Avocado Gadget

This one gadget that is definitely not needed at all, but it really does work and Miss Picky liked using it!

The Big Kid prefers a knife, even though he's the one that picked up that gadget for me!

Would have worked much better if the avocado wasn't over ripe! But it did work. 

We like our avocado plain, just salt and pepper, a little squeeze of lime, and a sometimes a little sprinkle of cayenne.

but if we're having guacamole then we're adding stuff!

Stuff like white onions, chopped jalapeno, diced tomatoes, freshly squeezed lime juice, salt and pepper. Cilantro is iffy in our house. Not everyone likes it and Miss Picky can taste a quarter of a leaf that accidentally got into hers.

An easy after school snack for the Big Kid when he was in High School.

Guess who had to clean up?

Guacamole

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

1/2 white onion, chopped
2 or 3 chopped serrano chiles (more or less to taste, you can also use jalapeno)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste
4 ripe avocados
1 lime, juiced
3 plum tomatoes, seeded, diced and drained

Depending on how chunky you like, use a food processor and pulse to combine onion, chiles, cilantro, salt and pepper, or a molcajete if you have one. Or just a knife!

Coarsely mash the avocados. Fold in reserved onion mixture, then tomato. Serve with tortilla chips.

Debbie at Confessions of A Plate Addict is having a wonderful giveaway, stop by and check it out, there are five ways to enter. Eight place settings of one of Pfaltzgraffs newest patterns, Lido Beach.

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Something's fishy with Jamie Oliver

I Heart Cooking Clubs is cooking with Jamie Oliver and this time something's fishy! Not the easiest theme for my family. Fish doesn't always go over well with them. So I didn't even try. This time I made something I knew I would like, and the big kid might like it, too.

SQUID!  

Before you say ewwww, I was also in that camp, the one where I thought squid and calamari was disgusting. Disgusting until one day I developed a shellfish allergy. And no more linguine with clam sauce, no more oysters, scallops, crab or shrimp. Nothing alarming at first, a few hives. Didn't think twice. But by the third and fourth time I was covered. Squid became a necessity for someone who absolutely loves most shellfish. Raw, cooked, it's the one thing I miss. Linguine with white clam sauce and a side of Benadryl? Not a chance. So for now I am stuck with squid, and it turns out, I really like it. Which surprised me. And I loved this recipe. Chargrilled squid with the guacamole! Great recipe, me and the big kid really enjoyed it. I used the grill pan, talk about smoke. Smoking hot. And smoke alarms! But then the smoke cleared, the calamari was done, and all in all, it was a very good dish. I put in on top if some baby arugula. Topped with some chopped tomatoes, pickled jalapeno's and a squeeze of lime.

So thanks, Jamie Oliver, maybe one day I will outgrow this allergy and I can try one of your delicious shrimp dishes next. In the meantime, I will be making this one again.

Chargrilled Squid with Rustic Guacamole
Source: Jamie Oliver, original recipe found @ JamieOliver.com
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

4 squid tubes, cleaned and kept whole, and tentacles
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lime

Guacamole:
2 very ripe avocados
1-2 fresh red chillies, chopped fine
a few sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped fine
1/2 a red onion, peeled and chopped fine
1 tomato, chopped
juice of 2 limes

Guacamole: Squeeze the avocados out of their skins into a bowl, removing the pits. Add most of the chilli and cilantro, the onion, tomato and lime juice. Mix everything up with a spoon, breaking up any bigger bits of avocado as you go. Taste for seasoning; and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Put a griddle pan on a high heat to get nice and hot. There are two ways to prepare squid – choose whichever you prefer, or do both to get a feel for it. For both methods put the tentacles aside. The first way is to place a knife inside the tube and lay it on your chopping board, then score across the squid at 1/2 inch intervals with a small sharp knife. The knife inside will prevent you from cutting all the way through so you’ll be left with ‘concertina’ squid. This method lets heat and flavors in and looks good. The second way is to put the knife in the tube and cut through the side, open it out then lightly score every 1/2 inch in a criss-cross fashion with a blunt knife. This means the squid will curl up and absorb extra flavor.  (I did the second method)

