My Twist on Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 Packet of baby Spinach
1 can Beetroot, round slices
1 red onion
2 Avocados, ripe
1/2 cup of frozen edamame, beans only
Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Toasted shredded almonds
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar

Dressing:

1/4 tsp Honey
1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Method:

- Clean and wash the baby spinach
- Cut beetroot rounds into halves, discard the liquid
- Cut the red onion into thin slices, julienned, then place in a bowl and pour the vinegar on top of it. set it side until assembling the salad.
- Cut the avocado into cubes and cover them with lemon juice to avoid them going brown
- In a big bowl arrange the salad ingredients by starting with the spinach leaves on the bottom, topped with the beetroot.
- Add the onions without the vinegar.
- Add the avocado, then the frozen edamame.
top the salad with the chopped parsley and toasted almonds.
- Add the dressing when serving and mix.

Homemade Guacamole Dip .. with a Tip!

Ingredients:


4 Ripe Avocados ( Reserve 1 avocado, chopped to add towards the end for chunkiness)
2 tbsp Sour Cream 
3 tbsp Lemon Juice + 1 tbsp Lime Juice (Optional)
Few drops of Tabasco Sauce (Optional)
2&1/2 Ripe Tomatoes, Seeded & Chopped (Reserve 1 tomato, chopped to add later for chunkiness)
Handful of Chopped Spring Onions
Handful of Finely Chopped Coriander
Sea Salt to taste
1 Fresh Red Chili (Mild), Seeded & Finely Chopped


Method:


- In a food processor, throw in 3 avocados, 1 tomato, and the red chili and pulse.
- Add the spring onions & coriander and pulse again.
- Add the sour cream and a good pinch of salt and taste. Pulse for the last time.
- Remove the mixture from the food processor and add the remaining chopped avocados & tomatoes for chunkiness.  
- Season with more sea salt and lemon & lime juice until you reach the desired taste.
- Add the Tabasco and mix well.
- Serve with Tortilla chips or homemade pita chips.


Tip 1: To keep the guacamole bright green and avoiding that bad browning from oxidizing, keep one of the avocado seeds in the dip and add enough lemon or lime juice.


Tip 2: To keep the guacamole in the fridge for a few days without it changing color and oxidizing, put it in a Tupperware and put a direct cling wrap (plastic wrap) on the guacamole dip and let it stick to it to block air and then close it with the lid.


Enjoy!

Low-fat Chicken Quesadilla ~ Diet

Serves 4


Ingredients:

8 corn tortillas
6 ounces low-fat monterey jack cheese
8 ounces chicken breasts, cubed
1 ripe avocado, diced small
1 cup green chilies, drained
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
4 ounces non-fat sour cream


Method:

- Heat a griddle over medium-high heat.

- When the griddle is hot, place 1 tortilla on the griddle and sprinkle 1/8 of the cheese on tortilla.

- Top with 1/4 of the chicken mixture, 1/4 of the avocado, 1/4 of the green chiles, and 1/4 of the cilantro, and another 1/8 of the cheese. Top with another tortilla.

- When cheese begins to melt, flip with wide spatula and continue cooking until cheese is melted.

- Remove from griddle to cutting board. Cut into 4 pieces. Repeat process 3 more times.

- Serve with fat-free sour cream on the side.

Avocado Milkshake

My aunte's and cousin favorite drink


Ingredients:

1 liter milk
2 - 3 halved and peeled avocados
1/2 cup sugar


Method:

Blend on medium for 3 to 5 minutes.

Enjoy...

Salmon with Avocado Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado, diced
1 finely chopped cucumber
1 small red onion finely diced
1 large handful parsley
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 lime
4 tablespoons olive oil
200g Smoked Salmon.


Method:

- Put 1 diced avocado in a large bowl. Add the cucumber, red onion, parsley, fish sauce, and olive oil. Squeeze the juice from the lime, then gently toss to mix, being careful not to mash the avocado.

- Cut the salmon fillets into slices and add the salsa on top.


Tip:

for a little zing...you can add 2 large red chillies and an additional lime. Using a sharp knife cut the top and base off the lime. Sit the lime on a chopping board and run the knife down all sides, removing the skin and pith. Run the knife between the membranes to release the lime segments then finely chop them and gently stir them into the salsa. Finely chop the chillies and sprinkle over the top.

Enjoy...

Burger lovers everywhere.... here are some burger toppers ..

turning boring burgers into show stoppers ..

Spicy Salsa:

1 diced tomato, 1 minced jalapeno, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Honey Mustard:

1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon lighty toasted mustard (if not availabe substitute with lightly toasted sesame seeds)

Creamy Dill: (great on tuna and salmon burgers)

1/2 cup non fat plain yoghurt, 2 tablespoons fresh dill, 2 tablespoons prepared mustard (or store bought)

Chilli Cream: (great on sirlion & turkey burgers)

1/2 cup non fat sour cream, 2 teaspoons chilli powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Tomato-Basil:

1/2 cup tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Sweet 'n' Sour:

1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons red vinegar

Parsley Pesto:

1/2 cup fresh parslet, 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup water ( puree all in blender)

Puttanesca:

1/2 cup tomato sauce, 2tablespoons sliced black olives, 2 tablespoons capers

Avocado Mayonnaise

1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 ripe peeled avocado, seeded

Peanut Sauce:

2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, 1 teaspoon water, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 garlic clove, minced

Asian Guacamole:

2 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1/2 cup diced tomato, 1/4 cup sliced scallions (green onions the green part only), 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice,
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoonvegetable oil,
1/2 teaspoon chilli sauce with garlic, 1/4 teaspoon finely minced jalapeno chile, 1 teaspoon salt to taste (Combine all of the guacamole ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix gently without mashing the avocado)

Today's Tip:

Measurement Equivalents

1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 3 teaspoons (tsp)
1/16 cup (c) = 1 tablespoon
1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons
1/6 cup = 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons
1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
3/8 cup = 6 tablespoons
1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons
2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons
1 cup = 48 teaspoons
1 cup= 16 tablespoons
8 fluid ounces (fl oz) = 1 cup
1 pint (pt) = 2 cups
1 quart (qt) = 2 pints
4 cups = 1 quart
1 gallon (gal) = 4 quarts
16 ounces (oz) = 1 pound (lb)
1 milliliter (ml) = 1 cubic centimeter (cc)
1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm)

Strawberry and Avocado salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar (you can use apple vinigar if not available)
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 head romaine, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup mandarin oranges
1 cup strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1/2 avocado, sliced

Method:

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, salt, pepper and cinnamon in a jar. Shake well & refrigerate for 2 hours. Combine the romaine, orange, strawberries, onion, pecans and avocado in a large bowl.
Top with half the dressing; toss well. Serve with the remaining dressing.


Tip:

De-stem strawberries with a drinking straw. Just push the straw up through the bottom of the strawberry and push through until the stem ops off.