Guacamole Salad

Avocados go on sale quite frequently in my neck of the woods, and when they do I like to buy a whole bunch. Everyone in our house loves them, and it isn't unusual for my kids to split one for a snack after school. I know they are high in fat, but at the same time it's the "good for you" kind. In case you didn't know, Avocados are a fruit and not a vegetable and have the highest protein content of any fruit. They also contain more potassium than bananas, so all in all, despite the fact that they are high in calories, they are really good for you.

Guacamole is always a popular choice in our home and is prepared very frequently, but last week after an abundance of avocados in the refrigerator (it will slow down the ripening process) and having had guacamole a couple of times already, I was ready to find a different recipe using the green fruit. For a second I thought about making Avocado ice cream, but I couldn't quite get "there" mentally, it sounded just a little bit too strange for the time being. So on the internet I went looking. I didn't have to search very long until I found this recipe for Guacamole Salad from none other than the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.

The salad sounded like it would be quickly made and I loved that it had a great Southwestern twist to it. Red grape tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, black beans, red onions, green jalapenos and bright green avocados make this salad a colorful feast for your eyes. The salad is dressed with a simple lime and oil dressing which receives a little additional kick from cayenne pepper, and finally diced avocados are added right before serving (to prevent browning) to the mix.

This salad was delicious! Everyone had seconds and this dish will be made over and over again. I served this alongside Southwestern seasoned grilled steaks with some crusty bread. This salad is a beautiful addition to any dinner table and reminded me that I need to look for more of Ina Garten's recipes, which always seem to turn out well.

Guacamole Salad

(adapted from Ina Garten)

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

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

Preparation:

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.

Ice Cream Fridays: Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream and Giveaway Winner Announcement

Welcome to the final installment of Ice Cream Fridays for the year. All of you ice cream fans, this does not mean that I won't be featuring seasonal ice cream flavors every now and then, it just means, that for now it will not be a regular feature anymore. But don't fret, Ice Cream Fridays will be back for sure next year with new ideas and flavors. For the time being though, I'm cooking up a couple of different ideas for a new Friday feature, so stay tuned to see what I have in store.

Which ice cream did I chose to cap off my feature? It is none other than a Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream with Chambord. To break this one down with one simple word would be: Decadence. I had this flavor bookmarked in my all time favorite ice cream book, "The Perfect Scoop" for a very long time. I figured there was no better time than now to feature a flavor combination that I have loved for as long as I can remember, raspberries and chocolate.

This ice cream was another very easy, non-custard based, quick to fix recipe. Heavy cream, unsweetened (dutch processed) cocoa powder and sugar are whisked together and brought to a boil. Fresh (or in my case freshly frozen) raspberries are added and left to "steep" for a bit. The mixture is then processed in a food processor or blender until smooth, and finally strained to remove all those pesky little "get stuck in your teeth" seeds. To kick the flavor up another notch, I added a couple of tablespoons of Chambord liqueur to really enhance the raspberry flavor. After chilling in the refrigerator for a few hours the mixture is churned in an ice cream maker.

True bliss with every creamy, rich, decadent bite. On first taste you think it's just a chocolate ice cream until the bright tartness of the raspberries gets you upon swallowing - heavenly. One of my definite favorites this year. One that I will be making over and over again. Maybe next time I'll add some chopped semi-sweet chocolate to the final mix to make it even better (if possible).

In case you were wondering what my personal top 5 ice cream flavors were this season, here they are in no particular order:

- Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream with Chambord

- Nutella Ice Cream with Frangelico

- Oatmeal Raisin Ice Cream

- Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

- Super Lemon Ice Cream

 And finally, here is the winner (who was generated by Random.org) of the giveaway. The winner receives the book that has brought me,

and hopefully all of you, so much joy this summer:

Congratulations to:

Carole

who said:

"I recently purchased an ice cream maker so I've been enjoying your ice cream posts. I'm a Nutella fan."

Please contact me by email with your address so I can send you the book! :o)

Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream with Chambord

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (375 ml) heavy cream

5 tablespoons (40 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2/3 cup (130 g) sugar

2 cups (240 g) raspberries, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons Chambord liqueur

Directions:

Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and add the raspberries. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender. If you wish, press the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Add the Chambord.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Adapted from: The Perfect Scoop

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Even after being married for over 18 years my husband still takes me by surprise. He's been telling me for years how much he dislikes chocolate desserts and quite frankly he never craves anything chocolate besides the very occasional Resse's Peanut Butter cup. So, imagine my confusion and surprise when I asked a couple of days ago what sweet treat I should blog about next and he answered very quickly: "German chocolate cake, I love that!" Huh,  did he just say chocolate cake? He swiftly let me know that this cake is not really a chocolate cake because of the frosting. Really, who am I to argue this logic? Since I had just made a big triple layer cake I was looking for something more portable and portion controlled (meaning something that I could easily distribute to friends and neighbors) and with that in mind, I found these cupcakes in my Martha Stewart's: Cupcakes book.

For the record, German Chocolate cake has nothing to do with Germany. It is one of my pet peeves when people assume that just because I was born and raised there I should be an expert on this cake. I'm sorry to disappoint, but I didn't even know such cake existed till a few years ago when I ate it at a party. In case you wonder how the name came about, it traces back to Bakers sweet German chocolate which was invented by Samuel German for the Bakers brand in 1852. Traditional German chocolate cake is a layered chocolate cake filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting.

Today's recipe is pretty close to some of the traditional ones out there, but veers slightly by using melted semi-sweet chocolate instead of the German chocolate baking bars which makes it a little less sweet. Cake flour and buttermilk ensure that the cake part of this cupcake is wonderfully moist and light. The frosting is cooked on top of the stove out of egg yolks, butter, brown sugar and condensed milk. Once the mixture is thick, it is removed from the heat and strained into a bowl where vanilla, salt, sweetened coconut, and toasted pecans finish it off. When the frosting is cooled and firmed up, you are ready to frost your cupcakes. I decided to go against Martha's instructions and only top the cupcakes with the frosting (she had you cut them apart and add filling in the middle as well). I decided to add a little classic touch by drizzling the finished dessert with a quick chocolate ganache.

How did this mini-cake measure up to the traditional? Everyone loved this portion controlled version of the original. One is plenty rich and leaves you perfectly satisfied without being overly full. My daughter, the chocoholic thought the ganache drizzle is what made this cupcake. My boys didn't talk, they just inhaled, and my husband, well, he gave me a big sticky sweet kiss right after he finished his. I take that as a compliment!

German Chocolate Cupcakes

~makes 24 cupcakes~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins

2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted, plus more for tins

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Coconut-Pecan Frosting (recipe to follow)

Chocolate Ganache, optional (recipe to follow)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush stand muffin tins with butter; dust with cake flour, tapping out excess. whisk together cake flour, baking soda, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Beat in chocolate until combined.

Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes Run a small offset spatula of knife around the edges to loosen; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

To finish, spread frosting on top of each cupcake. Drizzle with ganache (if desired).

Adapted from: Martha Stewart's: Cupcakes 

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

~makes about 4 cups~

Ingredients:

3 large egg yolks

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 package (7 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions:

Heat egg yolks, evaporated milk, brown sugar, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about 10 minutes (it should reach the consistency of sour cream). Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.

Stir vanilla, salt, coconut, and pecans into frosting. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally, Frosting can be refrigerated up to 1 day in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature and stir with a flexible spatula until smooth.

Chocolate Ganache

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted

3-5 tablespoons heavy cream

Stir heavy cream by the tablespoon into the melted chocolate until combined and it reaches desired "drizzle" consistency. Use immediately.