Avocado Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

I made a hearty soup for dinner and I thought it would be enough to fill everyone’s tummies. But by the end of the evening, my husband Lulu's stomach started growling. I made a little snack for him that consisted of smoked gouda cheese, honey wheat crackers and avocado tomatillo salsa. 

I thought of naming the salsa "avocadillo" or "tomaticado" salsa, but I could hear the collective sighs and groans of the internet in my head. No matter how you call this simple combination of tomatillos, avocado, garlic and cilantro, it’s a smart and healthy way to add more servings of fresh vegetables to your diet. 

California Sushi Rolls and Tuna and Salmon Sushi

If you love football as much as my husband Lulu does, and also happen to be a 49ers fan, you were probably frantically jumping up and down and screaming for joy as they made it to the Super Bowl last week. Lulu has been looking forward to this since they lost in overtime in last year's NFC Championship game. To be honest, I have no clue what any of those words mean, but I've heard Lulu say them on several occasions.

What I do know is food and I've concocted a week's worth of  recipe ideas in honor of the Superbowl and the San Franciso 49ers. I may not know a first down from a field goal, but preparing fun party food for friends and family is a great way for me to get involved.

To kickoff our week of SF-friendly Super Bowl foods, here's a combination of California rolls (avocado crab cucumber) and tuna (freshly caught by our neighbor Tom) and salmon sushi. It's super easy; all you need is fresh ingredients and ready-cooked sushi rice. You can make several rolls in advance, and cut them throughout the party as your guests work their way through them. The other nice thing about sushi as party food is that you can easily make different fillings depending on you and your guests' preferences and dietary restrictions.

Caterpillar Roll (Avocado Sushi Recipe)

Lulu and I recently went to a Japanese sushi bar and enjoyed platters of delicious rolls. When I came home, I was determined to serve the same gorgeous-looking sushi for the family. I reinterpreted the caterpillar sushi with a combination of hoisin sauce and kaffir lime sauce. The caterpillar outer layer is imitated with thinly sliced avocados. Unlike most of the "fancy" sushi rolls you'll find at restaurants, this one's vegetarian.

I have to admit I was very proud of how they turned out. And to my surprise, it wasn't that complicated. Sometimes, improvisation ends up with beautiful results!

Don't forget to enter your name and email address to be able to participate in my Haute Potato Cookbook contest. I will pick one winner next Monday. And if you already have a copy, I would greatly appreciate it if you could leave a review on Amazon. Thank you!

Avocado and Persimmon Salad Recipe

This colorful salad was inspired by my daughter Aria's godmother Nathalie. Not only is Nathalie a wonderful godmother to my baby girl, but she's also an amazing cook. While we were in Paris, Nathalie invited us several times for dinner and made a feast every single time for us. We were so spoiled! 

One of our favorite dishes that she made for us was an avocado and Hachiya persimmon salad. Persimmons, when ripe, have a vibrant orange color, making them perfect for Halloween. In case you were confused, the Hachiya variety is the soft one, with the pointed end. They are irresistible when extremely ripe, but basically inedible before that point. I always ripen the fruit in a paper bag with apples or bananas (or both).

The creamy avocado slices are the perfect contrast to the brightness of the persimmons. To finish the salad, I added spicy sprouts and slightly toasted pine nuts for texture. I think it's the perfect salad for a Halloween party, and I hope you do too!

A special note to all those affected by Hurricane Sandy: I hope everyone is staying safe. The American Red Cross is taking donations now to help the victims of the hurricane. They are also asking for blood donations, so if you're able to, please participate.

Spinach Avocado Soup with Shrimp Chips

The idea for this little first course came from an attempt to introduce avocado to my 10-month old baby Aria. The cream soup consists of barley and toor lentils, avocado and spinach. It was so delicious, I thought I'd share the same dish with our dinner guests, with a few alterations, of course. I fancied up the recipe with fresh sautéed spicy crab and Vietnamese shrimp chips called bánh phồng tôm. The velvety texture of the soup against the tasty, cracker-like chips was heavenly.

I love the idea of sharing meals with my daughter, and I’ll share more of our personal favorites. I think I have a little foodie in the making!