Green Monster Avocado Pie

Written by Ericka -

Please enjoy today’s guest post by Ericka Sanchez of Nibbles and Feasts.

This Halloween, treat your ghouls and goblins with this decadent Green Monster Avocado Pie. “Avocado pie?” you ask? Yes! Don’t be skeptical; trust me. You’ll be glad you did.

The avocado is such an important element in this recipe because it creates a creamy, smooth and silky consistency. Hints of citrus, sweetened with La Lechera Sweetened Condensed Milk complete this fun dessert. Plus it’s GREEN and oh so delicious! Perfect for a conversation starter at your next Halloween party.

This just keeps getting stranger. Let’s talk crust.

Everything is better with chocolate so chocolate chip cookie bar dough from Nestlé Toll House had to play an important role in this green monstrosity. Cookie dough as pie crust? Why not? Don’t be scared.

The combination of textures and flavors balance out perfectly, creating a devilishly tasty dish that will be haunting you year-round.

Happy Halloween!

Green Monster Avocado Pie

Ingredients for 8-10 servings:

• 1 package (11.5 ounces) NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough, softened
• 2 medium avocados, pitted, peeled and chopped
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 can (14 ounces) NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Sweetened Condensed Milk
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• pinch of salt
• Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.

PRESS 20 squares of cookie dough* onto bottom and up side of prepared pie plate.

BAKE for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown; flatten down with back of spoon to form pie shell. Cool completely on wire rack.

PLACE avocados and cream cheese in large mixer bowl; beat on medium speed until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and salt; beat until creamy. Pour into cooled cookie crust. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of pie; refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Links:

• Green Monster Avocado Pie
• Ericka’s Blog Nibbles and Feasts
• NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough
• NESTLÉ LA LECHERA Sweetened Condensed Milk

Related Recipes:

Pumpkin Chocolate Brownies	Strawberry Avocado Bliss

Taco Tuesday: Fish Tacos with Creamy Avocado Salsa

 

Written by Chris -

Fish tacos, in their simplest form, consist of tender pieces of fish, a little shredded cabbage and a creamy dressing folded into a warm corn tortilla. You can grill, sauté, fry or broil the fish. With all these options — and add all the possible toppings you could do (crema or sour cream, salsa, guacamole, cabbage slaw, etc.) — you can create a fish taco that’s different from anyone else’s.

Ericka of Nibbles & Feasts shared her twist on this Mexican seafood classic. Tender marinated pieces of tilapia are sautéed until golden, then wrapped in a warm corn tortilla.

Ericka’s twist is in the salsa. Roasted poblano chiles, serrano chile, cilantro and avocado are blended together and thinned down with a little Coffee-mate. Coffee-mate is the perfect addition because it adds just the right amount of creaminess. And if you are like me, and sneak in an extra serrano chile, it does a good job of cutting down the heat.

Fish Tacos with Creamy Avocado Salsa

Ingredients for 8 to 10 servings:

MARINADE

• 8 tilapia fish filets (any white flakey fish will do!)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 tablespoon MAGGI Granulated Chicken Flavor Bouillon (I used 1 teaspoon and it was great!)

CREAMY AVOCADO SALSA

• 1/2 cup roughly chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons butter
• 1/2 to 1 cup Original NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE Liquid Coffee Creamer
• 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded*
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 serrano chile, deveined, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon MAGGI Granulated Chicken Flavor Bouillon
• 2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced in big pieces

TACOS

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 8 to 10 corn tortillas
• 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 6 cups chopped iceberg lettuce or cabbage
• 1 lime, chopped in wedges for garnish

Directions:

FOR MARINADE:
PLACE fish filets in a large freezer bag; add olive oil, lime juice and bouillon. Seal; gently shake the bag to cover filets in marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

FOR CREAMY AVOCADO SALSA:
COOK onion and butter in small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent.

PLACE ½ cup Coffee-mate, sautéed onions, poblano chiles, cilantro, serrano chile, bouillon and avocados in blender; cover. Blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth. If you prefer a thinner salsa, blend in more Coffee-mate.

* There are a number of ways to roast poblano chiles. My favorite is on the grill. Lay the poblano chiles onto the grate and allow them to roast for a few minutes until blistered and blackened. Flip the chiles with a pair of tongs and roast the other side for a few more minutes or until blistered and blackened. Remove from grill and place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap to seal the steam inside the bowl. Allow the chiles to cool for about 20 minutes. Peel the blistered skin from the chiles – it should come off easily. Cut the tops off and remove the seeds and stems. That’s it!

