Green Harissa

When we were upstate we bought a (now-I-realize-huge) bag of fresh chili peppers. I’ve used one or two for different things but wasn't sure what to do with all the others. Then I remembered I could make harissa - a spicy paste that I love to eat on falafel (this is my favorite falafel place EVER!). I’ve never made it before so I took to the inner webs & combined a bunch of recipes I found & then tossed in some greens & herbs like I do when I make pesto.

You can use this super spicy green harissa paste like you would hot sauce. You can use it on chicken, veggies, seafood, anything really. It’s super hot so just a little dab will do ya!

Honey Mustard

I'd pick mustard over mayo any day of the week. This mustard (that I learned how to make while working at Immaculate Consumption in my collegiate years), although simple to make, is so flavorful that you'll wanted to put it on everything. Oh, & it's also mayo-free (read: fat-free!).

Ingredients:

• 1 part honey
• 1 part dijon mustard

Make it!

1. Mix the honey & mustard together until combined thoroughly.  Store in the fridge in a squeezy bottle & serve it on everything from sandwiches to salads.

Fresh Guacamole

Everything I learned about guacamole roots back to Trader Joe's & table side restaurant guac prep.  Trader Joe's sells a great little kit with everything you need to make your very own fresh guacamole at home.  After you've used that kit enough you don't even need a recipe & you're able to fly on your own at other grocery stores to buy the ingredients for fresh guacamole all by yourself.

The one & only ingredient that can really make or break your guac is (clearly) the avocados.  Avocados need to be firm yet impressionable (so when you press your thumb into the side of it it should have a little give -not be rock hard or super mushy but just right).  So if your avocados are too hard no amount of mashing is going to make a great guacamole, post pone it or go on a hunt for some more avocados & in the mean time leave your avocados to ripen in a brown paper bag. If they're the other end of the spectrum & are super mushy use them fast before they brown.

Ingredients:

• 1 large (or 2 small) avocado(s)
• 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 shallot (chopped)
• 1 jalapeno pepper (ribs & seeds removed, chopped finely)
• 1 lime (zest & juice)
• 2 tomatoes (or 1 large) (seeded & chopped)
• salt & pepper
• red pepper flakes (optional)

Make it!

1. Cut the avocado(s) in half & scoop out the yummy goodness, discard the seed & shell/skin.
2. Mash avocado, garlic, shallot, jalepeno, lime zest & juice together (use whatever works for you, I used a fork, but a spoon for muddler will work too).
3. Stir in the tomatoes.
4. Season with salt, pepper & red pepper flakes.
5. Eat this with everything & on anything. Store in an airtight container (if there is any left).