Chocolate Avocado Bread

Remember yesterday when I mentioned that I had a lot of avocado to use up? Well today I'm going to share with you what I created with the remainder of those avocados...Chocolate Avocado Bread. I have a go-to banana bread recipe that is so versatile, you can add the ingredients in just about any order and it comes out perfectly every time. I've also used this recipe over the years and adjusted the measurements or added other items and still...perfect every time. So I decided to use my base recipe and add some of the avocado to it. The only difference is that I didn't have any granulated sugar. You see, I don't use any sugar in my tea and don't bake very often. In fact, if the kids want cookies, they tend to just make it themselves. However being kids, they never tell me when they use the last of an ingredient and I have no idea I need it until well...I need it!

The Verdict: Rachael LOVED this bread. The rest of us, not so much. It just wasn't sweet enough for me; however, it was extremely moist. One note to make is that my loaf pan is approximately 9" x 5". If your pan is smaller/larger, adjust the cooking time and check the bread before the 50 minutes suggested. The bread will be done when the top springs back when touched or if a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

Chocolate Avocado Bread
Prep Time: 15 minutes                     Yield: 24 slices
Cook Time: 50-60 minutes               Serving: 1 slice
Total Time: 65-75 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 c. Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 c. Canola Oil
• 4 Egg Whites
• 4 Avocados
• 1 Lemon, juice only
• 2 tbsp. Vanilla Pudding Mix
• 3 c. All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 3 tbsp. Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 c. Mini Chocolate Chips
• Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil and egg whites until well blended. 
3. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and place the fleshy green part in a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice and pulse until the avocado is creamy; then add to the sugar mixture. 
4. In a separate small bowl combine the vanilla pudding, flour, baking soda and cocoa powder. Mix well. 
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well until all combined, then fold in the chocolate chips. 
6. Spray 2 loaf pans (approx. 9"x5") with cooking spray; then evenly distribute the batter between the pans. They should fill half- to three quarters- of the way to the top. 
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the top springs back when touched. Let cool. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 227, Carbs 34.6g, Fat 9.7g, Protein 2.9g, Fiber 2.6g, Sugar 19.7g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Chocolate Avocado Bread Shopping List

Penne with Avocado Pesto

What do you do when you have about eight ripe avocados sitting on your kitchen counter that were supposed to be used for guacamole to feed sixteen hungry teenage girls, but then the function gets cancelled? You have to find ways to use it up before they go bad! Hey..these things are expensive! So I pureed half of them and made this Avocado Pesto. It was deliciously creamy, though it always garners funny looks from the family when I serve them green food. Tune in tomorrow when I share what I made with some of the other avocados!


Penne with Avocado Pesto
Total Time:  30 minutes        Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Penne Pasta (I used Barilla Plus)
• 1/4 c. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 4 Avocado
• 1/4 c. Pecorino Romano Cheese
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Lemon, juice only
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 c. Grape Tomatoes, cut in half
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat with a little salt; then add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente; then drain. 
2. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop out the fleshy, green part; then add it to a food processor.
3. Next, add in the cheese, garlic, lemon juice and oil. Pulse until well blended and creamy. It should have a smooth consistency. 
4. Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl; then add the tomatoes and avocado pesto. Mix well. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 505, Carbs 62.1g, Fat 23.1g, Protein 15.8g, Fiber 12.4g, Sugar 3.8g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Penne with Avocado Pesto Shopping List

Recipe Rerun: Fried Green Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

School is almost out for the summer (YES, we're still going until next week!) and I'm trying to tie up a few loose ends around the house before I'm off and running trying to entertain an eleven year old for the next few months. If you read my newsletter, you'll know that my posts may be a little sporadic in the coming weeks, but I'll try my best to create new content to share with you you as often as I can. My daughter has even offered to do a few Guest Posts over the summer and is looking forward to getting back into the kitchen again. 

In the meantime, I'll be running some old posts to bring new life to these fun recipes as well as share them with all of the new followers I have here at CEK since they were first posted. 

To start with, I'm going to share this recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce. I chose this recipe for several reasons. 

