I love avocados. LOVE might be a better way to express my deep infatuation with this delicious and nutrient rich food. Thank you, God, for creating this fruit!
A few of my favorite ways to enjoy avocado:
1. Spread slices on lightly toasted bread.
2. Garnish on every Mexican dish you can think of!
3. Add to mashed black beans and wrap up in lettuce leaves.
Any way you slice, mash or cube it, enjoy some avocado today!
Refried Beans Enchilada Casserole with pico de gallo salsa… Yummy dinner and leftovers.
Ingredients:
2-14oz cans of your favorite enchilada sauce
8 Large flour tortillas, cut in half
2-14oz cans of your favorite refried beans
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large white onion, diced
1 cup black olives, sliced
1-14oz can corn, drained
1-14oz can diced tomatoes, or 3 fresh roma tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon chile powder
Your favorite pico or other chunky salsa
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour one can of enchilada sauce bottom of 9×13 glass baking dish.
3. On medium heat in pot, water saute onion, bell pepper, garlic for 5 minutes, then add refriedbeans, cumin, corn, tomatoes, chile powder and heat through- about 5 minutes
4. Place 4 tortilla halves with flat edge against sides of dish. Ladle 2 cups of bean mixture and spread over tortillas.
5. Repeat 3 times.
Note: For vegetarian option, sprinkle 1 cup Mexican cheese blend on top of bean mixture at each layer.
6. Add last layer of tortillas, then pour other can of enchilada sauce over top. Sprinkle #olives. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.
Serve with heaping scoop of pico de gallo salsa or other garnish. Pairs well with greensalad and vinaigrette salad dressing. Makes great left overs too!
Optional garnishes:
I’ll see you at the table!
Healthy veggie based meal: stuffed bell pepper and steamed asparagus.
Ingredients:
4 yellow bell peppers, tops cut out and seeds rinsed out
1 package of saffron rice, prepared per package directions
1 roma tomato, small dice
1 zucchini, small dice
1 small yellow onion, small dice
3 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook saffron rice per package directions
3. On medium heat, saute onion and zucchini in olive oil or water for 5 minutes, then add tomato and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add cooked rice, parsley to zucchini mixture and stir to combine. Using a tablespoon, scoop rice mixture into bell peppers.
Note: You can use other bell peppers, but I prefer the mild, sweeter flavor of yellow.
5. Place 4 stuffed bell peppers into 8×8 glass baking dish. Add water around the outside of peppers, 1/3 the way up the pepper.
Note: If you’re preparing ahead of time, store in refrigerator for up to 2 days, covered in plastic wrap. Add water when ready to bake.
6. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the skin of peppers begins to wrinkle. If your peppers are really thick, you may need 5-10 more minutes. Better to over bake than under bake.
7. Serve with steamed asparagus.
For a more robust meal, serve with crusty bread and large green salad.
I’ll see you at the table!
Kitchen clutter will stop you from wanting to cook. Look for ways to organize your kitchen and dining space. A few examples:
🔪Organize your cooking knives and get rid of the knives that should go. You know which ones I’m talking about!
🍴Clean out the utensil drawer. Organize the forks, spoons, knives so that it looks better.
💐 Flowers don’t need to stay in the kitchen. Find other spots to enjoy flowers and free up valuable counter space.
I’ll see you at the table!
It’s that lovely time of year when asparagus is in season! Delicate but bursting with flavor, add asparagus to your menu. My local grocer (Winco) has it on sale for $0.98/pound!
Some asparagus dish ideas:
🍴Cream of asparagus soup
🍴Roasted asparagus with balsamic dressing for dipping
🍴Two-inch size pieces added to rice
🍴Steamed and added to veggie tortilla wrap
However you use it, indulge in this spring time delicious vegetable!
Blendtec and blender bottle… Thank you for being in my life and helping me to be healthy!
Today’s recipe:
1 banana
1 cup frozen peach slices
1/2 cup blueberries
2 kale stalks
1 cup apple juice
1 cup water
1 cup ice
Blend until smooth… Then start your day off right!
What would life be without rice?! It comes in many different varieties and goes with just about everything.
I usually prefer to cook basmati rice as a side dish, but having a box of ready to cook mix is really helpful for weekday meals. When I purchase these boxed rices, I often get the bigger size so that we have left overs for lunch. Here’s a quick weeknight meal suggestion.
1. Large skillet heated on medium, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat the kielbasa for about 5 minutes to get some nice color and crispiness. Set aside cooked kielbasa.
2. Using same pan, cook Dirty Rice based on instructions.
3. During the last 5 minutes of cooking rice, add in the broccoli and kielbasa. Stir to mix together, replace lid and finish cooking last few minutes. Add about 1/4 cup water if needed, but there should be enough steam in the dish to cook the broccoli.
Veggie Notes:
Dish goes great with a leafy green salad too. Enjoy!
I’ll see you at the table!
Today’s green smoothie recipe with lots of citrus to boost my immune system:
1 banana
2 kale stalks
2 oranges
1 cup apple juice
1 cup water
2 cups ice
Blend until smooth
Today’s green smoothie #recipe:
1.5 frozen banana
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup tart cherry juice
1 cup water
1 cup ice
2 kale stalks
Blend until smooth
This one is even Sarah Avery approved!
When a head cold hits, all I want is soup. For a quick recipe try adding vegetable dumplings and broccoli to ramen noodles. A little sriracha or hoisin to spice things up!
