Tomatillo and Avocado Dressing

I have been patiently waiting for tomatillo's to arrive so I could share this recipe with you. Inspired by my favorite Midtown lunch spot, this dressing is so easy to make, so versatile and oh so yummy. Between this dressing, and last years tomatillo salsa I am obsessed. I couldn't stop taking pictures of these little treasures, as you will see below, and have used one batch of the dressing three ways this week already!

It has served as as:

1. A dip for crudites at work;
2. Water-downed as a dressing for a tomato, cucumber and mozzarella salad, and
3. As the sauce accompaniment to roasted shrimp over rice.  (Toss shrimp with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon zest and roast for 8-12 minutes at 375.)

Scoop up the next tomatilos you see and enjoy this easy peasy recipe with me.

Tomatillo and Avocado Dressing
Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado 
• 10 small to medium tomatillos 
• 3 spring onions
• Salt and pepper 
• Water

Directions

• Bring a small pot of water to boil, and drop in the peeled tomatillos. Cook for 6-7 minutes until they turn a nice mustardy yellow.
• Drain, reserving one cup of the cooking water, and let the tomatillos cool.
• Mince the onions in the food processor or blender until finely chopped. Add the tomatillos and avocado and then blend. One tablespoon at a time, add the reserve cooking water until you reach your desired consistency.

New Food Blog Design!

It's here! My new, custom design thanks to a collaboration with Courtney at DesignerBlogs. What do you think? I love how it captures the local food and funky veggie vibe I strive for. While there is more page content to come, I just couldn't wait any longer to debut the new design.

If you receive this update via email, I'd love for you to click over and take a look at the shiny new LaurenLivingLocally!

Gojee, Go thee!

How did I not know about gojee.com?  Seriously, I cook, I am obsessed with food photography, I work in Internet search... Thank goodness a dear friend clued me in after reading this post.

Gojee is part food porn, part geek heaven. Drop-downs like "I have", "I crave" and "I dislike!" are combined with search results of gorgeous food images and quick links to recipes.  It's fantastic.  Check out the screen grabs below. 

Have an ingredient but at a loss of what to do with it? Gojee!  

Roasted Eggplant with Basil

I whipped this up this for lunch the other day after a very complicated Google search for ingredients on hand in my fridge.... "eggplant and basil." Wow did it knock my socks off, or really, knock the fork out of my hand. 

I love when unexpectedly a dish becomes a favorite. Four main ingredients, about 5 minutes of prep time, and voila! So simple but oh so good. On its own over rice, tossed with a protein in pasta or as a vegetable side to a larger supper, this eggplant dish is delish. Thanks, Martha!

Roasted Eggplant with Basil

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• Coarse salt and ground pepper 
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar 
• 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees
• On a rimmed baking sheet, toss eggplant with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
• Roast until browned and tender, about 25 minutes
• Toss with red-wine vinegar and basil leaves 

About Eggplant

While closely related to the potato family, eggplant is botanically classified as a fruit or berry because of the edible seeds. Salting eggplant, or aubergine, before cooking it will reduce the amount of oil absorbed during cooking. Thomas Jefferson, an avid gardener, introduced eggplant as one of many "exotic" plants into his impressive garden at Monticello. Good for Thomas, because these veg are full of vitamin C, calcium and potassium.

#FoodBlog

I promise I haven't forgotten about you. It's just that exciting changes are underway at LaurenLivingLocally. Stay tuned--The big reveal is just around the corner!