Smoky Bloody Maria Salsa With Mezcal AND Smoked Guacamole

The old smoker has been putting in some overtime! A little get together on Sunday with friends who love to cook (and eat!) had my trusty old smoker chugging away with a few delights - brisket and 2 kinds of salmon, for starters. The smoker also contained some, perhaps, unexpected items. Like avocados. 

Just this last week I saw a comment somewhere about smoking avocados and a lightbulb went off...BING! Smoked guacamole! Would it work? I gave it a try. 

At the same time, a Facebook cooking group I'm part of was discussing a BBQ competition one of our members (Matt the Butcher...yes, he is a butcher) is judging. The twist of being a judge for this event is that each judge was asked to bring a salsa TO BE JUDGED. The judges being judged...nice twist, eh? 

One thing led to another and eventually the idea of smoking the salsa veggies emerged, which led to emphasizing the smoke with mezcal instead of tequila and (somehow) the idea of a Smoked Bloody Maria Salsa was proposed. I HAD to try it. 

The results? Wow! Both the salsa AND the guac rocked. And they went onto the menu for the dinner party. The unexpected  smoky flavors in two traditional dips were a hit! The guac even tasted like it had bacon hidden somewhere in the ingredients...and it was totally veggie.

Just in case you've got a yen for the unexpected, here are the recipes to surprise your own guests. And good luck, Matt the Butcher...you've GOT this!

Smoked Bloody Maria Salsa With Mezcal

• 4 large Roma tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut in half
• 1 large jalapeno, cut in half - don't remove the seeds or ribs if you like your salsa hot

Heat up your smoker and use a combo of pecan and hickory chips. Smoke the veggies at least an hour or until soft. Remove and let cool.

Add the smoked veggies to your food processor, then add:

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• a bit of kosher salt
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T horseradish
• the juice of 1 or 2 limes - depends on how juicy your limes are, taste and adjust to your own tast
• 1-2 T mezcal
• 1/4 C or so of chopped cilantro - again, to your own taste

Buzz everything in the food processor until salsa consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with tortilla chips.

Smoked Guacamole

• 3 avocados, cut in half lengthwise, pits removed - throw the halves into the smoker, cut side down, while the veggies for the salsa are smoking - cool
• 1/4 of a medium onion, finely minced
• 1 medium garlic clove, finely miniced
• 2 T or so (adjust to your own level of heat) finely minced red jalapeno (the red is just for the color, use green if that's all you have or can find)
• the juice of a lime - or more according to your own taste
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 - 2 T cilantro, chopped

Scoop out the cooled avocado flesh and put into a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mash well with a fork. The mixture will be extra creamy because the avocados are cooked, so don't expect a chunky guac. YUM! Serve with tortilla chips or use in a wrap or any other way you can imagine.

Hickory Smoked Brisket, Slaw & Avocado Spring Rolls - TexAsian Style

You all know I've been putting the new smoker through its paces since I fired that baby up for the first time. Proteins of all ilk have done a turn through various wood smokes - orange wood chips, maple chips, hickory and even peach chips have flavored the bounty my smoker has seen. Veggies - corn, red peppers, potatoes, onions -  and even eggs have soaked up delicious smelling smoke in my backyard lately. That's a good thing. 

The downside is that there ends up being a whole LOT of smoked meat leftover even after sharing with relatives, friends and neighbors (and maybe even random strangers who happen to wander by the house on occasion). Even after sharing with nearly everyone I can think of, there's still a hefty portion to use up. 

Sandwiches were made with orange smoked chicken - both hot and cold. My mojo smoked turkey turned into hash. With hickory and maple smoked brisket there were quesadillas and nachos to create, smoked eggs became chipotle kissed deviled eggs and smoked corn was cut from the cob, sauteed in butter with chile powder and sweet red peppers, then finally graced with a generous shredding of cheddar that melted into gooey goodness. 

We've all done most of the above, haven't we? New horizons for precious surplus smoky meats needed to be conquered. What new smoky deliciousness could delight both taste buds and a sense of adventure? How about an Asian spring roll with a Texas twist? And so, the hickory smoked brisket spring roll with pickled slaw, red pepper, purple onion, avocado and cilantro with a sweet tart orange and tamari dipping sauce was born.   

