From the category archives:

Avocados

Avocado Toast with Furikake and Shichimi

Thumbnail image for Avocado Toast with Furikake and Shichimi August 11, 2016

  Ah, avocado toast… what used to be a simple fast breakfast has become a trend featured in magazines and available on restaurant menus. With a fried egg on top, of course. So I decided to give you my take on avocado toast. Drizzled with soy sauce and sprinkled with Furikake or Shichimi. Avocado and […]

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Panuchos ~ Tortillas filled with Black Beans topped with Achiote Chicken, Avocado & Habanero Salsa

Thumbnail image for Panuchos ~ Tortillas filled with Black Beans topped with Achiote Chicken, Avocado & Habanero Salsa June 9, 2015

These Panuchos have been on my bucket list of recipes for over three years. They were on the cover of the March 2012 issue of Sunset Magazine, and the minute I saw those beautiful colors, I was hooked. The Yucatan-style tostadas are the specialty of Chef Gilberto Cetina at his L.A. restaurant Chichen Itza and […]

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Red Lentil, Carrot & Avocado Salad

Thumbnail image for Red Lentil, Carrot & Avocado Salad March 17, 2015

Do you ever go through your pantry and check all the expiration dates to see what you need to use up? Well, that’s how I happened to be making a red lentil salad. The weather was hot and I didn’t feel like soup, so salad it was. For me, there are three nice things about […]

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Picadillo with Green Olives and Raisins

Thumbnail image for Picadillo with Green Olives and Raisins March 3, 2015

The first time I ate Picadillo was in 1972. I had some neighbors from Costa Rica who invited me over for dinner, and served a diced potato and minced steak picadillo, sort of like hash. I didn’t know much about cooking back in those days, so my memory of dinner isn’t crystal clear. It was […]

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Arepas ~ Venezuelan Corn Flour Flatbreads

Thumbnail image for Arepas ~ Venezuelan Corn Flour Flatbreads February 13, 2015

All of us, at one time or another, have had food made from ground corn, be it cornbread, corn tortillas, tortilla chips, tamales or polenta. In my pantry there is a new kid on the block called pre-cooked white maize meal or “harina de maiz blanco precocida”, which is what I used to make my […]

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Avocado & Pecans

Thumbnail image for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Avocado & Pecans November 15, 2014

As Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, I am finalizing my chosen side dishes and making my shopping list. I decided on this brussels sprouts dish, because I thought it would be a nice color contrast to the Roasted Carrots & Parsnips I will also be serving. I discovered this dish in a Food & Wine magazine […]

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Grilled Shrimp & Potato Tomato Avocado Salad

Thumbnail image for Grilled Shrimp & Potato Tomato Avocado Salad May 24, 2014

Memorial Day. The kick-off of the summer grilling season. We wait all year for this day, don’t we? Well, I do. So I wanted to make a stellar salad with grilled shrimp and all my favorite salad veggies for this venerable holiday. Not only tomatoes, avocado and grilled little potatoes, but also olives and red […]

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Spring Rolls with 8 Dipping Sauces

Thumbnail image for Spring Rolls with 8 Dipping Sauces August 13, 2013

When I returned from my son’s wedding in May, after having my new daughter-in-law show me how to make spring rolls, I was totally enthralled with them. I made spring rolls every day for about two weeks with a variety of fillings, and I went on a quest for interesting dipping sauces to go with […]

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Sliced Chicken Salad with Zucchini Ribbons, Avocado, Oranges and Dijon Vinaigrette

Thumbnail image for Sliced Chicken Salad with Zucchini Ribbons, Avocado, Oranges and Dijon Vinaigrette July 20, 2012

I don’t regularly photograph my lunch. I mean, you’ve seen one peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you’ve seen them all. And everyone knows how to make them. No fun. On the other hand, sometimes my lunch is sorta photogenic, like this chicken salad. I was just going to eat it, and then I really looked […]

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Orange Salad with Avocado Green Olive Salsa

Thumbnail image for Orange Salad with Avocado Green Olive Salsa February 2, 2012

When I moved into my new house in June 2011, I was very happy to have all the mature trees, rose garden and an established lawn. The back yard had two big palm trees and two smaller green leafed trees which provided really nice shade. Well, I was busy moving in and unpacking, then working […]

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Cumin Garlic Roasted Carrots & Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing, Arugula and Sesame Seeds

Thumbnail image for Cumin Garlic Roasted Carrots & Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing, Arugula and Sesame Seeds November 12, 2011

The full title of this post should be “Cumin, Garlic, Chile de Arbol, Thyme Roasted Carrots and Avocado Salad with Sour Dough Croutons, Roasted Orange and Lemon Dressing sprinkled with Sesame, Poppy and Sunflower Seeds.” Ok, so it’s a little long. It could have been even longer because I left out the Mesclun and Watercress. […]

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BALEEN at The Portofino Hotel for Breakfast, Lunch, Oh My and Lemon Meringue Pie

Thumbnail image for BALEEN at The Portofino Hotel for Breakfast, Lunch, Oh My and Lemon Meringue Pie June 25, 2011

In September of last year I visited Baleen and photographed beautiful dishes from Executive Chef Jesse Souza’s dinner menu. I had so much fun and the food was absolutely beautiful and delicious. So when I was recently invited to a Blogger Luncheon to sample and photograph the Summer Breakfast and Lunch menu items, wild horses […]

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Fiesta Papaya, Pineapple and Avocado Salad from Grace-Marie’s Kitchen

Thumbnail image for Fiesta Papaya, Pineapple and Avocado Salad from Grace-Marie’s Kitchen May 29, 2010

Going to a cooking class at Grace-Marie’s Kitchen at Bristol Farms in Manhattan Beach is like going home to dinner with your family and friends. Most of the people know each other from previous classes and if you are new, Grace-Marie tells everyone around you to talk to you and make you feel at home. […]

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Avocados & The Easy Reader Beach Magazine

Thumbnail image for Avocados & The Easy Reader Beach Magazine May 13, 2010

Cook & Be Merry in the May 2010 issue of the Easy Reader Beach magazine was devoted to the California Avocado. Not only is May the beginning of the avocado season, it is kicked off by the Cinco de Mayo festivities, during which the California Avocado Commission estimates 84.1 million pounds of avocados were consumed […]

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Chicken and Avocado Skillet Chilaquiles

Thumbnail image for Chicken and Avocado Skillet Chilaquiles May 6, 2010

The first time in my life that I ate Chilaquiles was at the Food Bloggers lunch and cooking demonstration sponsored by the California Avocado Commission at Ciudad Restaurant with the Too Hot Tamales, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. I saw on the menu that they were going to prepare it, but I had no […]

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