Author Archives: dumplingdaze

Green

Nope, not green for spring, ‘cuz it’s not here yet.  (I’m angry about the global warming that is apparently affecting the continent of North America but giving the north of China the finger…)

Nor am I going belatedly green for St. Patty’s day, though I was forced to do so at work and host a slipshod party for the students, wherein me and my coworker gave away a bottle of Baileys to the person wearing the most green, and I showed a dubiously culturally relevant youku clip of river dancing monkeys.  Thank god none of my coworkers are actually Irish.  Or actually if any of them were we would’ve made them throw the party and I’m sure it would’ve been much truer to its roots (and much less sober of an affair.)

The green I’m going on about is in the form of (what else) food!  And drinks!  Nonalcoholic ones, for a change.  

I’m late to get on the green smoothie bandwagon, but I am now securely seated thereon.  I saw this idea on blog (http://www.flourishandfancy.com/2012/03/smoothie-love-take-one.html),  featured on another blog (http://www.aflatteringtale.com/) of a former classmate of mine.  This is why the blogosphere (god, what a wretched word) rocks: a blog you follow leads you to another blog which leads you to an awesome green smoothie.  Which you make as soon as you apprehend some spinach.

If you’re skeptical of whizzing salad fixings into your smoothie, please don’t be.  If you’ve ever tried any type of bottled smoothies with names like “Green Goodness,” or “Green Machine,” than you’ll understand why it’s a genius concept.  

Though the pureed greens lend the drink vibrant green color, the taste of the fruit and fruit juices dominate.  I really couldn’t detect the flavor of spinach at all.  

I used a frozen banana, plain yogurt, honey, strawberry juice, orange juice, and a vibrant pile of spinach. Whirr away, and you’ve got a delicious, vibrant smoothie with fruit AND veggies, all in one!  I’m impossibly stoked about this.  So stoked, I’m using words like stoked.  

But, lest you think with this smoothie and the usage of “stoked,” I’ve used up all my reserves of California hippie-ness, think again!

Oh yeah, we’re talking more green, in the form of avocados!  

I’m of the conviction few foods are more perfect than perfectly ripe avocados.  I mean, really.  All they need is to be sliced or diced and sprinkled with a whisper of fleur de sel.  Creamy, silky, mild, indulgent perFECtion.  

This one, however, was turned into my favorite breakfast ever: Avocado on Toast (must that be capitalized?  Whatevs, I’m going with it; it’s a proper name, yo.)

Avocado on Toast isn’t just that.  It’s a little misleading that way.  You could slice some avocado on toast and I’ve no doubt that would be divine.  But I find it’s even more divine if you lightly mash the avocado with a clove of garlic, a few jags of hot sauce, chopped cilantro or parsley (or both), a squeeze of lemon or lime, salt and pepper, and a squirt of mayonnaise, if that’s your thang.  I know avocado is lovely and creamy on its own, but sometimes mayo is the correct thing to do.  I like fat.  (In food, not on my body…what, the two are related?  Whaaa?)

Don’t over-mash the avocado–you want a chunky mixture, not a puree.  Smear it on some hot crunchy toast (nice sourdough, preferably) and hot damn, that is the most perfect breakfast I ever did see:

Wait a sec.  Isn’t this essentially guacamole on toast?  A variation of it, maybe.  I wouldn’t be adverse to dipping tortilla chips in it.  But I like to add chopped jalapenos and canned green chiles into my guacamole.  And I like more lime juice.  And, I’d never put mayonnaise into guacamole.  Maybe I’d swirl it with sour cream on a taco (OK, actually I know I would do that.)  

So yeah, it’s close.  But it’s more of an avocado spread than guacamole.  Oh, also I’d put fresh ripe chopped tomatoes into guacamole as well.  I really go to town with guacamole, apparently.  I can appreciate simpler versions, but I like lots of zingy flavors of raw onion, spice, and fresh tomato.

I can also testify the avocado spread is excellent on a breakfast sandwich, with a fried egg and a slice of melted gouda cheese.  I’m sure it would embellish a slew of sandwiches in a similarly delicious way (turkey and swiss with ripe tomato, a veggie sandwich with tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, and bell peppers…K I’ll let you take it from there.)

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