Well, I am pleased to announce that on Monday, at 5pm eastern, I will be with you for my second Wishful Dish show! I am excited, and I have some amazing foods to present to you!
One of them is from Graham and Rollins. A family business that has been around for decades, providing incredibly fresh crab cakes to the masses. Since it comes frozen, when you order it from my show on Monday, you will have it by the weekend, and I can’t think of anything better than to serve crab and lobster cakes at the end of a long week! I decided to include a recipe for a very simple (but very fresh!) tomato and avocado salad, which makes the perfect compliment for the crab cakes.
You will need: 1 ripe avocado
1 ripe medium tomato (preferably Heirloom)
¼ cup of chopped red onion
1/8 tsp of minced garlic (if fresh is too strong, then sprinkle in a little garlic powder)
Salt and pepper to taste
Chop the avocado and tomato as large or fine as you like, and mix in the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Super easy, right? It’s also very colorful, and looks great when served. But if you don’t know much about avocados, I can help. I figured this would be a wonderful tip, since I did not grow up with a family that ate avocados, I was pretty clueless when I first used them on my own.
How do you pick the best avocado? First, you have to decide when you are going to eat it. If it's that night, pick one that gives a bit when squeezed, but doesn't feel mushy. If you're not going to eat it immediately, you can pick a firmer one, and squeeze it every day, until it feels right. If it gives a bit, and you are not ready to eat it, put it in the fridge to slow the ripening process until you are ready.
How do you cut an avocado? First, you need a very sharp knife. If your knife is dull, then it will be hard to get through the tough, wrinkly skin, and you could bruise the flesh on the inside. Cut it the long way, around the oval, all the way to the large seed on the inside. Twist the halves apart, and then take the knife (be very careful!) and whack it into the seed. With the knife inside, twist gently to release it, and throw it away. If it's your first time, cover the hand holding the avocado half with a thick dish towel, to protect your hand and wrist.
To serve it, you can wedge a spoon between the skin and the flesh, and just scoop it out. Or, if you want to serve it cubed, you can take your knife and score it inside all the way to the skin, and when you scoop it out, you have instant cubes!
I hope these tips are helpful to you, and happy eating!