Rockin' the Guac(amole)...

I'm in a dip kind of mood (as if my last post didn't give it away).

Yesterday was eggplant. Today I moved on to avocado.  I'm trying to introduce Little Miss to new foods.  She hasn't attempted avocado in a while...a long while (the first attempt left scars on our psyche - and our walls).  Anyway, I found myself having an abundance of leftover avocado and wondered if the old adage about life giving you lemons held true for this green, mushy, super-food.

 Apparently it does because I've got a HUGE container full of rockin' guacamole. 

I like to shake things up a bit when I cook.  Don't get me wrong - I'm all for traditional and purity and all that jazz, but sometimes, just sometimes, I like to turn a classic on it's ear.  So I skipped the chopped tomatoes and tossed in pomegranate seeds.  Same tartness. Same colour contrast. Way better crunch! More like a burst actually...a sweet, tangy burst of flavour that balances the richness of the avocado just beautifully.

So...I've got the guacamole. Who's bringing the chips?

Enjoy!

By the way...raspberries are also an awesome substitute for the over-worked tomato.  Really. I'm not kidding.

Pomegranate Guacamole

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados
1/2 a red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
seeds from half a pomegranate
3 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Scoop out avocado flesh into large bowl. Using a fork, mash until mostly pureed but with some big chunks left.

2. Add onion, garlic, two-thirds of the pomegranate seeds, lime juice, cilantro (if using) and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 20 minutes to let the flavours "blend". Taste and adjust lime juice, salt or pepper as needed.  Sprinkle remaining pomegranate seeds on top and serve.

Ba-ba-ba...baba ganoush!

I very rarely make meal plans. My cooking tends to be more craving-based.  Either something I'm yearning for or something I want to try making because a key ingredient caught my attention at the supermarket.  Both of those statements hold true for this post.

I was craving baba ganoush the other day. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it's a very common Middle-Eastern roasted eggplant spread.  It's savoury, garlicky, rich and delicious and is the perfect summer dip.  It also happens to be vegan-friendly for those who do not partake in dairy (don't look at me...I'm a cheese-a-holic). I was also intrigued by some absolutely exquisite-looking eggplants that were practically begging me to take them home.  And I needed a good challenge. My experience cooking with eggplant is limited.

After some quick online research and recipe comparing, I came up with this one.  And OH.MY.GOD. It blew me away (and that's not just the garlic talking).  I think I'm in love.  Although next time I think I'll roast the garlic first (roasted-garlic-junkie-I-am).

I'll be trotting this one out at the next party for sure.

Enjoy!

Baba Ganoush (Roasted Eggplant Spread)

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 1/2 lemons)
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and place on baking sheet, cut side down. Poke holes in skin with a fork.  Roast for 30-40 minutes or until soft.  Remove from oven, and place in a large bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.  Remove from water and peel skin off.

3. Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, garlic and oil in a food processor and puree.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to bowl and refrigerate.  This dish only gets better the longer it sits!

What to do with a bushel of zucchini...

A friend of mine had a very successful zucchini crop in her backyard garden, which got me thinking about interesting zucchini recipes. A few months ago we did a 'Middle Eastern' themed dinner, and I created this zucchini version of Baba Ganoush (Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip) for one of our guests who was allergic to eggplant.

It was so popular, I've never made it the traditional way again.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Baba Ganoush

2-3 large zucchini cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil + more for roasting
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. Place zucchini on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and place into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, and peel skin off.

3. Place zucchini, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender or food processor, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer zucchini mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

If you want to make the flavour even more bold, sprinkle a little bit of rosemary or cumin on the zucchini before roasting!