1. It was the 2nd most popular (page views) recipe on my site to date since starting this blog in April 2011. 
2. When I first posted this recipe last September, many people couldn't find "green tomatoes" as by then, most tomato plants had fully blossomed and turned red. Depending on when you planted your tomato plants or where you reside, the next few weeks will be a great time to pick them for this recipe before they fully bloom. Also, if you didn't grow your own tomato plants, ask your local farm stand if they can pick some for you. 
3. If you read the original post, I used bottled Ranch dressing; which was great in a pinch. However, since then I found a wonderful homemade lower fat version from +Ann Fulton  of the Fountain Avenue Kitchen. I shared her recipe for Low Fat Ranch Dressing back in January this year and this dressing would also work very nicely for this dipping sauce. 
4. Now this is the big one. Are you ready? These are DEE-LIC-IOUS and shouldn't be missed. However, as I mentioned in the first post, it's one of those things you need to make and eat right away while they're hot. When reheated, they loose that crispy coating that comes when you first fry something. 

Fried Green Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

Oh one last thing. Sorry, but you won't find any nutritional information on this recipe. We're frying people, need I say more?! 

Did you make these the first time I posted this recipe?

 If so, comment below and let me know! 

Guacamole Farro Salad and Other Ideas for Cinco de Mayo

We don't generally celebrate Cinco de Mayo which is this coming Sunday (May 5th); however, who could pass up a good guacamole? I know we can't. In fact, guacamole has become one of our favorite weekend snacks. So when I purchased too many avocados on my last shopping trip, I had to use them up before they went bad. 

I combined all of the same ingredients I'd use to make my guacamole, but added in cooked farro to make this Guacamole Farro Salad. It was so good that Rachael and I ate it for lunch for several days. It was very filling, but refreshingly light. 

Guacamole Farro Salad
1 c. Farro, rinsed
2 c. Water
2 Avocado, pitted and diced
1 Tomato, small dice
1 tbsp. Red Onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Lime, zest and juice
1/2 Jalepeno Pepper, small dice
3 Tbsp. Canola Oil
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Add water to a pot and bring to a boil; then add in the farro. Allow to simmer over low-medium heat until the water has been absorbed; approximately 15 minutes. Remove the farro and add to a bowl; let cool. 
2. Add the avocado, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime zest and juice, pepper and oil to the farro. Season with salt and pepper; mix well. Makes 7 - 1/2 cup servings. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 225, Carbs 25.7g, Fat 12.9g, Protein 5.2g, Fiber 6.4g, Sugar 1.1g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Looking for some other ideas for your Cinco de Mayo party? 

How about these favorites!

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Guacamole

Mexican Beer Cheese Soup

Chorizo, Chicken and Black Beans with Rice

Red Apple Sangria

Enjoy! 

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Mixed Greens with Avocado and Beets in a Champagne Vinaigrette

Mixed green salads offer you the opportunity to try different varieties of lettuce at the same time. This one had baby beet greens, mizuna and oak leaf lettuce. Baby beet greens have purplish-red veins and come from the top of an immature beet. Mizuna or otherwise know as Japanese greens, have a slightly strong flavor, but add a nice compliment to the other subtle flavored greens. Oak leaf lettuce resembles red leaf lettuce with the reddish tops, however they are shorter and have a softer texture. The combination of all three of these greens combined with the earthy flavors of fresh beets, avocado, pecans and the light champagne vinaigrette, makes for a tasty, light lunch or a precursor to a formal dinner. 

 Mixed Greens with Avocado and Beets in a Champagne Vinaigrette
4 c. Mixed Greens
2 tbsp. Pecans, chopped
1 Avocado, sliced
1/2 c. Beets, cooked and sliced
1/4 c. Prepared Champagne Vinaigrette

Directions:
1. Add the lettuce and pecans to a bowl, then add the dressing; toss gently to coat the leaves. 
2. Add the sliced avocado and beets to the top. Serves 2. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 384, Carbs 20.4g, Fat 34.3g, Protein 4.5g, Fiber 9.3g

Champagne Vinaigrette
1 Garlic Clove
3 tbsp. Champagne Vinegar
4 tbsp. Canola Oil
1 tsp. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to a food processor (I used a mini one) and pulse until it has emulsified and formed a smooth consistency. Makes 1/2 cup, store the remainder in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

*Nutritional Information per 1 tbsp. Dressing: Calories 68, Carbs 1.8g, Fat 7g, Protein 0g, Fiber 0g

Enjoy!

Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

Welcome to Day 2 of Tomato Week here at CEK! 

I love waking up on a Sunday morning, having a cup of tea with my hubby before the kids get up and finding a movie on tv to watch while the house is quiet. A few Sunday's ago, that movie happened to be the 1991 film, Fried Green Tomatoes written by Fannie Flag. I just love this movie and can watch it over and over again, but the thought of making fried green tomatoes intrigued me. I had tried them out years ago and loved them, but never made them again. No real reason, I guess I just forgot. So when my father in law asked me to go pick more of his tomatoes, I grabbed some green ones this time too. 