Hickory Smoked Brisket, Slaw & Avocado Spring Rolls - TexAsian Style

• 12 rice paper spring roll wrappers 
• 12 slices hickory smoked beef brisket (Don't have home smoked brisket? Buy some at the deli!)
• 12 very thin slices raw red bell pepper
• 12 very thin slices raw purple onion
• 12 thin slices avocado
• packaged coleslaw mix
• pickle brine from a jar of your favorite sweet or dill pickles - I used Famous Dave's Spicy Pickles (nice sweet dill pickle with a KICK!) ALWAYS keep your pickle brine when you finish a jar of pickles to make quick pickles. Besides slaw mix, I pickle thinly sliced carrots, red peppers, cucumbers, tiny green beans, thin asparagus spears, onions...just about anything! Don't have pickle brine? Use the brine and keep the pickles in another container and when the slaw is done, put the brine and the reserved pickles right back in the jar!
• fresh cilantro leaves

• 1 C bottled hickory BBQ sauce 
• 1/4 C tamari or soy sauce (I used wheat-free tamari to make this gluten-free)
• 6 T fresh squeezed orange juice

Put 2 C coleslaw mix in a deep narrow bowl and drain the brine from a jar of pickles over top. Press the slaw down into the brine and let it sit while you proceed with the rest of the recipe. Don't throw away the pickles! Just put the brine back into the jar after "pickling" the slaw mix.

Next make the dipping sauce - BBQ sauce, tamari and oj. Set aside.

Now set up an assembly line. Find a shallow dish - a large pie plate or a 9X9 baking dish should work just fine - and fill it halfway with water. This is to soften the rice paper spring roll wrapper. Next line up the brisket and the rest of the filling ingredients for easy assembly. Also dampen a kitchen towel and lay it on your counter between the shallow dish and the rest of the assembly line. 

Starting with a rice paper wrapper, assemble the spring rolls one at a time. 

Take a wrapper and submerge it in the water, turning it until it begins to soften. Gently place it on the dampened towel. Lay the filling in the center of the wrapper starting with a slice of brisket, then red pepper next to the purple onion, the avocado slice on top of that, a pile of brined slaw that has been squeezed dry and 2 cilantro leaves. 

Gently fold the bottom of the wrapper up snugly over the filling, then fold the left side over, the right side next and finally roll the whole package up to the top. You know, just like you're making a burrito.

That's it! It's a keeping-the-kitchen-cool, using-up-the-leftovers appetizer, lunch or dinner that feels like you're dining in one of Pittsburgh's newest and trendiest restaurants. So good!

NOTE: Feel free to use any other veggies you like...spring onions, carrots, fennel, asparagus...let your imagination flow free. Just keep the veggies sliced thinly. Well except for nice thin spears of asparagus. And pickle those suckers, too, in pickle brine!

Texas Eggs In Poblanos

If you really use your imagination...and kind of squint your eyes a bit...do you see the resemblance of a poblano half to the state of (yeeeeehawwwww) Texas? Me too! Do real Texans make eggs this way? I really have no clue, but why not?! It makes a great name for a brunch dish that comes in a Texas-shaped edible container anyway.

Spicy chorizo, smooth and creamy avocado, sharp cheddar, sultry cilantro and some other TexMex regular customers all gathered 'round the kitchen this morning for quite the satisfying brunch. It didn't take a lot of Sunday morning effort, either. In fact, you could cut the peppers, grate the cheese and fry up the chorizo the night before. From there, it's a snap. 

While the eggs are baking, it even gives you lots of time to make a nice pitcher of Bloody Maria's or even a Michelada. I'm sure that's what they'd serve up with Texas eggs in Texas anyway. Saddle up for brunch, pardner!

Texas Eggs in Poblanos

Serves 1

• 1 poblano pepper, (choose a nice big round one instead of a flat one - holds the egg) cut in half lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 2 eggs
• 1 link Mexican chorizo, fried and crumbled
• 1/2 C or so of grated sharp cheddar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 avocado, sliced and dipped in lime juice
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped
• 1 T chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish
• 2 T sweet onion, finely chopped
• salt to taste
• green Tabasco

Set the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the pepper halves into a shallow casserole dish and break an egg into each half. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until the egg is set the way you like it.

While the eggs are baking, make the fresh salsa. Combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro and salt to taste. Add a dash (or MORE) of Green Tabasco (I LOVE this stuff!) and spoon onto a serving plate. 

