avocado – Oven Love https://www.ovenloveblog.com from scratch, with love...and a little sass Tue, 21 Apr 2015 20:19:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.29 Quick Chocolate Avocado Pudding with Coconut Topping https://www.ovenloveblog.com/chocolateavocadopuddingquick/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/chocolateavocadopuddingquick/#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2013 19:10:53 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/?p=2452  

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Raise your hand if you ate pudding cups when you were a kid. (Hand raised.)

Raise your hand if you ate pudding cups when you were in college. (Hand raised- no shame.)

Raise your hand if you still eat pudding cups as an adult? (I wish. Where do I find refined-sugar free, corn syrup-free, soy-free, dairy-free pudding cups?)

No pudding cups for me. So sad.

Unless.. (quick Google/Pinterest search..) chocolate avocado pudding?

My thorough internet research tells me that there’s a let’s-make-dessert-out-of-avocados-and-see-what-happens trend happening and among those desserts is chocolate avocado pudding. Sounds weird. Really, weird. Especially if you’re used to seeing avocado do it’s normal, savory, guac-related thing.

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Luckily, I have already warmed up to avocado and chocolate as a pair (remember my Avocado Banana Bread with chocolate chips?). ‘Cause when your belly says “Chocolate Pudding, NOW” at 10PM, you have to (put aside your fears that it will taste like chocolate guacamole and) listen.

The recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and doesn’t need any time chilling, unless you want to. You can eat it straight out of the bowl, you can top it with coconut whip, coconut chips, fresh fruit, nuts- just do what your belly tells you to do.

My belly told me not to share, so if yours says that, too, it’s completely normal.

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So long, pudding cups. You’ve been replaced!

 

5.0 from 2 reviews

Quick Chocolate Avocado Pudding with Coconut Topping
 
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Grain-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Egg-Free, Paleo, Dairy-Free.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 2

Ingredients
  • 1 ripe avocado (should be soft to the touch so that it will blend easily)
  • ⅓- 1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (or a few drops of liquid stevia)
  • 2-4 tablespoons coconut milk or other milk of choice (cow’s, almond, etc)
  • whipped coconut cream, yogurt or whipped cream, for serving
  • shredded coconut, coconut chips, nuts or fresh fruit, for serving

Instructions
  1. Scoop the flesh of the avocado into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
  2. Add ⅓ cup cocoa powder, vanilla, 2 tablespoons of your sweetener and 2 tablespoons of your milk. Process until ingredients are fully mixed. If it’s too runny, add some more cocoa powder. If it’s too thick, add more milk.
  3. Taste it- if it’s too sweet, add some more cocoa powder. If it’s too bitter, add some more of your sweetener.
  4. Serve immediately with your desired toppings or store in the refrigerator.

 

