Easy Guacamole

So I haven't posted in like, what? 6 months? It's alright. I lost my blogging mojo, but I imagine I'll come back from time to time at the very least to post a recipe.

I love guacamole as a topper to all things, and B who "didn't like avacados" when I met him is now obsessed with guacamole. I know, right? What kind of Mexican is he?

Anyway, this is easy, fast, and healthy. I like my guac chunky, so no purree-ing, just mixing.

Ingredients

2 ripe Haas avacadoes, chopped

1 tomatoe, chopped

1/4th red onion, diced fine

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

juice from one lime

salt to taste

Instructions

Mix and eat, silly

How to eat?

Chips, atop chicken or steak, in quesadillas or burritos

Okra!

I haven't uploaded pics of dinner from last night, but it was a southern produce feast. I was raised a Yankee, so the world of Southern produce is still new to me. One of the items on the menu last night, Okra. I like okra. I like it fried, in gumbo, and pickled however I was not prepared or in the mood for any of those preparations. So after a bit of internet searching, I discovered that many folks really like it roasted. Who knew, roasted okra? Roasting is just about my favorite way to prepare most veggies, so I thought this was right up my ally. And, since there is no cutting involved you can avoid the gross okra slime, which somehow disappears during roasting. AND, since the veg has a nice built-in handle, they make a great finger food.

Ingredients
Okra
Olive oil
course salt (kosher or sea)
Any other seasoning you like (curry powder, cayenne, etc)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
Wash and pat dry whole fresh okra
Toss to coat in olive oil
Sprinkle generously with salt and seasoning
Roast 20-25 minutes

Pear, leek and gruyere turnovers

This recipe is from Bon Appetit via the Savory notebook. It is really really yummy. I used the spiral method as described in the savory notebook to utilize all of the puff pastry and because it seemed like less work. One recipe was not quite enough for a crowd, so I would recommend doubling the filling if you're cooking for more than four people.

2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped leeks
1 6-7-ounce firm but ripe pear, peeled, cored and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese, packed
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; stir 1 minute. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until leeks begin to brown, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Stir in pear and sugar. Increase heat to medium; sauté uncovered until any liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; cool. Stir in cheese and chives.

Place puff pastry sheets on work surface. Using a 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pan or bowl as aid, cut out 4 rounds from each pastry sheet. Roll out each pastry round to 5-inch circle. Place leek mixture on half of each pastry round, dividing equally. Brush pastry edges with egg glaze. Fold pastry over filling, pressing to adhere. Press edges with fork to seal. Brush turnovers with egg glaze. Pierce pastry in several places with toothpick. Place on baking sheet. Chill 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400º. Bake turnovers until puffed and golden, about 18 minutes. Serve warm.

Feta Spinach Bites

I got the idea for this recipe from a cooking light recipe, but simplified it significantly. I love spanikopita, but HATE dealing with phyllo sheets. I found nifty little pre-formed phyllo cups in the freezer section of my grocery store and began making these. This is another one of my standard recipes when I want to take an appetizer to a party.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 generous pinch salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 10 oz. packaged frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 large egg, beaten
1 box (15) Athenos phyllo cups
1 container crumbled feta cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat
3. Saute onions until translucent
4. Add garlic, cook 1 minute
5. Add thawed, dried spinach and salt, saute 3 or 4 minutes until heated through
6. Transfer spinach mixture to bowl allow to cool for 10-15 minutes
7. Add egg to spinach mixture, mix
8. Spoon spinach mixture into phyllo cups, top with crumbled feta
9. Bake until feta begins to brown (15-20 minutes I THINK, but don't really remember, so check them from time to time).

Stuffed Mushrooms

This is one of my go-to recipes when I want to take an appetizer to a party. Goodness knows holiday parties are plentiful this time of year, and I find myself needing an arsenal of recipes. These are extremely simple. They would also make a nice side-dish. I found this recipe on Everyday Italian on the food network.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stemmed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Stir the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, mint, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.

Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, to coat. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Serve.