Abuela's Avocado Pie (tastes like Key Lime on decadent steroids)

Aguacate / Avocado (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I

Happy Summer! 

Summer in D.C. is hot and sticky. Friday nights we would open the windows and let the fans blow. The delicious spices from Abuela Rosa 's food made our tongues sing. But after the jalepeno, it was always nice to have something sweet and cold. This recipe tastes luxurious and is so quick and easy. But you'll be surprised that people balk when you tell them it's an avocado pie. It might take some coaxing, but then they will love you forever :)  As a matter of fact this recipe is how she claims to have won Abuelo Carlos's heart.

AVOCADO PIE

Ingredients

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For the Crust:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 package of coconut macaroons


For the Filling:
2 medium hass avocados
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt

Optional lime zest for garnish

Directions

Make the crust: Brush an 8-inch springform pan with some of the melted butter. Mix the remaining butter with the cookies. Since the cookies are soft this is a mooshing/squeezing with your hands effort. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Chill in the fridge.

Make the filling: Halve and pit the avocados, then scoop out the flesh and mush with the back of a fork. Transfer to a bowl, add the cream cheese and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the condensed milk, lime and lemon juices, and the salt and beat until fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed. Pour the filling into the crust, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill at least 4 hours. (I actually put mine in the freezer so it's more like an ice cream treat)

Remove the springform ring and slice the pie. (If you freeze yours like I do, just let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes before you serve it.)  Garnish with lime zest, if desired. 

NOTE! Serve and eat immediately - wrap and put the unsliced portion back in the freezer. Like an avocado, this pie will brown when out in the air and become unappealing to look at. And that would be a darned shame.

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• Key Lime Pie Protein Shake
• Avocado, Cucumber and Pea Soup

Abuela Rosa's Vodka Spiked Tomatoes with Dipping Salt

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Abuela Rosa opened her house to family and friends every Friday night. There was guitar music and the rhythm of heels on parquet floors punctuated with laughter. Abuela and I started early in the day to get enough food prepared for the crowd. This recipe was a fun one that was adults only - quick, cheap, and always a big hit.

You'll need:

1 pnt cherry tomatoes
1 cup vodka

English: A pack of organic cherry tomatoes, from a local farm food co-op program. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1T ground cumin
2T finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2T salt


Then all you have to do is take a tooth pick and poke each tomato about a dozen times. Put them in a bowl and cover them with the vodka for about 3 hours.

When the guests are arriving, mix your seasoning and place them into a small dipping bowl/dish.
Pour off the extra vodka and voila! You're done.

Jadda's Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Shop with spices in Morocco (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My Jadda was born in Turkey and married a man named Khaled at a very early age. They lived here and there in the Mediterranean as Khaled climbed the business ladder. Finally, he became a sales rep here in D.C.

The thing I remember with the most clarity about Khaled was that he had an amazing voice. His voice reminded me of rich warm spices: nutmeg and allspice, a twist of lemon, and cinnamon.  When he was happy, which was most of the time, Khaled's cinnamon scented voice was like rice pudding on a snow day - comfort food. But like too much cinnamon, too much Khaled -- the angry Khaled -- could burn my sensibilities.

Khaled entertained a great deal - and this recipe for stuffed dates is the one he liked for Jadda to make up and have on hand. She liked the ease and quick clean up. I, of course, just liked eating them.

Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4 oz of crumbled goat cheese
1 clove of garlic crushed in a garlic press
2T freshly chopped basil leaves
16 dates - split these open with a sharp knife (dipping the knife in water between slices helps), remove the pits.

So all there is to it is: mix the first three ingredients and spoon a little of the mixture into your dates. Arrange on a plate, cover and stick them in the fridge to let the flavors blend for a couple of hours. Serve this at room temperature.

(Makes 16 hors d'oeuvres - recipe can be multiplied)

Nona Sophia's Ribollita

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"Tonight we ate ribollita, an ancient Italian soup full of veggies and beans. The story goes that back in the Middle Ages the nobility would eat their meals off plates made from large slices of dried bread, called trenchers. After the meal, the peasants would gather the trenchers, full of the meal’s juices and leftover tidbits that the wealthy didn’t consume, and took them home to boil them for their own dinners. That was the origins of ribollita. Sounds gross. This ribollita was pretty good, though. It didn’t taste at all like boiled leftover trenchers." Lexi Sobado, CHAIN LYNX 

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Remember - Ribolitta is a peasant dish. If you think it would taste good, throw it in. If you don't have an ingredient on hand, make do.
Experiment - and have fun!

