In the kitchen with Art 'Chat Daddy' Sims

This segment is produced with and sponsored by Alessi & Brookhaven Marketplace.

In our "In the Kitchen" segment we are sending our cooks out to shop - to create a dish that they love!

Today's "In the Kitchen" cook is Media Personality and Social Influencer Art "Chat Daddy" sims!

We followed Art as he shopped at the Brookhaven Marketplace in Burr Ridge to see what ingredients he wanted to use for some light spring dishes.

Visit the Alessi website for all their products.

Check out the Brookhaven Marketplace in Burr Ridge, Mokena and Darien - find out more on their website.

Alessi and Brookhaven Marketplace have a surprise for our viewing audience. Until 2 a.m. tomorrow, click here to enter the WCL Grocery Instant Win contest for your chance at winning one of these great prizes:

$50 gift certificate to Brookhaven Marketplace

$90 Alessi gift box

And you can opt in for a free Alessi Avocado Toast Seasoning Grinder!

Art's recipes:

Avocado Toast with Egg and baby arugula greens

Avocado toast three ways - fried, scrambled, and poached. It's a simple healthy protein-packed breakfast, snack, or even light meal!

avocado seeded and peeled

One or two slices of whole-grain bread or bread of choice

One or two fresh eggs

Alessi Sea salt to taste

Alessi Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

A had full of baby arugula or your favorite greens of choice

The first step is to toast the bread in a toaster until golden and crispy, place the quarter avocado over the toast, slice it and mash it on top of the toast.

*Make sure you have bread sturdy enough to handle the mashing, or you can all use pre-made store-bought or homemade Guacamole for easier spreading.

While the bread is toasting, you can prepare your egg of choice.

For fried eggs: Heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Break the egg onto the skillet and immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered until whites are completely set, and yolks are thickened to your liking, about 5-7 minutes.

For scrambled eggs: Heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl, then carefully pour into the center of the pan. When the edges start to set, begin to gently fold the eggs until they are cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.

For boiled eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan. Pour cool water over the eggs until fully submerged. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook according to the desired doneness: 4 minutes for SOFT boiled; 6 minutes for MEDIUM boiled; 12 minutes for HARD boiled. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Transfer the cooked eggs to the ice water to cool completely before peeling.

Once toast is dressed with your avocado spread, you can top it with your baby arugula greens, then place your egg on top of the greens. Finish your toast off with Alessi Avocado Toast Seasoning.

Avocado: Avocados are filled with healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and are a great addition to a well-balanced diet.

Bread: You can use any bread you like for these recipes. I like to use whole grain to get some more goodness in.

Marinated onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes over mixed Baby spinach and arugula salad

1 cup water

1/2 cup Alessi red vinegar

1/4 cup Alessi Olive oil

1/4 cup sugar

One teaspoon Alessi coarsely ground sea salt

1/2 teaspoon Alessi coarsely ground black pepper

Two cucumbers, peeled & sliced

Three tomatoes, cut in wedges

One red onion, diced or rings

1 packaged of baby spinach and arugula salad mix

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint (optional) for extra added pop!

In a large bowl, whisk together water, vinegar, Olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper.

Add cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion and stir to coat.

Refrigerate for at At least 2 hours.

Will keep for 3 to 5 days.

Cooking instructions:

Add to a plate or bowl a hand full of baby spinach, arugula or any other salad greens of choice.

Once ready to serve, spoon tomatoes cucumbers and onions over a bed of baby spinach and arugula greens. Use liquid mixture/reduction as your salad dressing.

This salad can be finished with some Alessi Avocado Toast seasoning, its great on salads too.

This Cheesy Veggie Rigatoni Skillet is a fast comfort meal when you need dinner on the table fast!

(Feeds 4)

2 Tbsp Alessi extra virgin olive oil

One onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

24 oz Alessi Chunky Marinara sauce

1/4 lb fresh spinach

16 oz of Alessi rigatoni

8 oz whole milk ricotta

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Salt and Pepper to taste

For garnish:

Add some chopped Alessi sun-dried tomatoes and one bunch of chopped fresh basil

Cooking instructions:

Bring a large pot of water( 6 quarts of water) to a boil for the rigatoni. Once boiling, add salt to taste (seawater salty is best to add flavor to your pasta), then add the pasta, and continue to boil until the rigatoni is al dente according to package directions.

Drain in a colander and set aside until needed.

While pasta cooks, Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and minced garlic, sauté for about one minute or just until the garlic becomes fragrant.

Add the sliced mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper, and continue to sauté until the mushrooms have released all their moisture and begin to brown on the edges (about 5-7 minutes).

Add the chunky style marinara sauce to the skillet. Stir the sauce as it heats, be careful not to overheat the sauce.

Once the sauce is heated through, add the spinach, and continue to stir and cook until the spinach has wilted (about 5 minutes more).

Then add your cooked rigatoni into the skillet with the sauce and vegetables and allow everything to heat through.

In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, and salt and pepper pinch.

Add the ricotta mixture to the skillet, in dollops over the surface. Gently fold the ricotta into the pasta, leaving it only about half mixed, so there are still pockets of ricotta within the sauce and pasta.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the pasta, place a lid on the skillet, and let it heat over medium-low until the cheese is melted. If you want the cheese to brown a bit, place it under your oven's broiler (without a lid) and watch closely until it develops a few browned spots.

Top with chopped sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil leaves, sprinkle with a little more Parmesan don't forget to Add Alessi breadsticks.

Server hot and enjoy.