When the eggs are done, nestle them into the salsa, surround them with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, the cooked chorizo and garnish with more cilantro and lots of green Tabasco or even a little salsa verde.

This presentation is lovely...but right after the pic, I mixed everything up and piled it on top of the peppers. Maybe not as pretty, but easier eating! And that's what counts.

NOTE: Of course you can double, triple, quadruple the recipe to serve as many as you need!

Black Beans And Rice With Chunky Avocado Salsa And Crispy Plantains

Once in a while a basic, staple recipe gets a little gussying up, a little freshening to make it something altogether new...a makeover per se. Beans and rice certainly qualify as one of those basics. 

Cuban beans and rice, Jamaican beans and rice, New Orleans beans and rice...black beans, red beans, pinto beans...white rice, black rice, brown rice...all the classic ingredients in almost infinite combinations still have the same culinary bones. There's a reason the combination is a favorite in so many cultures - actually, there are a couple of reasons. Beans and rice are easy to make, cost smart and a real comfort food. 

What makes today's recipe different from the tried and true versions? Beans and rice are rich with earthy flavors, deep, creamy and smooth. Why not brighten it up with cool cubes of avocado tossed with citrus-y fresh lime, spicy and crunchy jalapeno, colorful sweet cherry tomatoes and just a teensy bit of cilantro for an extra fresh kick to a chunky counterpoint salsa? And what the heck...as long as we're doing a makeover, might as well gild the lily with  a garnish of plantains fried crisp in coconut oil that really takes the redo over the top!

Presentation? A bowl of beautiful black beans, topped with a healthy scoop of brown rice, then a pile of sassy avocado salsa with a couple of crispy sweet and salty, coconut-y golden plantains for good measure. I'm guessing even Clinton and Stacey would approve of this makeover!

Black Beans and Rice 

With Chunky Avocado Salsa and Crispy Plantains

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 large green pepper, seeds removed, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
• 3 cans black beans, drained
• 1 cup chicken stock - a good store bought one is just fine
• 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ t. salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups cooked rice (white, black, red, brown - or whatever cooked rice you have tucked in the back of your fridge) (confession....I used Trader Joe's frozen brown rice - so good, so easy!)

In a large pot, add 2 T. olive oil and heat. Add the chopped onions and green pepper. Saute until soft, add garlic and cook another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the drained black beans and stir into veggies. Cook another 10 minutes to meld flavors.

Add chicken stock, vinegar, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, lower heat immediately. Cover and simmer about half an hour or until it’s not too runny, not too dry. If it’s too runny/soupy, let some of the liquid cook off; if it’s too dry, add more stock. Mash slightly with potato masher to thicken a little. Taste and adjust seasonings.

To serve: Ladle beans into individual bowls, top with a good scoop of  rice and crown with avocado salad and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with fried plantains.

Avocado Salad

• 1 avocado, seeded and cut into ½” cubes
• ½ cup quartered yellow grape tomatoes - I bought the heirloom kind with nearly all the colors of the rainbow!
• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced or pressed 
• 1/2 t. finely minced jalapeno
• 3 T freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ t. salt
• 1 T olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 T finely minced cilantro - or more if you really like cilantro...I do!

Mix lime juice, salt, oil and cilantro well. Set aside. Mix the avocado, tomatoes, garlic and jalapeno well. Pour dressing over, mix and serve.

Fried Plantains

• 2 plantains, cut across into 1 ½” sections
• canola oil

Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Saute plantain sections on each side until browned. Remove from skillet to paper towels. (You can do this earlier in the day.) 

When you’re ready to eat, heat oil in skillet again. Put in each precooked section and smash it down with a spatula to flat disks. Brown and turn over to brown on the other side. Remove to paper towels again and salt immediately. Serve.

Avocado Deviled Eggs with Truffle

Stuck with with a basket of brightly colored hardboiled eggs the Easter bunny left behind? Egg salad on the dinner menu AGAIN?! How does something just a little different, but still familiar, sound to have those eggs eaten up in a hurry? Sort of a deviled-egg-meets-guacamole appetizer with just a little flair is what I have in mind.

