This post is #sponsored and this blog has been compensated by BabbleBoxx.com. Opinions expressed are mine alone. #SummerEatsBBoxx
The collage below shows all the items I received from BabbleBoxx: Fareway meats, Popchips and Southern Breeze Cold Brew iced tea bags.
Summer has actually (and not just officially) arrived here in New England! Yay! My sister hosted our family’s 4thof July holiday, which punctuated a delightful new season of casual entertaining and relaxed gatherings with friends and family that, for me and Christopher, started mid-June.
Hospitality Tip #1
When it comes to being entertained, my motto has always been: “Never go empty-handed!” So, with a plethora of summer events on the horizon and corresponding plans to contribute my favorite foods and recipes top of mind, I’m excited to share in this post my avocado cilantro dressing and some very special products I received this month that will add spice and ease to any group gathering you host or attend.
Southern Breeze Sweet Tea Company sent me a box of their Original Cold Brew Sweet Tea and box of their Peach Cold Brew Sweet Tea. These zero-calorie cold brew teas are super convenient because they’re pre-sweetened, they’re single-serving (take them on the go!) and they’re ready to drink after steeping in cold water for five minutes.
The consensus was that everyone enjoyed drinking these iced teas! The only one not drinking them was me! I don’t like tea, iced or hot, but I did sip the original version just so I could taste it. I still don’t like tea.
Visit Summer Breeze iced teas to learn more about the brand (and to receive free shipping on your first order).
Tip #2: Don’t Overlook the Snacks
I don’t know about yours, but my family loves snacking and appetizers every bit as much as their main meal. Among the healthy snacks your peeps are sure to enjoy before dinner are popchips. (Popchips are never fried and contain only real ingredients.) This post features Zesty Jalapeño Cheddar, Buffalo Ranch Ridges, and Barbeque popchips. You can learn all about the brand and its products here.
I enjoyed all three popchips flavors, but my favorite popchips were the Zesty Jalapeño. They have a spicy bite that was hot enough to pique my taste buds but mild enough to keep me wanting and eating more!
These popchips are perfect as is, but everyone started dipping them in my avocado cilantro dressing.
Tip #3 Use Premium Meat
For the main course of our 4thof July foodfest, my sister Robyn grilled Fareway Meat Market’s Date Night Bundle: two 12 oz. beef rib eye steaks, two 10 oz. Iowa pork chops, and two 8 oz. America’s cut boneless pork chops.
Fareway Meat Market is a meat delivery service that allows you to order meat online. Check out the website to view all of Fareway’s high-quality products at a value price. Enter the code meatlover to receive $20 off your first order.
Bonus products included four premium steak burgers that Robyn also grilled and a pound of 85% butcher’s blend ground beef that Robyn added to her crock pot zucchini casserole. (Did I not say, foodfest?)
We grilled and served all the meats together so everyone could sample them. (There were 11 adults.) I tried the steak first, then the Iowa pork chop and both were tender, rich and delicious. But I have to say that the boneless pork chops, my third sampling, were standouts. Everyone loved them and wanted seconds. (It probably didn’t hurt that they were two inches thick!)
We served the meat with corn-on-the-cob, my Instant Pot pinto beans (recipe coming soon), Robyn’s macaroni salad, and the zucchini casserole. Needless to say, no one went hungry.
Here is a photo of the delicious steak burgers ready to eat! Look at that big dollop of avocado cilantro dressing on top!
The one thing you don’t see in the photo above is my family standing at the sides of the table just waiting to dig in.
Christopher: “Are you done photographing it?”
Me: “One more shot.”
Christopher: *grumbles*
Here is a collage of the summertime fun! Notice the baby (our great niece). She smiles constantly, but as soon as I got ready to take her photo, she put on a ‘What the heck in doodie are you doing?’ face.
Tip #4 Serve My Avocado Cilantro Dressing
I thought I was a food genius before, but creating this recipe has taken my self-respect to a whole new level. Avocado makes the perfect base. Its rich, creamy texture smoothly covers leafy greens, chunky veggies, and all your favorite salad add-ins. What makes cilantro a perfect complement is that it gives all that texture a fresh, clean flavor to spread around.
But dressing isn’t just for salads, is it? No sir! As I’ve stated elsewhere, I’ll eat the right (read: best) dressings by the spoonful, right out of their jars. Or, I’ll use them to spice up my main course entrées. At our 4thof July dinner, I found this avocado cilantro dressing perfect for topping the Fareway Meat Market steak burgers, with and without buns.
Here are most of the ingredients for avocado cilantro dressing: avocado, lemon, Greek yogurt, avocado oil and salt.
And talk about easy! You place all the ingredients in a food processor, give it a whirl and you have an amazing dressing in less than 5 minutes.
My advice is to make my avocado cilantro dressing a staple of your food offerings this summer. It dresses salads gloriously, it complements your grilled meats and seafood entrées most tastefully, and it’s a fabulous, easy dip for chips, crudités, crackers, and more.
I hope you enjoyed this avocado cilantro dressing recipe! Don’t forget to check out the links for Fareway Meats, Popchips and Summer Breeze iced teas!
Leave me a comment to share one of your best summer entertaining tips! And follow me on social media to let me know what you think of this post.
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
Cilantro adds such a nice fresh taste to this delicious dressing!
