My Cooking Adventures

I had this craving for guacamole dip when I was home visiting my family in Alabama. I guess I've been living in California long enough to have found a love for avocados!



source: Alton Brown on FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

I finally got to cook last night! I have been moving around so much lately, that I haven't been able to cook like I used to. It felt so wonderful to be back in the kitchen!

Zippy Beef Casserole

adapted from allrecipes.com (search title above)

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 pound ground beef
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Onion salt
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, stirring until evenly browned; drain. Stir in cooked macaroni, condensed soup, milk, and ketchup until well blended. Mix in the Cheddar cheese. Season with onion salt, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish.

Cover, and bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, sprinkle the top with crackers, and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until crackers are toasted.

Ok, I didn't actually make this, but a friend did, and it is so addictive!! I can't stop eating it! I did help a little...I added the avocados to the dip. :)


Source: FoodNetwork.com


Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, cut into 4-inch long and 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick fries
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Coarse ground rock salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Avocado Dip, recipe follows

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and toss with olive oil until the sweet potatoes are coated. Add the paprika, chili powder, coriander, salt, and pepper; toss to distribute evenly.
Arrange the coated fries in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes on the lower rack until the sweet potatoes soften. Transfer the pan to the upper rack of the oven and bake 10 minutes longer, until fries are crispy. Serve with Avocado Dip.


Avocado Dip

Ingredients:
1 avocado, see Cook's Note*
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup cream cheese
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped.
2 scallions, white and light green part only, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions
Place the avocado, mayonnaise, cream cheese, jalapeno, scallions, and lime juice into a blender or small food processor. Blend for 1 minute or until you have a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve as a dip for the Sweet Potato Oven Fries.

* Cook's Note: We find that Hass avocados make the smoothest and best tasting Avocado dip.