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End of Summer Chopped Salad with Citrus Honey Viniagrette https://www.ovenloveblog.com/end-of-summer-chopped-salad-with-citrus-honey-viniagrette/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/end-of-summer-chopped-salad-with-citrus-honey-viniagrette/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:45:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/end-of-summer-chopped-salad-with-citrus-honey-viniagrette/
  As I declared and made official in my last post, summer is not over.
It’s still August (I think?). And it’s still warm. And Labor Day is still a few days out.
Since I know you don’t mind, I will carry on with my summer-related nonsense. Sorry I didn’t get my act together for you guys about three months ago, but you can just pin this little number on your “Summer 2013” board and get pumped for next June.
I usually don’t eat salad with dressing (I know, I know, it’s weird), but when I make salads for dinner, I feel like I should provide Nick with a dressing option that actually complements the salad (he will typically just balsamic-vinegar-and-oil anything in a bowl). And then I just do a teeny, tiny drizzle on mine just to test it out.
The last time my mom was in town, she took me on an amazing throw-anything-in-the-cart-because-I-am-the-best-mom-ever Whole Foods shopping trip (love you, Mama!). While we were there, she recommended the O Citrus Champagne Vinegar that I used for the dressing. It’s light, fresh and not too sharp- you can taste it, but it doesn’t interfere with the other flavors of the salad.
What can I say? My mom and I are a couple of geniuses. 😉
Before I go, have we talked about getting kids to eat salad?
It is one of my great quests as a parent to have my children enjoy salads. I was completely against salads as a child. My cousin used to eat lettuce straight from the bag and I thought she was IN-SANE. (Turns out she was the smart one and the healthy one- can’t imagine why.)
Sometimes the whole idea seems futile, but I hope they’ll appreciate the effort someday.
I try to make salads as meals pretty frequently, so when I fix a toddler plate, I just use a smaller bed of lettuce and more of the toppings. Then, gradually, as the kids grow and get used to it, they will get more greens. I also try to sneak spinach or kale into everything- eggs, smoothies, wraps/sandwiches, desserts- I think that helps with flavor recognition (which is totally a real thing, I’m sure).
This particular salad was a toddler win for us- you really can’t go wrong if you’ve got fruit and bacon in the mix. If you want your kids to eat salad, just try adding a leaf or two of spinach to their plate each time. Eventually, they will wonder what it is and put it in their mouth.
End of Summer Chopped Salad with Citrus Honey Viniagrette
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 2

Ingredients
  • 4 cups fresh spinach
  • 10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ medium cucumber, sliced or diced
  • 1 ear grilled corn, kernels removed
  • 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • ½ avocado, diced
  • 8-10 cherries, pitted and halved
  • ⅓ cup feta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons citrus champagne vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
  1. Divide spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, bacon, avocado, cherries and feta cheese between two bowls.
  2. Whisk vinegar, honey and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over salads and enjoy!

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Avocado Banana Bread https://www.ovenloveblog.com/avocado-banana-bread/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/avocado-banana-bread/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:39:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/avocado-banana-bread/
Something strange happened last week.
I had leftover AVOCADOS. That never happens, like, ever.
We were heading out of town for a few days and I needed to use them up quickly. While I have used frozen avocado before with success (just mash and freeze flat in a freezer bag), I wanted to make something we could snack on in the car and for breakfast during our trip (breakfast guac?). I also had a borderline-gross banana looking to be used, and I thought.. avocado banana bread? Why not?
Why not, indeed!
It may seem like there are a lot of ingredients, but it’s worth rummaging around your cupboards to find everything. The avocado gives the bread richness and color- I love the bright specks of avocado peeking out in each slice. They almost remind me of pistachios- next time I’ll throw some of those in, too.
The ingredients come together quickly, but of course, it takes an hour to bake, plus cooling time.. so you’ll have to wait a bit before you dig in. I know they call them quick breads because they mix up quickly, but they should really be called it’s-going-to-be-really-hard-to-wait-for-this-to-cool-before-you-stuff-your-face breads. Just my opinion.
Hopefully you have an extra avocado around waiting to be baked up into this bread.
I would also recommend just smashing it up on some toast with sea salt.
And I’ll bring the breakfast guac back on the table- that’s a solid option, too.
Avocado for president!
Avocado Banana Bread
 
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inspired by Kale & Cardamom
Author:

Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground, if possible)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • ½ cup roughly mashed avocado
  • ½ cup mashed banana
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt at room temperature
  • ¼ cup coconut oil (in liquid state)
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
  • ¼-1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used minis)

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper rubbed lightly with oil.
  2. Whisk together flour baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk eggs, avocado, banana, yogurt, oil, honey, vanilla and lemon juice until combined, making sure all ingredients are at room temperature so the coconut oil doesn’t harden.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, being careful not to overmix. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before slicing.

