Recipe: Linguine with a Creamy Avocado-and-Spinach Sauce

I'm one of those people who just randomly gets hooked on certain foods. A month ago, it was Eggo waffles. A few weeks ago, it was hard boiled eggs (but only if they were freshly boiled and still warm). The past week, it's been almonds and those little tiny chocolate liquor bottles with real liquor inside (random, I know). Another thing I've been eating a lot of lately is avocado—avocados are rich and creamy with a delicate flavor and I've been eating them like it's my job. So, when I found a pasta recipe that involved using avocados to make a creamy sauce, I was all over it.

Serves: 4-6
Prep. time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Food processor

Ingredients

• 1 box (16 oz.) linguine or other long pasta 
• 1/2 reserved pasta water, as needed (to thin the sauce)
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted
• Juice of 1 lime
• Zest of 1 lime
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 jalapeno 
• 1/4 cup packed basil (approx. 2 packages of pre-packed basil)
• 1 cup packed baby spinach
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Grated Italian cheeses, to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions (approx. 9-11 minutes; remember to save some of the pasta water after the pasta has cooked). While the pasta is cooking, add the avocado, lime juice and zest, garlic, jalapeno, basil, spinach, olive oil, and salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse to blend, until smooth. Add a little pasta water, if needed, to slightly thin out the sauce. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and return it to the pot, then add the sauce and toss to combine. Serve topped with grated Italian cheese, as desired.

When my dad tasted this sauce, his response was "Ooo! It's like guacamole. Kinda." Yeah. It kind of is, Dad. This sauce is creamy and fresh-tasting, with a little kick of heat from the jalapeno, and you could probably just as easily pour it on a taco or blend it into salsa to create an all new dish. And, really, besides being delicious, it's pretty healthy too. Avocados are fatty, but they're a good fat, and you get a solid serving of veggies with the spinach and basil added in too. Add chicken, shrimp, or even bacon to add a little more protein to this dish. 

Recipe: Warm Avocado Soup with Adobo Sour Cream

I had two small avocados slowly aging in the bottom drawer of the fridge, half a red onion languishing on the top shelf, and a box of leftover sweet potato fries stuffed under a container of grated parmesan cheese. In an effort to get at least one of these things out of the fridge, I went in search of recipes and came across one for a warm avocado soup that got me inspired. I added ground coriander in place of fresh cilantro and used adobo seasoning (a blend of cumin, Mexican oregano, black pepper, and other herbs and spices) to flavor the sour cream garnish, and the finished dish was absolutely delicious. Now, when I post recipes, I try to be as accurate as possible with my measurements and instructions, but to be completely honest, this was mostly a "let's throw some stuff together and see what I can get" kind of thing. I only had enough avocado to make a single bowl of soup and I adjusted the flavors mostly by tasting rather than using precise measurement, but the recipe I've posted here should be a pretty accurate four-person version (and really, you should taste everything you make as you're making it anyway to make sure you like the taste and so you can adjust as needed).

Serves: 4
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Special equipment: Food processor

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil, or enough to coat the bottom of a medium pot
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 small or 4 large avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into small cubes
• Approx. 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. lime juice, or more to taste
• 1 tbsp. ground coriander, or more to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp. adobo seasoning, or more to taste

Directions

Mix the sour cream and adobo seasoning together with a spoon and set aside. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium (about 6 quarts) pot, then add in the onion and cook until slightly tender and slightly translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, then add the chicken broth, lime juice, ground coriander, and avocado and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour half of the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth, then pour into a separate bowl. Pour the second half of the mixture into the food processor and blend until smooth. Pour all of the blended mixture back into the pot used for cooking and cook over medium heat until bubbling just slightly and hot all the way through. Serve in bowls with a dollop of the sour cream-adobo mixture and a sprinkling of adobo on top.

This soup is incredibly creamy, velvety, and rich, with hints of lime and coriander that add a subtle pop of flavor. The adobo seasoning, which is made with cumin, Mexican oregano, and a few other herbs and spices, adds a kick of heat and a savory earthiness to the cool sour cream, which is delicious swirled into the soup. This would be the perfect start to a Mexican-themed meal and it could easily be turned into a light, creamy dip for a side quesadillas or fried tortilla strips. 

Recipe: Pancetta, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta

First of all, my apologies for not posting since last week—I just got hired part-time at Macy's, so between job training, culinary classes, and my first few days of work, I've been busy, tired, and I've had no time to cook. I finally had time to sit down yesterday and pick out some recipes for the end of this week and early next week and I finally got to try out the "Gourmet" setting on my new camera tonight. The recipe I'm sharing tonight is summery, so it's a little out of place with the cool weather and rain we've been having lately, but it was so good, I can look past that. I came across it here and was really intrigued when I read that this warm pasta dish, made with familiar Italian ingredients, like tomatoes and pancetta, had cubes of creamy avocado tossed in at the end. Avocado is typically served as is (like a slice on a sandwich or cubes tossed in a salad) or blended into guacamole and I rarely see it in a cooked dish like this (though I've read a little bit about trying to use avocado as a pasta sauce...kind of weird). Mixing rich pieces of avocado into pasta with bright grape tomatoes, crispy pancetta, and a dash of red pepper flakes creates a light dish that's absolutely delicious and pretty unique.

