a summery taste of Italy

I have been having major cravings for tomatoes recently!!! Every time I get on Pinterest I see 5 new tomato recipes I need to try. Unfortunately for me, my husband had a bad experience with tomatoes several years ago (chunky tomato tacos + a few rounds of the tilt a whirl = no more tomatoes). And although he’s been begging me to go and get some tomatoes for myself, I just don’t dig when we can’t both enjoy something I’ve made.

I saw an avocado caprese salad recipe on Pinterest that looked to die for (here is the link) and since Neal is away this week I knew my time had come. ‘Cause a girl needs some consolation when she can’t snuggle her love :/

I made myself the caprese salad and had plenty of leftover ingredients. The next day I was feeling a bit snacky when genius struck! Just chop up those ingredients into a dip! Whaaa?  I went down and made it and it was good, oh my! Creamy, tangy, savory, with a crunch. This dip has it all.

For those of you who don’t do dairy, here is a dairy free alternative (click here for the link) that would work for this too.

Recipe

• 5-10 Cherry tomatoes
• 1 Avocado
• ½ Cup of mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp of fresh basil finely minced (more or less depending on how much you dig the stuff)
• 2 tsp of balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste (start off with just a pinch because the balsamic vinegar is so flavorful!

Begin by cutting your avocado and mozzarella into cubes. Then dice your tomatoes to your desired size. Next finely mince your basil (or in other words chop it really really tiny). Then add your balsamic vinegar, s+p to taste and stir until completely mixed. Enjoy with pita chips, crackers (there’s plenty of the gluten free variety), or crostini.

There you have it, just a tasty bit of Italy for your snacking pleasure! Enjoy and be sure to follow along for more recipes on Instagram (here) and Pinterest (here)! Happy eating!

 

Xo,

Aubrea (the Noob)

 

Ps. I love suggestions and ideas. Share any thoughts in the comments below 🙂