Avocado & Greek Yogurt Dip

Do you love avocados and guacamole? Are you in love with the creamy texture of greek yogurt? Then this recipe is for you!

Truth be told, I rarely follow recipes. I love reading about recipes and have a substantial cookbook collection, but I usually just use what I have on hand. I usually throw things together and hope for the best. Then I might tinker with it, feed it to my brave-faced husband or summon it to the compost pile---in only the worst case scenario.

After making this dip several times and several different ways, another friend asked for the recipe. Although Tara loves to throw caution to the wind when it comes to knitting, when cooking she prefers to follow clear directions and not my verbal 'pinch of this, pinch of that' instruction. This made me realize that although I love to improvise in the kitchen, not everyone does.

So, here it is: good for dipping tortilla chips, quesadillas or veggies, drizzling onto tostadas or burritos or, in my daughter's case, eating straight from the bowl.

And yes, I use garlic powder in this recipe! Truth be told, it's my secret weapon in my spice arsenal. It doesn't have the pungent bite of fresh garlic that sometimes turns kids off. The most subtle flavour works well in dips. With that said, I always buy fresh ground garlic powder (from the farmer's market or an organic variety at the store) as it seems to taste better than the other types on the market shelves. Don't mistakenly buy garlic salt as it is almost always too salty and not garlic-y enough.

Go ahead and double the recipe. You will love it and it won't last...and I don't mind that the kids may want to eat this with a spoon!

Avocado & Greek Yogurt Dip
Cayenne pepper gives it a wee kick. I usually leave it out if it is intended for my kids consumption but it adds a nice heat if you like some spice. Greek yogurt gives it nice body for a dip, if you want a drizzle consistency, you can add plain yogurt instead. 
NOTE: Look for a dark-coloured, slightly soft avocado. It must be ripe for this recipe. For avocado tips, click here.

1 ripe avocado, mashed
1 lime, juiced (2 tbsp)
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 tsp organic ground garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
optional: 1/16 tsp ground cayenne pepper, or to taste

1. Cut avocado in half lengthwise, remove pit and scoop out avocado flesh into small bowl. Mash with a fork. Stir in lime juice.
2. Add yogurt, garlic powder and salt. Add cayenne pepper if desired.
3. Can be consumed immediately or covered and refrigerated until use. Can be made up to one day ahead.

Curried Carrot Soup

I do love the Seniors' Cooking Club that I lead.

Not only do I get to cook with a group of enthusiastic participants who are anxious to learn how to cook with items like fennel, quinoa and coconut oil, they are constantly fuelling my love of learning and discovering new things in the kitchen.

I was always keen to research random food-related trivia- like the amount of protein in quinoa (14 grams per 100 grams!), how to better absorb iron (add lemon or orange juice!) and the differences between Bronze Fennel and Florence Fennel (Florence produces a nice edible bulb!) -but now I was doing it for a captive audience.

The best thing? Picking up ideas- new and old- from people who have lived life on this Earth longer than I. Their thrifty ideas based on lean years they have encountered (re-purpose those food scraps before they go into the compost!), their techniques in the kitchen (use a salt scrub to take the sour notes from a cut pineapple! more info here) and them sharing the recipes that they are keen to try or have wowed their friends and family with. Some of these are oldies but goodies but some are brand new discoveries.

I was given this recipe by a participant, and she raved about it. I don't know the origins but it is adapted slightly from her original recipe to simplify it a bit. It is an easy recipe and easily served within 30 minutes.

I'm so thankful for these delicious finds along life's way!

Curried Carrot Soup
EASY
Makes about 1 litre

You can substitute coconut oil for the olive oil and butter to make it vegan-friendly and to add flavour. Also, you can add a full, regular-sized can of coconut milk if you desire to tame the spice a bit. I used a small 160 ml can as I love the heat of a good curry and the thickness of the soup with a little less coconut milk than the original recipe called for.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp medium curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups peeled and sliced carrots
3 cups vegetable stock or broth
1-160 ml can of coconut milk (or 1-398 ml can)
optional: yogurt to serve

1. In a large pot on medium heat, melt the oil and butter. Add onion and stir occasionally while cooking for about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Stir in curry powder, salt and pepper and let cook for another minute. Add carrots and broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
3. Add coconut milk, add more if needed. Blend with hand blender or in blender until smooth.
4. Serve hot with a spoonful of yogurt.