avocado sauce

March – Magic Green Sauce
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March – Magic Green Sauce

Travel for work has taken up much of my time these last few weeks and I have missed you. I’m going to make it up to you though with this post. Take a look at this beautiful green sauce, it is a wonder! Creamy from the avocado, full of good fats from that same avocado, olive oil, and nuts; full of flavor from cilantro, parsley, lime, and mint.

Magic Green Sauce

Magic Green Sauce

Oh my! It is delicious! Have a jar in your fridge and you will use it on tacos, baked chicken or fish, roasted vegetables, sandwiches, and rice bowls. In fact, you will use it on everything. I first posted a similar green sauce just over a year ago and have recently seen another version on the blog “A Pinch of Yum” where it is called 5 Minute Magic Green Sauce.

I cannot go without a jar of this sauce in my fridge and have been known to eat a spoonful right out of the container. I challenge you not to lick the spoon when you add a dollop to your lunch or dinner. All that goodness and it is gluten and dairy free, plus “paleo” as well, no guilt involved.

Magic Green Sauce

  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cup packed mixed parsley and cilantro, add a few sprigs of mint and/or basil for even more lovely green flavor
  • 1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • Juice of 1-2 limes (I like 2)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios or other nut, cashews are very nice as well
  1. Pulse all the ingredients except the nuts in the bowl of your food processor until smooth and well incorporated.
  2. Add the pistachios or other nuts and blend until mostly smooth.

    Magic Green Sauce

    Magic Green Sauce

  3. Serve as a dip, a spread, or sauce. You may thin with additional water or oil if needed. I like mine the consistency of a thick mayonnaise.

 

The sauce keeps for a week (if it lasts that long) in the fridge. I found the flavor is even better if you can make it a few hours ahead of using.

Magic Green Sauce

Magic Green Sauce

“In My Kitchen” – March
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“In My Kitchen” – March

This post is part of a regular monthly gathering of food loving bloggers. “In My Kitchen” is hosted by the lovely Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. It’s a wonderful welcoming community and a facinating look at what is happening in kitchens around the world. Come join us and tell us what is happening in your kitchen.

Here is what’s new in my kitchen this month.

Sourdough starter from Celia, who has gifted the blogging community with little packages of promise. Her starter has gone around the world and I am a bit intimidated by the loaves the children of Priscilla (the name of Celia’s starter) have birthed.

Son of Priscilla

Son of Priscilla

Meet Sam, named after Sam Spade (of “Maltese Falcon” fame) and the gifted writer who created him, Samuel Dashiell Hammett. He lived in San Francisco from 1921 to 1929 and used city locations for his novels. My Sam has returned home, as one of Celia’s original starters came from San Francisco. Sam is also one of those names which can be either male or female, appropriate for yeast.

Here is Sam after the first feeding, bubbling away and ready to go.

Meet Sam

Meet Sam

Also new in my kitchen is a Falcon enamel baker, recommended by Celia for baking crusty sourdough. It came all the way from the U.K., I’ll be using it for the first time today.

Falcon enamel baker

Falcon enamel baker

My first two efforts were rated a C to C+ by the resident critics. I’m hopeful that the enamel pot will increase my score.

This loaf just came out of the oven, it’s 11 pm (well past my usual bedtime). Sam definitely has my number and is in control. But, I think this loaf will get an A from the in-house critics. It smells divine and the falcon baker has made all the difference. Thank you Celia.

Sam - son of Priscilla

Sam – son of Priscilla

Also new in my kitchen is an Emile Henry clay baker. I’ve been reading a lot about cooking in clay lately and am excited to try it.

Clay Baker

Clay Baker

New in my kitchen are two bottles of wine. These were made by my friend Barry Snyder from Crawlspace Cellars. I helped pick and crush the grapes for the rose and we bottled them both this past Saturday. The labels are not ready yet, the two bottles were a reward for an entertaining afternoon of work with the winemakers.

Mouvedre Rose and Zinfandel

Mouvedre Rose and Zinfandel

From my kitchen I can see my orchids blooming, the white one has been in bloom since early December and is still gorgeous. The pink orchid came into bloom the end of last month.

Amazon just delivered the March/April cookbook selection for the Cookbook Guru, an online cookbook bookclub. “The Food of Morocco” is by Paula Wolfert, one of my favorite cookbook writers. I’ve already settled on chicken tagine with prunes and almonds in the style of the Rif mountains as my first dish. Doesn’t that sound delicious? The bookclub is open to everyone if you would like to join in.

The Food of Morocco

The Food of Morocco

Lastly in my kitchen are two sauces, spicy lemon salsa verde and avocado sauce, ready to give instant pizazz to dishes of simple roast meat or vegetables.

Spicy Lemon Salsa Verde
Salsa Verde
Spicy Lemon Salsa Verde
Avocado Sauce
Avocado sauce

Thank you for visiting my kitchen, what is new in your own?

February in the Kitchen – Avocado Sauce
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February in the Kitchen – Avocado Sauce

This avocado sauce is not quite a guacamole and not quite a salsa verde; but somewhere in the middle. A dollop is delicious on a burger, stirred into hummus, as a sauce for plain grilled chicken, or with a cauliflower croquette. It is easy and quick to make and will keep for a few days in the fridge. I think you will find lots of uses. I pinned and adapted this recipe from the blog Laylita’s Recipes.

  • 1 bunch of cilantro, leaves roughly chopped
  • ½ to 1 Serrano or Jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 2 limes – grated zest and juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 ripe avocado, halved and seeded
  • ½ cup of olive or avocado oil

IMG_2644

  1. Put the first 6 ingredients in the container of a food processor and process until roughly chopped.
  2. Add the avocado and turn the processor on and off a few times to mix.
  3. Add the olive oil and process until smooth.
Avocado Sauce

Avocado Sauce

I used the sauce to top cauliflower croquettes. Great flavor combination!

Cauliflower Croquettes with Avocado Sauce

Cauliflower Croquettes with Avocado Sauce

I am taking this sauce to Fiesta Friday to celebrate the end of the week with Angie and the gang at the Novice Gardener.