Friday, June 27, 2014

Baked Beet Chips With Guacamole

Here's a great snack idea from the Extra Virgin cookbook or show. I first saw this on their cooking show, also called Extra Virgin, and it sounded so good and easy I wanted to make it for my family. Plus, I was impressed that they made this for their daughter's birthday party -- beet chips for kids!


I chose yellow beets because I thought they'd look more like potato chips, which would make my family more open to trying them. Plus I think their flavor is more mild (less "dirt" like as they say!) and sweeter than red beets.




I used three beets, rather than the amount called for in the recipe, because it was just the four of us. I adjusted the extra virgin olive oil amount accordingly. After the first batch, I found that there was too much extra virgin olive oil to achieve full crispness so I wiped some off the beets before cooking the next batch. Next time, I'd use only enough oil to lightly coat the beets. It also took some adjustments in oven temp and cooking time to get the right amount of crispness (everyone's oven is different!), but worth it. Their were some burnt spots, but tasted fine. They are tricky to make, but now that I know what I'm doing I'll be more successful. I have to say, though, the beets honestly tasted really good raw!


The recipe for this delicious healthful beet snack can be found in their Extra Virgin cookbook or here: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/debi-mazar-and-gabriele-corcos/guacamole-and-baked-beet-chips.html

Guacamole
I used my own guacamole recipe, which is simple. I vary my recipe often, but this time I made it with two avocados smashed with one small garlic clove, minced, and one small shallot, minced, a pinch of sea salt and a little freshly ground pepper. 

Sometimes I add cilantro or parsley to my guacamole. I like to use only a small amount of garlic so it doesn't overwhelm the avocado flavor. Sometimes I don't use garlic. And sometimes I like to add a few chopped organic grape tomatoes. I love to use a small shallot because it's mild and, again, it doesn't overwhelm the avocado flavor. 

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Dragon Fruit And Orange Cocktail


Dragon fruit isn't local food here, but I just had to give it try when I saw this funky looking fruit in the grocery store.


The flavor was much like a kiwi. After looking up recipes, many were salads, we decided to make a nice refreshing drink and cocktail.


My daughter loved it without the alcohol. I had mine with rum.



Enjoy!