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Joy’s BLT Corn Salad Wraps https://www.ovenloveblog.com/joys-blt-corn-salad-wraps/ Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/joys-blt-corn-salad-wraps/
Here are some things I’d like to say about this heat wave.
  1. Something is not right when your properly-working-AC is chugging along 24/7 just to keep your house under 82 degrees.
  2. RIP to four of our chickens. Four! 108 degrees is brutal. And sorry to whatever poor garbage man has to pick up our trash tomorrow.. ugh.
  3. Yesterday was the first time I swam in a lukewarm pool. And it was before 10AM. And it was refreshing.
It is madness!
Thank goodness for the brilliant JTB for coming up with this gem of an idea. It’s actually very similar to this Corn, Crab and Tomato Salad I made last summer, but is has bacon. Which in my book is light years ahead of crab on the deliciousness scale (which is definitely a real thing). After an hour in our outdoor bath (I can hardly call that thing a pool. I mean really), this was the most refreshing plate imaginable.
I am usually not a big fan of lettuce cups (so messy and usually filled with disappointing ground meat of some kind), but it was the perfect way to serve this salad. There was something great in each bite- sweet corn, creamy avocado, savory bacon- all wrapped up in the cool, crisp crunch of a lettuce leaf. I would eat this anytime, but it would be particularly wonderful to serve in a picnic setting or after some kind of hot, summer activity.
If this heat wave continues, I am stocking up on bacon, lettuce, tomato and corn and not coming out of the house until it’s below 90 degrees.
(So I guess I’ll see you in September!)
Joy’s BLT Corn Salad Wraps
 
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Find the original recipe at http://joythebaker.com/2012/06/blt-corn-salad-wraps/
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer, Main

Ingredients
  • 3 ears of corn, shucked (she charred hers, I did not)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • ½ cup chopped green onions (I used white onion here)
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 3 sliced crisp cooked bacon, diced
  • juice of 1 lime
  • about 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used roasted garlic grapeseed oil- YUM)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • a good sprinkling of chili powder and smokey paprika
  • butter lettuce or iceberg lettuce leaves
  • hot sauce and sour cream for topping

Instructions
  1. Shuck corn on the cob of all their husks and strings. Over a gas burner, or on the flame grill, char raw corn. Rotate corn until cob is charred on all sides. Allow corn to cool before slicing corn kernels from the cob. This invariably creates corn shrapnel all over the kitchen counter.
  2. Add corn kernels to a medium bowl. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes, green onion, diced avocado, and diced bacon. Squeeze in lime juice. Top with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and slices. Stir to combine. Taste and re-season accordingly.
  3. Rinse and clean individual lettuce leaves. Serve alongside a bowl of corn salad to serve. To enjoy, scoop corn salad into lettuce leaves, top with hot sauce, sour cream, fold up like a taco and eat em up!

 

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Eggs Barbacoa https://www.ovenloveblog.com/eggs-barbacoa/ Mon, 07 May 2012 20:02:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/eggs-barbacoa/
What did you do the morning after Cinco de Mayo? (Seis de Mayo just doesn’t have the same ring to it). Maybe it was just another Sunday morning, maybe you were nursing a hangover, maybe you don’t have kids and you don’t wake up until the afternoon, I don’t know.
 We were up at a reasonable hour (as usual) with lots of yummy Mexican leftovers from our party the night before. When I make shredded pork or shredded beef tacos, we never leftover meat. This time, I made a giant batch for the party, so we lucked out had plenty left for future meals. I have always wanted to make Eggs Barbacoa, but not enough to make a batch of shredded beef specifically for that. Thank you, Cinco de Mayo, for making my breakfast dreams come true.
Oh, I LOVED this breakfast. Love, love, loved it. Crispy tortilla, creamy guac, spicy beef, runny egg, savory salsa.. just try and talk me out of eating this every day for the next week.
Do you have any ideas for Mexican leftovers or breakfasts?
(I’d love to read your comments while I stuff my face with more of these.)
Eggs Barbacoa
 
inspired by Cooking Light- http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/eggs-barbacoa-10000001988568/
Author:
Recipe type: Main, Breakfast
Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 4 tortillas (gluten-free, if necessary)
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup guacamole (Cooking Light used re-fried beans, but I had guac on hand, so I used that instead. Both will work and both will be tasty.)
  • 1 cup warm shredded beef (I use my recipe for shredded pork, just substitute a beef roast)
  • ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup salsa
  • ¼ cup chopped scallions
  • salt and pepper

