When it comes to hosting during the holidays, it’s best to have a few go-to recipes to rely on for entertaining, especially ones that are easy to throw together for last minute celebrations.
Our Executive Sous Chef, Ben Siebert, has the right idea with his Avocado-Pomegranate Dip, a festive, savory appetizer that’s quick to prepare and perfect to bring to any holiday gathering.
A family favorite, this crowd-pleasing dip has deep family roots as it originally discovered by his grandma, “probably in a magazine like Cooking Light, but it’s been a family favorite for a while.”
Ben advises that “although zucchini is more of a summer vegetable, it’s easy to find good zucchini in grocery stores year-round,” making this dip a year-round staple.
Avocado-Pomegranate Dip
Ingredients
4 Ripe Avocados
2 Medium Zucchini
1 Pomegranate or ½ cup Pomegranate Seeds
2 Tablespoons Feta Cheese Crumbles
1 Tablespoons Fresh Oregano
2 Limes
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil
Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2) Dice zucchini ½ inch cubes. Toss in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3) Roast zucchini in oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside and let cool.
4) Break down pomegranate and set aside all seeds.
5) Dice 4 avocados into ½ inch pieces. Squeeze half of one lime over slices to avoid oxidization.
6) Chop all oregano until fine.
7) In a bowl, mix avocados, zucchini, oregano, feta and pomegranate seeds, reserving some seeds for garnish.
8) Squeeze juice of one lime and season with salt & pepper to taste. Avocado and zucchini should start to mash together.
9) Serve with pita chips or crostini. Enjoy!
Ben Siebert | Executive Sous Chef
Ben Siebert takes the reigns as Executive Sous Chef of Paramount Events, overseeing all purchasing and organizational aspects of the Paramount catering kitchen. Responsible for the menu design and preparing Paramount’s chefs for morning and night shifts, Siebert maintains smooth operations at Paramount Events with impressive organization skills.
Crediting his mother’s side of the family for instilling in him a deep interest for the culinary world, Siebert began his experience working at a pizza restaurant in high school, which he thanks for inspiring him to continue cooking. After creating a sandwich company with friends during college, Siebert followed his culinary interests, eventually working as a chef for a summer camp before landing a position as a cook for Bon Appétit.
Joining Paramount Events as Executive Sous Chef, Siebert embraces his talent for creating food he enjoys while satisfying clients at the same time. To Siebert, “cooking is a never-ending learning process,” and he takes great pride in exploring farm-to-table concepts, creating preserves, and more. Siebert is excited to lead as Paramount Event’s Executive Sous Chef, and one day plans to own a small business of his own.