National Avocado Day - Recipe Videos and a Review

God, how I love avocados. My last bite on earth would be a simple slice of creamy Haas avocado.

This is a most delicious blog post you will want to bookmark for future viewing. And click on any recipe name to see all the original recipe photos and text.

July 31 is National Avocado Day, and I have a ripe basketful of recipes for you to use this most luscious and rich fruit.

The creamiest and richest Avocado, the Haas, was first grafted from a single tree here in La Habra Heights in Los Angeles County almost 100 years ago. Read about the origin story here. And if you need a reminder on how to tell when an avocado is ripe, just click here.

The simplest and most tasty Avocado recipe is for Avocado Toast. Just mash a ripe Avocado, season with salt and pepper, then spread it on warm toast. Use a tasty fresh-baked slice of bread if you have a local bakery or farmers market. But a nice nutty whole-grain grocery store brand is fine.



Here in Los Angeles, Avocado prices are cheap compared to other states since we are trade partners with Mexico. I shop at Latin markets were avocados are less than a dollar apiece. If you keep an eye on seasonal sales, you might find them for bargain prices, too.

I like to start the day with this green bauble of deliciousness, sliced and tucked into a cheesy Omelet. This is too much of a good thing, but what the heck.

Crostini is an Italian appetizer that starts with wedges of toasted bread and any favorite toppings. Add a fried egg, plus avocado, and dig in.

I like a fresh and creamy slice of Avocado on my taco, how about you? And all my yummy Taco Recipes are a click away, here.

If you have a local Latin market in the hood, then this next recipe is for you. Plus, this recipe is a real dollar stretcher. Avocado Crema is a mix of Mexican Crema (substitute with sour cream) and mashed Avocado. 

Mexican Crema is similar to sour cream (okay to use sour cream instead,) just sweeter. Use this recipe at your next Taco Party and serve it with chips, and top a taco or burrito -- so good.

Not all Avocados are created equal, just check out my Cheap$kate Dining Review of Del Monte Fresh Guac, here. Does it rate a perfect 9 or a lowly.... hmm, all I can say is looks can be deceiving.

If you have a favorite cold salad, then add a chopped Avocado for a rich addition. I like Macaroni Salad mixed with mayo, krab, and Avocado, which brings it over the top.

For these immigrant-bashing days, I have a Cesar Chavez Salad made with funky anchovies and illegal Mexican-immigrant-picked Romain lettuce with, of course, Avocado from Mexico.

The sushi California Roll was invented here, and boy, does the rest of the country owe California a big thanks. Even hardcore sushi connoisseurs will pick up a pre-made package in the deli section of a local grocery chain store. Check out my video below and see how easy a California Roll is to make.



You can't do a better sandwich than a BLT, or Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich. Oh, wait, I take that back - you can do better with the addition of Avocado, of course. Okay, now go and make yourself a BLT+A Sammie.

For my vegetarian friends and visitors, my Hummus Veggie Wrap includes a Homemade Hummus recipe. Sliced Avocado rounds out the ingredients list. 

I discovered Cuban cuisine here in Los Angeles. And I like to start my restaurant meal with a Cuban Salad, comprised of Avocado, tomato, sliced onion, and radishes, and mixed with vinegar and oil. Very simple but a great contrast to the typical heavy and rich Cuban Roast Pork.

For the dog days of summer, nothing is better than a cool Ceviche. There is nothing to cook, just drain a can of beans and mix in shredded krab, chopped onion, jalapeño, tomato, and of course, Avocado.

Chill it, then get out the tortilla chips and park yourself under a cool shady tree with a frosty mug of beer or your fave cold beverage and watch the world go by.

I can eat Avocados morning, noon, and night, and you can too if you hang out at the 99 Cent Chef's food blog.

 

The $16 Lobster Dinner - Video Review

On the East Coast Lobster is king. And, just last month I found a cheap$kate Lobster Dinner in Levittown, Pennsylvania for 16 bucks! Check out my video below for all the yummy details.

It pays to read the local grocery store ad flyers. This special was from Redner's Warehouse Markets, that ran the week of Father's Day. Holidays are a great time to land grocery deals like this one.

Rednern's is a local grocery chain similar to any small town/city markets. I like local grocers because they carry seasonal produce you may only find in nearby orchards, gardens, and ranches or waterways, plus, the holiday specials are one of a kind. 

Louisiana has Crawfish Season, and in California, Cherry prices drop in early summer, and Avocados are always on sale.

When I saw this Lobster Deal I had to make a video about it. A big 99 thanks to Linda for videoing and co-starring with the Cheap$kate Forager! 

Of course, thanks to Redner's Warehouse Markets. It's where I go for groceries, when staying in my wife's hometown of Levittow, PA. You can read about their Pennsylvania 50-years plus history, here. 

How was the $16 Lobster Dinner sale for Father's Day? Darn tasty. The dinner was cooked and ready to heat up. I removed the veggies and whole lobster from the container, and steamed them. I would suggest steaming the corn and red potatoes for an extra 5 minutes, then add the lobster to steam until warm/hot. Of course, you could eat the lobster meat chilled, or at room temperature.