Instructions
  1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and a large, flat-bottomed skillet filled ½ full with water over high heat. Bring the water to a boil.
  2. While water is boiling, crack each egg into a ramekin. Reduce heat in the large skillet until water is just simmering and place the ramekins in the water. Cover and steam for 6-8 minutes, depending on how set you like your eggs (check at 5 minutes).
  3. While the eggs are cooking, heat the tortillas in the small skillet until browned and slightly crispy. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons guacamole, ¼ cup shredded beef and 2 tablespoons Monterey Jack cheese.
  4. Remove the eggs from the ramekins and drain over a paper towel. Top each tortilla with an egg, 2 tablespoons of salsa, 1 tablespoon of chopped scallions and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

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Part-Time Vegan, Day 3 https://www.ovenloveblog.com/part-time-vegan-day-3/ https://www.ovenloveblog.com/part-time-vegan-day-3/#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 02:28:00 +0000 http://www.ovenloveblog.com/part-time-vegan-day-3/  Today didn’t start out as hungry as yesterday.
Maybe I’m starting to get used to it.. maybe?
Breakfast was an avocado smoothie and jelly toast.
Snack was wheat crackers and a strawberry popsicle.
Lunch was asparagus soup and a slice of leftover tart.
Dinner was chickpea saute with onions and kale, served over rice.
I have to tell you, I was so excited for the avocado smoothie!  People have really talked it up.  I don’t know if it was just this recipe, but I really wasn’t a fan.  At first I just didn’t like it at room temp, but I didn’t like it cold either.  The flavor combo just wasn’t for me.  Boo for a wasted avocado!
On a good note, I really liked lunch and dinner.  Both were quick.  Lunch was quick because I roasted extra asparagus while I was cooking the tart from last night, and dinner was just quick by nature.  I love a veggie saute and this one hit the spot!
 Things I learned today:
Beans make all the difference in a meal- praises for God’s genius, protein-packed creation.
 I need to plan better snacks.. I keep eating carbs!  Maybe fruit and PB tomorrow.
I still feel like something is missing in my diet.. maybe that will wear off, maybe not.
Enjoy the day’s recipes!
Avocado Smoothie
1 avocado
1 banana
1 kiwi
1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
agave nectar or honey to taste
Begin by cutting into the avocado and scooping out the flesh. In the pitcher of a blender, place the avocado, banana, kiwi (peeled), 2 teaspoons of honey or agave and about 1 cup of almond milk, to start. Blend it up, adding a little more almond milk until your desired consistency is reached (I like mine super thick). Divide between two glasses, and serve.
(serves 2.)
Lemony Roast Asparagus Soup
adapted from A Foodcentric Life
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 pound previously roasted asparagus, a few tips reserved for garnish, the rest roughly chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon, or more (to taste)

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent.  Add garlic and cook a minute longer.  Add the asparagus and broth and bring to a simmer.  Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.  Puree with a stick blender or in a stationary blender.  When pureed smooth, add lemon juice and puree once more.  Taste and season to your preference, adding more broth if you like your soup smoother (or cream, for a non-vegan option).

Chickpea Saute with Onions and Kale
by Oven Love, inspired by Ezra Pound Cake
serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1-2 teaspoons sugar
1 bunch kale, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
water, as needed
salt and pepper to tase

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium.  Add onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add sugar.  Cook, stirring, another 10 minutes or until the onions begin to carmelize and turn golden brown.  Add kale and raisins, cooking until kale wilts, 3-5 minutes.  Add chickpeas and warm through.  Add water at any time if the vegetables being to stick.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately- alone or over a bed of pasta, rice, or even crusty bread.

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