My Guacamole

Everyone has their own idea of what guacamole looks and tastes like. I personally prefer the smooth kind as opposed to the chunky. Avocados are one of the exceptions to our "no produce from farther than California, if possible" rule. We exercise this exception almost weekly because we enjoy avocados and guacamole with taco/fajita suppers, burgers, and wraps or even just with some tortilla chips or triscuits.

I don't actually measure the ingredients because it really depends on the avocado. You want to find or wait until an avocado is slightly soft. Avocados that are hard enough to kill someone won't get you very far. If the avocado is really soft, it will have dark spots throughout the meat/flesh. Those aren't so good. This is how I make my guacamole...

1 ripe avocado
pinch of salt
diced onion, optional
green salsa, like Herdes
lime juice, approx 1/2 a lime

Remove the avocado from the skin and mash until no lumps remain. Add onion and enough green salsa and lime juice to give the consistency you like. Season with salt to your liking.

Most of the time, I don't feel like chopping onion, so I don't add it. Fresh lime juice gives a better taste, but bottled lime juice works just fine. If you have leftover and want to keep it, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, but make sure to press the wrap against the guacamole to remove any air. In case you didn't already know, avocado turns black when exposed to air for a while. The lime juice helps to extend the length of time it takes to turn black.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Lisa

Super Fudgy Brownies

I was a little reluctant to try these because they can be classified as vegan/vegetarian. My friend Melanie passed along this recipe, and it is too good not to share. This is a classic case of "don't knock it until you try it".
Here we go!

1 1/4 cups white flour
2 tbsp arrowroot flour
1 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar (raw, cane, white)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup date or prune puree*
2 tbsp water
2 tsp vanilla
nuts optional
* to make the puree, cover 1 cup of the fruit with water in a pot. Boil until fruit is soft and most of the water is gone. Process in a food processor until smooth.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Sift the flours, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Mix in the sugars. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients and the puree. Add the wet to the dry and mix until combined. The batter will look dry, but that is okay! Press the batter into a greased square baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

I will repeat. These are delicious! I've only made these with honey and dates. If I didn't know these were considered vegan/vegetarian, I wouldn't have guessed. The picture in this post is courtesy of Melanie. Mine don't seem to last long enough to get a picture!

I hope you try these and enjoy them! They won't last long :)

Lisa

Welcome!

I thought I'd welcome you to my new blog!  I decided to create this blog because a very close friend thought I should share my culinary adventures with the world. I hope that someone out there reads my blog and learns something new or finds a recipe they like. As I learn new things, I'll be writing about it here to share with you. I hope you enjoy!