- 3/4 cup cilantro packed
- 1.5 teaspoons garlic paste or 1 clove of garlic
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt plain, heaping
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon horseradish prepared
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 dash pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder
- food processor
Add all the above ingredients to your food processor and process on high until the ingredients are smoothly combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides when needed
Taste and adjust salt as needed
Transfer to a glass bowl
Serve
Enjoy
If you want pourable dressing, increase the avocado oil to 1 cup!
I have a feeling I’ll be putting this in everything!! Yes please to all things cilantro!
Thanks Nicole!! I too love cilantro and could eat it with everything!
I already have plans for this dressing and some grilled skirt steak! Your great niece is SO adorable!
Aww thanks Britt! She is such a happy easy baby, I think it was my camera that she was thrown by. She’s used to getting her photo taken with the iPhone!
I’m not a fan of cilantro, but I would love to try this with another herb – maybe parsley and/or dill? It looks delicious!
Parsley definitely Allison – and probably dill. Now I want to make it with dill! 🙂
I love your tips!! I totally agree that buying premium meats totally makes a difference in flavor!
Thanks so much Kim!!
I like that the avocado cilantro dressing can double as a snack dip too! I find that salad dressing easily sit in the fridge and can be forgotten about, but if it’s a dio too, it’ll get eaten really quickly!
I was so surprised Markus that my family used it as a dip, which shows you how luscious it is!
Mmmm! That looks so delicious! That also looks like such a fun outing! Great to get all of the family together for the holidays! What a beautiful spot as well! Looks like you really scored with the free goodies! I love peach sweet tea, so I will have to find this!
Thanks so much Beth! I love my sister’s home and view, and water!! 🙂
You most definitely had a food fest but a thoroughly delicious one by the looks of these photos! I wonder if we can get those teas and popchips here in Aus? 🤔
And how cute is your little great niece…. kids and cameras are always a hoot!
I totally agree Gabby! It’s so funny. She’s smiling madly at me and then I picked up my camera and she’s like, ‘deer in the headlights’. 🙂
I think I could eat that dressing by the spoonful. What a great box of goodies you got there. Totally agree, NEVER go empty handed….and I never do. When I host parties (and it seems like that is happening a lot this summer), you always need LOTS of snacks. Prime meat is essential…, especially for grilling. As for the picture taking I had to laugh. I have hubby trained to NOT TOUCH the food before asking LOL. Enjoy your summer!!
Hehe Gloria! We’ve trained them well! And thank you for the comment! You enjoy your summer as well!
Great article, but can I just join you next time? I would like to try everything, including the cute baby cheeks
Hehe Laura! She is so adorable and such a good baby!
Love how versatile this dip is….not to mention tasty! Nice touch with the horseradish for a little heat. Looks like everyone had an awesome time at your get-together…how could they not with all that delicious food 😉
Hehe. Thanks Dawn! I love adding horseradish in dressings, just enough to give it a kick.
Your great-niece reminds me of my nephew he is always looking at me like I’m crazy when I stick the camera in his face LOL rate posts and great tips… I love tea so I definitely will be checking out this southern breeze brand …and your cilantro dressing looks amazing!
Thanks so much Gina!! I appreciate it!
This looks so perfectly creammmmy! You know, I used to not like cilantro… I was one of those people that thought it tasted like soap. But then everything changed after I got pregnant. Now I LOVE cilantro and think it’s the best herb, especially in the summer! I can’t wait to try this!
Dominique! That is so weird isn’t it? Thanks so much. It is so yummy!!! I hope you try it!
This sure is a fun dressing. I can imagine putting it on everything. I can’t explain how much I love cilantro. I’m definitely giving this recipe a try
Thanks Jo! I do put it on everything! 🙂 I hope you do try it!
This looks so healthy and refreshing! I’m sure it’s great as a topping on anything, but I bet it’s even great on it’s own as a dip with some chips or veggies!
It’s definitely good as a dip. I never thought to do it myself until I saw my family dipping chips into it. Now, I seriously eat it so many different ways!
My family is all about snacks and appetizers, too! This looks like an awesome spread, and that dressing just screams summertime entertaining!
Thanks so much Ashley!! I appreciate it!
YUM! Two of my favorite flavors paired together – what’s not to love! I can think of a whole bunch of things to put this on!
Thanks Kathryn!! Me too! Hubby eats this on his sandwiches and in his rice and bean mixture for lunch. So many ways to use it!
This would be my version of Mikes Red Hot. I would put this sh** on everything!!!! Must make today!
Haha Lorie! Yes, so delicious and goes well on so many things!
My new favorite dressing! Really yummy. Awesome photos, too!
Aww thanks Chris!!
It looks like you guys had an AMAZING time!! Love your series of events!! yeah for summer and yeah for the snacks! I can’t wait to try your avocado cilantro dressing on my burgers! Sounds delish!!
Thank you, it’s so delightful, Amanda!! I make it all the time. Sometimes with more oil to make it pourable but usually we just spoon it on everything!
This sounds gorgeous, I love that you added horseradish, I bet it’s addictively tasty!
It really is! Thank you Stacey!
Great post!! I love your tips and I love this dressing recipe. Super excited to see horseradish in this .. brilliant! .. and that you used greek yogurt .. nice way to keep the calories down 🙂 super versatile and absolutely a must have handy recipe.
Thanks so much Heather!! I really appreciate it! 🙂
Two of my favorite ingredients into a dressing, so good.
Thanks Gene! I almost always have this dressing in my fridge during the summer months!
The perfect snack food for this house, thank you for such an easy delicious recipe!
Thank you Mary!