Eva’s Guacamoli and Black Bean Dips

Eva’s Guacamoli

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed into the food processor
• 1 clove garlic, minced very finely or run through a microplane grater
• 3-6 tbsp lime juice (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• Roughly chopped cilantro
• 1 ripe chopped tomato

Directions

1. Process avocado, garlic, lime juice and salt to desired consistency.
2. Remove blade and add chopped cilantro and tomato, stir.
3. Enjoy!

Eva’s Black Bean Dip

Ingredients

• 1 cup of hydrated black beans
• (or canned, but wash thoroughly)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced very finely or run through a microplane grater
• 1 small cooking onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp (to to taste) sweet smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 cup chicken stock (about)
• Roughly chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup of sweet corn (if you bbq the corn you will get a lovely smokey flavour

Directions

1. If using dried beans, hydrate and cook as per directions on package. Canned beans should be washed thoroughly.
2. Sauté onions in 1 tbsp oil until translucent, add cumin and sauté until fragrant. If you prefer a less garlicy taste, sauté the garlic with the onions.
3. Process black beans, onion mix, garlic, smoked paprika and salt, adding chickens stock to achieve desired consistency
4. Remove blade and add chopped cilantro, and corn.
5. Enjoy!

Serve this with my flat breads or with not-so-bad for you nacho-style chips.

Read Full Post »

Lemon Madeleines with Raspberry Sauce & Whipped Cream

This lovely dessert is simple, lightly sweet, and beautiful. A delicious finale to any meal. They are tiny little cake like puffs, with a little crunch around the edges! A real bonus is that the Madeleines freeze beautifully…I serve 2-3 per person.

From French Food at Home, Laura Calder

Lemon Madeleines

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 4 x eggs
• Zest of 1 lemon, more to tast

1. Grease madeleleine tins and set in the freezer. Heat the oven 400°F/200°C.
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Melt the butter, and stir in the sugar and honey. Lightly beat the eggs, and temper them into the butter mixture. Whisk into the flour to make a smooth batter. Pour into the moulds and bake until the cakes are puffed up, golden around the edges and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, without opening the door during cooking.

Serve with seedless raspberry sauce (with a couple of tbsp of Grand Marnier) and unsweetened whipped cream! YUM!

Read Full Post »