Avocados are one of my favourite treats. They are high in fat, but as everyone quickly mentions, it’s the good fat. Creamy, nutty, light, but also filling, avocados are perfect for summer.
Guacamole is one of the most amazing dips ever. I make mine quite light (out of preference), as I don’t think oil or sour cream is necessary. Let the avocado come through.
This recipe can be easily multiplied.
2 avocados
2 cloves garlic, minced
Small handful coriander leaves
Juice of one lime
Salt to taste
Pinch of cumin
Combine all ingredients. Be sure to mash the avocadoes with a fork.
Avocado salsa is also fantastic.
Mix chopped avocado, onion, black olives, sweetcorn, lime juice, onions, and vinegar. If you want to do it the night before to let the flavours soak in, add all the ingredients except the avocado, then add that right before serving.
It's absolutely delicious, I promise you.
But I get to my point – dinner last night. Pasta with an avocado pesto with fresh herbs. Now, originally I was doubtful, because the avocado is mixed into warm pasta. But the trick is to make the pesto literally just before serving and then mix it through the warm pasta.
It’s delightful – the pesto is made from basil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice (though I used lime – I have trouble getting guacamole out of my mind), salt, pepper, chilli, and parmesan.
I should say here it’s a Waitrose recipe http://www.waitrose.com/recipe/Avocado_Pesto_Linguine_with_Fresh_Herbs.aspx, and I think they have got it nearly right. It is fantastic as it’s ready inside 20 minutes. However, the garlic comes on really strong, and I didn’t use very much. I think it’s because it’s raw, minced and mashed, and it coats EVERYTHING. I’m not quite sure how to take care of this, pesto is naturally raw. Perhaps use prepared garlic? Or roasted garlic?
But the avocado pesto as a sauce was decadent. I added a bit more greenery with some watercress leaves, which gave a good crunch with the soft pasta and and slithery sauce.
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A passion for food and love of cooking lures me into the kitchen most nights, cooking for myself and my husband. If I'm not there, I'm trying restaurants both new and old. I live in east London with my husband, and I write about culinary and health-related issues surrounding food and create recipes that are seasonal, healthy and delicious (most of the time!).
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Meet the chef - Jennifer Trent Staves
A passion for food and love of cooking lures me into the kitchen most nights, cooking for myself and my husband. If I'm not there, I'm trying restaurants both new and old. I live in east London with my husband, and I write about culinary and health-related issues surrounding food and create recipes that are seasonal, healthy and delicious (most of the time!).
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How it all started...
It all started here on a lazy Saturday morning. Having been out late for drinks with friends, I was lounging on the couch watching Saturday Kitchen with a cup of tea. I had been thinking about starting this blog for awhile now, but a new job was keeping me busy. But with my husband Pete snoozing away and having time to catch my breath, it finally began.
Some background: food has always been a part of my life. I grew up in Atlanta with my parents, brother and lovely cocker spaniel. My dad is an amazing cook, and as we grew up, it was dad, experimenting in the kitchen. A fisherman at heart growing up on the Gulf coast of Florida, he loves all seafood and would cook it most days if only my mom would allow. My mom is also a great cook but prefers the comfort of a recipe book close at hand and doesn't like wavering from the print.
When I moved to New Orleans at 18 to go to college at Tulane, I began my own cultural food awakening. There were spices and flavors I'd had, some I'd recognized, and some I'd never even heard of. When I finally had my own flat, I had my own kitchen, and I played by my rules. I'd want to cook something, but didn't always know how - so a ring home to Dad gave me the instructions needed. Confidence grew, and I found I wanted to come home to cook most nights. I didn't want prepacked food on the shelves or the nearest takeaway.
By the time I moved to London at 22 (I didn't realize it was permanent at the time, but it has turned out to be) I felt awakened. I was willing to take anything on, try new things. Or so I thought. English food culture turned out to be such an enlightening experience. Thai and Indian food were not a part of my food life - but they're intrinsic to my enjoyment of food now.
Vegetables. Oh my god vegetables. It sounds weird but there isn't anything better. I was a vegetarian for about 5 years - and I swear, I didn't eat nearly as many vegetables as I do now. American use of vegetables in my experience consisted mostly of green beans and corn. Although Americans do a great salad too.
But the English have opened up my eyes to the beauty and simplicity of the vegetable. I now load my plate with things I probably would have considered disgusting in my teenage years. Parsnips. Fennel. I can't think of a vegetable I don't like, to be honest. If I come across one, I'll tell you. But the more I eat, the more I like.
Therein lies the rub. I love food and love experimenting but (like everything else in my life) I can get carried away. Take it that bit too far. One year I gained twenty pounds just because of my love of food. (Lack of exercise probably didn't help!) But over the past year, I have come to realise that you can make gorgeous food with amazing flavours - and it can be healthy - but it's not always easy. You have to work at it, have to experiment, which is exciting in and of itself.
I personally think most recipes don't need half of the oil they call for. Tweaking things to make them healther (and often, more flavorful) is exciting and I love it. I can (almost) always eat my own food. There are notable exceptions.
Cue the husband. Tall, lean, stomach capacity the size of North America. He can eat for days and not show a thing. And as I'm generally the cook in the house, it's been a sub-project to find things I can eat that he'll enjoy too. You'll see as we go along. I have several tactics - but my end goal is that we have nearly the same meal on our plates when we sit down. That involves compromises on both sides - but we're both happy after the meal. If either of us isn't - you'll hear about it.
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