What inspired this dish? A lone avocado sitting in the molcajete didn't quite make it into the last batch of guac. No way I was going to let it go to waste when it was just at the "use it or lose it" stage. The soft creaminess of the beautifully ripe avocado kept "egging" me on to try something new.

Hmmmm...that nearly egg-shaped avocado would mash up with hardboiled yolks into an even smoother, creamier filling than normal. And what would go better with avocado  than jalapenos? Nada. 

Hmmmm (again)...the traditional mustard used in deviled eggs might overpower delicate avocado, what else might lend a savory, umami accent? The answer sat right on the kitchen countertop. Truffle salt! Just that easily a new recipe was born. And made. And tasted. And approved!

Not wanting to depend on my opinion alone, the pickled jalapeño-garnished cuties were packed up for an evening with friends at my favorite cocktail establishment (Acacia!) for testing. Eggs were sampled by friends and bar staff both. The result? Smiles and thumbs up all around! Here's the recipe to get the same happy outcome from your very own taste testers!

Avocado Deviled Eggs with Truffle

Serves 6

• 6 eggs, hardboiled, cooled, shells removed, sliced in half lengthwise, yolks removed into small bowl and set aside; egg white halves set aside on a plate
• 1 avocado, nicely soft and ripe
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 jalapeno chile pepper, seeds and veins removed, VERY finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon truffle salt (if you can't find truffle salt, try using smoked salt - see below for where to find truffle salt)
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more if needed for consistency
• pickled jalapenos slices, cut into pieces

In a small bowl, mash reserved hardboiled yolks with a fork until fine. Add avocado and lemon juice and mash again with a fork until the avocado and yolks are well mixed. Add the jalapeno, Tabasco, Worchestershire sauce, truffle salt and mayo. If the mixture is too stiff, add mayo a little at a time until piping consistency.
 
Using a zip top sandwich or quart bag, spoon the mixture into the bag being sure to load it into one corner. When the bag is 3/4 of the way full, squeeze out the air and zip the top securely. Snip off a corner of the bag large enough to pipe the mixture into the center of the egg white easily.

Pipe the egg/avocado mixture evenly into the hollows of the whites. Decorate the tops with small pieces of pickled jalapeno to garnish.

Await your OWN smiles and thumbs ups!

NOTE: Truffle salt (I HIGHLY recommend using it...not just for this recipe, but for fried eggs, popcorn, rice...anything to give your finished dish that extra something special) can be ordered at Gourmet Delights online. I use them regularly!

Chili Dusted Duck Fat Sweet Potato Chips with Avocado Scrambled Eggs

After the craziness of two big nights under the fancy white tents at Savor Pittsburgh and judging all those fantastic dishes, our Sunday morning was a lazy one.  Whew!  What a non-stop few days!  Come this morning, Mark and I need a break - if only for a few quiet hours.

I'd like to say we just kind of lounged around and relaxed, sipped Bloody Marys and noshed on this beautiful brunch dish, but the relaxing occurred AFTER the cooking...then it was really well-deserved!  Had we thought ahead, the crema and chili salt could have been done the night before and would have made this morning's prep much easier.  

Still, it was worth it! Duck fat sweet potato chips dusted with chili salt, crowned with avocado cubes cuddled oh so tenderly into softly scrambled eggs (with a little jalapeno kick!) and drizzled with cilantro lime crema were just the way to chill.  

Sounds strictly like a brunch dish? Ha!  It will make killer leftovers for breakfast tomorrow!  

 

Chili Dusted Duck Fat Sweet Potato Chips 

with Avocado Scrambled Eggs

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

• 4 ounces sour cream, or use Fage Greek yogurt - 0% fat is what I used
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce, the GREEN kind!
• Kosher salt, to taste

• duck fat
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/4 medium jalapeno, cut into 1/2" strips and then across into slivers
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Chili Salt:  Combine and set aside.
 
Crema: Combine and set aside.
 
Chips:  In a medium pot, heat 3" worth of duck fat to 375 degrees.  While the fat is heating (watch carefully!), using a vegetable peeler (I like my nice swivel blade one that's about 3-4" wide), cut thin sliced of the peeled sweet potato and let them sit until the fat is hot enough.  When the fat is at temp, fry the sliced potatoes several at a time - maybe 12 or so - until they nearly stop bubbling.  Remove with a spider or slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.  They won't seem crisp, but will crisp up in seconds once they're out of the oil. Don't let them brown or they will be overdone.  When they're all done, keep them warm in the oven.
 
