avocado

Crispy Shrimp Sandwiches.

August 26, 2011 · 110 comments

I want to bake you cookies.

Well, really… I want to make you a sandwich. Like… this one. Then bake you cookies. Maybe like a picnic type thing? We can drink Coke out of glass bottles with pretty red and white straws and watch ants crawl on our legs. I’ve never even been on a picnic. Don’t you feel bad now? No joke when I tell you I live in a bubble. Someone get me a blanket, a basket and a plane ticket to Greece. That should pop it.

But I don’t think we can take this sandwich on our picnic. This sandwich should be made and promptly eaten, if for no other reason than you’ll look really ridiculous with drool dripping down your chin. And for someone who doesn’t like mayo (me… and likely you), I’m pretty sure you will like this. It’s filled with cheese after all. And green stuff that will make you feel healthy.

I thought maybe I’d grown out of my crispy shrimp phase when it had been 3 whole days since I’d eaten those tacos, but then I found these personal ciabatta sandwich rolls at my grocery store and they said… “stuff some crispy shrimp into my fat, fluffy rolls please. Please. Do it now!” Seriously. I do what I’m told.

Then I listened to Pumped Up Kicks 34 times and danced in my kitchen trying to figure out the words. The first 12 times I sang “pumped up kiss” then the next 22 changed it to “pumped up kids.” Thank God for google.

And lunch.

If you’re feeling frisky you can use whatever bread you have on hand or do something whacked like make this into pasta. Or maybe even serve it on a salad, but honestly – why would you want to do that?! Don’t ruin it.

And you might not want to wear a bikini on our picnic because… I totally fried these shrimps in bacon grease. BEST SHRIMPS EVER. It’s like a shrimp BLT, but better. Times a million.

Crispy Shrimp Sandwiches

makes 4 sandwiches & is easily multiplied/halved

1 pound of peeled and deveined raw shrimp

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 slices bacon

1/2 avocado, chopped

lettuce for garnish (I used butter lettuce)

4 sandwich rolls/breads/buns of choice, preferably toasted

Combine flour, paprika, garlic and chili powder in a large bowl and mix. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add bacon and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is golden and crispy. Remove and let drain on a paper towel. Do not turn off heat.

Quickly salt and pepper the shrimp, the toss in the flour mixture (I actually “tossed” mine and this went much quicker and just as successful as dredging it). Working in batches, add shrimp to the skillet and cook until golden on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and let drain on a paper towel.

Combine shrimp, avocado and crumble the bacon into a bowl and lightly mix to create a sticky “salad” of sorts. Spread bread of your choice with parmesan mayo, garnish with lettuce, then stack on the shrimp. Serve with a fork and fruit on the side.

Parmesan Tarragon Mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons freshly chopped tarragon

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly. Spread on sandwiches. Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an air-tight container.

You want one of these. Trust me.

{ 110 comments }

Avocado Lime Fruit Salad.

June 21, 2011 · 89 comments

Hiiiiii.

How are you on this fine June day?

Wait… fine June SUMMER day! It’s summer! Break out the tequila and bikinis and tiki torches. Throw a party and invite me! I’ll bring the margarita supplies.

Since it’s summer, I really need you to do two things. Like… today. You really need to do these things today. You will like them. They are summery things.

First, find a cup with a lid. Add some lime juice. Add some sort of adult beverage. Let’s just say… rum. Sweet, sweet rum. The clear kind. Not the spiced kind. It can be flavored… whatever. I like coconut. Add some ice to that cup. Shake it all up. Find another glass. Smash some mint leaves with a muddler. Don’t know what a muddler is? Yeah. That’s a bunch of ridiculousness. In situations like these, certain things come in handy. Like the handle of a screwdriver. Perfect muddling right there. Try it.

So muddle that mint with some sugar. Or maybe a simple syrup or something of the sort. Maybe add some ice to that glass? Just a little. And pour that minty, limey rum liquid over top. Drink. Preferably with a friend. Maybe on a back porch? With the sun streaming in? With a bunch of salty chips and some sort of delicious dip?

Or you could just drink it in your dark living room while watching your DVR-ed episode of The Bachelorette and wearing your sexy triple XL sweatpants. Whatev.

I’m pretty sure I just instructed you to make the biggest mess of a mojito ever, but who cares? You have lime and rum in a drinkable glass. Rim it with sugar. Be happy. It’s finally summer. The season of swimming and fireworks and mosquitoes and grills.

The second thing you have to do is chop some fruit with and pair it creamy avocado, in a SALAD. Sound weird? It’s not. Especially when you drizzle it with lime and honey and a sprinkling of fresh mint. LIKE. It’s really, really delicious. Do you think I’d eat a salad if it wasn’t?

It’s the next best thing to a mojito. AND you can eat it for breakfast. Mojitos usually don’t classify as breakfast unless… well, you know.

