Avocado Party!

I have previously established that I think that avocados are quite possibly the world’s most perfect food. Compact, nutrient packed, avocados are a portable nutrient powerhouse and I love them. So it should come as no surprise that I decided to host an avocado party.

I decided to go with an Avocado Luncheon where each course included avocados. I had nine guests and it was a lot of fun!

First up was (of course) guacamole. Served with multigrain corn chips, my guacamole is laced with diced tomatoes, jalapeno and cilantro. Instead of the typical garlic-which I often find harsh-mine includes finely minced shallot. For an impressive presentation I highly recommend purchasing a molcajete (mohl-ka-hey-te) which is basically a giant mortar and pestle. Ingredients are combined and served right in the molcajete…it looks so rustic.
Quick Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeds removed, diced
1/4 cup finely diced grape or plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in molcajete or medium sized bowl; mash to combine.

Lunch was an avocado and citrus salad with a jalapeno vinaigrette. On the side were Avocado, Bacon and Sprout Sandwiches with Lemon-Pepper Crème Fraiche. Sandwiches were served on small Ciabatta rolls.

Avocado Citrus Salads with Jalapeno Avocado Oil Vinaigrette

8 cups mixed greens
2 seedless oranges, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large red grapefruit, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 ripe avocados, peeled, seed and coarsely chopped
Jalapeno Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup Avocado oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
2 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Arrange greens on a large serving platter. Scatter the oranges, grapefruit and avocado over the greens.

In a small food processor combine the avocado oil, vinegar, lime juice, shallot, jalapeno, salt and pepper; process until smooth.

Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad.

Avocado, Bacon and Sprout Ciabatta Sandwiches with Lemon Pepper Crème Fraiche

Lemon Pepper Crème Fraiche:
1 cup crème fraiche
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Sandwiches:
1 lb. thick sliced maple flavored bacon
2 cups sprouts, rinsed and patted dry
3-4 avocados, peeled, seeds removed, mashed
10 Ciabatta rolls, split

In a small bowl stir together the crème fraiche, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper and salt; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels.

Spread the crème fraiche on the bottom half of each roll, top with the sprouts, followed by the bacon. Spread the mashed avocado on the top half of each roll and arrange on top of sandwiches.

Makes 10 sandwiches

Dessert was my favorite part of the party! I debated on how to serve the avocado for dessert-I had read online that in some countries avocados are mashed and sprinkled with sugar to be eaten as dessert. That was not particularly appealing to me. I love the combination of avocado and mango so I decided to go with those flavors in a sundae. Edy’s (Dreyers in some parts of the country) makes a Tart Mango Frozen Yogurt that is absolutely amazing!

Tart Mango Frozen Yogurt with Avocado-Coconut Sauce and Toasted Coconut

1/2 avocado
1/4 cup Crème de Coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 cups Edy’s Tart Mango Frozen Yogurt
1 cup flaked coconut, lightly toasted

In a blender (Magic Bullet works great here) combine the avocado, Crème de Coconut and heavy cream and blend until smooth.

Place 1/2 cup of frozen yogurt into each 10 serving bowls. Drizzle the Avocado-Coconut cream over frozen yogurt and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.

Makes 10 servings

Gazpacho and Avocado-lime Chicken Pitas

Well I had every good intention of posting my Barefoot Blogger's Gazpacho before I left to go away, but you know how it goes...I mean I had to pack for everyone! So here it is now and as an added bonus I've included the recipe for a tasty little pita sandwich that I served with it.

The Gazpacho, the second of the June recipes for the Barefoot Bloggers was selected byMeryl of My Bit of Earth. Barefoot Bloggers are a group of bloggers that prepare two Ina Garten (aka: The Barefoot Contessa) recipes each month (unless you go away and then have to prepare 3 Ina Garten recipes in one month!).

So yeah, Gazpacho...cold tomato soup...hmmm. Well, because it was an Ina Garten recipe the flavors were really delicious, but I've got to tell you I'm not much for the cold soup thing. Hot, steamy July day withstanding, I'd still rather have my soup hot (which truthfully I did! I warmed up my little bowl in the microwave and served it just warm...and you know what...it was great!) The recipe for Ina's Gazpacho is here.

