Showing posts with label Avocado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Avocado. Show all posts

Saturday, June 29, 2013

avocado egg rolls with creamy cilantro


Avocado Egg Rolls with Creamy Cilantro Ranch Dip


1K+
Not too long ago my husband had the day off of work so we decided to go spoil ourselves.
We went shopping {which consisted of my husband sitting in the car and playing a game on his phone while I went into Crate & Barrel}, then we had lunch. We ate at The Cheesecake Factory, and it was a no-brainer when our server suggested the Avocado Egg Rolls for an appetizer.

They were so good, I had to re-create them for you. {but mostly for me}
The past few weeks I have been on this sort of thing called a diet… yeah, weird… I know. So I set about trying to make these egg rolls without frying them.

My husband tried to talk me out of it. Saying things like, “They fry things for a reason.” and “You never hear people saying, I love me some BAKED chicken.” 
I was convinced I could do it without breaking out the deep fryer. I thought it would be 1. healthier and 2. easier.
To make a long story short {and it pains me to say it}… he was right, and I was wrong.
You definitely want to fry these. It was 10 times faster to fry these, and they tasted waaaaaaybetter. The outside wrapper was crisp and crunchy. Plus if you go off of what my brother-in-law says… you only consume a small trace amount of oil when you fry food.

Let’s just stick with eating in moderation shall we? You’re going to want to practice self control when it comes to these egg rolls, cause they are hard to resist.
Start off by cutting the avocados from top to bottom, then twisting around the two sides till they separate.
Make slices length-wise through the avocado, but making sure to not cut through the skin.

Use a spoon to scoop out the slices of avocado.

And now you have slices of avocado without having to handle the sometimes slippery fruit.
Place the avocado slices in a bowl and add some salt and a little chopped cilantro and give it a good stir.

Then just place an egg roll wrapper on a clean surface and put a few slices of avocado mixture in the center. Add a few pieces of sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil to the center as well.
Dab your finger in a little water and run it along the edges of the egg roll wrapper, moistening about 1/4 inch of the edge all the way around. This helps to seal the edges together when you wrap it up.
Once all the egg rolls are wrapped up, you’re ready to fry them!
Now let me show you something that will surely blow your mind.

Did you know you can take any regular mouthed Mason Jar and attach it to the base of your blender?
Yup- pure genius!
So if you only need to make something small, or something that will be stored in the fridge {like some salad dressing}, then this is the perfect way to do it.

These egg rolls will need to be dipped in something. I am thinking something creamy, with a hint of lime and a little kick of some spice.
Let’s just throw our ingredients in a mason jar, blend it up and call it good!

Place the rubber seal and blade on the top of the filled jar then screw on the base of the blender.

Make sure it’s sealed tightly and place on the blender and process till smooth.

I love this dressing. It’s creamy, it’s tangy, it’s got a little spice…it’s delicious.

Now I can use what I need and place the rest in the fridge for later. The only thing that needs washing is the blender blade, which can easily be rinsed off.
I’m in love. 

Once the egg rolls are all golden brown and perfect, carefully slice them in half at an angle.

These are great on their own, but when paired with the Creamy Cilantro Ranch Dip they are incredible.

Just one bite and you’ll be hooked!
This is where you’ll need to practice will power and moderation.

These egg rolls are extremely tasty and so easy to throw together if you have some friends coming over and need an appetizer. By making the dressing in the mason jar you save so much time with clean-up, and it’s also just pretty darn cool.

avocado chicken parmesan




(serves: 4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:


2 Chicken Breast Fillets, halved lengthways (I prefer to use chicken tenders because they are the perfect size and it's really difficult to cut a breast in half perfectly)
1/2 Cup Plain Flour (I use whole wheat)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Milk
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Dried Breadcrumbs (see THIS RECIPE for homemade breadcrumbs)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil/Cooking Spray
1/2 Cup Tomato Pasta Sauce
2 Avocado, Sliced
1/2 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese 


Method:
1. Place chicken breast in a clear plastic bag(alternatively between 2 sheets plastic wrap), using a rolling pin or meat mallet pound until 0.5cm thick.

2. Place flour and breadcrumbs on two separate plate and lightly whisk milk and egg together in a shallow bowl.

3. Coat 1 piece of chicken breast in flour(shaking off excess), dip in egg mixture then coat in breadcrumbs using your fingertips pressing on to secure.

4. Place on prepared baking tray lay with foil or baking paper, repeat the same process with the remaining chicken breast with flour, egg and etc.

5. Lightly spray or brush the prepared chicken with oil, bake for 10 minutes(turning after 5 minutes to have evenly colours on the breadcrumbs) in 400 degree preheated oven.

6. Remove from oven and spread each chicken breast with 1 heaped tablespoon of pasta sauce. Arrange avocado slices over sauce and sprinkle with decent amount of mozzarella cheese.

7. Return to oven and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes or until golden and chicken is cooked through.

8. Serve with either garden salad or use it as a main topping on cooked pasta.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Avocado Ranch Dip


AVOCADO RANCH DIPPER
This dip is delicious with chips, veggies or crackers – anything you feel like dipping! Try Tomato Balsamic Dipper and Herby Honey Mustard Dipper, too!

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 Hass avocado
  • 1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
  • A small handful of fresh chives, finely chopped
  • A small handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
  • A small handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Serves 4
PREPARATION
Place the avocado in a food processor. Add the Greek-style yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, chives, dill and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Process until combined into a smooth dip consistency.

This is one of many "Yum-o!" recipes – it's good andgood for you. To find out more about Yum-o!, Rachael's nonprofit organization, visit
www.yum-o.org.