I thought a dipping sauce to go with nicely with these and had recently been to Chili's restaurant where I tried some of their avocado dip they served with their southwestern egg rolls. So I cheated here a little bit and made this simple Avocado Ranch dip using bottled ranch dressing. These were crispy and delicious and the cool flavor of the creamy dip against the piping hot tomatoes was incredible!  These would make a great appetizer or side dish. 

Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce
12 Green Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 c. Flour (I used All-Purpose)
Egg wash (1 Egg + splash of 2% Milk)
1/2 c. Italian Flavored Breadcrumbs
Canola Oil, for frying

Directions:
1. Prepare three separate bowls for the flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs. 
2. First dip the tomato halves into the flour, then into the egg wash, and finally the breadcrumbs. Repeat for all pieces. 
3. Heat some oil in a frying pan, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. 
4. Add the tomatoes and fry 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned. 
5. Remove the tomatoes from the pan and drain on paper towels or brown paper bags to remove excess oil. Serve immediately with dipping sauce. Serves 4. 

Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce
1 Avocado
1/2 c. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

Directions:
1. Cut the avocado in half to remove the pit. 
2. Scoop out the insides and add to a mini food processor or blender. 
3. Add the ranch dressing and pulse until well blended and creamy. Makes 1 cup. 

Enjoy! 

*Tip: Best when served hot, immediately after frying. They didn't reheat well when placed in the microwave. 

Pasta Salad with Avocado & Black Beans in a Goat Cheese Lime Vinaigrette

Last June, I posted this information from the California Avocado Commission about how to select and peel a fresh avocado. Since it's been a while and I do use avocados quite often in the spring/summer months, I thought I'd share these helpful tips with you once again. 

Selecting Fresh Fruit

The best way to tell if a California Avocado is ready for immediate use is to gently squeeze the fruit in the palm of your hand. Ripe, ready-to-eat fruit will be firm yet will yield to gentle pressure. Color alone may not tell the whole story. The Hass avocado will turn dark green or black as it ripens, but other varieties retain their light-green skin even when ripe. If you plan to serve the fruit in a few days, stock up on hard, unripened fruit. Avoid fruit with dark blemishes on the skin or over soft fruit.

Peeling a California Avocado

1. Start with a ripe avocado and cut it lengthwise around the seed. Rotate the halves to separate. 

2. Remove the seed by sliding the tip of a spoon gently underneath and lifting out. The other common seed-extraction method - striking the seed with a knife and twisting - requires some skill and is not recommended.

3. Peel the fruit by placing the cut side down and removing the skin with a knife or your fingers, starting at the small end. Or simply scoop out the avocado meat with a spoon. Be sure to sprinkle all cut surfaces with lemon or lime juice or white vinegar to prevent discoloration.

I had picked up some ripe Hass avocados on my latest shopping trip thinking I would make some guacamole over the weekend but never got around to it. So here I had two avocados, now overly ripe and deep brown in color, and needed to make something with them. I decided to make a salad, always a good choice, and throw in some of those black beans (down to one can now! lol). Now you're asking "Why the goat cheese?". Well, I also had purchased some of that on sale a couple of weeks ago and forgot about it and it was going to expire in a couple of weeks so I threw some of that in the dressing too. It made a delicately light and creamy dressing for this pasta salad and all of the flavors blended nicely for a wonderful salad. 

Pasta Salad with Avocado & Black Beans in a Goat Cheese Lime Vinaigrette
1/2 Box Barilla Piccolini Mini Zucchini & Spinach Wheels Pasta
2 Ripe Hass Avocado, pitted and chopped
1-15oz. Can Black Beans, rinsed
1 Large Plum Tomato, diced
2 Scallions, chopped
Prepared Goat Cheese Lime Vinaigrette

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and let cool, then add to a large bowl. Add the avocado, beans, tomatoes, scallions and prepared vinaigrette and mix well. Makes 8 cups

Goat Cheese Lime Vinaigrette
1/4 c. Crumbled Goat Cheese
1 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Lime, juice only
1/4 c. Distilled White Vinegar
1/4 c. Canola Oil
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Whisk all ingredients together until they are well combined. 

*1/2 Cup Serving Nutritional Information: Calories 119, Carbs 15g, Fat 4g, Protein 4g

*1 Cup Serving Nutritional Information: Calories 237, Carbs 30g, Fat 9g, Protein 8g

Enjoy!

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into MyFitnessPal and may not be 100% accurate.

