Paradise Found in Pineapple Guacamole

Pineapple Black Bean Guacamole

Want a fresh treat that tastes like paradise?  This guacamole is it!  With a tropical twist of pineapple added, you'll be singing holy guacamole!  

Pineapple Black Bean Guacamole

2 medium avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

1/4 cup salsa verde

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh or canned pineapple

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced*

2 T finely chopped red onion

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 T minced garlic

1-2 T lime juice to taste

1/4 t ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup Cojita cheese, crumbled

In a large bowl mash avocados.  Stir in salsa verde until combined.  Add pineapple, beans, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper, and stir.  Cover and chill 2 hours.  Sprinkle with crumbled cheese.  Serve on warmed tostadas or with tortilla chips.  *Use kitchen gloves and eye protection when handling jalapeno seeds to avoid burns. 

Salsa Verde Ingredients

Now this is where it gets really fresh:  Make your own salsa verde with tomatillos, poblanos, cilantro and more!  Don't use the canned stuff.  It is easy to do and your taste buds will thank you!

Salsa Verde

2 poblano peppers

4 tomatillos, quartered

2 avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lime, juiced

1/4 bunch cilantro, leaves only

1 T white vinegar

Pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Put poblano peppers under preheated broiler on a sheet pan.  Cook for 8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes until skin is charred.  Remove from broiler and allow to cool for 10 minutes until skin separates from the flesh.  Core, seed and peel the charred skin from the peppers.  Place in food processor.

 Add tomatillos, avocados, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, vinegar and seasonings to the peppers.  Pulse until salsa is smooth.

Salsa Verde

Pineapple Guacamole Tostada with Fruit Salad and Black Beans

French Chicken Fantastique!

Poulet Provencal

If you, like many hostesses during the holidays, are pressed for time, yet require a delicious meal lovely enough  for guests, preparing Poulet Provencal will be providential!  Coating the chicken with olive oil and herbs, crisps the skin and leaves the meat succulent.  The tomatoes, onions, garlic and olives baking alongside create a savory stew which serves as a side dish. The aroma of this roasting chicken will scent your home with herbes de Provence, transporting your guests to a colorful table in the South of France.  C'est magnifique!

Poulet Provencal Recipe
3-4 medium tomatoes cut into wedges
1 large onion, cut into wedges, leaving root ends intact
1/2 cup brine-cured pitted black olives
4 large garlic cloves sliced, plus 1 t minced

3 T olive oil, divided
2 t herbes de Provence*, divided
1/2 t fennel seeds
1 whole chicken 3 1/2 to 4 pounds

Equipment:
Kitchen string

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss together tomatoes, onion, olives, sliced garlic, 2 T oil, 1 t herbes de Provence, fennel seeds, dash of salt, dash of pepper in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  Push vegetables to sides of dish to make room for chicken.















Stir together minced garlic, 1 t salt, 1/2 t pepper, remaining teaspoon herbes de Provence, and remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
Remove excess fat from chicken and pat dry, then rub inside and out with seasoning mixture.

Tie legs together with string and place chicken in baking dish.  Roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 170 degrees, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.  Let chicken stand 10 minutes before carving.  

*herbes de Provence can be found at most gourmet groceries and kitchen shops or follow this guide to mixing:
2 T dried savory,  2 T dried oregano
2 T dried rosemary,  2 T dried basil
2 T dried thyme,  2 T dried marjoram
             2 T dried fennel seed
Mix all together and store in an air-tight container.