Serves: 4-6
Prep. time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 lb. short pasta (I used rotini, but gemelli, penne, or farfalle are good options too)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of a large pan
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup pancetta, cut into small cubes (I bought a 4 oz. pack of pre-cut pieces, which makes this dinner a little easier and quicker to make)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 cup canned diced or chopped tomatoes, measured with their juices
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup reserved cooking fluid
• 1 large avocado, cubed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Basil, fresh or dried, to taste

Directions
Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions (about 8-10 minutes). Drain, return to the pot, cover, and set aside. In the meantime, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and pancetta and cook until the pancetta gets a little crispy around the edges (about 5 minutes). Add the grape tomatoes and cover the pan, cooking the tomatoes until they begin to gently "pop" their skins (the skins will split and crack and the tomatoes will be slightly soft; about 5 minutes). Add the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and basil (if using dry) and cooked for 5 minutes, allowing the mixture to blend. Pour the tomato and pancetta mixture into the pot of pasta and toss to mix. Add the avocado and gently toss to combine (avocado is very soft and will break down and smear everywhere if you stir too vigorously). Top with fresh basil and Italian cheese (Pecorino-Romano is best) if desired.

This dish has a perfect combination of brightness, creaminess, and saltiness. I absolutely love the taste of a cooked grape tomato as it bursts in my mouth—it has a mix of sweetness and acidity and, though I've used the word repeatedly throughout this post, it really has a beautiful bright taste that wakes up your mouth. The creamy avocado is so subtle in this dish, but its creaminess helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes in this dish and adds a unique texture to the dish. Salty pancetta and a sprinkling of Pecorino-Romano are the perfect compliment to the other flavors in the dish. I'm not sure how well this will reheat, because avocado is generally not cooked (in this dish, it's tossed in at the end of cooking and the hot pasta helps warm it), but I think it would work well as a cold pasta salad, or you could set the avocado cubes in a dish at the table so people can add their own to their dish at the table.

Recipe: "Cowboy Caviar" (Veggie Salsa)

I got this recipe from my best friend, Emmie, and her family, and it quickly became my go-to dish for picnics, parties, and summer snacking. I can't, for the life of me, remember where its name came from, but it's essentially a chunky vegetable salsa served best with tortilla chips. When I first encountered this dish, Emmie and I were preparing it for a Stanley Cup party at her place back in 2009 (the Pittsburgh Penguins were the champs that year! So awesome!). I wasn't that enthusiastic about the ingredients at the time (I'd never had avocado, I wasn't a fan of tomatoes, and I was pretty sure I'd hate the black beans), but Emmie insisted it would all come together perfectly and I'd love it—and she was right. It's chunky, packed with flavor, and a great way to get your vegetable serving for the day.
 

Served in Tostitos Scoops chips

Serves: Many
Prep. time: 10-20 minutes
Cooking time: No cooking necessary
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 lime, juiced (or approx. 2 tbsp. bottled lime juice)
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 4 avocados, chopped
• 1 (14.5 or 15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes (I like to drain some of the liquid from the can, but it's not necessary)
• 1 (14.5 or 15 oz.) can black beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 or 15 oz.) can yellow corn, drained
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions
Add the black beans, corn, red onion, tomatoes, and avocado to a large bowl. Be sure the red onion pieces are small, because the flavor is very strong and getting a huge chunk of red onion in your mouth is not very tasty. Gently stir the ingredients together to mix, being careful not to crush the avocado. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste, and stir a little more to mix. Add cilantro if desired (my mom hates cilantro, so I only add it if she's not around to eat it). Serve with tortilla chips or pita/flat bread.
It keeps for 3-5 days in the fridge (though my dad will keep eating it for a week or more)—the avocado will start to brown fairly quickly, but while the mixture may not look as appealing after the first day, it's just as tasty! If you use fresh limes, I highly recommend keeping the zest and using it in another dish. It's such a shame to waste such a delicious ingredient. I'm planning on using the lime zest from today to make mini lime cheesecakes tomorrow—recipe to follow, of course!

Close up of those delicious veggies

This salsa is delicious, and pretty healthy (if you don't eat too many tortilla chips with it). It's great for parties (I made it for a Super Bowl party during my junior year of college and it was a big hit), but it also works great as an easy summer snack.