Eggs:  Melt the butter in a skillet.  In a bowl, scramble the eggs, water, jalapeno and salt with a whisk.  Pour the eggs into the skillet and gently move them with a spoon until they start to set a little.  At that point, add the avocado cubes and continue until the eggs are just how you like them.  I like mine slightly wet and not overcooked.
 
Assembly:  Mound the chips on a serving plate, sprinkle with the chile salt, mound the eggs in the center and drizzle with the crema.  Garnish if you wish.
 
NOTE TO SELF:  Make the chile salt and the crema the night before to make Sunday morning just a little more relaxing.  


By the way...my report on BOTH nights of Savor Pittsburgh is coming up in a day or two.  Stay tuned!

Avocado Firebolt

Sometimes a cocktail recipe seems to roll around in the back of my mind for quite a while before it somehow emerges fully formed. That’s how it happened with this gorgeous pale green little number. 

The idea started months ago in a cocktail class when the instructor dropped the bomb that avocado can give a cocktail the same smooth, velvety mouthfeel that egg gives to a drink.  Now that sounded intriguing. And avocado sounded better than a raw egg! 

Although I was tempted to give a savory cocktail a shot (think cilantro, tomato water, bacon…hmmmm…that might be up next), I knew I wanted to go the sweet route this time.  Avocado is like the chameleon of the produce aisle - it takes on whatever flavor direction you decide to go in. 

  

So what liquor would I use?  My first thought was tequila – again, the first instinct was savory, but I wanted something that would allow the avocado to delicately come through.  Vodka it would be!  How about that 360 Double Chocolate Vodka that I love so well?  Yep, that was the one.  The 360 is the only flavored vodka I use these days….I much prefer to infuse my own spirits!

And so the Firebolt was born.  Lime, avocado, jalapeno, green cardamom…all beautiful green colors and flavors blended into a drink that hits a myriad of notes.  Sweet and heat, smooth and tart, chocolate and spice make for one beautiful, positively delicious cocktail!    

Avocado Firebolt

• 1/8 avocado, nice and ripe
• 1-3 slices jalapeno chile pepper, more or less, depending on how hot you like it! (you know I used 3...maybe more)
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 1/2 ounces vodka, 360 Double Chocolate Vodka!
• 1 ounce simple syrup, green cardamom kind*
• club soda, a splash

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the avocado and jalapeno very well.  Add lime juice, vodka & simple syrup.  Add ice 3/4 of the way up, cap tightly and shake until the tin is frosted and very cold.
 

Using a cocktail strainer, strain the liquid from the tin into the glass of the shaker.  Using a small mesh strainer, strain the liquid again into an ice-filled glass and top with a splash or two of soda.  Garnish and serve!

*Green cardamom simple syrup:  (I buy green cardamom pods at Penzey's in the Strip District.)  In a small pot, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in 1/4 cup green cardamom pods, remove from the heat and let sit until cool.  Strain into a container with a lid.  Add a teaspoon of vodka to help keep the syrup longer.  Store in the fridge. 

P.S. The photo isn't very good so I'll take another tonight when I enjoy another Firebolt.  Sigh...the sacrifices.  :)
   

SoCal Chicken Salad with Avocado & Cilantro

The Farm-to-Table movement is one that’s new to a whole lot of people out there, but there are those of us who were raised that way and for whom it has always been a “thing.” 

I grew up in the city – just barely, mind you.  We lived in Lincoln Place just a couple of houses down from the West Mifflin line.  These days that might not sound like country, but back then, in the quiet of the evening, you could hear cows mooing from across the hills.  And there were train whistles in the distance mingled in with the lowing of the cows that melded into a sleepy nighttime lullaby.

As kids, my dad always bought our veggies and fruits from the back of the farm truck that drove up and down the neighborhood streets – the same farm that produced those beautiful night sounds produced produce!   Besides our local farm delivery, we regularly took Sunday drives into the country visiting farm stands along the way.

We’d all pile into the car - no seatbelts back then – and drive north on Route 19 in whatever car we owned in those days.  I remember our turquoise and white 1969 Chevy Impala with the fins and owl eye tail lights especially…it’s considered “classic” these days.  (Just a thought here…why are old cars considered classic and old broads like me are just old?  From now on I think I'd like to be referred to as a “classic broad.”  I like the sound of that.)  

Anyway, we’d count cows and pigs and horses – whoever saw the most got a whole nickel!  A nickel bought a lot of penny candy!  And we’d stop at the farm markets to stock up on apples, beets, corn, jars of jellies, jams and apple butters, maybe even a fresh rhubarb or blueberry pie – whatever was beautiful, fresh and struck my dad’s fancy. 

I was really lucky to grow up always knowing that “fresh is best.”  And I’ve passed that on to my kids who grew up visiting the family farms here north of Pittsburgh - Soergels, Shenots, Kaelins and the now long-lamented Altmyers – all within a 5 minute drive.  (Okay, maybe 8 minutes on a busy weekend.)

Which brings me to today’s recipe using avocados.  Which are not local.  But if avocados could be grown locally, you can bet I’d be driving out to get the freshest ones available!  Until global warming produces local avocados, I’ll just keep buying the freshest ones available at Whole Foods.

SoCal Chicken Salad with Avocado & Cilantro

• 2 chicken breast halves, cooked, leftover is perfect
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 small avocado, ripe and buttery, 1/2 cubed, 1/2 smashed
• 1/2 lime, juice - make sure it's a big juicy lime!
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons red onion, cut into thin, short slivers
• Kosher salt, to taste

Shred the chicken coarsely in a large bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients mixing until well blended, but the avocado cubes still retain some shape.
 

Mound onto a plate with tomatoes and whatever else you'd like or mound it onto buns to make a great sandwich. 

Avocado Brunch Eggs with Poblano Crema

This morning’s breakfast was inspired by a friend from Annapolis who has an absolute obsession with poached eggs.  Yesterday she made a poached egg and avocado sandwich for breakfast…that sounded amazingly good!  It got me to fantasizing about what could be done with avocados and poached eggs.  

This is what I came up with and couldn't wait to try it this morning!  It was worth the wait. 

First of all, that indentation from the pit was obviously made to nestle an egg into…just look at the avocado!  If you use your imagination, it even looks somewhat like a green egg.  Inspiration for Dr. Seuss perhaps? 

Second, avocados and Mexican flavors are classic…and for good reason.  The smooth creamy texture and gentle, nutty flavor combine so well with a little zing of lemon, a tiny bit of heat from the poblano and fresh cilantro. 

The result?  A brunch dish to server to discriminating guests with pride.  Anytime you can serve something this delicious and BEAUTIFUL, your guests will be grinning from ear to ear. 

Add a Bloody Mary with a little South of the Border twist…maybe with a jalapeno-infused tequila in place of vodka and chipotle hot sauce in place of Tabasco….I think it will be a very good start to a very good day! Thanks, Carol!

Avocado Brunch Eggs with Poblano Crema

Serves 2

• 1 avocado, sliced in half, pitted, drizzled with lemon juice
• 2 eggs, poached 

• 1 large poblano pepper, roased, peeled and seeded
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream, more or less
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, more or less
• pinch of cayenne
• salt, to taste

• cilantro leaves

In a food processor or blender, add HALF the poblano pepper, reserve the other half.  Start the food processor and add cream until it is a nice creamy consistency - pourable, but not loose; add cayenne, a drizzle of lemon & a sprinkle of salt.  Process just to blend and transfer to a small bowl or cup.  Set aside.
 

Make 2 poached eggs - however you do it.  I don't have a poached egg pan anymore so I do mine in simmering water with a little white vinegar added. When the eggs are ready, remove them to a plate.
 

While the eggs are poaching, slice the remaining poblano half into thin strips.  Set aside.
 

To serve: Nestle an egg into the hole in the avocado, drizzle with poblano crema, lay strips of poblano decoratively over the top, sprinkle a few cilantro leaves over & a little salt.  Done and delicious!

NOTE:  Obviously you can double, triple or whatever the recipe to match appetites and the number of guests!

Rock the Guac!

It’s a good day to rock the guac!  But then again, what day isn’t?  Actually, it was yesterday that Mieke & I rocked it…by ourselves…shamelessly.  The original intention for the molcajete full of gorgeous green was to serve it as an app for the neighborhood picnic we threw on the deck last night.  Um…that didn’t happen.  Well, the picnic happened, it’s just the guac that didn’t make it to the party.

Lunch came, the avocados were sitting in the molcajete all pretty, practically begging to be mashed up with garlic, onion, jalapenos, cilantro, salt and lime juice.  Those avocados were sending secret messages to our mental tastebuds luring our hands to obey….make the guac now, make the guac NOW!  So we did.  And it was good.  Very, very good.  And we were happy.  

Of course, the picnic was guacamole-free last night, but there will be other nights with drinks on the deck and plenty of time to make guac for the neighbors.  Unless the avocados start sending secret messages again.   

Guacamole

• 2 nice ripe avocados
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, sliced thinly
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2-3 T. chopped onion
• 2-3 T. fresh cilantro, leaves only, chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1 juice lime - more if not juicy

Don't cut avocado until you're ready to add it to the molcajete.

In bottom of molcajete, add jalapenos, garlic, onion and cilantro.  Sprinkle with salt.  Using the stone, mash and grind the veggies into a paste or as close to it as possible. 

Now cut avocado around the perimeter and twist apart.  Remove pit, use a large spoon to scoop out all that gorgeous green goodness and add it to the molcajete.  Immediately squeeze lime juice over the avocado to prevent it from turning brown.  Mash it well into the veggies in the vessel.

Taste and adjust seasonings.  Add more lime, salt, cilantro or heat depending on your preference.  Play with it! 

NOTE:  If you don't have a molcajete, use a bowl and a fork!  Just as good...and that's what I did for many years until Mieke bought me a REAL molcajete for my birthday last year.  Do you think it was a gift for both of us?  Of course, I got her one for Christmas!  Turn about, you know?

If you want to invest in a real molcajete, Williams Sonoma has a really nice (i.e., expensive) one.  If you're lucky enough to live where there's a World Market (Pittsburgh NEEDS a World Market!!!!!!!), they carry them at a VERY reasonable price!  ($19.99 as opposed to $49 for the one at Williams Sonoma...see what I mean about NEEDING a World Market?!)

 

Apple, Bacon & Pecan Chicken Salad with Maple Pecan Vinaigette

The PLAN part of Dinner Plan-it came into play for this recipe! Grilling or BBQing in our house always means throwing on a little extra for later in the week.  Who doesn't love a quick meal that can be assembled at the last minute, doesn't look and feel like plain old leftovers and is absolutely delish?!  

That Spatchcocked Chicken that was posted recently?  Yep, part of the plan for this salad. Tuesday's dinner of fire-roasted poblano pepper burgers and corn on the cob were planned into the salad, too.  What luck!  I had an extra avocado from Poblano Burger Night, too.  The plan was coming together!

All that was needed was to saute the bacon and toast the pecans right in the same pan, arrange the salad, whisk up a quick and easy vinaigrette and dinner isn't just a plan, it's on the table quick as a wink.  Here's how to do it.

 Apple, Bacon & Pecan Chicken Salad 

with Maple Pecan Vinaigrette

Serves 2

• 2 cups spinach
• 2 cups romaine lettuce leaves, mixed red & green
• 1/2 cup pecans, whole
• 3 slices bacon, thick sliced, 12" across, fried crisp
• 1 Apple, Gala or other crisp & pretty one
• fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons bleu cheese, crumbles
• 1 chicken breast, roasted, sliced across the grain
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1 poblano pepper, roasted, blackened skin removed and seeded - sliced

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup, grade B - it has more flavor!
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Saute bacon until crisp; remove with slotted spoon & drain.  Saute the pecans in the bacon fat.  Remove.
 
On two plates, arrange 1/2 the spinach & half the Romaine on each plate.  Top with apple slices in a sunburst.  Arrange slices of avocado and roasted poblano pepper alternately; squeeze lemon juice over both.  Arrange 1/2 the chicken slices around the salad.  Sprinkle with bacon & pecans.  Mound bleu cheese in the center and drizzle with the vinaigrette.
 
Vinaigrette:  Mix olive oil, balsamic, maple syrup, granulated garlic, pepper & salt.  Whisk well.


NOTE: You don't have to do an arranged salad...make it easier and chop the chicken, apples, veggies, etc. and mix lightly together.  Top lettuce and spinach with the mixture and drizzle with dressing.  Easy!


Instead of apple, try grilled peaches, pears, mango or even orange slices!