Tag vegetarian recipe

Parties That Cook’s Last-Minute Summer Recipe: Grilled Avocado Tacos with Tomato Salad

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General, Menus & Recipes Tagged with , , , , , , , , August 4th, 2011 @ 5:36 pm

It’s coming. You can’t avoid it. You can just prepare.
The end of summer is fast approaching, and while some of us (cough, San Francisco) have a late “Indian Summer” to look forward to, most of the nation will have to pack up those grills and enter the fall season. Give your grill a proper goodbye, for now… These fun little Grilled Avocado Tacos have a deliciously fresh combination of flavors that might just inspire a summer fiesta! For a seafood twist, try our Little Fish Tacos with Tomato Salad and Chipotle-Lime Crema! You can find these featured at our upcoming Date Night Couples Cooking Class in San Francisco!

Little Grilled Avocado Tacos with Tomato Salad and Chipotle-Lime Crema
This recipe and others like it can be found in our Appetizer Recipes Library!

Ingredients
Avocado:
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 small red chili, seeded
2 limes, zested and juiced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 Haas avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
Toothpicks for serving

Tomato Salad:
20 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, sliced in half, seeded and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
2 green onions, sliced
2 Tablespoons cilantro chopped, plus some whole leaves for garnish
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Chipotle-Lime Crema:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 chipotle in adobo, minced plus 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
2 limes, cut into wedges

Tortillas:
24 small 4-inch corn tortillas

Methods/Steps
Marinade: Put cilantro, paprika, cumin, chili, lime zest, lime juice, olive oil and salt in a blender and process to a paste. Halve, pit and peel the avocados. Place avocado halves in a bowl and gently coat avocados with the marinade (do not mash the avocado in any way).

Grill Avocados: Heat a ridged grill pan over high heat. Place each half on the grill for cook for about 30 to 45 seconds. Don’t be afraid to take the cooking outdoors, instead, and grill the avocados for a bit longer.

Cut Avocados: Transfer grilled avocado to a cutting board and cut each avocado half into thin wedges, about 4 wedges per half.

Tomato Salad: Cut up and mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Tortillas: Using tongs, grill each tortilla over a gas burner for 15 seconds a side. Transfer to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm. Alternatively, wrap all tortillas in foil and warm in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes.

Make Crema: Place all ingredients into a small bowl and mix well.

Assemble Tacos: Place a piece of avocado on each tortilla. Put a dollop of the crema on the avocado then top with a spoonful of tomato salad. Garnish with some cilantro, roll into a cone and secure with a toothpick. Serve on a platter with lime wedges.

Makes 24 little tacos

Parties That Cook Vegetarian Recipe: Polenta Toasts with Red Bell Pepper Pesto and Goat Cheese

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General, Go Green, Menus & Recipes Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , February 24th, 2011 @ 4:25 pm

Have you ever wanted to be one of the “cool kids”? It’s OK to admit, we can’t all have been Cheerios at McKinley. There’s still time to make the transition, even for those no longer in school. The IT thing to try right now: Vegetarian Food. Parties That Cook is here to help with this recipe for delicious Polenta Toasts with Red Bell Pepper Pesto and Goat Cheese that will give you a whole new view of vegetarian food!

Polenta Toasts with Red Bell Pepper Pesto and Goat Cheese
This recipe can also be found in our Appetizer Recipe Library!


Ingredients
Polenta:
Canola oil for oiling sheet pan and frying
7 cups milk
2 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups polenta (coarse cornmeal)

Red Bell Pepper Pesto:
2 red bell peppers
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeds removed and chopped
1/4 cup smoked almonds
2 large cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice plus 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Toasts:
7 ounces goat cheese
1 Tablespoon milk or cream
Thyme sprigs for garnish

Methods/Steps
Polenta: Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Combine milk, salt and butter in a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil. Gradually add the polenta, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to low. Cook the polenta until it is creamy and thick, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Pour out onto oiled sheet, spread evenly so that it is very smooth and flat. Let cool to room temperature.

Red Bell Pepper Pesto: Roast the pepper over a stovetop flame until blackened (or broil in the oven until blackened). Transfer to a paper bag for 5 minutes to steam then peel off the charred skin and remove seeds and stem. In a food processor, blend the peppers, chipotle, almonds, garlic, oil, lemon juice and zest, Parmesan and salt until very smooth.

Grilled Polenta: Using a wet, 2 inch round cookie cutter, cut out polenta circles. Heat canola oil in a large non-stick grill pan or griddle. Cook polenta on one side until golden then flip and cook on the other side. Transfer finished circles to a serving platter.

To Serve: Mix the goat cheese, milk and thyme with a fork. Spoon goat cheese into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Put a dollop of the pesto onto each polenta circle. Pipe a rosette of goat cheese in the center. Garnish with thyme sprig and serve.

Makes 24 Polenta Toasts

Want to try something new, eat delicious food, and learn a few new cooking techniques in the process? Then be sure to check out our first ever Vegetarian Tapas Cooking Class on March 1, 2011! Vegetarian International Tapas (similar to the one above) are on the evening’s menu, though you don’t actually have to be a vegetarian to attend. After this class, you may just be inspired to try Source, a Vegetarian and Vegan restaurant with a much-anticipated opening in San Francisco on March 2.

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