FOR TACOS:
HEAT canola oil in large skillet over medium heat. Cook fish for 5 to 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Do not overcook. Remove from skillet; set aside.

HEAT tortillas in a skillet.

PLACE fish on tortillas and top with about 1 to 2 tablespoons of creamy avocado salsa.

SERVE with tomatoes, chopped lettuce and a lime wedge.

Enjoy! And thank you, Ericka for this delicious recipe! I’ve already made it a number of times!

Links:

• Read Ericka’s post on the recipe
• Coffee-mate Special Offers
• MAGGI

Related Recipes:

Grilled Swordfish Kabobs with Avocado Butter

No Mess Summer Fish Packets with Pesto

 

Spring’s Bounty: Fresh & Simple Sides

 

Written by Chris

I know it’s not officially spring until March 20, but in sunny SoCal, we sure got a taste of it today! It has actually been unseasonably cold lately, so when it hit 70 degrees, my kids and I headed to our local Farmer’s Market and local farm. We came home with so much produce – perhaps a little too much! I could hardly wait to get roasting. For me, this is the most simple way to prepare vegetables.

Asparagus and pesto complement each other so well in pasta, so why not roast asparagus with pesto? Fresh lemon peel and lemon juice add just the zing this recipe needs, so don’t skip it. Nutritionally speaking, asparagus has lots of dietary fiber to keep your digestive system in good order. It’s also a good source of folate and vitamin C.

Roasted Asparagus with Pesto & Lemon

Ingredients needed for 4 servings:

• 1 bunch (about 1 pound) fresh asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed (about 12 to 14 spears total)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons BUITONI Refrigerated All Natural Pesto with Basil
• 1 lemon
• BUITONI Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° F. Place asparagus and pesto in large resealable food storage bag; press out air and seal shut. Massage pesto onto asparagus until it is fully coated. Remove from bag and place in single layer on baking sheet.

Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Grate lemon peel over asparagus; squeeze with a little lemon juice. Top with a sprinkle of cheese. Serve immediately.

 

With many vegetables, cooking destroys some of their vitamins, but this isn’t the case with carrots. You can absorb more beta carotene from cooked carrots than from raw ones. If you like garlic, add a few peeled whole cloves to the mix.

Roasted Carrots with Shallots & Thyme

Ingredients needed for 4 servings:

• 2 pounds small- to medium-size carrots
• 1 cup sliced shallots
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425° F. Place rack in center of oven.

Peel carrots if desired and trim green top, leaving about 1/2–inch. Cut larger carrots in half lengthwise and place in a rimmed baking sheet. Add shallots and thyme; drizzle with oil and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for about 30 to 35 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Ahh, avocados. Next to mango, it’s my favorite fruit. Avocados are packed with nutrients! They’re a good source of vitamin K (36% DV), dietary fiber (29% DV), vitamin B6 (20% DV), vitamin C (19% DV) and copper (19% DV). Have you ever had avocado in a chilled soup? Up until a couple months ago, I hadn’t. The inspiration for this recipe came from last June’s Bon Appétit Magazine.  The cucumber, dill and red onion add just the zest it needs – it would make an excellent addition to any gathering!

Chilled Avocado-Cucumber Soup

Ingredients needed for 8 servings (each about 2/3 cup):

• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 large or 3 small ripe avocadoes, halved, pitted, peeled and diced (about 2 1/2 cups total)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sliced unpeeled cucumber
• 1/3 cup snipped fresh dill
• Diced cucumbers, finely chopped red onion and chopped fresh dill for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Combine evaporated milk and vinegar in small bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.

Place avocadoes, water, evaporated milk mixture, 1 cup cucumber and 1/3 cup dill in blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Season with coarse salt and ground black pepper. Cover; refrigerate for 1 hour (can be made up to 4 hours in advance).

Pour soup into eight small bowls or glasses; garnish with cucumber, red onion and dill.

I can’t wait to share my recipes for Pesto Kale Chips and Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with you in a future post. And my kids want to share their strawberry creations (freshly picked at our local farm). Having all this fresh produce really gets the creative juices flowing…

Have a beautiful day!

Links:

• Roasted Asparagus with Pesto & Lemon recipe
• Roasted Carrots with Shallots & Thyme recipe
• Chilled Avocado-Cucumber Soup recipe
• Italian Living with Buitoni – meet our chef
• Get a Carnation coupon

Related side dish recipes:

Simple Risotto with Peas & Parmesan

Broccoli Cheese Soup