Tag Archive: Avocado

Raw Brownies With Avocado Frosting

Written on May 20, 2015 by in Dessert

Raw Brownies With Avocado Frosting

As much as I don’t like the cold, Winter and Fall are some of the best baking months because there’s sometimes nothing to do but stay in and sit next to the heater. Now that Spring’s here and the heat waves, too, no-bake recipes are suddenly ten times more appealing. 

I made these “brownies” over the weekend for a sweets fix that wouldn’t involve sifting flours and melting chocolate. It’s pretty much the same recipe I made 3 years ago with an extra avocado frosting on top. Avocados and dates definitely don’t sound like dessert ingredients, but you’d be surprised how rich and chocolaty these come out. 

Raw Brownies With Avocado Frosting

These are easier to stash and store without the frosting, which does go bad about as quickly as guacamole, so if you’re planning on waiting a while to eat these wait until the last minute to make the frosting. It’ll taste better if you do.   

Raw Brownies With Avocado Frosting

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 8-12 brownies):

  • 2 cups pitted dates
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons coconut butter(optional but recommended)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons water
  • 1/2 a ripe avocado
  • 2 Tablespoons agave or honey

Method:

  1. Blend the dates in a food processor until they are pulverized and start to stick together. The dates don’t have to be fresh but make sure you’re not using dry and stale ones or they won’t stick.
  2. Add the walnuts and coconut butter and continue blending until the dough starts to stick to itself. Add the water as necessary if your ingredients are too dry to clump.
  3. Lastly add 3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder and continue blending until it’s mixed in.
  4. Dump the processed ingredients onto a piece of parchment paper. With your hands, clump them together into a square or rectangle.
  5. Freeze the dough for 5-10 minutes until it’s firm and cut it into even sized squares. Store in the refrigerator for freshness.
  6. To make the “frosting”, mash the avocado into a smooth puree. Add the agave and remaining cocoa powder and mix thoroughly.
  7. Spread an even amount on top of each brownie square. Garnish with any extra walnuts.
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5 Vegetarian Super Bowl Dip Recipes

Written on January 30, 2014 by in Recipe Round-Up, Side Dish, Snack

This weekend might be the biggest weekend for football, but it’s also the biggest weekend for dips. As a vegetarian I usually live off of nachos whenever I’m at a party or sports bar. I could never get tired of spicy salsa and creamy guacamole, but making your own dips always tastes better than buying a pre-packaged one from the store. Here are 5 recipes to satisfy the vegetarians and meat-lovers alike at your party who just want to dip on in.

Vegetarian-Buffalo-Chicken-Dip_thumb

Vegetarian Buffalo Chicken Dip

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients(Serves 8-12 people):

  • 8oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup hot sauce
  • 8oz shredded cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese, divided
  • 1 15oz can white beans, rinsed and drained

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the hot sauce, cream cheese, and 6 ounces(about 1 1/2 cups) of shredded until mixed.
  3. Fold in the beans, adding a little bit of water if necessary until fully incorporated.
  4. Scoop the dip into an oven-safe bowl and spread out the remaining cheese on top to cover it.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese begins to brown and the center is hot.
  6. Remove from the oven and serve hot with crudité and nachos.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients(Serves 6 people):

  • 2 cups chickpeas
  • 1 roasted red pepper with the skin peeled
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 2 Tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

Method:

  1. For the roasted pepper, heat an oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Cut the pit out of the pepper and lay it on a baking tray.
  3. Brush the pepper with olive oil and roast it for 15-20 minutes until the skin starts to blister away. Let the pepper cool before trying to peel off the skin.
  4. Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the hummus is completely smooth.
  5. Move into a bowl to serve or store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week.