On the side I served a tasty little pita stuffed with chicken, broccoli slaw, avocado and tomato...it was the perfect accompaniment. Broccoli slaw is a delicious (and healthful) convenience I found in the produce aisle of the supermarket. It is a combination of shredded broccoli, cabbage and carrots all conveniently packaged and ready to eat.

I have long been a broccoli hater that has really wanted to be a broccoli at least liker, but I just haven't been able to stomach it. I know how good broccoli is for you and I really, really want to like it and this has made it almost possible! I love this stuff...it is fabulous tucked in a sandwich for a delicious, healthful crunch. I also love to quickly blanch it, season lightly with salt and pepper then serve it with grilled meats...simple and delicious!

Avocado-lime Chicken Pitas

1 avocado, seed removed, diced

8 grape tomatoes, very thinly sliced

1 cup broccoli slaw

1 cup small diced cooked chicken (such as leftover grilled or store-bought rotisserie)

4 basil leaves, very finely chopped

1 teaspoon lime juice

2 teaspoons red pepper flavored olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 small whole wheat pitas, split open

In a large bowl, combine the diced avocado, tomatoes, broccoli slaw, chicken, basil, lime juice, oil, kosher salt and pepper; stir gently to combine well.

Using a small spoon, stuff the pitas with the filling, evenly dividing.

Yield: 4 pita sandwiches

Avocado Oil and a Seductive Tomato

I have made evident in the past my love of the avocado; so it should come as no surprise that the other day while I was perusing my supermarket for something interesting I was drawn to a bottle of avocado oil.

Hmmm oil of an avocado...I knew it was "fatty" fruit (albeit the "good" kind of fat), but it honestly never occurred to me that there was such a thing as avocado oil; into the cart it went and off I went to find something to use it with.

During the "non-local-tomato-months" I am generally a purchaser only of those mini plastic containers of grape or cherry tomatoes since I often find the supermarket tomatoes to be gritty and flavorless. Well here we are June in Connecticut and obviously no one is harvesting tomatoes at any of the farms around here, but for whatever reason the Heirloom tomato selection at our local Whole Foods was looking rather seductive and quite honestly I could not resist a shapely and bright, yellow tomato. It was settled I would use my avocado oil for a salad using the yellow tomato, herb salad mix, and fresh mozzarella cheese.

This past weekend my H and I enjoyed a few glasses of a tasty Argentinian Malbec, but (shockingly) did not finish the bottle. Not being one to let tasty wine go to waste I decided to make a reduction to add to my salad. I had about 2/3 of a cup left and reduced it down to a tangy little tablespoon and swirled in a touch of honey-it was a perfect accent.

The avocado oil gave a lovely essence of avocado flavor to the salad. I am certain that a diced avocado added to the salad would be over the top delicious so in the future that is the only change I will make. But for today I'm cutting a few calories at lunch so that I can enjoy the tasty Carvel Ice Cream Cake I bought for my DH for his birthday today!

Heirloom Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Avocado Oil and a Honeyed Malbec Reduction

2/3 cup Malbec

1/4 teaspoon wildflower honey

8 cups mixed salad greens

1 small shallot, very thinly sliced

3 large yellow Heirloom tomato, each cut into 6 slices

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 8 slices

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 teaspoons Avocado oil

2 tablespoons finely sliced fresh basil

In small skillet over medium high heat reduce the Malbec to 1 tablespoon; stir in the honey, pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool.

Divide the greens between 4 serving plates. Scatter the shallots over the greens. Alternate the tomato and the cheese and fan over the greens on each plate. Season each salad with the salt and pepper.

Drizzle each salad with a teaspoon of the Malbec reduction and two teaspoons of the oil. Garnish each with the fresh basil.

Yield: 4 salads

Holy Edamole!

For many, the arrival of a new year means a sometimes short, often times lengthy list of resolutions. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it) my list was easy to make this year-I just used last year's list. Sadly I never followed through with any of my well intentioned resolutions in 2008.