Season the squid with a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil then toss to coat. Add it to the screaming hot griddle, scored-side down, for 1 to 2 minutes (you may need to do this in batches). Use tongs to turn the squid over once it has nice char marks. Give it a minute on the other side until it curls up then immediately transfer to a bowl and hit it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, the lime juice and another small pinch of salt and pepper. The legs can stay on the griddle for a bit longer to get crispy.

Spoon the guacamole onto a platter. Cut the legs up a bit and add to the bowl of dressed squid. Cut the concertina and scored squid into bite-sized chunks. Pile the squid over the guacamole and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Scatter over the reserved cilantro and chilli then tuck in.

Join I Heart Cooking Clubs to cook something fishy with Jamie Oliver!

and

Dining with Debbie for What's On the Menu Wednesday!

 

AND 

 Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter 

 

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Gorgeous day, delicious dinner!

This is one of our favorites for the grill. So much flavor! and very easy. I like to stick with the easy recipes. My chances for success are much greater! This one is a sweet-hot, with a real nice kick! I took the skin off, and it still grills up with a nice crispy, crackling crust and very moist, as long as the chief griller remembers to keep the dial set to "Medium" and not "Call the Fire Dept" cooking on high flames!

I have no notes on this one, it was great exactly as written. Must not have screwed this one up or else I'd have made a note. That usually doesn't happen, I'm pretty big on leaving a step or two out of things because sometimes I have the attention span of a flea. Anyway, I've used both the orange and the pineapple juices, I use whatever I have on hand, either one would be good. Tonight I used orange juice. I know nothing about Tequila except from my days of college, way back when, and now I just use Jose Cuervo, probably the cheaper one. Great in a sauce, not in a glass as far as I remember! Sides were Cucumber Salad and Ina Garten's Guacamole Salad.



Tequila-Glazed Chicken with JalapeñoBon Appétit, August 2007
Molly Stevens
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds, coarsely ground in spice mill or mortar with pestle
1 3/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) cut-up (best of fryer) chicken
1/3 cup orange juice or pineapple juice
1/4 cup gold or silver tequila
2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 to 2 red jalapeño chiles with seeds, finely chopped
1 shallot, minced
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Mix coriander, salt, and red pepper. Sprinkle mixture all over chicken. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on baking sheet; cover and chill at least 6 hours or overnight.

Combine orange juice, tequila, brown sugar, honey, 1 jalapeño, and shallot in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Add 1 more jalapeño if more heat is desired. Cool glaze. Transfer 3 tablespoons glaze to small bowl and set aside for serving.

Spray grill with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Arrange chicken, skin side up, on grill. Grill 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Brush chicken with glaze in saucepan. Turn chicken over; brush with glaze. Grill until juices run clear when pierced with fork or until instant-read thermometer inserted into chicken registers 170°F, turning and brushing occasionally with glaze, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer to platter. Spoon reserved glaze over.

For the Cucumber Salad I cheated with this one, I used Simple Syrup from Trader Joe's just because I had a bottle I bought to try. Worked out great.

Cucumber Salad
Printable Recipe

1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon course ground black pepper
1 large hothouse cucumber, peeled and sliced very thin
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

In a small pan, combine sugar and water; cook over medium heat, stirring, until liquid boils and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the rice vinegar, pepper and salt. Place the sliced cucumbers, and onions in a bowl, pour marinade over; stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

and Guacamole Salad, this one from Ina Garten, so good, I didn't change a thing!



