There's An App For That

Think of any occasion where people come together. Throw in a few snacks and appetizers and you have a party on your hands. Here are three apps I made last weekend and all of them passed the taste test, so they made it to the blog. 

The first involves a bright green fruit with a pale green, creamy interior- the avocado. As a bonus, we also have the tender leafy green herb, cilantro. Add to that the fire from fresh green chillies. All that greenness makes it a perfect candidate for Preeti Kashyap's Green Gourmet event.

The inspiring recipe was this guacamole bean dip.I thought it was a brilliant idea, to sneak in protein and fiber in the form of creamy cannellini (white) beans into the delectable rich fattiness of ripe avocado. Here is my version:

Bean Guacamole

1. Place the following in a food processor and blend together to a smooth puree:

• 1 15-oz can canellini beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, halved and pitted
• ¹⁄₂ tsp. green chilli paste
• 1 cup packed cilantro
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper

2. Mince 1 small onion and pulse it into the mixture.
3. Scoop into a bowl and garnish with chopped fresh tomatoes.
4. Serve with vegetable sticks and tortilla chips.

This take on traditional guacamole was terrific and something I will make again and again- a great healthy snacking option if you leave a bowl in the fridge.

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The second app was inspired from this crustless quiche recipe from Baking Bites. I was very intrigued by the recipe, a simple mixture of milk, eggs, vegetables and cheese but with the addition of a little flour, which separates while baking to form a thin crust on the quiche.

I adapted the recipe in some ways: (a) I baked it in a muffin pan to make mini quiches, all the better to be picked up and munched on, (b) I used broccoli instead of spinach, (c) and used cheddar cheese because I am not a fan of feta.

By trying a recipe from another blog and making some modifications to it, this becomes an entry to Blog Bites: Adaptation edition, hosted right here on this blog. Some wonderful entries have been coming in and I hope you will participate too.

Broccoli Mini Quiches

(adapted from a Baking Bites recipe)

1. In a skillet, heat 1 tsp. olive oil. Saute 1 diced onion and 3 minced garlic cloves until fragrant. Add 2-3 cups finely chopped fresh broccoli and saute for 5-6 minutes or until the mixture is quite dry and the broccoli is tender.

2. Preheat oven to 400F.

3. In a bowl, whisk together

• 4 large eggs
• 1 ¹⁄₃ cup milk
• ¹⁄₂ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ¹⁄₂ cup all-purpose flour
• ¹⁄₂ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• Salt to taste

4. Stir in the cooked, cooled broccoli mixture.

5. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan. Divide the batter equally among the cups and bake for 20 minutes or until the quiches are puffy and golden.

Again, a wonderful appetizer, full of tender vegetables and cheese encased in a thin crust.

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The final appetizer today comes from a Martha Stewart recipe. Hot Spinach dip is a restaurant staple- all that rich calorie-laden glory hiding innocently in the guise of a vegetable. Still, it was something I wanted to try making at home for a party; portion control is a lot easier when you are forced to share with others. I followed the recipe exactly, using frozen spinach instead of fresh. Here it is:

I personally did not love the dip, it was OK for me, but everyone else devoured it so I thought I would mention it here.

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Fresh off the Hooks

In other news, my Babette Blanket is done- it is the size of a throw, actually, and not a full blanket, being about 50 inches square. I gave it away as a gift and the recipient seemed to be pretty thrilled. If I really squint at it, all those gaudy colors seem to work together- heh!

I've already fallen in love with the next crochet throw pattern: this one. Is it gorgeous or what? I am totally stealing this crafter's idea of the graduated colors and making one for myself.

See you in a few!