Avocado Lime Fruit Salad

makes about 4 generous servings (but depends on the size of your fruit)

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

6 large strawberries, quartered or halved

3 peaches, sliced

2 small avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped

2 small bananas, sliced

juice of 3 limes

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

tiny pinch of salt

a bunch of fresh mint, some chopped and other leaves left whole for garnish

In a large bowl, combine lime juice with honey, salt and a bit of chopped mint leaves. Whisk to combine. Add in strawberries, blueberries and peaches. You can make the salad ahead of time before serving and set it in the fridge at this point. Right before serving, chop bananas and avocado, add to salad, and toss to coat in the lime juice mixture. Garnish with additional fresh mint.

Why can’t all salads be like this??

{ 89 comments }

Avocado Crab Crostini.

June 15, 2011 · 99 comments

I’m interrupting your regularly scheduled morning routine of yawning, growling, scratching, showering and face-planting into a bowl of cereal to talk about crabs.

The good kind, not the… well… you know. The delicious kind that you suck out of claws and dunk in clarified butter and puree in bisque. The kind that shuffle sideways on the sand, pinchers high in the air. They’re kinda cute. Especially when you’re far away from them… or eating them.

I don’t really know how to find the words about crabs… mainly because I’m running on less than 4 hours of sleep after a straight up dance party and our own crab chasing on the beach ’til the wee hours of the morning. I’m exhausted and really old. In approximately 27 minutes I’ll start feeling like I’m about to die and do some of my own face-planting. But all you need to know is this: BUTTER.

Lots of it.

And if that’s not doable, combine it with some salty bacon and creamy avocado, because it’s like… reallllly good. Tomatoes too. I don’t really like them obviously, but I put them in there anyway to feel better about myself. Color is pretty. And bread is fun.

Avocado Crab Crostini

serves 4-6

1 pound of lump crab meat

1 avocado, pitted and chopped

1 cup of grape tomatoes, roughly chopped

4 slices of bacon, fried and crumbled

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 french baguette (mine was about 16 inches long)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a small bowl. Slice the baguette into rounds about 3/4 inch thick. Brush each round with olive oil and lay on a baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until baguette rounds are toasty and golden in color. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine crabmeat, tomatoes, bacon, avocado, tarragon, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir with a large spoon until the mixture is combined. Add in lemon juice and remaining olive oil, and continue to mix. The mixture will be somewhat “loose,” but as it sits the avocado will break down a bit and cause a more creamy texture.

Serve in a large bowl with multiple spoons and a plate of the baguette rounds.

On another note, I had some delicious She Crab soup on Monday night. A creamy, spicy, melt-in-your-mouth mishmash of smooth seafood… and a cluster of shells. Fail. I’d rather not chew my soup.

{ 99 comments }

Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes with Avocado Buttercream.

Raise your hand if you think I’m weird. Or… don’t. I’ve already seen enough hands. I’m beginning to develop a complex. So here’s the deal. Like bananas? Like avocados? These cupcakes were made for you. Yes, you! I had you in mind all along. We have so much in common, FYI. It’s like we share a brain. Someone I don’t share a brain with? Hmm… that would be my husband. This is made all the more evident considering he can calculate down to the penny just how much a pair of shoes that are 30% off + and extra 10% off will cost, while I sometimes try to count the 47 (48? 50?) states on my fingers and round my $78 grocery bill down to $50. Pretty banana cupcakes with silky frosting that resembles Slimer? So cute, so sweet, so soft and fluffy? Mr. How Sweet’s worst nightmare. Only one way I could make it worse: adding coconut. I didn’t do that, by the way. I’m not mean. So don’t feel bad if you want to slap me silly. If you’re looking at me like I have a third eye. If you think my taste buds have gone off [...]

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Mango Guacamole.

I hate to be a cliché, but yeah… I totally am. It’s just that I adore Mexican food. And with Cinco de Mayo coming up and the fact that Wednesdays are perfect for sangria (did you know??)… well let’s just say that cold margaritas and crisp tacos and salty tortilla chips get me all hot and bothered. Take me out for Mexican and you.will.have.a.good.time. Too much? Anywho, I hate to admit it but I’m a bit of a guac snob. Don’t even try to mess with my cilantro, red onion, jalapeno, tomato and lime. Unless you are pushing it out of the way to hand me that necessary tequila shot. But this past weekend I added mango. You know, that fruit that is juicy and sugary sweet in season or foul and sour when it isn’t ripe for the pickin’? Yes, that one. What’s that? You don’t like it? Well my friend, try and try again. I promise after buying $576 worth of mangos, you will eventually get a delicious one that will change your mind. Or maybe those things just happen to me. If all else fails, simply let it die in your crisper drawer for at least [...]

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Roasted Veggie and Goat Cheese Quesadillas.

