Avocado Recipe Contest and Giveaway!

This giveaway is closed.
I love me some avocados. I'm not a huge fan of guacamole, but regular avocados and I are great friends. I am teaming up with The Amazing Avocado to bring you this contest and a giveaway.

What’s better than a home-cooked holiday meal with your family and friends? A home-cooked meal prepared by an award winning chef.

Avocados from Mexico has partnered with an all-star line-up of chefs to put some flavor into three lucky winner’s holiday entertaining. Throughout the month of October (just a few more days!), avocado fans can enter at facebook.com/theamazingavocado to win one of the three holiday parties in their own homes prepared by:

• Roberto Santibanez: Restaurateur and author of “Truly Mexican” (dinner on Thursday, December 1)
• Iliana de la Vega: Culinary educator and restaurateur (dinner on Friday, December 2)
• Rick Bayless: Bravo’s Top Chef Masters Season One Winner and Chef/Owner of Chicago’s Frontera restaurant  (dinner on Saturday, December 3)

These holiday feasts will feature a menu of authentic Mexican recipes and new ways of incorporating avocados into traditional holiday menus.  The recipes are sure to become a favorite, as Chefs Rick, Iliana, and Roberto share their personal favorite holiday recipes with your friends and family.

In addition, three second-place winners will receive a one-year supply of avocados. Visit the Amazing Avocado Facebook page facebook.com/theamazingavocado to enter.


I'm also sharing a recipe using avocados from each chef.

Guacamole con Granada

© Iliana de la Vega, 2011

Serves 6 

Ingredients:

  

2 large avocados

1-2 chile  jalapeño chopped

2 tbsp. diced onion

1 pomegranate (kernels only)

3 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

½ tbsp. olive oil

lime juice, to taste

salt to taste

Garnish

1 jicama, medium

In a molcajete (mortar and pestle or in a cutting board); mash the chiles. Reserve.

Scoop the flesh of the avocados into a bowl, mash with a fork or a potato masher.

Add chile to taste, onion, pomegranate kernels, cilantro, lime juice and salt to taste.

Peel the jicama, cut it in half. Cut the jicama in thin slices to serve with the guacamole con granada.

“Courtesy of Iliana de la Vega.”

Apple-Tequila Guacamole (Guacamole con manzana y tequila)

For the Apple

1 large crisp, sweet apple, such as Gala or McIntosh, peeled, cored and finely diced

1 tablespoon silver (blanco) tequila

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

For the Pecans

¼ cup pecan halves, sliced crosswise or coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon butter

teaspoon of fine salt, or ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Guacamole

1 fresh Serrano or jalapeño chile, stemmed

2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion

1 teaspoon coarse salt, or ½ teaspoon fine salt

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided

1 large or 2 small ripe Mexican Hass avocados, halved and pitted

Directions:

Toss the apple with the tequila and lime juice in a bowl and let the mixture stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350˚F. Spread the pecans on a small baking pan and bake until golden and fragrant, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the butter to the pan and toss to the butter and coat the pecans. Sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat.

Heal a comal, griddle, or heavy skillet over medium-low heat and roast the chile, turning it over with tongs once or twice, until tender, blistered all over, and blackened in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the skin from the chile (you might have to use a paring knife).

Mash the chile, onion, salt (the coarseness of kosher salt will help you make the paste), and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro to a paste in a molcajete or other mortar. You can also mince and mash the ingredients together on a cutting board with a large knife or fork, and then transfer the paste to a bowl.

Score the flesh in the avocado halves in a crosshatch pattern (not through the skin) with a knife and then scoop it with a spoon in the mortar or bowl Toss well, mashing the avocado coarsely with a pestle or fork.

Stir in the apple mixture and most of the pecans. Garnish with the remaining pecans and cilantro.

Serve right away with tortilla chips.

Makes: 2 cups

“Courtesy of Truly Mexicanby Roberto Santibanez.”

Mexican-Style Shrimp Cocktail

Cóctel de Camarón

Working Ahead: The sauce can be made, covered and refrigerated for several days before serving. Finish the cocktail within an hour or so of serving.

      Make 4 cups, serving 6 to 8 as a starter

1 pound (71 to 90 pieces per pound) peeled, cooked small shrimp

¾ cup ketchup

¼ cup Mexican hot sauce (such as Valentina or Tamazula)

½ cup (loosely packed) chopped fresh cilantro (thick bottom stems cut off)

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 small white onion, cut into ¼-inch pieces

¾ cup clam juice, shellfish stock or water

Salt

1 ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and sliced

2 to 3 dozen crackers (standard-issue saltines or artisanal crackers) OR 8 to 12 ounces of tortilla chips

2 limes cut into wedges

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, ketchup, hot sauce, cilantro, lime juice and onion. Stir in the clam juice, stock or water. Taste and season with salt if you think it needs it. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

Serve the cocktail in small bowls topped with slices of avocado, accompanied by saltine crackers (for a very authentic touch) or tortilla chips and lime wedges for your guests to squeeze on.

“Fiesta at Rick’s by Rick Bayless”

Now for the giveaway...

How pretty is this platter?

How cool is this avocado 3-in-1 tool that pits, scoops and mashes them?


Plus some avocados to go with it all?

Maybe you'd like to win them?


Ok!


Just leave a comment on this here post telling me anything you want. How your day was, what you ate for lunch, your favorite book? Anything. Let me hear it.


Be sure to leave your email address as well so I can contact you if you win.


Contest goes until Sunday 10/30 at midnight Mountain Time. I'll announce the winner on Halloween. (Cue spooky music)