Tag Archives: avocado

Avocado Super Smoothie

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This is amazing! It’s thick and creamy without the dairy and even my kids couldn’t detect the “green” in this smoothie. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Avocado Super Smoothie –

  • 1 cup kale, washed and stems removed
  • 1 cup baby spinach, washed and big stems removed
  • 1 medium banana
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1 small apple, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup water, or more depending on how thick you prefer
  • Ice

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Directions –

Place all your ingredients in a blender carafe – starting with the liquid and topping off with the heavier items. Process for about 30 seconds until well blended. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

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Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado-Yogurt Sauce

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fishtaco

These tasted pretty good and the yogurt sauce is a must to cool down the spiciness of the fish. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy šŸ™‚
Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado-Yogurt Sauce – adapted from Crumb
Spicy Lime-Chipotle Fish –
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp chipotle powder (or chili powder, if you prefer)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • Ā½ tsp salt
  • 1 lb fresh mahi-mahi fillets (or any other firm white fish)
Avocado-Yogurt Sauce –
  • 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and roughly chopped
  • Ā¼ cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • Ā½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
  • Ā¼ tsp salt
  • Ā¼ cup water
Tacos and Garnishes-
  • 12 small corn tortillas
  • Shredded cabbage
  • Cilantro sprigs
  • Lime wedges
Marinate the Fish:
  1. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, chipotle powder, cumin, paprika and salt, and stir until smooth.
  2. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Rub on both sides with the lime-chipotle marinade. Transfer to a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
Prepare the Avocado-Yogurt Sauce:
  1. While the fish marinates, prepare the avocado-yogurt sauce.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the avocado, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, salt and water, and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook the Fish:
  1. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium-high heat, saute the fish in the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil until opaque and flaky, about 4-5 minutes per side.
  2. Remove from heat, and transfer to a platter. Using a fork, break up each filet into bite-sized chunks. Cover with foil, and set aside while you warm the tortillas.

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Warm the Tortillas and Assemble the Tacos:
  1. In a heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium heat, warm the tortillas one at a time for 20-30 seconds per side, or until soft and flexible. Wrap the finished tortillas with a clean dishcloth to keep warm between batches.
  2. To assemble, place three tortillas on each plate and drizzle with avocado-yogurt sauce. Divide the fish evenly between the tortillas, then serve immediately with bowls of toppings so that everyone can top off their tacos as they please.

Turkey, Bacon and Avocado Sandwich and Baked Fries

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If you need a recipe for leftover turkey, look no further! This is was such a tasty sandwich, and these baked fries are a new favorite! They were crispy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. My family didn’t even notice or care that they weren’t fried. Thanks for reading, enjoy! šŸ™‚

Roast Turkey, Avocado and Bacon – adapted from Food Network

  • Roasted, sliced turkey breast
  • Bacon, cooked and drained
  • Avocado
  • Tomato
  • Fontina cheese, sliced

Directions –Ā 

1.Ā To assemble the sandwich: spread a thin layer of the remaining butter on 1 piece of the bread. Place 1 slice of the cheese and several slices of the turkey breast on unbuttered side of the bread. Peel and slice the avocado, and season with salt and pepper. Add avocado slices, crispy bacon slices, tomato and another slice of fontina cheese to the top of that. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Slather the remaining piece of bread with the butter and place on unbuttered side out, on top of the bacon.

2.Ā Heat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and let it melt, swirling the pan around to coat. Put the sandwich in the pan and weigh it down with a heavy pot or can (or wrap an ordinary brick in aluminum foil and set it on top to compress the sandwich.) Toast for 1 minute, turn the sandwich over before the bread begins to burn. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.