Don’t worry. There is bacon and cheese involved. Of course. I’ve been trying my hardest to consciously get in some veggies. As much as I hate them, I really try to eat them in some form a few times a year week. This is extremely hard for me, being that I don’t believe in eating things unless I absolutely love them. But I guess sometimes I make an exception for vegetables? Roasting is one of the only ways I can force them down. Raw vegetables… well, it pains me to even think of them. I often roast a pan of peppers, onions and other assorted veggies at the beginning of the week. If I don’t have a solid plan in mind, those veggies sit in the fridge for a loooong time. Trust me, you don’t want to see my crisper drawer. It turns out that I really love caramelized onions. That should come as no surprise. Aren’t onions one of the vegetables with a very high sugar content? That makes sense. As long as my vegetable mix has some sweet, caramelized onions, crispy bacon and creamy avocado, I can eat a wrap or quesadilla with some veggies. Cheese is just a [...]

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Grilled Shrimp Salad.

Salad and I have a rocky relationship. I’m sure you assumed as much, but these days we’ve been disagreeing more than usual. I don’t think anything can be done to save the relationship either. But when I make salads like these, they offer a bit of therapy. It may be a favorite out of all the salads I’ve made. It’s no secret that my piles of lettuce aren’t exactly veggie-filled. In my opinion, that’s what makes them better. Duh. And you know I can’t have a salad without cheese and bacon. As well as the token fruit – which in this case was mango and quite possibly the most delicious mango I’ve ever had. I think I’ve said that before. But only once. This was only my second “perfect” mango. I wish you could have seen how I attacked it. I also threw on one of the heirloom tomatoes I bought on Saturday. It was beautiful and juicy and seedy and vegetabley. If you catch my drift. Eh, so I may have picked around the one vegetable on the plate. Sue me. I needed more crunch than just the bacon alone, so I added some toasted tortilla strips. Coupled with [...]

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Spicy Avocado Soup with Crunchy Croutons.

I’m still not sure if cold soups are my thing. But I’m never one to turn down food. I just couldn’t help myself when I saw a similar recipe. And since avocados are fairly affordable ’round these parts right now (read: I don’t need to sell my first-born child for one), I have collected every recipe I can possibly try. Sometimes I forget that Mr. How Sweet isn’t an avocado fan. Instead of kicking him out of the house when he starts to bad-mouth my green lovers, I just throw some raw meat at him. That usually shuts him up. Meat of any kind is his friend. My only problem is that I have become a bit greedy with the avocados. I have been buying 2 or 3 at a time simply because they are only $1.99 a piece instead of $3.99 a piece. I know, it sure sounds like my money tree is flourishing, doesn’t it? I put said avocados in the cupboard, or on the windowsill or even behind our bar to ripen. And then I forget about them. I usually rediscover them once they are covered in mold and gray fuzz. Similar things happen in my dark [...]

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Loaded Baked Nachos – The Healthy Way!

Since I was young, one of my most favorite snacks has been tortilla chips with melted cheese. No, not queso dip. Cheese that is literally melted on top of the tortilla chips in the microwave. Weird? Maybe. Tasty? Yes. Gross? That is subjective. Sure, over the years my tastes have refined a bit. I have gone from boring, white tortilla chips and bagged cheddar cheese to organic blue corn chips with gouda, gruyere and fontina. I recently found these new-to-me, hand-made yellow corn and whole grain La Tortilla Factory tortillas. The simple things excite me. These are different than the whole wheat ones I usually get. They are slightly thicker and more flexible. Oh. . . and insanely delicious. So, I cut them into fours, spritzed with some olive oil, sprinkled on some sea salt, and baked them. The result? Crispy, thick, yellow corn chips! I topped them with every delicious ingredient I could find in my fridge. I love the different textures – chewy, creamy and gooey! These protein-packed nachos keep me much fuller than the 3 or 4 plates of chips with melted cheese that I like to snack on. I suppose you could also add more vegetables. [...]

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Crab Avocado Quesadillas.

I love seafood. I love it even more when it’s mixed with bacon and cheese. I love quesadillas. Why not combine all of that into one tasty treat? I used my favorite tortillas – La Tortilla Factory. Not only are they loaded with protein and fiber, they taste delicious. They are also soft and chewy. Perfect, in my opinion! The avocado and pineapple give the quesadilla’s a bit of a tropical taste. And the bacon. . . Well, I think we all know what I think about the bacon. Like everything else, I garnish my quesadillas with limes. We love limes. We always have a ton of them, just hanging around our house. I’m sure it doesn’t have anything to do with the 3 handles of Ketel One in our bar. When it comes to the crabmeat, don’t skimp. Buy the good stuff. None of that imitation garbage. I promise you will thank me. Crab Avocado Quesadillas inspired by Canyon Ranch Serves 1 2 whole wheat tortillas 2 oz lump crab meat 1 slice bacon, fried and crumbled 2 slices avocado, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped shallots 1/4 cup low-fat, shredded mozzarella cheese 1 slice pineapple, chopped Combine [...]

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