Holy Cannoli, That's the Best Guacamole!

I was terrified of avocados and, thus, guacamole for the longest time. There was nothing appetizing about the sight of it, and I didn't think I was missing out on much. Boy, was I wrong! Now, if I don't have at least three avocados a week, something feels like it's missing. Plus, they're packed with nutrients--fiber, protein, and potassium--great for a post-run pick-me-up when I'm too lazy to make anything else.

Once I overcame my fear and tried an avocado, I was converted after the first bite. If you're a fan of avocados, you know there's nothing better than a perfectly ripe one, and on the flip side,  there's not much worse than an under-ripe one. When you go to the grocery, if they are not ripe, you must have patience, young grasshopper. You will sacrifice the buttery, smoothness of the avocado if you try to rush the process. Once the avocados' skins have turned dark green and are soft to the touch, go to town.

Have this at your next dinner party, or make a small batch for yourself...but I recommend making more than you think people (or you) will eat, because it is just that good. Whenever I see my uncle, he always begs for this guac and my molten lava cakes--yes, I do realize I have yet to share that recipe with you, but all good things are worth the wait. Hang on.

Anyway, give this a shot. It's not your traditional guac, because 1) I hate tomatoes and 2) I hate cilantro. Therefore, it's twice as good as any guac you've ever had! You can totally make this as spicy as you want, but no matter how much heat you add (or whether or not you add heat), it is perfectly balanced with the sweet corn. In addition to the sweetness, it adds a great bit of texture to what can be a fairly monotonous dip/dish/side.

Best-Ever Cornbread

This cornbread is delicious, moist, and GLUTEN FREE! I have several friends who are gluten intolerant or who have celiac disease, and I was in search of a gluten-free cornbread recipe that didn't require crazy bean and rice flours. This is the best recipe whether or not you can have wheat, so make it now!

Growing up, my mom would make cornbread fairly often. This is her idea of comfort food. Her recipe required a cast-iron skillet, but we all know I don't have one of those. Her recipe also called for a stick of butter to be melted in that skillet.  Once the butter was boiling and frothy, you pour the batter into the middle of it. Essentially, you fry the cornbread. It's more about the butter than the batter in this case, but everything is more about the butter with Mom.

I didn't really like cornbread (or corn for that matter) for a long time, but this recipe made me fall in love with it. Every time I have this recipe, I fall in love with it all over again. Spread some butter on these as soon as they come out of the oven; top with grape jam, strawberry preserves, or honey. Just take a moment--oh soooo good. No matter what form this batter takes--mini muffins, regular muffins, 8x8 pan that you cut into squares, it is guaranteed to be mouth watering!

I made mini muffins for the Super Bowl party. I doubled the recipe to serve 18 adults and the same number of children; it made about 70 mini muffins. Luckily, there were leftovers, so I'll be snacking on those the rest of this week! 

Coconut Cake with 'Real' Toasted Coconut and Fluffy Icing

Happy day-after-the-Super-Bowl! I hope y'all had a fabulous celebration filled with great food. Selections from our menu will come later this week. But first, you need to meet the ultimate coconut cake!

I wanted a challenge--something that I would never normally make--and I was reminded that both my grandfather and aunt love coconut cake. Really, my grandfather loves anything coconut, but put it in the form of cake, and you're one golden grandchild.

I started with several lighter recipes and used those as guidelines. Despite my grandparents' slim physiques and active lifestyle, their little tickers are not in the best of conditions. I try to be cognizant of this, and if I really were, I'd be fixing them steamed broccoli, but where's the fun in that? I think things can me made light without cooking with fake ingredients and man-made/manipulated sugars. We'll leave it at that. Don't get me started...

I had never bought a fresh coconut, so I did a little research before heading to the grocery. I picked one (like i was told) that seemed heavy for its size, but not all that confident in my first coconut picking, I also bought a frozen fresh pack of coconut. This is what I mean by 'real' coconut; not that sweetened, dried stuff in the baking aisle, right next to sweetened condensed milk.

The icing was very much like a meringue; it was fluffy and light and practically melted in your mouth. It reminded me of marshmallow cream; I used to eat that stuff by the spoonful. The icing was fat free since it was made with egg whites! Yep, no butter, shortening, or cream cheese like most icings. See, I'm trying to look out for them! I bypassed the coconut cake recipe that called for three sticks of butter.

When my grandfather came to get his surprise that Sunday, he scarfed down his lunch in order to get to eat the cake as soon as possible. I cut him a large slice, and it was gone just as quickly as the wrap. His critique? "My taste buds are going crazy!" He loved it and had not had real coconut cake in a long time. He gladly took his half home with him...I'm sure it's long gone by now.

I think it was a success! Take a hack at a fresh coconut of your own, but if you're not feeling up for it or are pressed for time, get the frozen stuff--right next to the puff pastry, pie crusts, and whipped cream.

Banana Bread with Dried Cherries

I am intrigued by vegan dishes...by no means do I want to be vegan. Hello, remember these? I just like to see different ways people cook to accommodate certain diets, allergies, and preferences. I just do not have the willpower or the desire it takes to deprive myself of dark chocolate, chicken salad, and salmon all of the time.

Anyway, I found this recipe that didn't require Vegenaise, random egg substitute, or dairy-free chocolate, and I gave it a shot. This is definitely worth making again, and I think it would be delicious toasted and topped with butter...forget the vegan aspect here, but hey, everything is betta with butta!

This bread was insanely moist and chewy. The whole wheat flour gave it more texture than if you were to use all white flour; I liked the added texture and slightly nutty flavor. If you don't, leave it out. Next time, I will try fresh blueberries, a dash of cinnamon, and some milled flax seed.

These can obviously be made into muffins and popped in the freezer for mornings when you are running late because A) you're convinced nothing in your closet fits/you've worn it once already this week or B) you turned your alarm off by accident, and when you finally wake up, you swear it never buzzed in the first place. I swear, neither of those ever happens to me...

Clean Green Beans

I love green beans. No, I don't think you understand...every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter (we have Thanksgiving dinner three times a year) my grandmother buys four pounds of green beans, 'snaps' as she calls them. Two pounds are all mine, and the other fourteen family members get to fight over the rest. They try to beat me to the front of the line, but I always cut them off at the chase by hanging out in the kitchen just before lunchtime. As soon as the meal is ready for everyone to dive in, I swoop in and fill my plate with snaps.

These are my favorite beans--so flavorful, so fresh, so tender, so EASY. This is another one of those psych-your-guests-out dishes that tastes so good, it cannot possibly be that easy. They compliment any entrée and are just as delicious when they aren't piping hot.

Also, I want to say a few words about the best seasoning salts I have found. One has large flakes of salt and will make you sneeze every time take a whiff, and one that is a little less salty and a little more garlicky. You must have at least one of these in your cabinet. They are so versatile, from seasoning chicken before it hits the grill, to replacing salt in savory dished, to sprinkling on these very beans.

Blanching is a useful technique to perfect; basically, you boil the vegetables for a few minutes and shock them in ice cold water to halt to cooking process. The shocking technique also preserves the color. Those of you who like mushy browngreen vegetables boiled to submission, you should probably check out another recipe. All else, read on...