Creamy Avocado Pasta

Serving Size: 2

Prep Time: 10-15 min
Cook Time: See pasta package

I found this recipe online and it is so easy to make and yummy if you like avacados.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
• 1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish
• 1/2 - 1 garlic cloves, to taste
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 cup or less Fresh Basil, (probably optional)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.
3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

*Please note: This dish does not reheat well due to the avocado in the sauce. Please serve immediately.

You may have to mess around with this recipe until you get it right to your tasting, but I really liked it!

Picture via: OhSheGlows.com

Tinga

This is an authentic dish from Mexico.  I had it at school a few weeks ago and it was prepared by a cute girl whose husband is from the area of Mexico where this dish is prepared (Northern Mexico City).  I am usually not a big fan of Mexican food, but this was really good!  This isn't her exact recipe (I need to get it from her), but I found this one online which got great reviews.

Servings: Plenty for 8 Adults and a handful of toddlers
Cook Time: 4 hrs
Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breast halves (you can use beef or pork if you'd rather)
• 6 medium onions, 3 thinly sliced and 3 chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 medium tomatoes
• 1 (7 ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp powder
• 1 Tbsp sugar

Optional:

• Cilantro
• Limes
• Avocado
• Shredded Lettuce
• Refried Beans
• Sour Cream
• Tostado Shells (or Tortilla Chips if you want to use chicken as a dip)
• Shredded Cheese

Preparation:

Place the chicken into crockpot. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 3 onions that were sliced and garlic, and sautee until transparent. Add to crockpot.

Place the tomatoes, 1-2  chipotle peppers and a little bit of the adobe sauce (SPICY! so add as many peppers and as much sauce as you think you can handle), 3 chopped onions, chicken bouillon into a blender or large food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour this mixture into crockpot.

Cook for 3.5 minutes.  Take out chicken and shred into fine pieces with fork.  Put back in crockpot for an additional 30 minutes.

To serve, each person spreads some refried beans on their tostada shell, and top with a spoonful of the chicken, sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro, shredded lettuce, cheese, and a squirt of lime.

It seems like there are a lot of onions and tomatoes, so we will probably have to mess around with this recipe until we get it right.

Picture Via
Recipe Via

Chile and Lime Veggie Bowls

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1-2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup sliced cherry or grape tomatoes

1 cup shelled edamame

1 medium avocado sliced

large cabbage/iceberg or boston lettuce (I’m not a huge fan of cabbage)

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

lime wedges (optional)

Directions

~ Make Dressing; set aside *if you remember make it the night before

Yogurt-Lime Dressing

In small bowl combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 2 TBS lime juice, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS chili powder, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 TBS chopped cilantro, 1TBS chopped chives.  Salt & Pepper to Taste. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil until well combined.

~ In a zip lock bag combine diced potatoes, soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and olive oil; add diced sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Roast at 425° for 30-40 minutes on a foiled cookie sheet or until done.

~ Divide potatoes, beans, tomatoes, edamame, and avocado among cabbage leaves. Sprinkle with green onions.

Drizzle with the dressing and wrap it all up!

You can add grilled chicken if you want to it be heartier. 

Salmon BLT

Ingredients:
Salmon Filet
Extra virgin olive oil
Low sodium soy sauce
Juice of one orange
Salmon Directions:
Brush salmon filet with olive oil on both sides and then coat with soy sauce and orange juice.  Crack some fresh pepper on top and then broil 15 - 20 minutes (depending on size and thickness) turning once until flaky and done.

Dressing:
1 c. low fat sour cream or plain yogurt
Juice of one lemon
2 T. white wine/cooking wine
1/2 c. italian parsley
1/2 c. chives
5-10 fresh basil leaves
sea salt & cracked pepper
Dressing Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a blender

slice some sourdough bread and brush with olive oil and broil OR toast.  Spread toasted bread with dressing and top with salmon, bacon, lettce and tomato.  Serve with sweet potato fries.

Paradise Bakery Black & White Chippers

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Servings:

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsps. baking soda
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheet.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addiction. Add the salt and vanilla.

3. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until fluffy but still soft. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Printing Recipes

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Hawaiian Haystacks - Slow Cooker

This is one of those recipes you can quickly throw together in the morning, forget about it, and then have a yummy meal in the evening.  I like to make this when I have to bring someone dinner - people always say that they loved it and that it was nice not to get another lasagna.

Makes 4-6 servings

• 10 to 12 chicken tenders, cut in chunks
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 6 cups cooked rice

1. Place chicken in greased 3 1/2 to 5-quart slow cooker.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.
3. Cook on high heat 3-4 hours or on low heat 6-8 hours.
4. Serve over hot rice with a variety of cold toppings that could include grated cheese, peas, pineapple tidbits, shredded coconut, raisins, Chinese noodles, olives, diced tomatoes, diced green peppers, sliced green onions, and other family favorites.

Cashew Chicken Salad

A friend made this for me and I loved it!  The recipe calls for egg noodles, but I like bowtie pasta better.  Since it has chicken you could eat it for dinner with breadsticks.  We ate it tonight and Jack LOVED it. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
4 chicken breast cooked and cubed
1 12 oz pkg egg noodles
1 pkg spinach large bag
¼ cup green onions
1 cup cashews
½ cup sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup soy sauce
4 TBLS Sugar
½ cup vinegar

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT spinach and onion in a bowl.  Toss with dressing and let it sit in fridge for at least one hour.  Add green onions and spinach just before serving.

Hey Mom

Why don't you ever post anything or at least try these recipes we post?  Huh? - Melissa
Yeah mom, do you hate our cooking? - Andrea

Half Baked Cupcake

Prep Time: 2 hrs.
Cook Time: 16-18 min.
Servings:  24

Ingredients: 

• Your favorite cake mix (chocolate or yellow cake) or  your favorite cupcake recipe. 
• Your favorite cookie dough recipe (recommend using mini chocolate chips) or frozen cookie dough squares you buy at the store.

Preparation: 
Prepare Cookie Dough. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place onto a baking sheet, and freeze until SOLID, about 2 hours.   DO NOT skip the freezing of the cookie dough step...if you do, the dough WILL bake along w/the cake and be very dry.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. 

Prepare cake mix. Spoon into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.

Bake in the preheated oven.  It's  imperative that you do not over bake (or you'll get the same dry baked cookie results); Bake for only about 16-18 min. I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH, DO NOT OVER BAKE! It will seem like it's too early to take them out, but it's not. Check the outer ridge of the cupcake (otherwise you're getting the dough on your toothpick which should stay *wet*).   Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Apparently these are amazing, but I haven't actually made them yet...planning on making them soon.  If they are disgusting the recipe will be deleted.  But if you end up trying them before me, please let us know how they are!

Pictures courtesy of All Recipes