Poached Egg Salad with Avocado, Cucumber Sauce

I saw a picture of an Avocado Eggs Benedict this morning on Pinterest, and since I'm not the biggest fan of Hollandaise sauce, I decided to create my own Avocado, Cucumber Sauce to have with a poached egg salad. It's very simple and can be used with an assortment of dishes. Can't make poached eggs, try it on scrambled!

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Blue Cheese Burger

Everyone loves a good burger, whether it's beef, chicken, turkey or veggie. Over the past year I have tried to limit the amount of beef I eat, and go for more lean meets like turkey and chicken. However, when I was at the store yesterday I saw this beautiful 95% lean ground beef on sale and just couldn't resist. I had been craving a good burger for days and decided that if I wanted to save the pennies in the piggy bank, the fat from landing on my thighs (had I gone out to get a burger) and still get what I want, this was the way to go. I also found sesame buns that were freshly made (still warm!) and some amish blue cheese that was way cheaper than any other blue cheese in the store. I got home and threw together a basic yet delicious burger, and with the right toppings had a great lunch.

Grilled Avocado, Cheese, and Tomato

I love grilled cheese. It is so simple, yet so good. However, it is not always the healthiest choice for a Saturday lunch. With an avocado on hand, getting a bit too ripe, and a tomato almost past its 'good' stage, I decided to kick up the grilled cheese sandwich. I have posted my grilled cheese recipe, along with it's nutritional information (from CalorieCount). Don't be fooled by the extremely high numbers. Some of those are very good, like the fiber. And the fat from the avocado is much better for you than fat from butter or whole fat cheese. So don't be alarmed. Then, to give you a good comparison, I also have the nutritional facts for a simple white-bread-american-cheese-cooked-with-butter grilled cheese. You'll be amazed!

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Sicilian Chicken and Pasta

Today while talking to a friend about her 'typical' dinners, she mentioned how she eats a lot of simple pasta dishes. I know how easy it is to do that, but I have a great recipe to amp up that pasta dish! It only calls for a few more ingredients and no more time (maybe 1 minute). It can be done in two pots (or one if you have left over pasta) and not only is it delicious the first day, but it's great reheated for lunch, or dinner days later! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did.

Pasta Salad with Cilantro Dressing

This week Trader Joe's had avocados on sale, which meant, most of my meals were going to be filled with avocados! YAY! I love them. They're a super food (I believe) filled with good fats, great texture, and wonderful vitamins. I was on Pinterest today when I saw a corn, avocado, tomato, cilantro salad and figured I could tweak it so I could use what I had in my refrigerator. With leftover pasta from the other night, fresh tomatoes and avocados, and a bunch of cilantro on it's way out (it doesn't last long), I put together a cold pasta salad. Here's what I did!

Makes 1 serving:

Pasta (cooked and chilled), 1/2 cup

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 avocado, chopped

Dressing

a small handful of cilantro, minced

1/8-1/4 cup of EVOO

pinch of salt

1 t of agave nectar (or honey), just a small amount*

lime juice (half a lime)

*If you wanted to do a more traditional dressing you can switch out the Agave nectar for vinegar.

Mix the dressing ingredients together either by whisking in a bowl or shaping in a container. Taste and adjust if needed. You want a hint of lime, with a bit of sweet and tart. It's oddly wonderful!

Drizzle the dressing over the pasta, avocado and tomato. Happy eating!

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Black Bean, Corn Salsa (Southwest Salsa)

Happy 2012! To bring in the New Year, my friend Cheryl and her husband hosted a fun little get together. I helped in providing food to munch on while we played Wii Just Dance, Apples to Apples and watching the Time Square events take place. Among the many delicious finger foods we put together, I quickly threw together this super easy, super delicious salsa that will please almost everyone!

Mix together:
1 can of black beans, rinsed
1 can of corn (or the equivalent frozen/fresh), drained
3-4 tomatoes, diced small (you can you canned, but I like the taste of fresh tomatoes so much more)
1/4 white or red onion
1 avocado, diced
Cilantro, handful or so chopped
Lime juice from 1 lime (fresh is best, but from the container is fine, just use less)
3 Tablespoons of EVOO (but not needed)
salt and pepper to taste (however, I leave them out because the chips usually contain enough)

Have a blessed and happy new year! Happy Eating!

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Chipotle-esque Burrito Bowl

I, as most people I know, LOVE Chipotle. It's a splurge, especially when throwing on the guac and adding a drink and chips to the mix. So I was inspired Sunday evening (Football Sunday) to create my own dish. I enjoy the Burrito Bowl, then eating the delicious contents with their tortilla chips. It is so yummy, plus it'll save almost half the bowl for another meal! The whole meal takes about 10 minutes to put together. I highly suggest getting everything ready before hand, as I have struggled twice now to have the toppings prepared before the meat is done. This is a great MYO (Make Your Own) where each family member can combine the ingredients however they choose. Also, make it vegetarian by removing the meat, add tofu if you like. Enjoy!

Prepare:

Guacamole: Peel an avocado and mash together with 1 T of EVOO and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Salsa: Chop 1 tomato, small handful of cilantro and 2 slices of onion, mix together with the juice of half a lime. (Or use salsa from a can, whatever you choose!) Set aside.

Chop up some lettuce (however much you like). Set aside.

Drain 1 can of black beans, but we'll only use about 1/2 the can. Set aside.

Grate a handful of cheddar cheese. If you have shredded cheddar cheese already in the refrigerator, use that!

Cook:

Take 1-2 slices of onion and cut in half. Add a half of a green pepper, sliced thinly. With a small pat of butter, fry these until soft (3-5 minutes on medium heat). Set aside.

Next, brown meat* 5-10 minutes, depending on choice, then add a few sprinkles of McCormick Taco Seasonings (comes in little pouches) and a dash of beer. Allow it to simmer down to very little liquid.

If you have left-over rice, this is a great way to use it up, otherwise make 1 cup of rice by following the directions on the bag (you might have to make 2 cups, and just divide 1 out). Add the juice of half a lime, and a small handful of chopped Cilantro. If you are using leftovers, throw the rice, lime juice and cilantro into a small pot with about 1T of water. Heat on low (it will take only about a minute or so). Then remove from heat and put into the bowl you are going to eat/serve out of.

Add 1/4-1/2 cup of black beans to the rice.

Add the browned meat.

*Meat can be chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, pork, etc.

Add the green peppers and onions.

Add the guacamole. 

Add the salsa (tomatoes, onion and cilantro), and the lettuce.

Eat by yourself or share with a loved one. Either way, kick back with a beer, watch the game (or a good movie), and enjoy your Chipotle-esque Burrito Bowl!

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