Firecracker-Guacamole-dip_thumb

Firecracker Guacamole

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Serves 6 people):

  • 3 ripe medium-sized avocadoes
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 1 habanero pepper
  • 1/2 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro(optional)

Method:

  1. Peel and mash your avocadoes together in a large bowl.
  2. Carefully dice the onion, tomato, and pepper. Add the tomato and pepper in with the avocado reserving the onion.
  3. Heat a large pan over medium with a little water in the bottom. Quickly sauté the onion in the water for a couple minutes until the diced onions are semi-translucent. Remove from the heat and add in with the avocado.
  4. Add in your citrus and salt and cilantro if using and mix all of the ingredients together.
  5. Serve at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Avocado Sour Cream Dip

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 8 servings):

  • 1 ripe medium avocado, peeled and pitted
  • 3/4 cup sour cream or low-fat sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons freshly chopped chives

Method:

  1. In a food processor(or however you’d like to do it), puree the avocado until it’s completely smooth.
  2. Fold together the avocado puree, sour cream, onion powder, salt, and 2 ½ Tablespoons of chopped chives.
  3. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining chives.
  4. Serve with Kettle Brand Chips and veggie crudités

IMG_6340_thumb

Creamy Avocado Onion Dip

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 minute

Ingredients(Serves about 4 people):

  • 1 medium-sized avocado
  • 2 Tablespoons plain 0% Stonyfield Greek
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons minced onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Method:

  1. Pit and seed the avocado and put the meet in a small mixing bowl.
  2. Mash the avocado with a fork until it’s smooth and uniform in color.
  3. Add in the Stonyfield Greek, salt, and olive oil and mix.
  4. In a small pan, heat some cooking oil and sauté the minced onions quickly until they turn brown(this shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds). Keep the pan moving so that they don’t burn.
  5. Add the onions and onion powder to the dip and mix until smooth.
  6. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and serve with chips and crudités.

 

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Creamy Avocado Onion Dip

Written on January 27, 2014 by in Miscellaneous

Creamy Avocado Onion Dip

Stonyfield partnered with Late July this month to challenge their Clean Plate Club members to make a perfect dip recipe using Stonyfield Greek.

When it comes to dips, sour cream and onion is a clear winner for me. It’s just the right amount of sweetness and tag. But it’s also probably as unhealthy as you can go. This is a dip that’ll treat you just as nice and that you can really fill up on.

Using Stonyfield Greek in this dip gives you the creaminess and tang of sour cream but with protein instead of fat. The avocado and olive oil add richness but are both fats you can feel good about dipping into.

My favorites with the dip were the Mild Green Mojo and Red Hot Mojo tortilla chips. The Mild Green Mojo have a slight tang from sour cream powder that pairs well with the creamy Greek in the dip. The Red Hot Mojo’s the spiciest of their flavors(which automatically made it a favorite of mine) and adds a kick to the dip’s sweetness.

Creamy Avocado Onion Dip

Creamy Avocado Onion Dip

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 minute

Ingredients(Serves about 4 people):

  • 1 medium-sized avocado
  • 2 Tablespoons plain 0% Stonyfield Greek
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons minced onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Method:

  1. Pit and seed the avocado and put the meet in a small mixing bowl.
  2. Mash the avocado with a fork until it’s smooth and uniform in color.
  3. Add in the Stonyfield Greek, salt, and olive oil and mix.
  4. In a small pan, heat some cooking oil and sauté the minced onions quickly until they turn brown(this shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds). Keep the pan moving so that they don’t burn.
  5. Add the onions and onion powder to the dip and mix until smooth.
  6. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and serve with chips and crudités.
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Avocado Sour Cream Chip Dip

Written on December 4, 2012 by in Sauce

Kettle Brand Chips asked 14 bloggers to create a recipe of their favorite holiday dip. My favorite holiday dip is guacamole; I could eat it with a spoon. But too much guacamole can be overpowering on the taste buds, especially at parties when you lose track of how much chips and dip you’ve eaten. Sour cream, on the other hand, has that smooth and clean flavor that lets you dip and dip and dip. I don’t usually like to do sponsored posts, but Kettle Brand Chips is a company I can really get behind. They’re dedicated to using natural ingredients without GMOs and their chips are gluten-free, too. They’re also just delicious; have you tried their Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper flavor? Incredible.

