Triple Pepper Salad

I really love bell peppers. This recipe combines sweet, crunchy peppers with juicy tomatoes, beans, and creamy avocados. It's such a dynamic salad!

Triple Pepper Salad

2 c. chopped peppers (any color combo will work)

1 c. halved cherry tomatoes

4 green onions, sliced

1 (14 oz.) can beans, drained (I used great northern)

1 avocado, cubed

1/4 c. oil

1 T. lime juice

1 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. cumin

pinch chipotle chile pepper (or more if you like heat)

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. For best flavor, refrigerate 2 hours (or more) before serving. Enjoy!

Everything Waffles

Last Saturday was Everything Muffins, today it's everything waffles! :) I like hot breakfasts on Saturday mornings.

Everything Waffles
1 banana, mashed
1 avocado, mashed
1/4 c. pumpkin
2 eggs
2 T. sugar
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 T. ground flaxseed
1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Combine banana, avocado, pumpkin, eggs, and sugar. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and flaxseed. Mix only a little before adding buttermilk. Whisk until smooth. (You can add more milk if your batter is too thick.) Cook in a hot, greased waffle iron and serve with toppings of choice. (We used the classic butter and syrup!) Enjoy! :)

Everything Muffins

Have you ever read the book If You Give a Moose a Muffin? Well, we've been reading it a lot around here lately and it always makes me hungry for muffins! These muffins really do have a little of everything in them! They are great for a Saturday morning...like today! :)

Everything Muffins
1 banana, mashed
1 avocado, mashed
1/2 c. pumpkin
1/3 c. apple, finely chopped
1 egg
3 T. milk
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. ground flaxseed

Combine banana, avocado, pumpkin, apple, egg, milk, and sugar. Mix well. Add baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix again. Add flour and flaxseed and stir just until moistened.

Spoon into 12 muffin cups.
Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes.

Let cool about 5 minutes and then remove from pan.

I ate my muffin this morning with my Homemade Honey Butter. Delicious. And remember, if you see a moose in your backyard, don't give him a muffin! :) Enjoy!

Avocado Pancakes

Avocados in pancakes? I know it sounds weird, but it was very good. The original recipe from H.E.A.B. was gluten-free but I adapted it to include some whole wheat flour.

Avocado Pancakes
1 avocado, mashed
2 eggs
1 egg white (or 1/4 c. liquid egg whites)
2 T. milk
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 t. baking powder
pinch of salt
1 T. sugar

In a mixing bowl, combine avocado, eggs, egg white, and milk.

Add flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.

Cook on a greased pan. (I made silver dollar size pancakes.)
Don't be afraid of their color... :) This would be a perfect breakfast for St. Patrick's Day!
I ate them with coconut butter, syrup and cinnamon. Delicious. This recipe only makes enough for about 2-3 people. So if you're cooking for a crowd, double or triple this recipe. Enjoy!

PB Banana Goodness

My whole little family loves peanut butter but it gets a little boring to eat the same thing everyday. So if you're tired with the plain old PB&J, try mixing it up and add some different ingredients to your sandwich. Here are some that I tried:

Peanut Banana Avodaco:

Whole wheat bread, peanut butter, sliced banana, mashed avocado.
(Inspired by H.E.A.B.)

I found this peanut butter at Target and I gotta tell you, it's DELICIOUS!!! I used it for...
Cinnamon Banana:
Toasted whole wheat bread, cinnamon raisin swirl peanut butter, sliced banana. Yum!


And finally, my lunch today was an idea I got from my Rachael Ray cookbook:

Extreme PB Sandwich

Toasted whole wheat bread, crunchy peanut butter, sliced banana, 2 slices turkey bacon, drizzle honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Now, if you're thinking, "Ew, gross!" I understand because I thought that, too...at first! But just try it. The salty bacon and peanut butter mixed with sweetness is surprisingly delightful. I am definitely going to experiment more with my favorite legume and I hope you will, too. Enjoy!

Super Salad

During the summer I often eat salad for lunch. Salads are a nice cool meal in the hot summer and they are packed full of veggies. Honestly, I don't always eat them because they sound good, I eat them so I don't feel guilty the rest of the day... :) I know, I'm weird but oh well. But if you're a salad person (or even if you're not) you can make a darn tasty salad with a variety of ingredients. Here are some typical salads that I eat:Garden Salad: spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocados, and grated romano cheese (topped with dressing of choice.)

Mushroom Salad: spinach, tomatoes, portobello steak, shaved parmesan cheese, grapeseed oil, salt.

Herb Salad: spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocados, mozzarella cheese, cilantro (topped with dressing of choice.)

Dilly Salmon Salad: spinach, tomatoes, celery, grapes, dried minced onion, canned salmon mixed with dried dill, tamari (or soy sauce) and a little oil.

I do love a good salad (when I'm in the mood for one.) And even if you don't think you like traditional salad, try mixing it up a little and use ingredients that YOU like. You might surprise yourself at what you come up with. Enjoy!

Shredded Beef Tacos

My mom will laugh when she sees this post because I always complained when she made tacos when I was young. Sorry for giving you a hard time, mom! :) These tacos are made from my leftover shredded roast beef and they are quick, easy and pretty tasty.