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Baked Oven Fries – adapted from Annie’s EatsĀ 

  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 5 TBSP vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions –

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 TBSP of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil. Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels and pat dry. Wipe out the empty bowl and return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining oil. Arrange the wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes and becoming golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a spatula and tongs, flip each potato keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5-15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

3. When the fires are finished baking, transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Spicy Roasted Shrimp Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo

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Quick Post: It seems that I can’t go wrong when I give them shrimp! šŸ˜‰ M really liked the chipotle mayo, and it would be a great addition to other sandwiches – that is, if you have any leftovers! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Spicy Roasted Shrimp Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo –

  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Chipotle Avocado Mayonnaise
  • 1 baguette,Ā cut it into 3-4 equal pieces, toasted, for serving
  • Romaine lettuce leaves, for serving
  • Bacon (cause everything is better with it)
  • Sliced tomato and avocado, for serving


Directions –

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine shrimp, olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper, to taste.

Place shrimp mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.Ā Place into oven and roast just until pink, firm and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.

Serve sandwiches on a baguette with romaine lettuce, avocado, shrimp and chipotle avocado mayonnaise.

Chipotle Mayonnaise –Ā 

  • 1-3Ā chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce
  • 1 avocado, pitted and chopped
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions –

Combine chipotle peppers, avocado, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime juice and saltĀ in the bowl of a food processor; set aside.

Best Grilled Chicken Sandwich EVER

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I could eat these weekly! I love grilled chicken sandwiches and there are two things necessary to make these truly amazing. You must marinade your chicken and you must put all this goodness in between bakery fresh ciabatta rolls! I need to find a recipe for these, but I have no hesitation about purchasing these from our local club store. As long as I can pronounce all the ingredients, I will happily pay whatever price!
I love these ingredients for my chicken marinade. It’s so easy and extremely flavorful and it hasn’t failed me yet! Fresh ingredients are best with anything, especially when you’re using those ingredients are the main flavor component. I marinade my chicken for at least four hours, longer if I’m using thighs and I try to watch the amount of acid I use in marinating. If there is too much acid, you can run the risk of “cooking” your meat and changing the texture of the final product….yuck! I don’t measure my marinade ingredients because I have made this so many times, but I will give some estimations of amounts for you. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Chicken Marinade –
  • 1 1/2 lbs – 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split in half
  • the zest and juice of one lemon
  • fresh garlic (2 cloves, roughly chopped)
  • fresh thyme (8-10 sprigs, pull the leaves off if you’d like)
  • white wine (a splash – maybe 2 TBSP)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (more if needed)
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste

Sandwich toppings –

  • cooked bacon
  • avocado
  • lettuce
  • tomato
  • sliced Swiss cheese
  • split and toasted ciabatta rolls, *once these are off the grill, rub with cloves of garlic*

Place prepared chicken pieces into a zip top bag. Mix all marinade ingredients together and pour over top the chicken pieces. Mush the bag to distribute marinade and place in a glass baking dish. Be sure to mush the bag ever hour or so.

Preheat an outdoor grill. Remove the breasts from the marinade and grill for 6 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Assemble sandwiches as desired ( you’re going to lose some while eating – there are lots of slippery toppings in these )

Carrot Ginger Dressing

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Quick Post: One of my favorite things to order at local Japanese restaurants is the side salad with carrot ginger dressing. I don’t know why it’s so good, I just accept it! Now that I have a recipe for it that tastes so good, I can enjoy it in the comfort of my own home and I can make it cheap! Really, the most expensive ingredient was the miso paste. Now that I have a huge container of it, there is plenty to go around for lots more of this; and my next experiment – miso soup! I doubled the recipe and I’m glad I did. Between the three of us, half the jar was put away šŸ™‚ Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Carrot Ginger Dressing – adapted from Smitten Kitchen via GOOP.com
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons sweet white miso
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed or another neutral oil
  • 2 tablespoons water

Salad:

  • Romaine lettuce
  • avocado
  • cucumber

Blitz the carrots, shallot and ginger in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, then add the miso, vinegar and sesame oil. While the machine running, slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil and the water.

Divide the lettuce among four bowls, add some of the onion and a quarter of the avocado. Drizzle with plenty of dressing and serve.

