Cottage Cheese Guacamole

Cottage Cheese Guacamole

🥑 Cottage Cheese Guacamole 🥑

Sitting at a bar in the M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas….I was playing video poker, waiting for my hair appointment in the spa. The engaging bartender was about to go on break. She told us what she brought for her lunch: Cottage Cheese Guacamole. Several of us were intrigued. And as sweet as she is, she offered us a taste of her lunch. She said that she grew up in Arizona, and this is how they always made their guacamole.

A few gamblers took her up on the offer. She brought out plastic spoons from behind the bar and gave them a taste. They all nodded, oh that’s good…

I graciously turned down the sample, but decided to try the idea at home, with my guacamole recipe paired with cultured cottage cheese.

Cottage Cheese Guacamole Recipe

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Crab Lovers’ Crab Louie

Crab Lover's Crab Louie

🦀 🧡 Crab Lovers’ Crab Louie 🧡 🦀

Fabulous Dungeness Crab & Louie Dressing are the stars of this show. Tomato wedges, asparagus spears, cucumber slices, and hard boiled eggs definitely need not apply. 👎

This is a Crab Lover’s Crab Louie Salad. Cold crunchy shredded iceberg lettuce is lightly dressed with the terrific Louie Dressing, then a giant mound of Dungeness leg and shoulder crabmeat is piled on top. More dressing, a sprinkle of chopped chives and cracked black pepper. That’s it. Maybe a squeeze of lemon. It’s simply scrumptious with no rubbery eggs nor off-peak vegetables to distract from that stellar gift from the sea.

Apparently, no one can agree on the origins of the Crab Louie, but it is widely known that it is from the West Coast – San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle all have claims to the recipe. That being said, a bold wine pairing from the West Coast is in order. Here we serve the salad with Rombauer Vineyards 2022 Carneros Chardonnay.

The rich and buttery characteristics of many California Chardonnays complement the sweetness and delicate texture of crab meat. The wine’s acidity can also help cut through the richness of the creamy dressing. Rombauer is famous for its complex aromas, intense fruit flavors, and lively acidity.

Crab Lover’s Crab Louie Recipe

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Tiradito de Salmón con Rocoto

Tiradito de Salmón con Rocoto

Tiradito de Salmón

Rocoto Chile Emulsion, Sweet Potato, Radish, Avocado
Cilantro, Corn Nuts, Pickled Manzano Chile with Onion

Often referred to as a cousin of ceviche, Peruvian Tiradito boasts a unique identity characterized by thinly sliced raw fish, arranged and adorned with a zesty marinade, and a myriad of flavorful toppings.

Here the dish showcases Wild Alaska King Salmon infused with a citrusy lime rocoto chile emulsion. It is a colorful symphony of freshness and heat with creamy and crunchy notes.

Tiradito de Salmón con Rocoto

Receta de Tiradito de Salmón con Rocoto

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Ceviche de Pulpo (Octopus)

Ceviche de Pulpo (Octopus)

🐙 Ceviche de Pulpo (Octopus) 🐙

This octopus ceviche recipe offers a delightful combination of textures, flavors, and colors with the citrusy brightness of the dressing complementing the tender ocean-y octopus and the freshness of the vegetables.

Cooked Octopus Tentacles (Pulpo Cocido) by Nuchar is a refrigerated product available at Costco and Amazon. The octopus is from the Eastern Central Atlantic Ocean, a product of Spain. It has already been cleaned and tentacles have been separated from the head. Pulpo Cocido is already cooked and ready to eat. It is excellent sliced thin and served cold as in this ceviche, and also as in this Nobu-Style carpaccio dish.

Ceviche de Pulpo (Octopus)

Receta de Ceviche de Pulpo

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Two Vegetarian Hominy Soups

Hominy Soup

Two Vegetarian Hominy Soups

Pozole Verde
and
Velvety Hominy Soup

Vegetarian pozole verde offers a delightful departure from the traditional Mexican hominy stew typically featuring pork or chicken. This meatless rendition successfully preserves the lively flavors and comforting warmth that characterize classic pozole.

The heart of this dish lies in its rich green broth, which is made by roasting fresh tomatillos, green chiles, onion, and garlic. This roasted blend is then pureed with cilantro, oregano, and cumin resulting in a zesty and herbaceous base that forms the backbone of the vegetarian pozole verde.

Hominy contributes a pleasing corn-infused chewiness to the stew, while meaty avocado chunks replace the role of traditional meat. Lots of various toppings add flavors, textures, and colors.

The beauty of preparing a big pot of vegetarian pozole verde is the possibility of leftover soup and toppings, providing the chance to reimagine them into a completely new rendition which retains the essence of the original flavor profile but evolves into a unique soup with a creamy and velvety texture.

Hominy Soup

Two Hominy Soup Recipes

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