1. Giving up soda-OK that was a tough one. No one loves Diet Dr. Pepper like I do. What is a soda addict to do when Pepsi rolls out Diet Pepsi Max (looove it)? How can I resist when there is Coke Zero-a diet soda lover's carbonated sugar substitute dream come true? And don't get me started on Jones Cream Soda.

2. Trying to eat a more healthful diet-My eating life and food thought have long been a contradiction. One of the best books I read in 2008 was In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan; his words "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants" haunted me constantly over the last year as this confessed Twinkie addict (yes, my name is Veronica and I am a Twinkie addict) downed countless sugary treats, fat laden and processed foods. I will say that over the past year I did try to be a "conscious eater" -I just wasn't always successful in making conscientious choices.

So here I am today faced with the same lofty goals (for me anyway) I set last year. I will humbly try yet again to give up soda (I'm doing pretty well right now with that one-it's only a real struggle when I'm at the checkout at Target) and I will attempt yet again to eat a more healthful diet in general.

First up I'm adding a new veggie to the menu in our house: edamame.

"Edamame?" you shout, incredulously.

"Where have you been??" you ask, snickering.

For those of you like me who have seen the edamame in the freezer or produce aisle in the supermarket and have chosen to either ignore its presence (weird name, can't pronounce it, it looks like peas) or simply feared it (weird name, can't pronounce it, it looks like peas) Edamame are simply soybeans. They are sold in the supermarket in either the whole pod variety or the loose peeled variety and according to the American Academy of Family Physicians they "...contain all the essential amino acids necessary for human nutrition and have been grown and harvested for thousands of years" (I know, where have I been??) Well I'm using them now.

Super tips: I used my favorite Christmas present a molcajete (mole-ka-hay-te) to make this soy twist on guacamole, but you can use any medium sized bowl. Also be careful with the edamame that you use, some of the packaged varieties (like this one that I found in the produce department at Whole Foods) are already salted so there will be no need to add any extra salt.

Edamole

1/2 cup edamame (thawed if frozen), mashed (or given a quick whirl in a Magic Bullet-like device which I did along with the shallot)

1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and seeded

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

1 small shallot, minced

1 teaspoon jalapeno pepper, minced, seeds and membranes removed*

2 teaspoons lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl or mocajete; mash together to combine. Serve with freshly sliced veggies or baked chips or use as a spread for sandwiches.

*Use more or less depending on your personal preference and you can leave some of the seeds in if you would like to give it an extra kick.

Mini Chicken Sandwiches with Veggie Spread

Why is it that if it's little it seems to tastes better?

Well that's what my kids always thought anyway. When they were really little, I would often cut my kids sandwiches into shapes with cookie cutters and magically a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread became worthy of being eaten. Even Oscar Mayer seemed to know what was going on in my kitchen - they came out with those Lunchables and of course my kids had to have them...they're little sandwiches, they're cute (I'm sure the candy and sugary juice drink that I would never have included in their lunch boxes helped too). I have found now that I actually prefer "little" sandwiches too, but that's probably because then I can eat two of them and feel like I'm getting away with something.

A creamy vegetable spread is the base for these sandwiches made using "cocktail bread". The spread can use any variety of vegetables. An obvious addition would be scallions-I've excluded them here because my family prefers to not have an "oniony" tasting spread. I had a hard time not eating all the spread, because it's rather tasty by itself just spread on the cocktail bread.

Fillings could vary according to your personal taste, but I've used sliced Boar's Head Chicken breast from my supermarket. Boar's Head in my opinion has the best tasting cold cuts-when we first moved here from New York I was devastated that you could not buy Boar's Head brand...but thankfully a makeover at our local Stop and Shop a few years later brought with it Boar's Head brand and all is now well.

Mini Chicken Sandwiches with Veggie Spread

Veggie Spread:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons finely chopped carrot

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

pinch of salt

Sandwiches:

16 slices pumpernickel cocktail bread (2"x2")

Romaine lettuce

1/2 pound good quality sliced chicken breast

1 large ripe tomato

1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and thinly slice

In a small food processor combine the cream cheese, carrot, jalapeno pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and salt; process just until combined (it's best if it's left a little chunky).

