Guacamole Salad

Avocados go on sale quite frequently in my neck of the woods, and when they do I like to buy a whole bunch. Everyone in our house loves them, and it isn't unusual for my kids to split one for a snack after school. I know they are high in fat, but at the same time it's the "good for you" kind. In case you didn't know, Avocados are a fruit and not a vegetable and have the highest protein content of any fruit. They also contain more potassium than bananas, so all in all, despite the fact that they are high in calories, they are really good for you.

Guacamole is always a popular choice in our home and is prepared very frequently, but last week after an abundance of avocados in the refrigerator (it will slow down the ripening process) and having had guacamole a couple of times already, I was ready to find a different recipe using the green fruit. For a second I thought about making Avocado ice cream, but I couldn't quite get "there" mentally, it sounded just a little bit too strange for the time being. So on the internet I went looking. I didn't have to search very long until I found this recipe for Guacamole Salad from none other than the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.

The salad sounded like it would be quickly made and I loved that it had a great Southwestern twist to it. Red grape tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, black beans, red onions, green jalapenos and bright green avocados make this salad a colorful feast for your eyes. The salad is dressed with a simple lime and oil dressing which receives a little additional kick from cayenne pepper, and finally diced avocados are added right before serving (to prevent browning) to the mix.

This salad was delicious! Everyone had seconds and this dish will be made over and over again. I served this alongside Southwestern seasoned grilled steaks with some crusty bread. This salad is a beautiful addition to any dinner table and reminded me that I need to look for more of Ina Garten's recipes, which always seem to turn out well.

Guacamole Salad

(adapted from Ina Garten)

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup small diced red onion

2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Preparation:

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Black Beans with Rice and Coconut Shrimp

Is it Monday already again? Time seems to be flying lately and weekends go by way too fast. We had a fun hot weekend here in the Southwest with plenty of World Cup watching. Go Germany!

We also had a eventful food weekend, I was busy trying out a few new recipes and my wonderful husband was making homemade sausage. I'm hoping to have him write a guest post sometime soon about the great things he makes in the kitchen.

This weekend I set out to make a meal I have only had in restaurants so far, Coconut Shrimp. While thinking of side dishes I figured why not make homemade black beans served over white rice to keep the Caribbean feeling going. 

Beans were first. I found the recipe on Foodnetwork.com and was really happy with how the dish turned out. The beans are not complicated to make, but they do take a lot of time if made with dry beans, which I did. The beans are brought to a boil, then set aside for an hour, brought to a second boil and then lowered to a simmer for another hour and a half. After that you add spices along with onions and peppers, and once again the beans are cooked for another hour and a half or until soft. More seasonings and red wine vinegar finish off the dish. Thankfully after all this time the flavor in this dish was incredible and I will be making these beans many more times.

While the beans were cooking away I started working on the shrimp. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com, which was a good basic start but needed some alterations. Practically, shrimps are dipped in a seasoned flour mixture, get a quick bath through a simple beer batter, and are then tossed in unsweetened coconut. The coated shrimp are then laid out on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper and take a chill in the refrigerator before being fried in oil. While we all enjoyed this recipe along with the beans and the rice, it was agreed that I would continue looking for a different coconut shrimp recipe. Don't get me wrong, this is a decent recipe but I wanted a little more oomph, and these were lacking a bit of that.

Following are the recipes for both, plus stay tuned for a giveaway coming on Wednesday! It is truly a great one and you don't want to miss it!

Black Beans

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups (about 1/2 pound) dried black beans

12 cups water

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped

4 garlic cloves, mined

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and black pepper to taste

Cooked white rice for serving (optional)

Directions:

Put the beans in a large saucepan, add the water and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Set Aside, covered, for 1 hour.

Return the beans to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, cook uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the onion mixture to the beans and continue simmering until the beans are very tender and the liquid has thickened, about 1 1/2 hours more.

If the beans seem to thick, adjust the consistency with a little bit of water. Stir in the vinegar, season with cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with white rice if desired.

Adapted from: Food Network

Coconut Shrimp 

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour, divided

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and Pepper 

1 egg

2/3 cup beer

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups flaked unsweetened coconut

24 shrimp, cleaned

3 cups peanut oil for frying

Directions:

Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow bowl. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, beer and baking powder. Whisk together.

Place coconut in another shallow bowl.

Hold shrimp by tail end, and dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg/beer batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep--fryer or large pot.

Fry shrimp in batches: cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, move shrimp to paper towels to drain. Serve warm!

Adapted from: allrecipes.com