Friday, July 22, 2011

KitchenAid Slicer Shredder Attachment


For me one of the biggest reasons I don’t eat enough vegetables is because of the time it takes to prepare the vegetables. Between washing, slicing and actually making something with the vegetables I lose motivation and forget about them and they end up rotting in my fridge. I buy vegetables from the grocery store with all kinds of good intentions, promising myself that this time I’ll remember to and actually make a big salad for dinner. But when dinner rolls around I am often too hungry and impatient to think through making a salad. I don’t like how much time it takes to wash and slice the individual vegetables and grate the carrots . . . I don’t have a good track record cutting carrots, bad things happen and I end up in stitches.


A Cool Tool
For those who struggle in their quest to eat vegetables before they go bad the KitchenAid Slicer Shredder Attachment might be exactly what they need to get vegetables out of the fridge and onto the dinner table because it speeds up the preparation process. This is a great tool for vegans, vegetarians, raw foodists and those with celiac disease who spend lots of time rinsing, and cutting produce for their meals.
This attachment can slice a cucumber in a fraction of the time it would take to slice it by hand. Also, slicing carrots is not nearly so dangerous, provided you use the food pusher and not your fingers, or other items, to push food through the rotary and always make sure to unplug the mixer before you attach, assemble, or disassemble the attachment from the mixer.

What It Can Do
KitchenAid recommends firm fruits and vegetables such as: apples, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, potatoes and zucchini. You can also grate or slice firm cheeses that have been thoroughly chilled or slightly frozen. Use this slicer shredder attachment to make coleslaw, sauerkraut, hash browns, or potato chips. Also try grating coconut, chocolate, walnuts, pecans, and dried bread for bread crumbs.

Firm Fruits and Vegetables
  • Cucumbers
  • Carrots
  • Radishes
  • Cabbage—coleslaw, sauerkraut
  • Zucchini 
  • Potatoes—hash browns, potato chips
Garnishes
  • Chocolate
  • Nuts 
    • Walnuts 
    • Pecans 
    • Coconut 
Other 
  • Hard Cheese—thoroughly chilled or slightly frozen
  •  Dry bread—Bread Crumbs

The rotor slicer shredder attachment comes with four cones: a fine and coarse shredder cone, and a thin and thick slicer cone. Now the biggest problem will be deciding whether to shred or slice the carrots.

Your Thoughts
  • Does anyone have this attachment and how do you like it?
  • What have you done to make produce preparation faster? 

Friday, July 15, 2011

KitchenAid Grain Mill Attachment

Grain Mill Attachment
Milling flour at home is a great way to save money and it’s healthier than bleached flour from the grocery store because the wheat bran and germ have not been removed which is a natural fiber and contains several vitamins and minerals including vitamin b and iron.

For those with celiac disease a grain mill is a great advantage because it gives them control to make their own gluten free flour using their choice of alternative grains. Plus they know it hasn’t been contaminated because they milled the flour themselves.

The KitchenAid grain mill attachment is a great tool because it doesn’t require manual labor to make it work leaving both hands free to refill the hopper with more grain while the mill is running. Also, the grind on the grain mill attachment can be adjusted from fine to coarse. So if you need baking flour or you want cracked wheat for breakfast you have the choice.

  • Have you ever made anything with fresh milled flour?
  • What was it and how did you like it?
  • Have you ever made flour using an alternative grain?
  • What kind of grain did you use, what did you make and how did it turn out?