the multi-purpose blade to chop the herbs and olives, and then slowly streamed in the liquids to the dry spices and herb ingredients to whip up some delicious goodness. This machine is so awesome that you can really just throw all the ingredients in the mixing bowl all at once, and the best part about it is that you can adjust the thinness and thickness of your slices (for slicing veggies) with one slide of a button on the front so you don’t have to keep changing the blades every time you need a different-sized slice. (Which also means less cleanup time for  me – bonus!). It also has a 3-in-1 Ultra Wide mouth feed so you can fit sliced or whole ingredients through it depending on what you’re making.

I hope you’ll enjoy these delicious dip recipes I’ve created – serve them with some cut up fresh veggies, crackers, pita bread, crostini or whatever you feel like using to dip into them with. The pesto is also delicious as a pasta sauce or as a topping for grilled or baked fish and chicken, or as a garnish on minestrone or vegetable soups. You can substitute basil for the parsley and pine nuts for the mixed toasted nuts in the recipe below for a traditional Basil Pesto, or try using Artichokes and Walnuts, Peppers and Cashews…get creative! And if you haven’t tried making your own tapenade and pestos at home, you’ll love how easy they are to make with this fun, easy machine (and you’ll never buy store-bought stuff again!) Oh, and stay tuned for my next recipe for Baked Falafel with Roasted Garlic Lemon Hummus and Tahini Salad! The possibilities are endless with this cool toy – my new best friend.

Mixed Olive Tapenade
Mixed Olive Tapenade

Mixed Olive Tapenade

½ c Kalamata olives
2/3 c oil-cured black Italian olives, pitted
2 tsp capers, drained
3 scallions, trimmed and chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
¼ c extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
1/3 c flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper (more or less to taste)

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor with a metal fitting blade and puree into a medium-fine paste. Mix the ingredients in the bowl with a spatula and sprinkle some fresh black pepper in and puree on low for another minute or so.

Pureed Olive Ingredients

Scoop out the olive tapenade into a serving bowl and garnish with additional chopped parsley. Serve with crackers, breadsticks, veggies for dipping or spread the tapenade on toasted Italian bread (1/2 inch slices) for crostini.

Makes about 2 cups.

Parsley & Toasted Nut Pesto
Parsley & Toasted Nut Pesto

Parsley & Toasted Nut Pesto

1 c pistachios, walnuts and cashews, toasted
2 c flat-leaf Italian parsley (leaves only, no stems)
3/4 c Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 garlic cloves
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus 2 tsp grated lemon zest

Heat a medium saute pan over medium-low heat. Toast the nuts in the pan until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. (You can also toast them in a 350 degree oven on a baking sheet for about 5-10 mins).

Parsley & Toasted Nuts Pesto Ingredients

Place parsley, toasted nuts, cheese, garlic and salt in the food processor bowl with a metal blade fitting, and pulse into a medium-fine texture.

In a small mixing bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice and zest and combine.

Pureed Parsley & Mixed Nuts

Slowly steam in the oil and lemon mixture to the parsley and nut mixture through the top opening of the food processor, pulsing every few seconds to combine ingredients.

Serve over pasta, as a dip with crackers or breadsticks, or as a garnish to vegetable or cream-based soups.

Makes about 2 cups.

KitchenAid 13-Cup Food Processor

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