Shredded Beef Tacos
2-3 c. leftover shredded roast beef
1-2 t. cornstarch
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. dried minced onion
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. dry cilantro
1/4 t. cumin
6 taco shells
shredded cheese
sliced avocado
chopped tomatoes


Heat roast beef in a skillet over medium heat. Add cornstarch and stir until thickened. Add coriander, onion, garlic, cilantro and cumin. Mix and heat thoroughly. Meanwhile heat taco shells according to package. To serve, place some meat in taco shell and top with cheese, avocado and tomatoes.

You could top your tacos with anything you want. Sour cream, guacamole, salsa, whatever sounds good to you. Enjoy!

Turkey Wraps

This is a fun summer dinner. It doesn't take much time, and it's very versitile. You can use any veggies that sound good and you could use any meat in place of turkey.

Turkey Wraps
3 whole wheat wraps/tortillas
deli mustard
horseradish (optional)
3/4 c. shredded cheese
12 slices deli turkey (or other meat)
1-2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
1 bunch spinach

Place wraps on a cookie sheet and spread with mustard (and horseradish, if desired) then sprinkle with 1/4 c. cheese each. Place under a broiler until cheese is melted. Arrange four slices of meat on each wrap. Fill each wrap with sliced avocado, tomatoes, and two large handfuls of spinach. Roll up and enjoy. These are the tortillas that I used. They have lots of fiber and protien and only 80 calories. They were perfect. There are lots of different brands of tortillas that would work just fine. Buy one that your family likes and experiment with your fillings. Enjoy!

Sushi & Wonton Chips

Okay so I don't actually use any raw fish, but this sushi is so fun and yummy! Get the kids involved in picking the veggies. The beauty of this recipe is that you can really choose whatever ingredients you want.

Sushi

sticky rice:

1 c. short grain rice

2 c. water

2 T. seasoned rice vinegar

Cook rice and water in rice cooker or on the stove. Pour cooked rice into a 9x13" baking dish and stir in vinegar while rice is still hot. Let cool. (Below is a picture of the vinegar that I used and it turned out great.)

filling:

carrots, julienned

avocados, thinly sliced

cucumbers, julienned

cooked shrimp

imitation crab

seaweed sheets

Press rice onto seaweed sheet (enough to cover.) Then add desired fillings in a line and roll tightly. Slice into 3/4" pieces and serve with soy sauce and/or wasabi.

I happened to have some egg roll wrappers in the fridge, so I also made some wonton chips. They are very simple to make and are very delicious.

Wonton Chips 1 package wonton skins (or egg roll wrappers, quartered)
oil or cooking spray
salt


Preheat oven to 375 F. Lay wontons side by side in a single layer on greased cookie sheet. brush with oil (or spray with cooking spray) and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

I hope you enjoy sushi night as much as I do!

Avocado Quesadilla

Today I was trying to think of a nutritious, kid friendly lunch and this is what I came up with:

We like to have quesadillas for lunch so I figured I'd throw some avocado in there to make them a little more nutritious. It would've been even more healthy with a whole grain tortilla, but we didn't have any... :) I served it with some Terra Sweets & Beets (chips made from beets and sweet potatoes!)

Avocado Quesadilla

1 tortilla

2 slices cheese

1/2 avocado, mashed

Melt cheese in tortilla in a microwave. Spread with avocado and roll it up! Enjoy.

Corn Salsa

Summer is my favorite time of year. I love the warm weather, the long days, and I especially love the food! This recipe is perfect for those warm summer evenings in the backyard. It's full of fresh flavors and yummy veggies! What's fun about this recipe is that it can be served with corn chips as salsa, or served with a fork as a salad. Personally, I love it both ways!

One of the main ingredients is beans. Beans are a wonderful food that are very nutrient dense, high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. (Click here to learn more.) This recipe is a great way to add more beans to your diet. Corn Salsa (or Salad)

3 ears raw corn, cut from cob
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can great northern beans
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 avocados, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Drain and rinse beans. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and serve.

This recipe makes a very large batch. It can be refrigerated for 3-5 days. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Avocado Shake

My husband lived in Manaus, Brazil for two years and it always makes me jealous when he tells me about the fresh produce he had there. Apparently they grow giant avocados that can get as big as a football! Yum. The funny thing is that Brazilians generally don't eat avocados salty (i.e. guacamole.) Instead, they eat them sweet. My husband was the one to introduce this recipe to me and now I crave it all the time. Seriously. And the best part of this recipe is that it's delicious AND nutritious! Avocados are packed with good fat and fiber. So whip up these guilt-free shakes, and enjoy!

Avocado Shake

1 avocado

1 c. milk

4-5 t. raw cane sugar (or sweetener of choice)

8 large ice cubes

Blend ingredients in blender until smooth. Serves 2.

Guacamole

This recipe is a shortcut version of traditional guacamole. It's very tasty and you can adjust all the ingredients to your own taste.

We ate most of it before I could take a picture...:)

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados

bottled salsa

1-2 T. lemon or lime juice (optional)

fresh minced garlic or garlic powder (optional)

salt to taste

Mash avacados and add as much or as little as you like of all other ingredients. (Note: the lemon juice is to prevent the guacamole from going brown. My family eats it so fast that I usually don't add it. And even if it does go a little brown, it still tastes great!) Enjoy!