Showing posts with label avocado. Show all posts

Peanut Avocado Toast

If you know me or read my blog, you may definitely know that I'm a tad bit completely obsessed with sushi. So, the other night when I was sitting at home after a long day of work deciding what to do for dinner, it was no surprise that the oh-so-familiar sushi debate began in my head. To order sushi delivery or not to order sushi delivery. I was perusing local sushi menus, trying to convince myself I didn't need to spend the money (because when I order sushi, I order all the sushi). I wanted to try a new roll; I wanted to indulge in my favorites, but what I really wanted was the peanut avocado roll I had recently been introduced to, and have since been obsessively craving.
avocado avocado toast cooking
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The Pursuit Of Happiness: 2.169

Breakfast for dinner! A creation straight from my imagination, and it turned out fabulously.
avocado breakfast cooking
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Date Night Dinners - Thai Salad

This week Brenden and I continued with our trend of fresh, light, and summery dishes. We found a salad that incorporated all the things that both of us love. Chicken and Asian inspired flavors for Brenden and avocado and lots of veggies for me. As with all salads, it was also a fairly simple dish to make. What we didn't take into consideration was the time. After all, the salad has a whooping three steps to put it together: toss, whisk, and drizzle. Quick and easy. However, we forgot about the prep work: pulling and dicing and shredding, so take note.
avocado chicken Date Night Dinner
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Date Night Dinners - Choppin' and Mixin'

This week Brenden and I were looking for something light but filling and tasty but healthy. As we searched the world wide web, we stumbled upon two great sounding recipes that seemed like they would pair perfectly together. A Mexican inspired chopped salad and turkey burgers. The salad called for a combination of  delicious, ripe, and colorful veggies paired with a simple dressing and homemade tortilla strips to accent the flavors. The burgers were simple but sounded like they would be bursting with flavor from the cheese, peppers, and toppings the recipe recommended. So we set out to the store to grab the ingredients and then to the kitchen to put them to use.




Unlike our usual process where Brenden and I make separate parts of the meal simultaneously, we decided to conquer these recipes in steps. We started with the salad, as it looked fairly simple, just time consuming with all of the small dicing. You don't have to chop everything so small, it is really a personal preference, but I began with small cubes and I was trying to keep my knife cuts even...Anne Burrell would be proud.

First we cooked the corn in boiling water and as that cooked we preheated the oven and prepared our tortilla strips. We cut the tortillas and seasoned them to taste. And, since the only tortilla's we could find came in a much larger amount then the recipe called for, we decided to toast up some extra cinnamon sugar dessert chips. If you couldn't guess they are made the same ways as the tortilla strips except we cut them into trianglish shapes and seasoned them with cinnamon sugar instead of salt (thanks Kristina for the inspiration, although yours are ten times better; you will have to teach me your secrets).



Then came the chopping. We chopped jicama (for the first time ever), onion, pepper, and so much more. We added each ingredient to the bowl as it was chopped and watched them pile up, hoping we chose a big enough bowl. Then came the mixing. The colors we so vibrant; the salad looked delicious and we couldn't wait to dig in. The salad was prepped so we moved on to the burgers. Again, the recipe was pretty simple. This one had less chopping and more mixing. We mixed the turkey, cheese, peppers, and seasonings, formed patties, and set them on the skillet to cook. And, in less then 15 minutes they were perfectly done.


As the burgers cooked we took the final step of mixing up the salad dressing, burger sauce, and chopping the burger toppings. By this time our mouths were watering. The colors that were facing us from the bowls and plates and the aroma that was filling the air made it almost too hard to take the time to set the table and sit down to eat. But we did, and then we dove in and enjoyed every bite.

