A beautiful, slightly sweet and spicy, starter.
Serves 4
2 avocado, ripe but firm, chopped into small pieces
100 ml finely chopped strawberries
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Chili flakes
1. On a plate, make a pile of the avocado, add some salt and chili flakes
2. Place the strawberries on top, mix in some salt and chili flakes
3. Drizzle with oil and vinegar
This recipe provides a great base for a lot of different toppings. By adding some cinnamon you can even make it as a base for a dessert, maybe cheesecake?
Here I’ve made it with two different toppings. You might recognize some of the ideas from an earlier recipe “Nutty Guacamole Pie”.
300 g toasted (blanched) almonds
1 red apple
1 large sweet potato
2 carrots
50 ml lemon juice
Salt
1. Mix all in a blender.
2. Spread into pie tin, bake at 175 C for 40 minutes
3. Set aside. Can be refrigerated for later use.
4. When cool, cut into bite size squares.
Topping 1. Red pepper hummus
200 g chickpeas
4 tbsp lemon juice
100 g roasted marinated bell pepper (drained)
2 tbsp Tahini
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika powder
A few drops of Tabasco
Salt
Up to 50 ml olive oil
1. Combine all ingredients (except olive oil) in a blender.
2. Run until smooth.
3. Slowly incorporate the olive oil
4. Set aside
Topping 2. Avocado crunch mix.
1 celery stalk, chopped
½ apple, cut into fine cubes
1 avocado, mashed
3 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Garnish:
Roasted macadamias or hazelnuts, halved
Rocket salad
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Assembly:
1. Cut base into bite sized portions.
2. Spread with one of the toppings.
3. Garnish.
I love to make this dish with avocados but you can make it with other vegetables too.
Serves 4
2 avocados, halved with stone and peel removed
150 g Mozzarella, diced
25 g walnuts on small pieces
75 g grilled peppers, cut into pieces (I sometimes roast my own with olive oil and garlic, sometimes I buy the ready-made)
Basil leaves, shredded
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
(chilli flakes or Tabasco if you want it a bit spicier)
4 gem lettuce leaves
As usual, the secret lies in the sauce, and this is no exception. This is a wonderful, wonderful sauce, which can be served with a variety of desserts other than vanilla ice cream (for instance white chocolate ice cream, cardamom ice cream, chocolate cake, fruit salad…).
Serve as part of a dinner with:
Starter – Fresh and Fruity Vegetable Starter
Main course – Chilli Crab Cakes and Rosemary Courgette Spaghetti
Dessert – With Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Serves 4
200 ml sugar
200 ml white wine
50 ml lemon juice
1 small avocado
Strawberries, sliced
A batch of Home Made Vanilla Ice Cream as per our previous recipe
A very festive starter for a summer day, pleasing to both the eye and the palate. The Tabasco sauce is decorative but also quite hot so use with care. This recipe is best made a day in advance. The citrus juice prevents discolouring. To be served chilled.
Serve as part of a menu with
Main Course: Seafood Quinotto
Dessert: Duo Choco Mousse with Cassis Syrup
Serves 6:
4 avocados, stone and peel removed
1 small lime, juice
1 small lemon, juice
½ garlic clove (when used in a cold recipe the garlic taste comes out much stronger), crushed
1 green chili, deseeded, in pieces
2 yellow tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, cut into pieces
3 salad onions
fresh coriander
100-120 ml cold chicken broth
crab tails
olive oil
Tabasco
Black pepper