Sometimes I think about all the things I overlook. Life’s beautiful moments or treasures that I’m too busy to stop and admire. Often unseen, yet adding beauty and magnificence to the world – a blooming flower, big puffy clouds drifting across the sky, birds singing. Well, today, I stopped to appreciate one of these treasures — this gorgeous spiderweb. Now, I know, I know — Ihate — no no — loathe spiders…but this web was just so intricate and stunning. I had to capture it:)
intricate, beautiful spiderweb!
Dinner tonight was an avocado-dictated meal. You know — when your avocado is at the perfect ripeness, and tomorrow it’ll be a goner. Now, typically, I’d make some of my killer guacamole with it. But tonight, after appreciating Nature’s creativity in a spiderweb, I decided to branch out “culinarily ” and make a Mexican Pesto with Avocado to dress some delicious veggies and quinoa!
creamy avocado dressing!
It was so flavorful! Creamy and rich! And – Gluten Free, Vegan, and Body Ecology Diet friendly!
wonderful textures!
Here’s what you need:
3/4 cup of quinoa, cooked in 1 1/2 cups of veg stock
1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 head of cauliflower, broken into florets and roasted
1 red pepper, sliced in thin strips
6 stalks of asparagus, cut in pieces and steamed
4 green onions, sliced
a few paper-thin slices of red onion (garnish)
1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 head of cauliflower, broken into florets and roasted
1 red pepper, sliced in thin strips
6 stalks of asparagus, cut in pieces and steamed
4 green onions, sliced
a few paper-thin slices of red onion (garnish)
Dressing:
1 avocado, mashed with salt
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp EVOO
1 bunch of cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
1 avocado, mashed with salt
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp EVOO
1 bunch of cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
so delicious!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your cauliflower florets (make sure they’re really dry!) on an olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet. Mist the cauliflower with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until they’re golden brown, flipping half way through.
While your cauliflower is roasting, steam your asparagus for about 5 minutes, and prep the rest of your veggies. Soak your red onion slices in ice water for 10 minutes. (This gets rid of the bitter onion-y bite). Cook your quinoa in 1 1/2 cups of veg stock with 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 1/2 tsp paprika.
Lastly, make your dressing. Place your cilantro, garlic, lime juice and EVOO in the bowl of your food processor and process, stopping to scrape the sides several times. Mash your avocado in a bowl with the back of a fork, and then add the mash to the food processor. Let it whirl around for a minute or so until the pesto is smooth and creamy!
Combine all your veggies and quinoa in a large bowl and toss with your avocado pesto! Garnish with the red onions and the green tops of the green onions.
mmmm!
This meal was fabulous! It was such a wonderful twist on your traditional guacamole! There was a decadent richness in the pilaf that was luxurious and creamy! And the flavors were fantastic!! The fresh cilantro and bright lime juice was complimented perfectly by the subtle garlic backdrop and the nutty quinoa!
gluten free, vegan, and body ecology diet friendly!
Finally, the texture was outrageous. There were beautifully crunchy veggies, and crisp-tender, sweet, roasted cauliflower, tossed in a wonderfully creamy sauce. And the quinoa chimed in with a great “pop” in your mouth!
such bright colors!
Sometimes, it’s hard to press the pause button and slow down. These past couple weeks in Wisconsin, slow is theway of life on the lake. Good for healing my Ulcerative Colitis flare and good for being present with the people I love.
red peppers, cauliflower, and asparagus!
How do you slow down? Journaling? Taking a walk? Listening to music?
Until tomorrow!
Need an amazing food processor? This is the one I use:
I am so excited to try this one! Thank you so much for taking the time to post, to share, and to create! I am battling a 4 year long yeast battle... and I appreciate people like you who are kind enough to share their ideas!
ReplyDeleteHi Bethany, thank you so much for your kind comment! I'm sorry to hear about your health issue. I hope that you can find some help and healing in these recipes. Thanks for stopping by:) happy cooking!
Delete