Avocado Chocolate Pudding

I am well aware that the concept of mixing avocado and chocolate together might repel a few of you away from this blog entry. Nevertheless, I have built up the courage to share this beneficial dessert option.  My brother’s wife was kind enough to introduce me to this healthy chocolate pudding alternative without sacrificing taste or texture. Let’s face it, the reason we eat pudding is for the rich, silky smooth flavors that easily satisfy every chocolate lovers’ taste buds.

Now for some convincing! In case you haven’t already skipped down to the recipe, avocados are available year round and easily accessible at your local supermarket. I prefer purchasing them at Farmers’ Markets as you can purchase them for next to nothing, and they are usually ripe for the picking. Their creamy texture has given them the top spot in my books for culinary versatility. Not to mention that they are packed with fiber (keeping you fuller longer), vitamin E, and antioxidants that will keep those pretty eyes of yours protected. So instead of grabbing a snack-pack pre-packaged pudding, why not give this choco-avocado delight a try?

Xo Dom Appetit!

PS. this recipe makes about a cup, but after 3-4 tablespoons your craving will be satisfied!

Avocado Chocolate Pudding

Prep Time: 10 mins

Tools needed: small smoothie blender (or food processor), measuring spoons and cups, cutting board, paring knife

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados (pitted and peeled)
4 tablespoons of cocoa
3 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of water

Directions:

1)  Pit and peel avocados and throw into blender. Add water, cocoa, and honey. Blend until all items are smooth (you can add more honey to make it as sweet as you please!)

 

Edamame Succotash

This past weekend I made a promise to myself to be more proactive with my cooking and overall health. This could have been triggered by a Saturday night binge including a slice of 99 cent pizza, terrible Chinese take-out, and PC’s new pepperoni pizza bites with garlic dipping sauce (not the wisest choice). My grand idea of Sunday detoxification from those nightmarish calories included 90 minutes in the torture chamber of Bikram Hatha Yoga. For those of you who are not familiar with this practice, let me fill you in. Picture this: holding 26 different positions for two minutes at a time in a 40 degree room, with no way out. Our instructor, who has the tightest abs I have ever seen, mandated that we were not to leave the room at any point during the class. Her explanation, “to not disturb the others’ practice”. I reckon, it is much safer to have my sister and I feeling roller coaster nausea, near black out state, begging for this moment to end… and yes, I will be returning tomorrow for round two.

After experiencing this toxin releasing stretch-fest, the last thing I could think of is putting more junk in my body. I was craving something refreshing without sacrificing any taste. So I quickly filtered through my latest copy of the Food Network mag, and stumbled across this amazing Edamame salad recipe. It includes my favourite fresh veggies: corn, red peppers, red onions, and ….Applewood-smoked bacon. Ok, I know that it is a bit of a cheat, but it adds such amazing flavour to the mix and can be substituted for chicken or turkey bacon. Now for the nutritious side, the Japanese Edamame bean is packed with protein, high in fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, and above all, is loaded with flavour. Don’t be afraid to add any extra ingredients to this perfect side dish and call it your own.

Xo Dom Appetit!

Edamame Succotash

Taken from: The Food Network

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Tools Needed: measuring cups and spoons, large skillet, cutting board, paring knife, spatula

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
½ cup finely diced red onion
1 teaspoon of minced garlic (I chopped 3 garlic cloves! Delish!)
2-3 strips of applewood-smoked bacon, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1 cup of frozen Edamame (thawed)
½ cup of fresh corn kernels, from 1 small ear
¼ cup small-diced red bell pepper
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions:

1)      In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until softened (2 mins). Add the bacon and cook until it begins to crisp (5 mins), drain some of the fat.
2)      Add the Edamame, corn and bell pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 mins. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve hot. Makes about 2 cups.

Apple Dumplings

When I think dumplings, Sunday Dim Sum always comes to mind. Dim Sum brunch is a mix between a la carte and buffet style cuisine and is always a memorable quest. You enter the event starving and greedy for any and all treats hiding in each bamboo basket presented to your table. The hustling of the elder Asian women pushing their goods onto your table is a scene everyone must experience. They possess unbelievably competitive drive. I often wonder, are they on commission?! Nevertheless, they provide you with the comfort of fried or steamed dumplings that leave you overly satisfied, wishing that you stopped after that first serving. A lesson that is never learned…

This dumpling recipe is a bit unconventional as it includes fruit and a splash of mountain dew. Yup, I made a double take on this ingredient as well. Pop on apple dumplings? What an absurd idea...I had to try it. I still feel a bit uncomfortable with the fact that I drenched my dessert with soda, but the aroma filling my home begged to differ. The sinful cinnamon scents twirled around my kitchen as the dumplings crisped to a light brown gold, releasing the sweet, slightly tart taste of apples. Not calorie wise, but well deserved, and as simple as it gets.

Xo Dom Appetit!

Apple Dumplings

Adapted from: Apple Dumplings (I split the recipe in half! Makes 8 delicious dumplings!)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 35 to 45 mins

Tools Needed: 9 x 13 baking dish, cutting board, measuring spoons and cups, paring knife, small saucepan, wooden spoon

Ingredients:

2 large granny smith apples sliced thinly (peeled and cored)
1 can of crescent roll dough (pillsbury)
1/2 cup of butter
3/4 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/3 can of Mountain Dew

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking dish
2) Seperate crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll thinly sliced apples in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place into baking dish
3) Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in cinnamon and sugar. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour the Mountain Dew over the dumplings and bake for 35 to 45 mins (until golden brown)

Gazpacho with Avocado Toast

It has become an exhausting feat, to cool down in this sweltering heat. But I refuse to complain, as I have been waiting eight long, dispiriting months for these scorching sleepless summer nights. I am one of those few unfortunate souls living in North America that does not own an air conditioner. To make matters worse, I live in a particularly sketchy neighborhood where opening my window at night is not an option. One can only imagine what my kitchen must feel like…

This is why for dinner this evening, I resorted to a refreshingly, light Gazpacho to be enjoyed in my plus 40 degree apartment. For those of you who are not familiar with Gazpacho, I believe it is about time that you get yourself acquainted! It is a simple tomato based soup with raw chopped vegetables (cucumbers, red peppers, tomatoes, coriander, garlic, red onions). Despite its lack of depth, this cold soup is full of flavor and nutrients. Its origins are said to be from Spain, but you may recognize this tasty soup from many Italian menus. The soup only gets better with age, so be sure to let it sit a day or two in the fridge to allow the ingredients to unify. I suggest serving this with freshly baked sunflower and flax seed bread topped with fat slices of avocado. Don’t forget to sprinkle with salt.

Xo Dom Appetit!

PS. Why not spice it up by adding chopped jalapeno for that extra bite? Just don’t forget a dollop of sour cream to cool things down!

Gazpacho

Adapted from: Barefoot Contessas Cookbook

Prep Time: 20 mins

Tools Needed: large mixing bowl, food processor, large mixing spoon, measuring cups and spoons, cutting board, knife

Ingredients:

1 cucumber (halved, do not peel)
2 red peppers cored and seeded (I used 1 orange pepper)
4 tomatoes
1 medium red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups of V8 tomato juice (low sodium)
¼ cup of white wine vinegar
¼ cup of good olive oil (I used my lemon infused olive oil from Sorrento!)
½ tablespoon of Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1)      Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, coriander, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped (make sure to not over process)

2)      After each vegetable is processed, combine into large bowl and add garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and ensure to chill in fridge before serving. Like I mentioned above, the longer it sits, the better.