The lobster tail was firm and sweet. Not as tender as fresh-steamed, but still delicious. I liked the claw flesh the best. They were large and loaded with tender, succulent meat. 

Pull on the tail to expose the large lobster fillet. I use kitchen shears to cut along the top of the shell, lengthwise, to remove the meat.

While the lobster tail was on the small size, the claws provided as much meat as the tail. I used a nut cracker to get it out. Seafood restaurants often provide a small wood mallet to wack the claws. 

All  of the claw has tender meat, but it takes a little more digging to get to it.

If you've never peeled a lobster, there are a couple of thngs to watch for. Like a crawfish, that I grew up eating, the peeled tail meat may have a thin, gritty dark intestine vein along the top to remove.

The lobster claws have a tough, thin, opaque, thumbnail-size cartiladge to slide off the meat. The pencil-thin walking legs have small strands of meat, as well. But they do take a bit of work to get at - detatch and try squeezing out the meat with a bottle or rolling pin. 

Claw cartilage.

The middle body segment, closest to the legs, have a tiny amouts of meat to fish out with a small fork or knife tip. 

 Click on any image to see larger.

In Louisiana, real local Cajuns detach the hea from the tail, and suck the head. A lobster is a bit too large for that, but you can forage for the creamy, green Tomalley in the head/body segments. Chefs prize the Tomalley and add it to a Bisque, Chowder, or just spred it on a cracker like you would Pâté or Caviar.

The Tomalley is the pancreas and liver of the lobster. When you seperate the top shell from the body look for the green goo. It holds a tiny amount of toxins, and is usually fine to eat in small amounts. I survived, but you may want to skip it, if you have medical issues.

My lobter's body had bright orange Roe, or tiny lobster eggs that pop with briny, sweet flavor. 

For a clean presentation, rinse the tail meat closest to the body and trim any discolored tail strands.

The corn and red potatoes were steamed, like the lobster, in a broth that tastes of Old Bay Seasoning. That's the way we do it for a Louisiana backyard Crawfish Boil.

The corn was sweet and tender. The red potatoes were soft and well seasoned from the boiling bath.

 

A sweet Hawaiian Bread Roll was provided - a soft device for sopping up sweet and briny lobster juice.

I've learned to return the day and day-after a holiday sale ends to see if the price has dropped. And, this one plummeted to $9 dollars! Since the meal was cooked, I didn't worry too much about spoilage, like iffy uncooked seafood can.

How does this Lobster Meal rate? While not as good as a fresh Lobster Boil, it held up quite well, especially for the price and convience. The meal had the right amout of seafood boil spicyness and salty/black pepper bite. 

The $16 Lobster Dinner from Redner's Warehouse Market was a tasty way to celebrate Father's Day, wether you're a dad, or not.

National Mango Day

 When ripe, a mango is easy to peel, so on National Mango Day, you can get right down to picking a cheap$kate recipe of mine to celebrate with.

I peel a Mango by just slicing into the skin, top to bottom. That is usually enough to peel each segment of skin to reveal the orange flesh underneath. Then you just slice off the flesh until you hit the large flat/oval seed.

Mangos are ripe when soft to the touch, kinda like an avocado. Although in a Thai Mango Salad, green sour Mangos are used. Mangos come in all sizes, from small Manila Mangos to large Mexican and Central American Mangos. 

I visited Hawaii many times with my late wife Amy, and Mango, coconut, and other fruit trees are everywhere, as our vacation blog post describes, here. 

And they are cheap here in Los Angeles, especially when on sale at my local Latin grocery store. 

Dollar Stores have canned - I espcially like dried and chili-coated Mango slices.

The simplest way I use a sliced Mango is to add some to my breakfast cereal or in a bowl of plain yogurt. My Mango and Yogurt recipe is a delicious start to your day, or a cool anytime snack.

I can still find small containers of yogurt cheaply at my local Ralphs supermarket.

I have a fruity pancake series I've been doing for a few years now that features fresh fruit, and Mango is at the top of my Pancake recipes. Nothing to my Mango Pancakes recipe as I use a cheap pancake mix. All you do is add water to the mix and stir until a batter is formed. 

I then add Mango slices to a hot grill, then pour on the pancake batter. Just check out my recipe video below to see how easy it is to use fresh fruit to make a typically boring stack of pancakes.

If you want to Wow a party, bring a bowl of my delicious Mango Salsa. Every time I bring it, the compliments fly! Of course, don't forget a bag of tortilla chips. 

What makes my Mango Salsa off the hook is the push and pull of sweet mango flesh and spicy pieces of jalapeno. The other ingredients are cheap and easy to get, including chopped onion, cilantro, and lime or lemon juice. The only hard part is chopping the veggies and peeling the mango - that's no big deal, really.

Mango Salsa Recipe - Video

My simplest recipe on National Mango Day is Spicy Mango. I always have Red Chili Pepper Flakes in my spice rack. If you like a sprinkle of Red Chili Pepper on your pizza and pasta, then give them a try on fresh sliced Mango. The yin and yang of hot and sweet will thrill your taste buds.

I'll end National Mango Day with a refreshing Mango, Watermelon, and Spinach Salad. It's perfect on a summer day. It's light and sweet with a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil. Do add a Mango to your shopping list on this special day.