Blue-Cheese Avocado Cakes with Homemade Barbecue Sauce
By: Florian Nouh
Published: Thursday, March 5, 2015 - 10:11am

Ingredients




For the cakes:
5 oz (150 g) blue cheese
4 scallions
2 avocados
3 cups (375 g) whole spelt flour (or gluten-free, if required)
2 Tbs baking powder
salt pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut extra virgin oil
1 Tbs whole cane sugar
3 cloves garlic
1 chilli seeded and removed (optional)
1 handful cilantro or herbs of choice
12 oz (400 ml) buttermilk for thinning
For the barbecue sauce:
8 oz (250 g) cherry tomatoes
2 Tbs apple cider
2 Tbs tomato paste
pinch curry
2 cloves garlic
dash tabasco
salt pepper to taste
2 Tbs agave or maple syrup
1 onion
1 tsp olive oil for roasting the onion

Preparation

1 Start with the barbecue sauce: Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C), prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2 Roast the tomatoes for about 25 minutes. 3 In the meantime, heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large skillet. When oil is hot, add the onion and roast for 5 minutes. Set aside. 4 When tomatoes are roasted, let them cool for around 10 minutes, then transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the garlic, tabasco, agave or maple, onion, curry, cider, and tomato paste. 5 Pulse and blend into a really smooth and silky sauce. 6 Now make the cakes: Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C), line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 7 Combine flour, baking powder, chili, garlic, herbs, cheese, salt, pepper, sugar, and scallions in a bowl. Set aside. 8 In a small bowl, combine the flesh of the avocados and the oil and mash with a fork into a smooth paste. 9 Add the avocado paste to the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk and stir to combine with a spatula until you have the right consistency of dough. 10 Brush your hands with water so that the dough does not stick to your fingers. Form small cookies with your hands, add to the baking sheet with parchment paper (leave an inch space between the cookies). 11 Bake for 20 minutes, let cool for about 5 minutes

About

I love the sharp and salty taste of blue cheese. Often one will find it in salads or as ingredient of a pasta sauce. Today, I give you something different: These Blue-Cheese Avocado Cakes are a delightful addition to… well almost anything: A quick snack, a hearty lunch, or as traveling fare on a trip. 
When I did these cakes for the first time, I prepared them for a BBQ night and therefore also made a BBQ sauce to go with them. The sauce is based on roasted tomatoes and onions, and a range of spices that result in a distinguishably fresh and tangy flavor.
For the actual cakes, flour (whole wheat or a gluten-free variant) is mixed with an avocado cream and buttermilk (for moisture), the cheese (obviously), scallions, herbs and spices. I decided to bake the cakes for about 20 minutes and already after a short time in the oven my kitchen was filled with a mouthwatering aroma. It took quite some self-control to not eat the cakes immediately. I resisted successfully and took them to the BBQ where they could be enjoyed cold or reheated on the grill. I think it should also be possible to prepare them on the grill, if one puts some aluminum foil below. 
BTW, these cakes also make some very nice vegetarian burger patties ;) Enjoy (and don’t forget to share and like ;) )!