The Best Guacamole Ever

I posted my favorite Salsa Verde recipe a many months ago, so naturally guacamole must follow.  This is my favorite dip in the world, and I love bringing it to parties and social events.  I usually make a big batch, so this recipe feeds many -- but of course, you can easily cut it in half, and even in half again, if you just want to make it for the family or a few friends.

I start off with a bunch of really good avocados.  Selecting avocados is very important, and there are many good avocado options, particularly in California.  Hass are delicious and readily available, but when you can find them, Fuertes and Reeds are also excellent choices for guacamole.  It is important that the avocado be ripe, but not too ripe.  When you hold it in your hand, make sure that is feels like you could squish it, if you were to squeeze it really tight, but make sure that it does not feel "mushy" at all.  Great guacamole begins with great avocados!  I have 9 here, but there is absolutely nothing magic about that number -- it's just A LOT.  I start by cutting them in half, as pictured, and removing the pits by hitting each pit squarely with a sharp knife, and then pivoting it to the right or left to loosen the pit so that I can lift the pit right out.

Next, I scoop the avocado in large chunks into a bowl and immediately squeeze on some lime juice to preserve the rich bright color.

I chop up a bunch of white onion, green onion and cilantro.  I'd say heaping cup full for 9 avocados is about right.

And I finely chop two seeded jalapenos.  (Keep the seeds in if you like your guacamole extra spicy.)

Next, I mash the avocado very gently with a fork until I get just the right consistency.  It should be both chunky and creamy.

Then I stir in the chopped jalapenos along with a bunch of the onion and cilantro mixture reserving a about 1/4 cup for the top.  At this point, I add more lime juice (1/2 a lime at a time) and coarse salt to taste.

Now, if you have already made some Salsa Verde -- and I hope you have --  (here is the link to my favorite Salsa Verde recipe: http://mandybora.blogspot.com/2013/08/salsa-verde.html), spoon some on top of the finished guacamole, and sprinkle with the reserved onion and cilantro mixture.  Otherwise, just sprinkle on the reserved onion and cilantro mixture and serve with your favorite red or green salsa!

Guacamole is...

Mediterranean Pasta (with Feta, Tomatoes, and Parsley)

We often make this incredibly quick and easy Mediterranean Pasta recipe for dinner at the end of a busy day.  Delicious, nutritious, and easy, it is a perfect meal when you want something scrumptious and homemade in a hurry.  All you need is some really good feta cheese, Roma tomatoes, fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, garlic, olive oil, and your favorite pasta.  I used spaghetti this time, but I've made this dish with every shape and size of pasta imaginable.

First, I bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook my favorite pasta to desired tenderness.  I like it a little past al dente.  In the meantime I ready the toppings.  For 2 servings, I dice 1 ripe Roma tomato, crumble about 4 ounces of feta cheese that I have presoaked, chop up a handful fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, crush a large head of garlic, and measure out about 2 tablespoons of very good extra virgin olive oil.

As soon as the pasta is ready, I heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan, add the crushed garlic, and heat until the garlic is just toasted (about a minute on medium-high heat).

Then I portion out the pasta into serving bowls, drizzle in the olive oil and garlic, and toss.

Next I layer on the toppings, starting with the feta cheese, then the tomatoes, followed by the parsley.

Finally, I top the finished dish with plenty of fresh ground black pepper.  I find it is not necessary to add salt because the feta cheese contains plenty of salt.

Ingredients/Recipe (serves 2)

1 lb. of your favorite pasta (spaghetti, rotini, mostaccioli, etc...)
1 large ripe Roma tomato

4 ounces of feta cheese
1 large handful for Italian flat leaf parsley
1 large clove of garlic

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
A few grinds of freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta to desired tenderness in plenty of salted boiling water.  In the meantime, soak and then crumble the feta cheese (you can substitute packaged crumbled feta cheese instead), dice the tomato, chop the parsley, and crush the garlic.  As soon as the pasta reaches the desired tenderness, drain and divide into serving bowls.  Next, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan, add the crushed garlic, and saute for just a minute until the garlic is toasted (being careful not to let it burn).  Drizzle the oil and garlic evenly over the pasta and toss lightly.  Then top the pasta with the feta cheese, followed by the tomatoes and the parsley, and finish with a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper.

The warm pasta combined with the cool feta and the fresh tomatoes and herbs is just outstanding!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Cacık (Turkish Yogurt with Cucumber and Garlic)

Whether consumed as a cold soup, a meze, or a condiment atop rice or bulgur, cacık adds a hint of brightness to any meal.  This very popular Turkish dish combines plain yogurt, salt, crushed garlic and cucumber.  Thinned with a bit of water and/or ice, it is generally served very cold. Beyond that, there are many cacık variations.  Here is mine -- which I daresay is the bomb!

I start with really good plain, full-fat yogurt.  Nowadays, good quality plain "Greek-style" yogurt is easy to find.  That was not always the case.  Chobani is quite good, as is Fage, and The Greek Gods, but my husband Asaf and I have sworn by Alta Dena for decades, and it remains an excellent choice despite all the competitive and trendy brands that have recently emerged in the marketplace.

As for the cucumbers, it's best to use organic because some of the skin is consumed.  My first choice is always the old fashioned pickling cucumber, followed by English hothouse.  My contempt for Persian cucumbers is certainly no secret on my blog (I find them sweet and often rubbery), but they are a popular choice for Middle Eastern salads, and my husband thinks they are fine in cacık. (We have just agreed to disagree on this point.)

The other essential ingredients for delicious cacık include fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and really fresh mint leaves.