1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
6 oz. pancetta chopped
3 cloves of garlic (leave one whole and crush the other two)
2T tomato paste
1 T herbs de Province
1tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
15 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 box of frozen spinach wrung dry
1 can of white beans
4 cups of vegetable stock (I use Trader Joe's)
1 bay leaf
Parmesan 
a baguette sliced
Parmesan for the table

And to put it all together ~
1. Start by heating the oil in a soup pot.
2. With the heat on medium add in the onion, carrot, pancetta , minced garlic, salt and pepper
3. When the onion is yellow and the pancetta is crispy add in the tomato paste, and tomatoes.
4. Using a wooden spoon - scrape the bottom as if you were de-glazing to get up all of those delicious crispy
     bits.
5. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Preheat your oven to 350F
6. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Brush your bread slices with olive oil. Toast until golden - keep a close eye on these so they don't 
    blacken!
8. As soon as you remove them from the oven rub them with your whole clove of garlic.
9. Divide the bread amongst your bowls then pour the soup over the top
10. If you like, decorate with a fresh sprig of parsley and Parmesan shavings

Biji's Samosas (Deep Fried Pastry Stuffed with Spicy Potatoes)

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• Tea time was an important part of the day for my Biji. She insisted that all commotion stop, and everyone sit respectfully down and take tea. Darjeeling tea to be precise. Often she served a cookie, or cake, but the days she served samosas were my favorite. 

English: Samosa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• How to make Samosas - 
  • 
    
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 3 to 4 cups for frying
  • 3 medium potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled
  • 1 bunch green onions (white and green parts), chopped
  • 2 fresh green chiles, such as jalapeños, seeded and minced (optional)
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Plain yogurt for serving
  
  

• And to put it all together...

(Sorry for the weirdness - here... "Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men." The page insists on changing colors, and I can't get this to stop! Argh!)

• 1. In medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add 2 tablespoons oil and, using fingertips, or I use a pastry cutter, bl

  

   (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

  end until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. 
  • 2. Add 3/4 cup warm water and mix until dough just comes together. 
  • 3. On a lightly floured surface, knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
  • 4. Lightly oil medium bowl, form dough into ball, and place in bowl. Cover with towel and set aside to rest.
  • ~
  • 5. In large pot, cover potatoes with cold water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain and, when they've cooled enough to handle, dice them finely.
  • 6. Put the potatoes in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. The moosh it all together :)
  • ~
  • 7. Now this next little bit takes some practice. Just go slowly, 

    

    12-crust on board (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

     emember this is fun! and you'll be fine. First, divide dough into 12 equal portions. 
  • 8. Roll portions into balls (work one ball at a time - cover the other balls with a lightly moistened kitchen 
  •    towel)
  • 9. On floured surface using floured rolling pin, roll out 1 ball into 6-
  •     inch circle. 
  • 10. Cut circle in half. Fold 1 corner of semicircle up and over 
  •      middle. Fold second corner over to make triangle, and pinch 
  •     corners of triangle to seal - leave rounded side open. Imagine that
  •     your making a little bag. 
  • 11. Holding this loosely in your hand - with open rounded side 
  •     facing up - fill the cone with about 2 tablespoons potato mixture.
  • 12. Pinch along rounded side to seal. Repeat with remaining dough
  •     and filling.
  • ~ Almost done!
  • 13. Heat your oil (about 2 inches) to 360 F in a heavy, deep skillet 
  •    over moderate heat. 
  • 14. Work in batches to fry samosas until golden brown, 1 to 2
  •    minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. 
  • 
    
  • Serve warm with yogurt or like in the picture above you can puree some cilantro for dipping.

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• Vegetable Samosa
• samosa mexicana
• The Secret to Gluten Free Pastry
• Oven Baked Samosas
• Sweet Potato & Goats Cheese Samosa's
• Baked vegetable samosas