Avocado Dip inhibits the ability of alcohol to cause fatty liver

So what's all the fuss about Avocados?

Avocado Dip  - au naturale

Answer - They are an incredible superfood, as well as being delicious and versatile. 

My first tasting of avocado was as a newly married new foodie, discovering alternative foods to which my mum had served.  In the 60's, avocados were referred to as Avocado Pears.  Expecting a sweet taste, the oily, savoury taste and texture was a shock, a little like drinking your first cup of real coffee or glass of red wine.
In designing a fingerfood menu  Avocado Dip  is a great start.

2 avocados – chopped or mashed
1/2 lebanese cucumber, sliced lengthways, deseeded, then chopped finely
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup Greek yoghurt
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Chopped Mint or basil  (or both) added at the end

Serve with vegetable sticks and /or Lebanese bread toasted – Lebanese cucumber, carrot, celery, capsicum.

Or do what we do - simply scoop from the flesh of the avo with a cracker - (my favourite being 'Salt and Vinegar Rice crackers' but a low GI cracker or bread would be better)


Re Avos - Don't be like me in the past - thinking that they contained oils and therefore avoiding them when in fact they are great for maintaining a healthy weight since fats are vital for good health. (Avocados contain fat, 60% is monounsaturated, 20% is polyunsaturated, and only 20% is saturated.)
Avocados are a wonderful fruit containing a mass of vital nutrients and fibre,  are low in sugar and salt free,  and contain per 100g-11% of the RDI of vitamin A, 11% of Thiamin, 19% of Riboflavin, 21% of niacin, 42% of vitamin C and 13% of magnesium, to name a few.
While lowering cholesterol, being a fantastic antioxidant and brilliant for your skin, when consumed prior to or during alcohol, avocado inhibits the ability of alcohol to cause fatty liver. So next time you're having a glass of wine try eating home-made avocado dip with veggie sticks.
Eat more avo's
Clara

Prawn Salad gets fresh with melon, ginger, lime and mint

According to nutritionist Dr Rosemary Stanton, prawns are an excellent source of protein, a good source of omega 3 fatty acids and a great way to get iron, zinc and vitamin E. They are also low in saturated fats.
Based on a recipe which came from our Mosman Magazine, showcasing 'Eating In' by Philip Johnson, this way of combining seafood with fresh Asian flavours gets my tick.  I adore eating out but also love eating in, usually on a Saturday night - yes things have changed! 

Seared prawns with a salad of melon, ginger, lime and mint
Serves 6 as an entree

18 large raw prawns, shelled and deveined, with tails intact
3 cm / 1 in piece of ginger, very thinly sliced
2 tblsp olive oil plus knob of butter to taste
sea salt & ground black pepper
Juice of 2 limes, with lime wedges to serve

Melon Salad
1/2 rock melon, rind removed, seeded and cut into cubes
2 long red chillies, seeded and thinly sliced
3 spring onions, thinly sliced diagonally
Handful of mint leaves, torn

To make the salad, combine ingredients and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in heavy based frypan, cook prawns in 2 batches, adding half the ginger and butter just before they are cooked. Season and remove from heat.

Add the prawns to the melon salad then drizzle with lime juice, and gently toss to combine.

To serve, pile some salad and three prawns onto each plate, then drizzle with any remaining juices. Garnish with lime wedges.

Tasty Prawns Starters use Coriander/mint/basil/rocket – one or the lot

Prawns with Asian Seafood Dressing and Fresh Herbs
Serves 6 as a starter

Clara's chorus - Coriander/mint/basil/rocket – one the lot at last minute as well as during.  Herbs can go in the dressing, or be part of a bed to serve.  Leafy greens are the little black dress of cuisine.


Stir fry or BBQ about 24 medium sized prawns (with a little olive oil and sesame oil) until they change colour – about 2 minutes. Serve with dressing – you can pour this on after they are cooked before serving.

Dressing

1teasp sesame oil
1teasp soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
½ teasp brown sugar
1 tblsp toasted sesame seeds (opt)


 
BBQ'd Prawns and Calamari with Chilli Lemon dressing 

Serves 6 as a starter


6 medium calamari tubes, cleaned, cut in half lengthwise, open out flat with the inner side facing upward. Score the flesh in a crisscross pattern.
12 medium green prawns, peeled and deveined (tails intact)Rocket - to serve as a bed
Lemon Chilli Dressing
Combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 teasp zest with 1/3  cup olive oil, 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 large red chillies, seeded and finely chopped, 1 teasp sugar, sea salt.   Marinate prawns and calamari in 1/3 dressing in refrigerator (1-2 hrs).  

Clara's Chorus - Coriander/mint/basil/rocket – one or the lot at the last minute, as well as during.


Char grill over high heat in batches until cooked. Toss rocket with a little dressing, place on plates - top with seafood and extra dressing.   

"Cooking is truly an act of love".....Jacques Pepin - Encore G

Fennel-crusted Pork with sage, sauteed apples and almonds served on a bed of spinach - inspired by a magnificent meal cooked by G this week.  Encore G.
Serves 4





Fennel-crusted pork fillets with sage
2 pork fillets - (combined approx 700 g / 22oz)
4 tsp fennel seeds (available dried)
2 tsp sea salt
Cracked black pepper
4 tsp chopped sage leaves (or rosemary)
Olive Oil
Place fennel, salt pepper and sage in a mortar and pestle and pound to a coarse mixture and sprinkle over pork.  Heat a non- stick fry pan over medium high heat.  Add oil and pork and cook for 4 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking.  Alternatively, after searing pork in pan, set aside then finish for a few minutes in a medium oven before serving.

Sauteed Apples
A little butter
2 - 3  green apples  - peeled, cored and cut into wedges
a little sugar - (1 1/2  tbsp or less)
1/3 cup almonds - roasted in oven  (or hazelnuts or macadamia nuts)
1/4 cup sherry (optional)
Saute apples in butter in heavy pan, add sugar and sherry.  Stir in chopped sage leaves and nuts.  Keep warm. 
(Alternatively, in a small ovenproof serving dish, cook the apples in the oven with the pork, adding sage and nuts when cooked.)  Serve separately.

Spinach with garlic, chilli and toasted fennel seeds
300g / 10oz  spinach roughly chopped - blanched in boiling water, drained to remove excess moisture
2 garlic cloves crushed or chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp fennel seeds toasted and crushed
jus, warmed to serve

Heat a little olive oil in a heavy based frying pan, add garlic, chilli and fennel seeds, then add the spinach.  Cook briefly until tender  - should still stay green and intact. 

"Cooking is truly an act of love".....Jacques Pepin. . He moves on to say "Cook with love. Sit down around the table and share food with your children and your family. ....... You always communicate through cooking. You cannot cook indifferently, otherwise the food won't come across the right way."


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