I start by measuring out 1 cup of yogurt and 1/4 cup of cold water, which I stir or whisk together until creamy.  To that I add 1 large or 2 small cloves of crushed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt.  At this point I taste and adjust the seasonings and consistency by adding more of whatever might be needed (yogurt, water, salt, and/or garlic).  I prepare it so that the texture is just slightly thicker than desired, as I will be adding some ice cubes to the cacık later -- to make it really cold -- and I like to factor in the melting ice effect.

Next I partially peel 1 pickling cucumber (or 1/2 English hothouse cucumber) in stripes, and then I thinly slice and dice the cucumber, into very, very small pieces, like so.

I also slice 8-10 fresh mint leaves into very thin ribbons (chiffonade), just like this.

Then I stir the cucumber into the yogurt mixture and top it with the fresh mint, a nice drizzle of really good olive oil, and a couple of grinds of freshly ground black pepper.  Finally, I plunge 2 ice cubes into the bowl and let it sit a good 15 minutes before serving, so the flavors fully develop.

Ingredients/Recipe:

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup of cold drinking water

1 large or 2 small cloves of fresh garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (more or less to taste)

1 pickling cucumber or 1/2 English hothouse cucumber, partially peeled and diced very small

8-10 fresh mint leaves cut into ribbons

About 1 tablespoon of very good extra virgin olive oil

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Combine the first 4 ingredients, and then taste and readjust by adding more yogurt, water, garlic or salt, until the flavor and consistency are to your liking.  The mixture should be creamy, and just slightly thicker than desired.  Next, stir in the diced cucumber and top with mint, olive oil, and black pepper.  Plunge in two ice cubes and let everything rest for at least 15 minutes before serving so the flavors develop.  The ice cubes will keep it cold.

Puréed Roasted Beets with Toasted Hazelnuts and Blue Cheese

I adapted this delicious vegetarian roasted beet recipe from my favorite new cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, and I promise you the luxurious texture and amazing flavor of this appetizer will woo even the most ardent beet-hater.  

I start by washing and trimming 3 medium sized beets, reserving the tender leaves for salad.  Next I roast the beets, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for about an hour.  The beets are ready when you can easily insert a knife or fork into the center.  Roasting the beets, as opposed to boiling them, is essential for this recipe because the beets need that rich and gooey texture that roasting imparts. During the last 15 minutes of cooking I put about 10 hazelnuts into the hot oven and toast them off as well.  They will be used later in the garnish.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, I remove the outer skin and cut each into 6 or 8 smaller pieces.  In addition, I peel and crush 2 cloves of garlic and measure out 1/2 cup of really good plain Greek yogurt.
 

I put the roasted beets, crushed garlic, and just a pinch of Kosher salt into a blender or food processor and blend to break up the beets.  Then I add in the yogurt and continue blending until the consistency is smooth and velvety.

Then I transfer the beet purée to a bowl and drizzle in 1 tablespoon of good olive oil, some fresh ground black pepper, and a bit more salt if needed.

Just before serving I prepare the garnish of toasted hazelnuts coarsely crushed, 1 scallion sliced very, very thin at an angle, and a rounded tablespoon of crumbled blue cheese (you can substitute feta cheese if you like).

I carefully transfer the beet purée to a flat serving dish, and with a small spoon or the tip of a knife I weave in just a tiny bit of plain yogurt, which adds a nice color contrast.  I drizzle the top with another tablespoon of olive oil and a bit more fresh ground black pepper, and I scatter the garnish across the top.

It's delicious served on top of warm thin sourdough bread slices.  Even the kids loved it!

Organic Baby Lettuce Salad with Blue, Beets, and Carmelized Pecans

My artistic sister Cheryl and I share a love of vegetables, especially salads, and particularly colorful salads featuring contrasting flavors and textures.  This year Cheryl made this beautiful salad that combines sweet and savory for our Thanksgiving feast, and it was so good that I made it again for a Christmas potluck, and then second time just because....  My sister's version includes bacon, which is of course very delicious, but as you will see the bacon is conspicuously absent from the vegetarian version depicted below.  The following recipe serves about 6 decent-sized portions.  I doubled it for the potluck, as did my sister for Thanksgiving.

Start with about 8 cups of mixed organic baby lettuce.  Use whatever blend of lettuce varieties you enjoy, but be sure to include radicchio, notable for its eye-catching red color and lovely bitter accent.  Chop the lettuce coarsely and place in a large serving bowl.

Roast or boil 2-3 yellow beets, and when cool, peel the beets, slice them into thin wedges, and give them a quick pickle by allowing them to rest in a bowl with a splash of vinegar and some salt and pepper for 15 minutes or so.

In the meantime, peel and mince 2 medium shallots, and dice up 1 yellow tomato and 1/2 an English cucumber.  Also, chop up a handful of fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, and/or mint for an extra flavor punch! Sprinkle the ingredients over the lettuce and add the pickled beets.

Next, measure out 1/4 cup of crumbled blue cheese and 1/3 cup of candied pecans.  (You can candy the pecans yourself, but Trader Joe's sells candied pecans that are out of this world.)  Coarsely chop the pecans.

Finally, whisk together a simple Dijon vinaigrette by measuring out 1/4 cup of very good extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and a bit of Kosher salt.  Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving, scatter the blue cheese and pecans on top, and add a few grinds of fresh cracked black pepper.

Now if you are craving the full on carnivore version of this salad, this is the point at which you would also add plenty of salty crumbled bacon.  And if, like me, you follow a strictly vegan diet (at least during the day), adapt the recipe by swapping cubes of creamy avocado for the blue cheese. 

No matter your dietary predilection, there is a version of this salad for you to enjoy!