The Chopping Block has been teaching home cooks how to cook for over 13 years. Now, we’re taking our mission to the blogosphere. Our posts will give you an inside look into our two Chicago locations, where we offer cooking and wine classes, as well as private parties. Our staff will share cooking adventures, techniques they’ve mastered and recipes, as well as delicious dining experiences. Look for information about sales and promotions, our favorite products on our retail shelves, plus upcoming neighborhood events. This blog is just another way we are creating a community around cooking.
Latest Post:
Absolutely Addicted to Avocado
February 22nd, 2012 by LaurenI am not ashamed to admit: I am addicted to all things avocado. My friends always make fun of me when we go out to eat because I will choose my meal based on what comes with said addiction. This often results in me choosing something out of the blue just for the advertised added bonus. Rarely does this get me into trouble though, since avocado makes everything taste better.
I was actually inspired to focus this blog on my favorite green fruit while I was taking my first cooking class at The Chopping Block’s Lincoln Square location last week. I attended the Love at First Bite: Appetizers to Put You in the Mood class with Chef Hugh, and it was awesome. I left the class dreaming of the simple avocado salad that had been paired with our Rum-Glazed shrimp. It was then that it hit me; I am officially in love with anything involving avocados! I am also in love with the Lincoln Square location and think everyone should take a class there. The Thyme kitchen is so rustic and cottage-like, it was the perfect setting for my afternoon. But I digress, back to avocados!
Most often associated with your typical guacamole recipe or as an addition to a Cobb salad, it’s nice to see how much versatility and use the avocado has in the kitchen. I have been in multiple classes where mixing avocado with different proteins enhanced the overall flavor palate of whatever else you were cooking. It worked in my seafood class with the mango salsa we created then and it definitely worked in this class too. I am always so amazed how simple alterations to recipes and combinations can create such delicious results. Oh, the wonders of the kitchen!
This side salad was so simple, and only had 5 ingredients, and it was my favorite part of the entire class. It also didn’t hurt that Chef Hugh is a fantastic teacher, and my classmates were wonderful as well. I will definitely be making the appetizers we had that day sometime soon. Well, unless I skip ahead and just eat all the avocados first…
Rum-Glazed Shrimp
Yield: 4 servings as an appetizer
Active time: 20 minutes
Start to finish: 20 minutes
1 cup rum
2 tablespoons molasses
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
4 peppercorns
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Knox chipotle chili powder blend
Place the rum, molasses, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, star anise and peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium low.
Continue to cook until reduced to a thick glaze. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the spices, and set aside.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat.
Brush the shrimp with grapeseed oil and season with the chipotle chili powder blend.
Grill the shrimp on the first side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and brush with the rum glaze.
Continue to cook until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and brush with more rum glaze to coat.
Serve with the Avocado Salad (recipe follows).
Avocado Salad
Yield: 4 servings as an appetizer
Active time: 10 minutes
Start to finish: 10 minutes
2 ripe avocados, cut into medium dice
2 scallions, sliced thin on the bias
1 orange, segmented
2 tablespoons cilantro, rough chopped
Lime juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Gently toss together the avocado, scallions, orange segments, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper and serve.
Tags: avocado, Cobb salad, fruit, guacamole, rum, salad, shrimp