Spread a generous amount of the veggie spread onto 8 slices of the cocktail bread. Top the spread with a slice of Romaine lettuce, cut to fit the bread. Follow with a few slices of the chicken breast, a tomato slice and/or an avocado slice. Top sandwiches with the remaining bread slices.

Please don't forget to vote for my recipe on Dole Way to Snack! See the upper right hand corner of the screen for a link. I only need about 10,000 more votes to win the trip to Hawaii!!

Tomato, Avocado & Mozzarella Stack with Mango-Cilantro Dressing

My next door neighbor told me once (in her delightful British accent) that she hates when she makes a recipe that calls for some particular ingredient, say cilantro, and you only use a bit of it. But when you are at the supermarket you can't just buy a bit of it you need to buy the whole bunch. What are you to do with all the leftover cilantro?

My most recent recipe was for a grilled scallop salad that was drizzled with a cilantro dressing. Well, I had quite a bit of leftover cilantro and when I bought the mangoes they were 3 for $4.00 So I have one of those left as well. In the interest of not wasting food I thought I would put something together that would make good use of the leftovers.

This salad calls for fresh mozzarella. I am fortunate enough to have a (super) supermarket that makes mozzarella cheese fresh right in front of you in the store (it's quite fun to watch). When I bought it the other day it was still warm and wrapped up right in front of me...it melts in your mouth. Basically what I'm trying to say is try if you can to get fresh mozzarella cheese, the texture is just so much better than the prepackaged variety and worth the bit extra you may have to spend.

I thought of this after I ate the salad, but it would have been really good with thin slices of the mango added. The mango in the dressing really made this salad pop-I hope you think so too.

Tomato, Avocado & Mozzarella Stack with Mango-Cilantro Dressing

1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced

2 Large tomatoes, thinly sliced

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Coarse salt, such as French Grey salt or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:

1/4 cup diced mango

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tablespoon cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Fan 4 slices of avocado on each of four salad plates. Layer the tomato and mozzarella cheese (you can add a bit of dressing between each layer if you would like) on top of the avocado, evenly dividing and ending with tomato. Fan 2 small slices of avocado on top of the tomato. Sprinkle each salad with the cilantro and drizzle with a generous amount of the dressing. Season each with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

For the dressing: combine the mango, lime juice, olive oil, shallot, cilantro, salt and pepper in a blender container or small food processor; blend until smooth.

Yield: 4 stacks

Arugula Salad in Portobello Mushroom Bowls

Salad week continues with a vegetarian salad today.

It was almost a fast food day and not a salad day at all. My girl broke her arm. There is no exciting story behind it. She broke it in the most benign way-Irish dancing. Who knew Irish dancing was a contact sport? One leap in the air followed by a bad foot plant and now she's sporting a cast the color of a traffic cone. Needless to say what started as a simple day became a little more complicated than planned.


My girl and her best buddy Duffy

I was (surprisingly) able to pull it all together and make my salad as planned.

When I was shopping at the supermarket this week I was drawn to some beautiful extra large Portobello mushroom caps. The caps looked like large shallow bowls waiting to be filled. I think the salad is best when the caps are warm-I really like the contrast of cool and hot in a salad. But if you prefer, you may grill the caps ahead of time and serve them cooled.

I wanted today's salad selection to be a vegetarian one. But if you prefer to have meat of some kind in your salad, I think smoked ham, bacon or prosciutto would be an excellent addition.

Take care when grilling the caps as once they are tender the edges can break easily, so turn over and remove with care.


Arugula, Avocado and Tomato Salad in Grilled Portobello Bowls

4 large Portobello mushrooms caps
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups mixed greens with arugula
1 avocado, seeded, peeled and diced
1 large tomato diced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

Walnut Pesto Dressing:
1/4 cup basil leaves, packed
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat a grill to medium high heat.

Gently scrape the gills from the underside of each Portobello mushroom and trim down the stem as far as possible.