Pasta Salad with Avocado in a Ginger White Balsamic Vinaigrette

I recently came across a new vinegar from B.R. Cohn Winery & Olive Oil Company called Ginger White Balsamic Vinegar during a recent visit to Chef Central, a culinary super store for the home chef, and couldn't wait to try it out. Since the weather hit over 70 degrees yesterday (yes, in NJ at the beginning of March!), I decided I was going to make some grilled chicken and a pasta salad for dinner to kick off the unofficial start to Spring. This salad was incredibly light with subtle ginger flavors and the avocado added to the creaminess making this a wonderful side dish or stand alone salad. 

Pasta Salad with Avocado in a Ginger White Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 lb. Barilla Whole Grain Penne Pasta
2 Ripe Avocados, pit removed and diced
2 Plum Tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. Red Onion, chopped
1 tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated
3 tbsp. Ginger White BalsamicVinegar
1/4 c. Canola Oil
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped


Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and let cool, then add it to a bowl. Add the avocado, tomatoes, onion, ginger, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and parsley and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serves 4. 


Enjoy!


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Cookbook News: For the last 2 weeks I have been working on edits for the book and I'm happy to say, I am finally finished! It goes back to the publisher today for another 2 weeks, where they will review my additions/corrections, then back to me one last time for final approval so it's moving along nicely. They will also be working on a :15 second Book Trailer TV Commercial since I already have other forms of multimedia with this blog, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest and will air on the following stations: Discovery, Fox News, History Channel, Lifetime, Food Network, TLC, A&E, HGTV, ESPN, USA Network, CNN Headline News, AMC, Angel One, Animal Planet, The Weather Channel, CMT. I'm so excited and can't wait to see it! I'll keep you posted as I hear more. 

Guacamole Pasta with Sausage

I wanted guacamole on Superbowl Sunday, but never got around to making it. So I was left with four overly ripe avocados. Instead of making guacamole with it during the week, I decided to make a meal out of it and mix it with some pasta and sausage, which I had also taken out to make something with on that day. This pasta was so quick and easy to make and I loved the way the fresh cilantro, lime and avocado made a creamy sauce for the pasta. It was a definite hit for dinner with the family! You could also use pre-made guacamole if you have some left over or use chicken instead of sausage, I bet it would taste just as good. 

Guacamole Pasta with Sausage
1 lb. Pasta (I used Fusilli)
6 Links Italian Sausage, casings removed
1 c. Red Onion, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Jalepeno Pepper, finely chopped
1 Lime, zest and juice
2 tbsp. Cilantro, chopped
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
4 Ripe Avocados, removed from shell, pit removed and chopped
1/2 c. Low Sodium Chicken Broth


In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta according to package directions. In a separate large saute pan, add the sausage and break it apart until small bits and cook until there is no pink left. Next, add the onion, garlic, jalepeno, lime zest and juice and cilantro. Saute until the onions become translucent. Next add the tomatoes and avocado and mix well. Set aside until your pasta is cooked. After draining the water from the pasta, put it back in the pot and add the sausage mixture and the chicken broth, mix well until all ingredients have combined. Serves 6. 


Enjoy!

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Shared at Lady Behind the Curtain 2/8/12
Shared at Newlyweds Blog 2/8/12

Spinach Salad with Fresh Beets & Avocado in a Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

I always try to buy at least one new item that I've never purchased or made before each week while shopping and this week it was beets. Don't get me wrong. I've eaten them while dining at restaurants and had the childhood family favorite of Pickled Beets, but I've never once made them myself. So during this week's trip to the vegetable market, I picked one up. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it until I got to the grocery store and they had some avocado on sale because it was fully ripened. I decided to make this spinach salad with both ingredients and being that I had already purchased some cilantro this week, I also needed to use that up as well...hence, the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette. I thought it was delicious and the beets took on the flavors of the combined ingredients and made this salad a terrific and filling lunch. 

Spinach Salad with Fresh Beets & Avocado in a Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
4c. Fresh Spinach, rinsed and stems removed
1 Fresh Beet, cooked (see below) and chopped
1/2 Avocado, chopped
1/2 c. Grape Tomatoes, halved

In a bowl, gently tear spinach leaves into bite sized pieces. Next, add the beets, avocado and tomatoes. Add the dressing right before serving. Serves 2. 


Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
1 Lime, juice only
3 tbsp. Canola Oil
1 tsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Sugar

In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients until well blended. Add to prepared spinach salad when ready to serve. 

How to Cook a Fresh Beet
Place beet(s) in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until fork tender; approximately 30-45 minutes depending on the size/quantity. Let cool and peel skin then slice or chop. 

Points+=9 pts.

 
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