For this recipe I’ve added avocado to a fairly simple sour cream dip. It’s no hassle at all to throw together. The avocado adds a light green color and a rich texture. Even though they’re similar, using both onion powder and fresh chives helps to add layers to the flavor of the dip. I paired this with my favorite flavor of chip, Sea Salt and Vinegar. I think it goes perfectly with the tart flavor of vinegar because the chip lends flavor to the dip while the dip cools the chip down. It would also be incredibly good with any spicy flavor like Jalapeno or Spicy Thai™–anything with a strong saltiness to it. Since there’s very little acidity and seasoning in the dip itself, it’s important to use a chip that will bring that to the table. At the end of this post there’s also a giveaway so be sure to read through!

Avocado Sour Cream Chip Dip

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 8 servings):

  • 1 ripe medium avocado, peeled and pitted
  • 3/4 cup sour cream or low-fat sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons freshly chopped chives

Method:

  1. In a food processor(or however you’d like to do it), puree the avocado until it’s completely smooth.
  2. Fold together the avocado puree, sour cream, onion powder, salt, and 2 ½ Tablespoons of chopped chives.
  3. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and garnish with the remaining chives.
  4. Serve with Kettle Brand Chips and veggie crudités

Now it’s your turn to tell me, What is Your favorite holiday dip? Respond to this question with your answer using one of the methods below and you could win a $100 Visa Gift Card!

Rules:

  • No duplicate comments.
  • This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
  • Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to respond otherwise a new winner will be selected.
  • This sweepstakes runs from 11/13-12/31.
  • You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment answering what’s your favorite holiday dip?

b) Tweet a public message about this promotion including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry” Leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

The Official Rules are available here.

Be sure to visit the Kettle Brand Chips page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win! Good luck!

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Firecracker Guacamole

Written on January 23, 2012 by in Miscellaneous

Firecracker-Guacamole

The Superbowl is coming up; I only know that because The Voice premiers right after it and that’s what I really want to watch. Maybe I’ll sit through 3 hours of football or maybe I’ll just eat chips and dip the whole time and not look up at the TV; the latter sounds more fun.

I never really made guacamole before and my first time got off to a rough start: I confused jalapeno and habanero peppers. I’m pretty sure traditional guacamole has jalapenos. This one has habaneros which are a little spicier. I didn’t wear gloves or anything while I was dicing it and ended up sniffling for the rest of the afternoon; those little buggers are hot!

Firecracker-Guacamole-dip

What makes this guacamole unique is that the onions are gently cooked. No one wants raw onion breath, especially at a party. Sautéing them in a pan in some water takes away that bitterness, and since it’s cooked in water and not oil it saves the guacamole from getting too oily. You can include or exclude the cilantro based on your preference; I can’t stand the flavor so I left it out.

Firecracker Guacamole

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe medium-sized avocadoes
  • 1 small tomato
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 1 habanero pepper
  • 1/2 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro(optional)

Firecracker-Guacamole-close-up

Method:

  1. Peel and mash your avocadoes together in a large bowl.
  2. Carefully dice the onion, tomato, and pepper. Add the tomato and pepper in with the avocado reserving the onion.
  3. Heat a large pan over medium with a little water in the bottom. Quickly sauté the onion in the water for a couple minutes until the diced onions are semi-translucent. Remove from the heat and add in with the avocado.
  4. Add in your citrus and salt and cilantro if using and mix all of the ingredients together.
  5. Serve at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Firecracker-Guacamole-Scoop

This wasn’t the spiciest thing I’ve ever tasted but it certainly wasn’t mild, either; it was right around my heat level. Just be careful to wash your hands after handling the pepper. Nobody wants to rub that into their eyes or worse.

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Raw Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pudding

Written on November 14, 2011 by in Dessert

raw-dark-chocolate-peppermint-pudding

In a perfect world, I’d eat less sugar. But this isn’t a perfect world, and I’m far from perfect. Truthfully my sweet tooth is out of control. I tried to eat less sugar in October and failed(I blame the existence of candy corn). I tried to eat less sugar in November and I’m failing(hello, peanut butter bars). I’ll try to eat less sugar in December and I’ll fail then, too(at least I’m being realistic about it at this point). Maybe I’ll kick the habit in 2012; who knows?

raw-dark-chocolate-peppermint-pudding-ingredients

That’s not all to say I haven’t learned anything. One thing I’ve learned is that bananas make a great whole food sweetener. I used to make raw chocolate pudding all the time with avocado and agave, but at the end of the day agave is still another refined sugar like maple syrup and cane sugar. Bananas may have sugar, but also fiber and potassium. And in this dessert you really can’t taste the difference.

The trick is to use bananas that are well past yellow onto brown to get more sweetness and less banana-flavor.

Raw Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pudding

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

  • 1 medium-sized ripe avocado
  • 2 small overripe bananas(the browner the better)
  • 1/4 cup undutched cocoa powder
  • Scant 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Method:

  1. Peel the avocado and bananas and throw them in a food processor.
  2. Blend the fruits until they make a smooth puree.
  3. Add in the cocoa powder and extract and continue blending until they’re entirely mixed.
  4. Scrape into serving bowls and serve at room temperature. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

raw-dark-chocolate-peppermint-pudding-overhead

Maybe I could give up sugar if I had an endless supply of this in my refrigerator… right next to a bowl of candy corn and Reese’s. 

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Green Vegetable Quinoa

Written on November 9, 2011 by in Side Dish

Green-Vegetable-Quinoa

My diet has definitely been changing with the season. As far as vegetables go, I want very little to do with them. That’s strange for me since over the Summer I can never get enough produce. But now it’s carbs, carbs, carbs and the only vegetables I do want are potatoes and squash—not much of a variety.

Green-Vegetable-Quinoa-3

This dish is an exception. And it has about every green vegetable in my refrigerator in it, so it must be healthy, right? The kale is a good source of vitamins, the peas high in plant-based protein, and the avocado a source of healthy fat. More importantly it’s the only green thing that appeals to me anymore(although a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream wouldn’t be bad either).

Green Vegetable Quinoa

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(For 2 servings):

  • 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
  • 1 medium ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cup cooked peas, fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup chopped kale, steamed
  • Salt to taste

Green-Vegetable-Quinoa-with-avocadoes

Method:

  1. Remove the skin and the pit from the avocado and mash it into a smooth puree.
  2. Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and fold until completely mixed. The avocado should act as a binder and as it mixes it will hold together more.
  3. Serve at room temperature. Store in a refrigerator for no more than a day as the avocado will brown over time.

Green-Vegetable-Quinoa-2

I make this with frozen and thawed kale and frozen peas. Not only is it cheaper than buying the fresh ingredients, their nutrients are locked in and they’re available all through Winter, so you can bet I’ll be having this again.

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Healthy Breakfast Tortillas

Written on November 2, 2011 by in Breakfast, Entree

healthy-breakfast-tortillas

Some things are almost so easy that they don’t really require a recipe. But I love these so you’re getting one.

My new favorite find at the grocery store is corn tortillas. Everyone and their mother has probably bought these before but I really never had noticed them until last weekend. They’re cheap(perfect for a college student), whole-grain, naturally gluten-free and vegan. That’s an all around win in my book.

healthy-breakfast-tortillas-tortillasj

So now I have these tortillas; but what to do with them? Well, I went the obvious route and stuffed them with piping hot scrambled eggs, a slightly spicy salsa, and cool, ripe avocado. Difficult? No. Delicious? Yes.

Make sure your avocado is ripe for this recipe. A ripe avocado makes all the difference. The skin should be a reddish brown and the flesh should give easily to pressure.

Healthy Breakfast Tortillas

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(Enough for 2 people):

  • 4 whole-grain corn tortillas(or whole-wheat if gluten isn’t an issue)
  • 8 medium eggs
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • 1 large ripe avocado, sliced into thin wedges

healthy-breakfast-tortillas-close-up

Method:

  1. Heat up a frying pan over a burner set to medium-high heat.

  2. Crack and beat the eggs into a large bowl.
  3. Pour the scrambled eggs into a hot pan. Cook for about a minute scraping occasionally until most of the egg is cooked(leave it a little liquidy as the egg will continue to cook once it’s off the heat).
  4. Heat up the tortillas and stuff them each with a quarter of the scrambled eggs.
  5. Top with salsa and sliced avocado. Serve hot.

healthy-breakfast-tortillas-salsa

I found this salsa at Trader Joe’s also over the weekend. I was a little worried I wouldn’t like it since I usually go for really spicy salsas and this one advertises itself as having a medium heat. What it lacks for in spiciness it makes up for in tomato and chili flavor; it’s really good and the bottle is almost half gone. I can’t keep my tortillas out of it.

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How To Massage Kale

Written on September 2, 2011 by in Entree

how-to-massage-kale-serve

I know this is the second kale post in 3 days, but bear with me; it’s that good.

The first time I had massaged kale was at Whole Foods from the salad bar. It was so good I ended up getting it every time I went in. But after a while of paying $7.99 per pound for it I figured it had to be cheaper to make at home.

Massaging your own kale takes just a few ingredients and 5 minutes. It breaks down the kale without heating it so the nutrients all remain but the taste is less bitter and bite less sharp. It’s a great nutritious side dish or base for a salad.

how-to-massage-kale-music-candle

It’s totally optional but dimming the lights, lighting a candle, and putting on a slow song really sets the mood. This is a massage after all. 

How To Massage Kale

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

You’ll need(for 2 side servings)…

  • 2 cups roughly chopped kale
  • 1/2 a large avocado
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon(or lime), about 1 Tablespoon
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

how-to-massage-kale-lime

In a large bowl, mix the greens with the citrus juice.

how-to-massage-kale-avocado

Add in your avocado. Then it’s time to gently massage the avocado into the kale…

how-to-massage-kale-technique

Or, if you’re like me, it’s going to look a lot more like clumsy groping than an actual massage. I guess the two are close enough; one usually leads to the other, right? Anyway, massage the kale by working it with you’re hands, incorporating the avocado and lemon juice. You’ll hear a lot of crunching noise. After about 5 minutes you’ll notice the kale turns from a muted color to a more lively green. That’s when it’s ready.

how-to-massage-kale-tomato-dice

Add in the diced tomato and sea salt and gently fold all of the ingredients together. Serve at room temperature.

how-to-massage-kale

This method is so much cheaper than buying it from the salad bar, and much quicker than I expected, too! Whole Foods uses about twice as much avocado for this much kale. That’s probably why it tastes so much better there.

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Grilled Mango and Avocado Black Bean Salad

Written on June 24, 2011 by in Entree

June 23rd 098

I think I have a mango problem. A week ago, I had no idea if I liked them or not. I just happened to pick a few up because they were on sale and now I’ll eat one morning, noon, or night. I don’t even like many fruits! But mango—oh, mango.

June 23rd 109

Naturally, I had to find a way to eat mango whenever, wherever. That’s where this salad came in. I had to make it twice to figure out grilling was the key component. It tasted good raw but so much better grilled. The avocado dressing helps spread out the fruity flavor throughout the whole dish so that each bite is just as delicious as the last.

Grilled Mango and Avocado Black Bean Salad

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

  • 1 mango
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 Tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

June 23rd 089

Cut the mango and avocado into halves, removing their pits. Grill 1 of the avocado halves and all of the mango for 4-5 minutes until charred.

Puree the remaining avocado with the lemon juice, honey, chili powder, and salt.

Dice the grilled mango and avocado. In a large bowl, toss this with the black beans and avocado dressing. Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

June 23rd 101

This is a great Summer dish with some brown rice and vegetables. I think next time I’ll add toasted coconut on top for an extra kick of tropical flavor. Now if only I had a mango cupcake recipe to wash it all down with.

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