Lightly brush each cap with the oil and place directly on the grill rack. Grill for 3 minutes then carefully flip with a spatula and grill for an additional 3 minutes. Caps should be lightly browned and just tender.

Arrange 1 cup of the greens in the underside of each mushroom cap. Top each with the avocado, tomato and diced onion. Sprinkle each with Parmesan cheese and walnuts, evenly dividing. Drizzle each salad with Walnut Pesto Dressing.

To make the Walnut Pesto Dressing: combine the basil, walnuts, lemon juice, water, oil salt and pepper in a blender container; blend until smooth.

Yield: 4 salads

What the Jicama (hee-kah-ma) is it?

When I was a kid there was a TV show on Metromedia channel 5 in the New York metropolitan area called Wonderama. Hosted by the always jovial Bob McCallister, Wonderama was part kids talk show, part kids game show and totally the "not to be missed show" on Sunday mornings before church. Just about every kid I knew dreamed of being in the studio audience. One of my favorite segments on the show was "What the heck is it?" where Bob would hold up some unusual object and the kids in the audience would have to guess what it was. I'm not sure whether the jicama ever made it on to Wonderama, but I'm certain that the average kid or even the average adult probably wouldn't know what it was if held up for a guess.

The jicama is a tasty legume that to me is almost like a cross between an apple and a cucumber. They're grown in Mexico and South America and known by a few different names: the Mexican yam bean, Chinese turnip or Mexican potato. Jicama makes a delicious addition to salads and slaws or try slicing them thin and using them in place of crackers for hordouvres. When selecting jicama in the supermarket look for a smooth, unblemished skin and make sure it is firm to the touch.

This recipe uses jicama as a crunchy addition to chicken tostadas. You may either dice or julienne the jicama. An easy tip for preparation is to cut the jicama in half before peeling and then cut as desired.

Crunchy Grilled Chicken Tostadas with Creamy Guacamole Drizzle

4 Boneless chicken breast halves, thin sliced

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon Red pepper flavored extra virgin olive oil

4 Corn tortillas

1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce

1 cup diced or julienne jicama, peeled

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 Jalapeno pepper, minced, seeds and membranes removed

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

Brush both sides of the chicken breasts with the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the preheated grill and cook 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and cooked through. Remove chicken to a cutting board.

Place the corn tortillas directly on the grill rack and divide 1/2 the cheese evenly between each; close the grill and cook just until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

To assemble, place the corn tortillas cheese side up on serving plates. Layer each tortilla with the lettuce, jicama, tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. Carve the chicken into thin slices and fan over the tostadas and top with the remaining cheese. Drizzle each with the Creamy Guacamole Drizzle, recipe follows.

Creamy Guacamole Drizzle
1 Ripe avocado, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. Drizzling tip: transfer creamy guacamole to a plastic bag, snip off a tiny corner and squeeze to drizzle over tostadas.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Beef, Chicken or Turkey?

No surprise here...it's taco night. Which kind do you prefer? Beef, chicken or turkey?

Tacos are something we will pretty much all eat in our house-beef, chicken or even turkey. Tonight, it's turkey. I sometimes get frustrated with the supermarkets in my town - they always have ground turkey, but not always ground turkey breast; and let me tell you my friends, big difference.

If I had to choose between a beef taco and a turkey taco with just regular ground turkey, I'm going with the beef-ordinary ground turkey has comparable fat and calorie counts to the ground beef so I might as well enjoy the beef. But with the ground turkey breast, there is a significant difference in fat and calories and there is no need to drain any fat-the meat just goes from pan to taco shell or tortilla.

I just love Shady Brook Farms ground turkey breast for tacos. It's 99 percent fat free and it really makes great tasting tacos-with no draining necessary. It can be a bit pricier compared with buying ground beef or even regular ground turkey-it's usually around $4.99 for 1.3 lbs.

Jennie-O makes the ground breast of turkey also and I will buy that when I can find it too. Leftovers make a really great taco salad for lunch the next day or sometimes I will toss it in some pasta with some cheese, peppers and onions to make "taco pasta".