Mexican Salad
Recipe adapted from thecafesucrefarine.com, Mexican Chopped Salad

 Ingredients
  • Dressing:
    • 1/4 cup lime juice
    • 1/2 tsp cumin
    • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
    • 2 Tbsp canola oil
    • 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
    • ground pepper to taste
  • Chips:
    • 8 6-inch tortillas (we used 4 corn and 4 whole wheat)
    • 1.5 Tbsp oil
    • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Salad:
    • 1 cup spinach leaves, shredded
    • 1 medium bell pepper, diced small
    • 1 medium jicama, peeled and diced small
    • 1/2 medium red onion, diced small
    • 1 small zucchini, diced small
    • 4 medium tomatos, seeded and diced small
    • 4 ears corn
    • 1-15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
    • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Directions
  1. Dressing:
    1. Combine the lime juice, honey, cumin, and garlic salt.
    2. Stir to combine.
    3. Slowly add the oils, stirring continuously with a fork or small whisk.
    4. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
  2. Tortilla Chips:
    1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
    2. Stack the tortillas on a cutting board.
    3. Cut in half.
    4. Cut each stack of halves into thin strips, about 1/4 inch thick.
    5. Transfer tortilla strips to a baking sheet.
    6. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
    7. Bake for about 15 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes, or until tortillas are golden brown and crisp.
    8. When crisp, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
  3. Salad:
    1. Shuck corn and place corn in a large pot of water over medium high heat.
    2. Bring water to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
    3. When corn is cooked remove from water to cool.
    4. When corn is cooled, cut the kernels from the husks and place into a large bowl.
    5. Add all the other salad ingredients with the corn kernels in the large bowl .
    6. Stir to combine thoroughly.
    7. Serve in salad bowls and add salad dressing and tortilla strips as desired.


Turkey Burgers
Recipe adapted from recipes.runnersworld.com, Red Pepper And Feta Turkey Burger

 Ingredients
  • Burgers:
    • 1 lb ground turkey
    • 4 oz feta cheese
    • 4 oz roasted red peppers, chopped small
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • Toppings:
    • 1/4 cup fat-free plain greek yogurt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/2 cucumber, sliced thin
Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the burger ingredients.
  2. Separate mixture into quarters and shape into 4 patties.
  3. Warm a skillet over medium heat, coated in cooking spray.
  4. Place the four pat tie in the pan, cover and cook for 7 minutes.
  5. Uncover, flip and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until cooked through.
  6. While cooking, combine lemon juice with yogurt in a small bowl.
  7. When burgers are done serve with yogurt sauce, cucumbers and any other toppings you desire (suggestions: buns, spinach, barbecue sauce or ketchup).
avocado burger cheese
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24; 68; EAT; EAT; EAT! - A Guacabowl Party

photo taken by Lauren
As most of us know, yesterday was the magnificent Superbowl Sunday!!! Wooo, *the crowd goes wild.* Now as girl who couldn't care less about football (except for when her boyfriend's team looses in the final playoff game and he sulks for the next seven months), the Superbowl and spending an entire day devoted to it's shenanigans, leaves little to be desired. However, as a girl who loves to eat and rarely finds herself full, celebrating with a Guacabowl party seemed to be the perfect fit. Yes, that is right a "Guaca"bowl party (defination: a Superbowl party that revolves more around the guacamole then the football).

photo taken by Lauren
About a month ago, I received a guacamole recipe book, Guac Off, as a Holiday present from my friend, Lauren. This book has a ton of original recipes for guacamole, and near the end is instructions for a "guac bar." In short, you serve a bowl of mashed avocados with a bunch of seasonings on the side so everyone can create their own guacamole and try different versions. And, that is how my Guacabowl idea began. I knew I had to try it. I love guacamole and so do my friends, so the idea of a do it yourself guacamole party was perfect. Now I just had to figure out when to squeeze it into our busy schedules.

photo taken by Lauren
And then I thought, what day is more perfect then the day that it is estimated over 79 million pounds of avocado were to be consumed. So, with some inspiration from my addiction, Pinterest, and some directions from this guy, the idea evolved into a masterpiece. Not only would I throw a Guacabowl party, but I would create an edible Guacabowl stadium, with fans and everything.

photo taken by Lauren
So I got to work, planning the specs and dishes and ingredients. The actual stadium is made out of magazine holders/bankers boxes (I got mine at Office Depot) and foam. I wrapped everything in tin foil and packaging paper to make the effects better.

photo taken by Lauren

I made lights out of skewers, matt board and hershey kisses. Cars were made from hershey bars, kisses, and tootsie rolls. Goal post were 100% edible and made from beef jerky and so were the broccoli bushes in the parking lot. I created team flags and ingredient/avocado flags with toothpicks and paper. And I used a ton of hot glue and double sided tape for everything!


photo taken by Lauren
I also got inspired and made some "football" deviled eggs and "football" chocolate covered strawberries. Pigs in a blanket were perfect for rallying a crowd and holding signs. And after those elements were created, everything came together. I packed the stadium with an assortment of dippers - chips, popcorn, veggies, taquitos, and tacos. Bulked it up some more with chicken, shrimp, pizza pockets, and fruit (gotta have something healthy...). The seasonings and garnishes went around the edge. Salsa, salsa con queso and avocado made the field, with sour cream as the yard lines. And everything else was set in the appropriate spot.

photos taken by Lauren
I filled in the food at the last minute to keep everything fresh, but it was devoured in minutes so freshness wasn't much of an issue. All I needed was some confetti to throw at the end of the feast (game) for the winners. Maybe I'll get some sprinkles to use for that next year. Hopefully Superbowl XLIX won't be another disappointing blowout game.