Guacamole Salad
Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa, Food Network)
Printable Recipe

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.
Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

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Just a heads up...
Mother's Day is coming soon, on Sunday, May 10th. Barb from Foley's Follies is hosting a fun Mother's Day event. She mentions it on her brownie post! It looks to be a very special event! Please feel free to check out her blog in the coming days when she posts her Mr. Linky so you can join in if you're interested! Even if you don't join the event, check out the brownies on her post, they'd be great with a tall glass of ice cold milk :)

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Hits and Misses

Fran Lebowitz once said, "Ask your children what they want for dinner only if they're buying!" Mine weren't buying but they were asking! and any time the weather is nice, they're asking for Grilled Cherry-Chipotle Chicken Wings and hot dogs. I wanted a grilled rack of baby Lamb Chops. So we had it all. Seemed like a great idea this morning when the weather was nice. By the time we got to dinner, and everything was prepared, whaddya think? It rained. Mostly drizzle. It eventually stopped and dinner was grilled and served. Those wings are always a sweet-hot HIT!

I tried a new marinated mushrooms recipe I found online. Not a big hit with anyone but me. They were a little different, a little more interesting than the recipe I usually use which is more oil and vinegar. This one had lots of flavor. I liked it, but no one else did. A bit of a miss. We also had Avocado with Lime, Thai Cucumber Salad, both hits! So a couple hits and a miss. Not a bad dinner at all.

Cherry-Chipotle Chicken Wings
This is the perfect blend of sweet-hot! It's also good on pork and just about anything! I roast the wings in the oven first and then finish them on the grill. Much quicker and comes out perfect. At least the way my husband grills. He grills like I bake. High flames are usually involved!



Chipotle-Cherry Barbecue Glaze
recipe by Grace Parisi, Food and Wine Magazine, June 2005
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I just sliced the onions, it'll get whizzed up when you use the stick blender or food processor)
8 ounces cherry preserves (3/4 cup) (I use a bit more!)
1/4 cup minced seeded chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I use 2 – 3 chipotle's, and leave them whole – it’ll get pureed when you put it in the processor or blender. I use an immersion stick blender)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until bubbling, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before using. The glaze can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

NOTES : Use this spicy, smoky, sweet barbecue sauce to glaze grilled meat or poultry in the last few minutes of cooking. It can also be served on the side.

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Grilled Rack of Lamb Chops with Greek Marinade



Marinated Greek Lamb Chops
Source: GroupRecipes
Printable Recipe

8 lamb chops
juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup fresh oregano (sliced) or 1/4 cup dried oregano
6 garlic cloves (sliced)
1/3 cup olive oil

Mix all ingredients together including the lamb chops.

Cover up and put in the fridge for 4 hrs or overnight, turning every once in awhile.

Grill for about 3 minutes each side at medium high heat for medium-rare, or until cooked to your liking.

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Avocado with Lime Vinaigrette



Lime Vinaigrette

Juice of one lime
1/2 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
half a jalapeno chopped fine (I freeze the jalapeno's whole and used a microplane to grate the frozen peppers. Works like a charm! Throw the other half back in the freezer for another time)

Whisk it all together and drizzle over diced avocado's. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.

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Mushrooms a la Grecque



Mushrooms a la Grecque
by Faye Levy, from the LA Times

1 large sprig thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/3 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato sauce or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 pound small mushrooms, rinsed

Combine thyme, bay leaf, coriander seeds, wine, oil, water, tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste and lemon juice in saute pan. Bring to boil and add mushrooms. Cook, uncovered, over high heat, gently stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are just tender, about 7 minutes.

Transfer to shallow dish. Discard thyme sprig and bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve cool or cold.

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Thai Cucumber Salad


Thai Cucumber Salad

1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon course ground black pepper
1 large hothouse cucumber, peeled and sliced very thin
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
1/2 - 1 small hot chili, sliced very thin (I used jalapeno)
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced very thin

In a small pan, combine sugar and water; cook over medium heat, stirring, until liquid boils and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the rice vinegar, pepper and salt. Place the sliced cucumbers, onions, pepper and chili in a bowl, pour marinade over; stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

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