Monica's Tangy Guacamole

This recipe is from my Aunt Monica and it's always delicious!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 ripe avocados, mashed
• juice from 3 small limes
• juice from 2 lemons
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ground pepper to taste
• chopped parsley optional

Mix all ingredients together at least a half hour before you want to eat this and refrigerate.  If you keep the avocado pit in the middle it helps the guacamole not to brown in the fridge.  

Enjoy with chips or on burritos or quesadillas... any way you want!

Zesty Quinoa Salad

Guest blogger day!  My friend Rita made this delicious quinoa salad and sent me the recipe and photos for the blog.  Thanks Rita!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 limes, juiced (microwave 20 sec to get extra juicy before cutting)
• 2 TBS ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 c halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (I use low sodium)
• 5 green onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring quinoa and water to a boil in saucepan.  Reduce to medium low and cover.  Simmer until quinoa is tender and water has absorbed, 10-15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Whisk olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes together.  

Combine quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, and green onions together in a bowl.  Pour dressing mixture over and toss to coat.  Stir in cilantro, season with salt and pepper if desired.

For best taste chill in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to let flavors marry.  Great with tacos! Very filling as a side dish as well.  Enjoy!

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Easy Zucchini Casserole

Again with an abundance of zucchini I was hard pressed to find a use for it all!  Thus my zucchini casserole was born.

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 4 TBS milk
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 TBS breadcrumb, plus extra for topping
• Salt, pepper, seasonings to taste

Preheat oven to 375.  Chop zucchini up as small as you want and place in large bowl.
In a large measuring cup or small bowl mix together the egg, egg white, milk, sour cream, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar, and 4 TBS breadcrumbs. 

Pour mixture over zucchini and mix until zucchini is coated.

  Pour mixture into 9x9 square baking dish. 

 Top with breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese.
 Bake for 45 minutes.

Coconut Zucchini Bread

A different and scrumptious combo!  This bread is very moist and great for breakfast or anytime of day.

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups shredded zucchini (squeeze the water out between paper towels after shredding)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or 1/4 cup domino light stevia blend)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (measure out the solid then melt)
• 1 cup light sour cream or plain greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

First shred your zucchini with a cheese grater.  Put between lots of paper towels and press down to soak up all the water.

Preheat oven to 325.  Spray 2 loaf pans with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg.  

In a separate bowl, combine zucchini, sugars, coconut oil, sour cream or yogurt, eggs, vanilla.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir to combine.  Stir in the shredded coconut.

Pour batter into loaf pans evenly.  

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or butter knife.  

Veggie, Lentil & Barley Skillet

My cousin Aubrey made this when she had a party at her house and I'll admit at first I was skeptical because I hadn't had lentils very often and wasn't sure I liked them enough to make a main course out of them.  But this is delicious, healthy, filling, vegetarian, and pretty easy to make.  And you will have tons left over if you're not serving it to a crowd, trust me!

Ingredients:

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup quick cooking barley
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 2 cans (14 oz each) vegetable broth, low sodium if you want
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium celery stalk, sliced
• 1 cup frozen corn, or 1 can of corn
• 1 can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained

In a large skillet (the largest you have is recommended, this makes A LOT) heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add lentils, carrot and onion, cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add barley, basil, pepper and broth.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender but still firm.

Stir in all remaining ingredients.  Increase heat a little, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until lentils and vegetables are tender and liquid is almost absorbed, stirring occasionally. 

Serve sprinkled with parmesan or mozzarella cheese.

The recipe says it makes 6 servings.  But I'd venture to say we got 8-10 servings out of it (depending on serving size of course).

Nutritional facts:  (this is from the original recipe, so based on 1 serving of 6)
225 calories, 3 g fat, 700 mg sodium (unless you use the low sodium broth), 13 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 12 g protein.

Dijon Breaded Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower

Make these and you'll never want to buy pre-made chicken tenders again!

Ingredients:

• Boneless skinless chicken breast or tenderloins
• 1-2 eggs (depending on how much chicken you're making)
• 2 TBS dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Cut the chicken breast into small strips if necessary, or to whatever size you want.  Set up 3 wide shallow bowls, first with flour, second with the egg & dijon mustard mixture, third with the breadcrumb & parmesan cheese mixture.  Dip, turn, dip, turn, dip turn... plop in a skillet!

Cook on medium high heat for about 8 minutes on each side, or until chicken is done!

For roasted cauliflower you'll need:

• 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
• 3 TBS olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2.5 TBS butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400.  Spread cauliflower on a large sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil.  Stir to coat evenly.  Add salt & pepper as desired.  Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.  

Put breadcrumbs and parmesan in a small bowl and pour the melted butter over top and toss to combine.  

When cauliflower is done roasting, put into a medium sized baking dish, such as an 8x8 square.  Spread the breadcrumb mixture on top.  Roast for 5 -8 min more or until the breadcrumbs are a golden brown on top.

"Deceptively Delicious" Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of these ingredients just doesn't belong, I'll admit that.  I was skeptical when I saw these at a friend's house, I'll also admit...but I've never been one to pass up trying a different type of chocolate chip cookie... They're all different in their own way, and deserve to be tasted at least once.  These taste amazing and you'd never know there are chickpeas/garbanzo beans in them!  I promise!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c butter or Brummel & Brown yogurt spread (or recipe calls for"trans-fat free soft tub margarine spread")
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 of a 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 c semisweet chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips for a variation)
• 2 c all purpose flour
• 1/2 c old fashioned oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar and softened butter or spread until smooth.  Stir in egg whites then vanilla, then chickpeas, then chocolate chips.  Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.  Mix until a thick dough forms.  I usually end up using my hands to combine everything.  (This method is different from any other recipe I've made, and I didn't know how it would work, but it actually works fine, but like I said, using your hands on the last step really helps.  It saves dirtying another bowl!)

Drop by tablespoon size onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart, then use a fork or your hands to flatten them down some.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes, don't overbake!  Transfer to cooling rack.

I've recently made these with peanut butter chips and a few of my family members like them better than the chocolate chip!  Personally, I'll always pick chocolate....

Oh and these are really good kept refrigerated....

Nutritional Facts:  (for one cookie - recipe made 44 cookies)  86 cal, 3 g fat, 6 g sugar, 60 g sodium, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

*recipe adapted from Deceptively Delicious cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld