This has become a staple for me for parties or whenever avocados are on sale; the blend of flavors and colors is just too good to resist. Often when I make it I have everything on hand except feta cheese, and I make it anyway. It turns out great without, though if you have it on hand, you should use it. I also use all dried spices and garlic powder - saves time and money. I know double checked, and basil isn't in the recipe, but it fits in perfectly with the other flavors. I suggest eating it with wheat thins (tr) or on a salad (it makes a great dressing, just add a little more oil and vinegar and stir until avocado is smooth).
This is my absolute favorite quickbread recipe. the flavor is so bold, tangy-tart-sweet, and the texture is wonderful. But of course, I make changes, :P. First, I don't use fresh cranberries, I used sweetened and dried. One whole 6 oz package provides approx 1 1/2 cups of cranberries. this way they are sweeter and distribute more evenly through the bread (since there are more, smaller berries). I soak the berries in 1 cup of boiling orange juice before adding both to the batter. This makes the cranberries plumper and they don't suck moisture out of the batter. the orange juice also absorbs some of the cranberry flavor and color. I also add about a tsp of vanilla to the wet ingredients. I also add spices to the dry ingredients. A lot of cinnamon, just enough nutmeg to smell, and some ginger. All combined, this makes a very rich, moist and irresistable quickbread. Also, to make 6 giant muffins, bake for 30 minutes, or bake for 20 minutes in a regular sized muffin tin.
This was a perfect taste of summer. I don't have a grill, or even a place to put one, so I did the whole thing on the stove. Whoever said to include bacon was 100% correct. I cooked the bacon, then left the grease in the skillet and cooked everything else in the bacon grease. As the chicken was close to done, I stacked onions, bacon and then cheese on top of the breast and let the cheese melt. Like others, I combined the mayo and avocado, plus some garlic powder, for a creamy, tangy finishing touch. As for the chicken itself, I took one chicken breast and cut it in half so that I had 2 thin chicken patties (only made 2, just me and my husband). I then lightly sprinkled seasoned salt on both sides of the chicken. I think seasoning provides a little more interest to the flavor without overpower the other flavors in the "burger." I'm sure garlic powder, cajun seasoning or adobo powder would all work well too. Cooked in the bacon grease, the chicken was so juicy and flavorful. I served it with sweet potato fries, corn on the cob and raw broccoli. It totally hit the spot.
So this dish is my husband's absolute favorite Indian dish. So he asks me to make this at home to satisfy his cravings without having to go to a fancy Indian restaurant. I confess, I've been making this for a while with all kinds of short cuts or or trying to blend it with a recipe from an Indian recipe website. I would sometimes skip the marinade or grilling steps, combining the sauces, cooking the chicken in the sauce itself, and not letting the sauce thicken. I now realize this was a big mistake. I finally followed the recipe, with a few tweaks, and it was incredible. I prefer using boneless, skinless thighs for more moist chicken pieces. I also use evaporated milk for a creamy lower fat option. If you can find turmeric, cardamom, and garam masala, feel free to use both of those to taste in the marinated and the sauce. Lastly, cayenne pepper or Mexican spicy tomato sauce make a simpler, smoother source of heat for the sauce. Heat is the one thing I'm still learning to balance, especially since my husband likes more heat than I do.
I just made these tonight for the first time, and my mashed potatoing is now changed for life. I'm always trying to figure out how to make mashed potatoes flavorful and creamy. Usually it comes down to using the right amount of milk and a hand mixer. The recipe's author commented that butter should be mixed in before anything else, so I did that, and the texture was amazing! The potatoes were fluffy and creamy and so easy to mash. I changed the flavor a bit, using garlic powder because I don't like raw garlic much and didn't want to take the time to cook some. I also used grated Parmesan instead of Romano (it's what I had), and chives instead of oregano. I also had powdered buttermilk on hand, so I put two teaspoons of that per pound, and it added a nice subtle twist to this classic. The key is butter first! Try it, you won't be disappointed.
