A Memorial Weekend Lockdown Party for Two
I am sheltering at home with my husband so, this year, it will be a small Memorial Day party, but a party nonetheless! These plant-based appetizers are as festive as it gets.
I wanted to share a lockdown-friendly recipe to encourage people to continue to practice social distancing as a way to mitigate COVID-19. We’re not there yet! And we need to support the health care system as well as those people who are immunocompromised and most vulnerable.
Celebrate at home—honor the men and women who fought and continue to fight hard so that we have the freedom we all cherish so much. But also remember there are other men and women currently fighting to save people’s lives. For them, we also ought to stay home.
The chilled avocado shooters are so velvety and yummy. The jalapeño gives it a nice hint of heat and the fresh lemon juice brightens up all the flavors. The lollipops are the mini version of my “street corn” recipe and the cream sauce is a total winner.
Enjoy! Happy Memorial Day.
Yield: 4 servings of each
Spicy Avocado Shooter
Ingredients
- 1 large haas avocado
- ¼ cup cilantro stems
- 3 tbsp minced jalapeños
- 2 tbsp chopped scallion whites
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup cold water + more, as needed
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt + more to taste
- Pinch black pepper
Method
Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and process on high for 1 minutes, until mixture is smooth and pourable. Add more cold water, 1 tbsp at a time, to thin out. Divide in 4 large shooter glasses and top with fresh herbs and your favorite toppings.
I topped the shooters with micro-cilantro, lime-marinated red onions, and freshly ground pepper.
Corn Lollipops
Ingredients
- 1 ear of corn, husked
- 4 small wooden sticks, pre-soaked in water
- ½ tsp coconut oil
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt + more to taste
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 pinch of garlic powder
- ¼ cup cashew crema (recipe below)
- 1-2 tbsp thinly sliced scallion grens
Method
Fill a medium sauce pan with water and place over medium-high heat until water boils. Add corn, put lid on pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 3-4 min. Remove corn from water and set aside to cool down. This step will allow corn to cook slightly prior to put it on the grill pan.
Cut corn in 4 even portions and insert wooden sticks on each.
Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush corn with coconut oil and season with salt and spices, spreading all over using brush or clean hands. Place corn lollipops on grill pan and rotate until all sides are golden brown with some deep grill marks.
Top with (thinned-out) cashew crema and sliced scallions.
Basic Cashew Crema
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews soaked overnight, drained (reserve 1/4 cup of liquids)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
Method
Mix all ingredients in a high-powered blender and process on high for 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp of reserved liquid from cashews or more, if needed, until your desired consistency is reached.
The yield of this recipe is approx. 1 cup. To pour over corn lollipops, thin out ¼ or ½ cup of the cashew crema with 2-3 tbsp of cold water on a separate bowl.
Cook Global. Eat at Home! 