Proud creator! photo taken by Lauren
appetizing avocado creative
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The Pursuit Of Happiness - Entry #189

January 16, 2014
Got "save the date" number 3 today. DJ and Shane are getting married! So exciting :)

YAY, so pretty!
And in spirit of DJ's wedding announcement I decided to make the salad she told me about the other day. I am slightly obsessed with it now. It is so delicious and fresh tasting, just like summer - which is probably why she calls it her "Summer Salad." And it is so simple too, like all of my favorite recipes. Make one serving, serve a family of four, bring it to a party, or prepare enough to last you the week, there are no exact measurements so you can't go wrong with this. (NOTE: the salad looks best fresh; the avocado tends to brown and the salad will get a bit watery as time goes on…but it still tastes amazing.)
Did I say delish yet?! It tastes just a good and fresh
as it looks. I love all the vibrant color in this salad.
Here's how to make your perfect Summer Salad: Just chop into cubes the amount you want of tomatoes, avocado, onion, fresh mozzarella cheese, and basil (tonight I decided to add some cucumber and deli turkey for a smidgen of protein). Then drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle some salt (or pour it on if you are any of my friends) over the salad and mix together. It may seem like pretty lax directions, but honestly that is it. I promise! It is totally fool proof and pretty much no matter what you do it will taste great! In fact, I think my dad mixed my left overs with some tuna salad and gobbled it all up. Maybe I'll try adding some bell pepper next time. Mmmmm :)
avocado blogging cheese
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Date Night Dinners - I hope you like spicy!

Dinner was spicyyy - that is the only thing I have to say about this meal (ok, not the only thing, who are we kidding it's me). But honestly, if you like spicy, you will like this. The crock pot was brought out for the year when my dad made beef stew for a family dinner (which was delicious by the way), and a whole new world of possibilities opened up to us. How could we have forgotten about the crock pot?! The crock pot is one of the most amazing pieces of cookware ever invented. There are so many things you can make with a crock pot, and of course, everything taste better when made in it.


So it was settled - we were making a dish using the crockpot. But what dish? We scoured the internet for the perfect crock pot recipe and we came across a few choices. After reading out finalists over and over we crossed our fingers and hoped this Salsa Chicken would be the one. Now, I wouldn't say it was perfect, and I am not sure I will be jumping to try it again right away (although I will eventually with some alterations), but it was a good meal, and the chicken was cooked amazingly. It was just the seasonings I would adjust.


Like I said it was pretty spicy, which isn't awful, but the spice just didn't mesh 100% with the salsa we chose. I guess that was our fault because we went out on a limb with our salsa choice. And after all, who goes out on a limb when trying a recipe for the first time...this couple over here, WE DO, ha! And, while we may not do it again anytime soon, I am sure it won't be our last time winging it. It has worked out pretty well for us in the past, but it wasn't our best choice this week. The original recipe called for a cup and a half of "your favorite salsa." Neither Brenden or I eat salsa very often, so needless to say, we don't particularly have a favorite brand (and even if we did, it would probably somehow be completely opposite of each other's choice). Any-who we ventured up the salsa aisle and reviewed our options. One of our other crock pot finalist was a pineapple chicken, so we were excited when we found, Newman's Own Pineapple Salsa. We thought it would be a great way to incorporate the pineapple. And, even though it was a little more pricy, the proceeds go to charity; how can you beat that?! But as I mentioned earlier, while the salsa may have been fabulous with a chip to dip and daiquiri in the opposite hand, it didn't quite work with this mix. Next time, I would try sticking with a more traditional salsa, and maybe tone down the amount of spicy spices I throw in. Definitely didn't need that extra cayenne pepper...whoops. What can I say? It was a day of living on the edge.


Now I really hope you aren't completely turned off by this meal because as I mentioned it did turn out pretty decent, just not the best; as you can see it looks pretty delish, and if nothing else, it is so, so, sooooo super easy to make! I promise, if it was a complete disaster I would not post it. Believe me, there is a reason you haven't heard about our homemade tomato soup (or should I say tomato water) or our chocolate wasabi pie (it sounded like a good idea at the time). But back to the Salsa Chicken. We spiced ours up by making wraps with all of our favorite toppings which made it even tastier. I added avocado to mine. I mean come on salsa, avocado, the two go hand-in-hand. We also garnished our wraps with some cheddar cheese, onions and sauteed zucchini (for me, remember Brenden is a plain jane) to make it extra filling and yummy in our tummies.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
Recipe adapted from www.heandsheeatclean.com, Salsa Chicken

 Ingredients
  • 3.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 large diced tomatoes
  • 1.5 cups of your favorite salsa
  • 2 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 Tbsp crushed black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Directions
  1. Trim the fat from the chicken breasts.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients from tomatoes through the end.
  3. Coat each chicken breast with mixture and place in crock pot.
  4. Pour remaining sauce/seasonings over chicken in crock pot, mixing it slightly to distribute evenly.
  5. Cook on low for about 7-7.5 hours.
  6. Once fully cooked, remove chicken from the crock pot, draining extra liquid, and shred with two forks.
  7. Eat plain in a wrap, sandwich, or salad with your favorite ingredients and enjoy.
(Note: Stay tuned next week for a special Date Night Dinner, from Brenden's point of view!)
avocado cheese chicken
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Date Night Dinners - Mexican

Date night number two and going strong. We decided to go with a Mexican flare for tonights dinner. We have made this dish before and it is delicious, but we added some extra ingredients to try and spice it up tonight. Plus you can't go wrong with Mexican, if for no other reason then the guacamole goodness that should be a mandatory accompaniment for all dishes of this style. I love guacamole - I eat it by the spoonful. People don't ask me if I want some guac with my chips, they ask if I wants some chips with my guac. But more about guacamole later (believe me I could go on forever).

We like this dish and chose it for tonight because it is inexpensive and easy and fairly healthy, but still explodes with big bursts of flavor. Making the dish takes a while, but besides chopping up a few ingredients, mixing all the ingredients together and popping the it in the oven, it is a stress free meal. Honestly. So what if it takes an hour and a half to cook, you don't have to do anything but wait. It gives you the perfect amount of time to watch your date night movie or show, or in my case put the final touches start on the homework assignments I may or may not have procrastinated on. So give it a try. I promise it will be worth it!


Spanish Casserole with Guacamole
Adapted from eatliverun.com, Rice Bean Casserole with Guacamole

 Ingredients
  • 1 cup brown rice, dry
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken broth (can substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian meal)
  • 1 8-oz can tomato soup
  • 1 14.5-oz can beans, drained and rinsed (I use kidney beans, change up the beans to alter the flavor a bit)
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (I use about 1/2 to 3/4 of the seeds for a good amount of spice, discard or use seeds based on the amount of heat you want)
  • 4 hotdogs, cubed (omit if your are vegetarian)
  • 1.5 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (I use about 1/4 of the seeds, again, determine seed amount based on heat desired, I tend to use guac to counterbalance and cool off)
  • .5-1 tsp cumin
  • .5 tsp garlic salt
  • .5 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tomato small to medium sized, chopped
  • 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
  • juice of 1 lime
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a 9x13" casserole dish, add rice, broth, soup, beans, jalapeno pepper, hotdogs, cumin, shili powder, salt, and garlic powder.
  3. Stir well until completely combined.
  4. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
  5. Place in oven and back for 90 minutes, or until liquid has fully absorbed. (If you want it to be soupy, remove after an 60-75 minutes.
  6. While casserole is cooking, cut, peel, and remove pit of the avocados.
  7. Place avocado in a medium bowl along with minced jalapeno, cumin, garlic salt, black pepper, cilantro, tomato, onion, and lime juice.
  8. Mix until thoroughly combined.
  9. Taste and chill until casserole is finished cooking.
  10. Serve casserole and guacamole together, about 5 minutes after cooking.
  11. Enjoy the wonderful burst of flavor!
avocado beans cheap
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The Pursuit Of Happiness - Entry #27

August 1, 2013
August brings more summer fun. I had a barbecue tonight with a bunch of friends. We had lots of good food including strawberries, black bean dip, avocado corn dip, BBQ chicken on the grill, corn on the cob, baked beans, and pasta salad. It was nice to be able to all get together, hang out, and just enjoy the night.
Our delicious appetizer spread. I made the dips
A close up of the black bean dip, which was a hit, gone by the end of the night.
We didn't want the night to end!
avocado Barbecue black beans
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