 

 

 

Super Bowl Appetizers

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Quick Post: I don’t care much for football, but I do like making appetizers! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Guacamole Ingredients – adapted from Alton Brown

  • 3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions –

In a large bowl place the scooped avocadoĀ pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Restaurant Style Salsa ingredients – adapted from The Pioneer Woman

  • 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
  • 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies) *I drain these*
  • Ā¼ cups Chopped Onion
  • 1 clove Garlic, Minced
  • 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
  • Ā¼ teaspoons Sugar
  • Ā¼ teaspoons Salt
  • Ā¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
  • Ā½ cups Cilantro (more To Taste!)
  • Ā½ whole Lime Juice

Directions –

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency youā€™d likeā€”I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

I know this looks gross, but I assure you – if you love blue cheese you’ll love the taste of this!
Buffalo Chicken Dip ingredients –

  • 1 skin-on, bone-in chicken breast, roasted and shredded
  • 1 – 8 oz package of cream cheese at room temp
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
  • 1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese
  • 1/2 blue cheese dressing
  • 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot

Directions –

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a 8×8 inch baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with celery sticks.

Cobb Salad

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Quick Post: M requested this for dinner – I am usually appreciative of meal suggestions because that’s less pressure on me. Cobb salad has a lot going on, but it’s super easy to throw together. I made this one a little more flavorful by marinating the chicken “souvlaki style”. For my salad, I added bell pepper and portobello mushrooms to up the veg content! Thanks for reading:o)

Try This…

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Only if you like avocados, tomatoes and the flavor of lime juice. It’s a super simple snack that I came up with sometime last year when I had a craving for guacamole but I didn’t have the time or all the ingredients that go into my fave guacamole. Oh, and no chips either but this “salad” fit my cravings perfectly. Avocado does have a lot of fat, but really – how bad can fat be from a fruit?;o) Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Tomato and Avocado “Salad” ingredients –

  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • 1 – 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • juice of half a lime
  • kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions –

1. Toss all ingredients in a bowl.

2. Eat!

Marinated Chicken Breast

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I came across this recipe the other day while trying to find a simple marinade for some chicken that I had sitting the fridge. This marinade has lemon zest, garlic and some dried herbs, but I decided to add two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to go along with it. The night before I prepared the marinade in one of my dressing carafe and placed it in the fridge to let the flavors marry. Plan on marinatingĀ for at least four and up to twelve hours – any longer than that and the lemon juice will start to cook the meat. This morning I pounded the chicken breasts in a sealed, one gallon Ziploc bag – you don’t want all that chicken juice flying around your kitchen! Plus, once the chicken is nice and evenly pounded, you can pour the marinade over the chicken, mush the bag around a little and finally place it in the fridge. Whenever I marinade meat, I either put it in a Pyrex container and cover it, or as with this method I place the bag in another container. It’s just a way to be extra safe in keeping any raw meat juices from contaminating the rest of your fridge and it’s contents.

This chicken grilled up moist and flavorful and paired perfectly with the green salad. I added tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, avocado and grated carrot to theĀ greens – the more veggies for me the better! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lemon Zest, Garlic & Herb Marinade – adapted from Once Upon a Chef

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1Ā¾ pounds total)
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced (use a garlic press)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Ā½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1Ā¼ teaspoon salt
  • Ā½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1Ā½ teaspoons lemon zest (you’ll need one lemon)
  • * I added 2 TBSP of lemon juice

Directions –

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper and, using a meat mallet, pound to an even Ā½-inch thickness.

2. Mix all ingredients except chicken together in a 1Ā gallon zip-lock bag. Add chicken breasts and massage marinade into meat until evenly coated. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (the bowl protects against leakage); let the chicken marinateĀ at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.

2. Clean grill and preheat to high. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over grates several times until glossy and coated. Place chicken breasts on the grill (make sure they are well-coated with the marinade; the more garlic, lemon zest and herbs on the chicken, the better!). Grill, covered, for 2-3 minutes per side.

Use a fine or Microplane grater to zest the lemon. Simply rub the lemon in one direction against the blades, turning the lemon as you go. Be sure to remove only the yellow part; the white pith underneath is bitter.

 

If you are using less than 4 chicken breasts, you’ll need to reduce the salt accordingly.