3 posts tagged “avocado”

If you've been reading my blog for the past year (since the start), you might remember me doing birthday posts for each of my three sisters. A flour-less chocolate cake for Becky (3rd), vanilla cupcakes with Valrhona buttercream for Jenny (4th) and a crock pot cake for Maria (1st). As you may have deduced, I'm the second child and you might even start to question my father's sanity. My poor father. Even our dog is a girl. Imagine the chances of that happening.

Well this year I've decided to dedicate a savory dish. This one is for Becky whose birthday is today. Happy birthday dear! Growing up, she was quite an astute and sensitive child declaring herself a vegetarian at the ripe old age of eight. Eight! My mother continued to cook the way she always had and after a while Becks caved in to the omnivore's diet. One must eat more than just a bowl of white rice for dinner. Even though the bout of vegetarianism was short-lived, she certainly has retained her empathy for animals and consequently will be starting her first year at vet school this fall. Congratulations Becky and damn you for taking all the smart, studious genes of the family! :)

When I was brainstorming a dish to dedicate, something vegetarian was obvious. I wanted to make her a salad that she would love. I picked up a trio of beets at the FM: Golden, Chioggia and your basic red beets. I roasted the beets until tender and dressed them in a dressing flavored with buckwheat honey. I also shelled some snap peas for extra sweetness and crunch. Creamy, sliced Zutano avocados also graced this salad and if you guys can find these, get as many as you can. Zutano avocados have the silkiest, creamiest texture. For a salty contrast, I crumbled a lovely Bulgarian feta and spooned a bit of olive tapenade on the side. I garnished with chopped parsley.

Happy birthday, Becks! No animals were harmed in the making of this dish. Aren't you proud of me?

Slices of seared black sesame encrusted ahi served atop dollops of avocado mousse make a perfect appetizer for any dinner party. Plus everything can be made beforehand so this dish gets extra time saver points.

The mousse is simply made with three ingredients: avocados, heavy cream and lemon juice. Give it all a whirl in the food processor but be sure to add the cream slowly with the processor on. Mixing fat and fat can be a bit disastrous otherwise. Next season with salt, cover and store in the fridge until it's time. For the ahi, heat a pan to medium high. Drizzle the ahi with olive oil and give it a rub to coat both sides. Sprinkle sesame seeds, salt and a generous amount of black pepper on both sides. The olive oil should help everything stick on nicely. All it needs now is about a minute on each side to get a nice sear and to leave the middle beautifully rare. Set it aside and have yourself a glass of wine for all that hard work. :)

Once your guests begin to arrive, use a very sharp knife to cut your ahi steak into thin slices. Plating is easy as pie. One dollop of avocado mousse onto your tray/plate. I like to do the dollop and then smear it with the back of the spoon for a little flair. Place the slice of ahi on top and drizzle with grapefruit oil, lemon zest and fleur de sel.

Avocado is no stranger to the sweet side of the culinary world. I've seen this fruit popping up in ice creams and mousses lending its silky smooth consistency (think back to Top Chef's ice cream challenge). They, like bacon, make everything just a bit more special! Tacos, chips, sandwiches and (drum roll, please) now smoothies.
These breakfast smoothies were inspired by the urgency of quickly ripening fruit, but turned out to be quite a lovely surprise.  Creamy avocados, sweetly acidic blood oranges and fresh blueberries all brought together with a splash of soy milk. Perfect wake up call with a slight twist. Enjoy.