The recipe for the spice seasoning comes from Devin Alexander's cookbook Fast Food Fix. It's a great little cookbook with recipes to make more healthful versions of fast food favorites. (My kids especially love the "Burger Chicken Tenders" from the book-they really do taste a lot like BK!

I cook the ground turkey with the spice seasoning mix and serve the tacos with an avocado pico de gallo. Muy delicioso!

Taco Bell Seasoning Mix by Devin Alexander

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of cumin

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, chili powder, paprika, onion, garlic powder, salt and cumin. Stir to mix well. Transfer to a jar or other airtight container. Store in a cool dark spot for up to 1 month.

Makes 2 tablespoons

Soft Turkey Tacos with Avocado Pico de Gallo

1 pound ground turkey

2 tablespoons "Taco Bell Seasoning" (recipe above)

2/3 cup water

8 corn or flour tortillas

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup small dice tomatoes

1/4 cup finely diced shallot

1 jalapeno, seeds removed, minced

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 avocado, small dice

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Cook the turkey breast in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink; stir frequently. Stir in the taco seasoning and the water. Cook until the water is almost completely absorbed, about 7-10 minutes.

Warm the tortillas on a microwave safe plate covered with a damp paper towel for 1 minute on high in the microwave.

To serve, divide the turkey between the tortillas, top with the cheese and the lettuce.

Stir together the tomatoes, shallot, jalapeno, lime juice, avocado, cilantro, salt and pepper. Spoon over the lettuce in each taco

I often serve these tacos with Margaritas for the grownups, lemonade for the kids and the Spicy Pepita Pilaf on the side, but any Mexican style rice would work well. Ole!

Avocados: the perfect food?

Avocados are quite possibly the world's most perfect food. They are compact, they are nutritious, they add color to whatever you are making and most importantly they are delicious.

I'm rather ashamed to say that I only first tasted an avocado in 2004. A recipe that I had created for a hamburger was selected for Sutter Home's Build a Better Burger Challenge that year and it included avocados. While my husband had been enjoying the burger all along with the tasty tomato-avocado topping, I would carefully pick out the avocado-it was green and mushy...I couldn't eat green and mushy. But fear that I would possibly be asked on national television (it was filmed by the Food Network) to eat my burger in its entirety made me toss caution to the wind and taste the burger-avocados and all- at home.

Let's just say that since then I've more than made up for my error in judgement. Green and mushy rules. (Now brussel sprouts, I would never try those.) So now I am forever trying to incorporate those tasty "alligator pears" into everything I make. For the record, an avocado topped burger did win that year and it was delicious-just not mine!

Here are a few tips on selecting the perfect avocado at the supermarket:

-Gently squeeze the avocado, it should yield slightly with a little pressure, but still be slightly firm. If you know that you won't be eating it for a few days buy a firmer one.

-Some varieties will turn dark green or even black when ripe, while other varieties may still be a lighter green.

-Don't buy an avocado that feels as though the skin has separated from the flesh-it's past its prime.

-Avoid skins with marks or blemishes.

-If you do buy an unripened avocado, place in a brown paper bag for a day or so and it should soften.

-Once ripe, store the avocados in the refrigerator.

Avocados go well with so many of my favorite foods, but I think the ultimate pairing for me would have to be avocado with citrus. This salad is something I like to make for lunch (I'm trying so hard to eat more salads). Sometimes I will throw a piece of salmon on the grill then squeeze a little orange juice on it and serve it on the side. My second favorite way to enjoy avocados is right out of the shell with a little coarse salt. Mmm.

Avocado Orange Salad with Citrus Garlic Toasts

2 tablespoons butter softened

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped orange zest

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 slices french bread, cut 1/4 inch thick

6 cups shredded Romaine lettuce

2 avocados, peeled, seeds removed, thinly sliced

2 large seedless oranges, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 shallot, very thinly sliced

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl combine the butter, orange zest, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper; spread the butter evenly onto all sides of the French bread slices.

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Place the buttered French bread slices in the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on both sides.

Divide the shredded lettuce between 4 serving plates. Scatter the oranges and avocado over the lettuce and top each salad with the shallot.

Arrange one toast standing up in each salad. Drizzle each salad with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper.