Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas

When it comes to enchiladas, nine times out of ten I will order Queso Enchiladas, beef enchiladas topped with chili con queso.  Be still my heart.  Sadly, now that we're a (mostly) dairy free household, I can no longer indulge in such delicacies.  So in order to feed my enchilada craving, I came up with these delicious, and much healthier, Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas.  Serve a plate of these with a green salad or Spanish rice and you've got a fantastic Mexican meal that you don't have to feel guilty about!

In order to save time, I used canned enchilada sauce, but these would be even better with a homemade sauce.  If we could eat dairy, then I think this Poblano Cream Sauce would pair beautifully with these yummy enchiladas.  Also, I like my enchiladas on the drier side, so I only used one can of enchilada sauce, but if you like them wetter, use two cans.

Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup water or broth
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 large ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
12 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
1 cup shredded cheddar, pepper jack cheese, or Daiya cheddar cheese substitute
1 10-oz can red enchilada sauce
optional garnishes: sour cream, extra cheese, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and/or black olives

In a small saucepan over medium heat, saute onions, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.  Stir in beans, water, chili powder, oregano and cumin.  Let beans mixture simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is almost all gone, about 10-15 minutes.  Set aside and let cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a casserole pan with nonstick spray.  Spread a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.

In a small bowl, toss avocado slices with lime juice.  Season to taste with salt and a little pepper.  Set aside.

In a saute pan, add 1/2-inch depth of vegetable oil and heat it on medium.  Test the oil by dropping a few water droplets into the oil.  If they sizzle and bubble, the oil is ready.  If they don't, then let the oil continue heating and test again.  Using tongs, carefully drop one tortilla into the hot oil for 5-10 seconds. Remove to your work surface.  Spoon about 1/4 cup of bean mixture down the center of the tortilla and top with 1-2 slices of avocado.  Roll up enchilada and place seam side down in baking dish.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Sprinkle cheese over enchiladas.  Pour enchilada sauce over the cheese.  Bake 25-30 minutes in preheated oven.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.  Garnish with sour cream, more cheese, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro and/or sliced black olives.

Read more...

Sweet Pork Tacos with Avocado Cream

This is another recipe from The Meal Planner (seriously, I think her website is my new best friend!) and it's another winner.  The sweet pork paired so nicely with the tangy avocado cream and the hard taco shell.  Since it's a crockpot recipe, there's very little time involved and it makes a ton of meat.  I froze half (probably more than half actually) to save for another meal.  Since Andrew's not a big fan of sweet and savory dinners, I cut down on the amount of brown sugar and thought it was the perfect amount of sweetness - sweet enough to satisfy me but not sweet enough for any complaints from the hubster!

Sweet Pork Tacos with Avocado Cream
adapted from The Meal Planner

for the pork:
3 lbs pork loin roast or pork shoulder
2 cups favorite salsa
4 oz can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

for the avocado cream:
1 large avocado, mashed
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons low fat sour cream
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste

to serve:
hard taco shells or tortillas
sliced onions, optional
shredded cheese, optional
corn salsa, optional
shredded lettuce, optional

In the bottom of your slow cooker, combine salsa, green chilies, brown sugar, onion and black beans.  Mix well.  Add pork roast and cook on low for 7-9 hours.  Remove the pork and shred with a fork.  (I cooked mine about 9 hours and I shredded the meat in about 30 seconds since it was literally falling apart.  Lovely!)  Return meat to slow cooker and mix meat into the sauce.  Continue to cook another 30 minutes to 1 hour with lid off to thicken the sauce a little bit.

Meanwhile, to prepare the avocado cream, add green onions, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, chile powder, salt and pepper to mashed avocado and mix well.

To serve, scoop sweet pork into hard taco shells and top with avocado cream and any other desired toppings.

Read more...

Chicken & Edamame with Orange-Ginger Dressing

Since I'm playing major catch-up after having a sick computer for almost two weeks, I'll keep my recap short and sweet.  (PS - I'll update this post with a picture as soon as I figure out how to export my data from my external hard drive to my computer.  I tell you what, it's really difficult to be not tech-savvy in today's world!)

This dish is wonderful!  It has bright, flavorful tastes, comes together quickly for an easy weeknight dinner, the leftovers are great, and it's healthy to boot.  What more could you ask for?  The whole family liked this one and I think it will be served often in our kitchen.  The avocado really pairs brilliantly with the dish so please don't omit it.

And if you've never perused Confections of a Foodie Bride's website, I highly recommend it.  Her recipes are always good and her photography is stunning!

Chicken & Edamame with Orange-Ginger Dressing
adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

the juice and zest of 1 orange
the juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger (I had to substitute 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder because my
     grocery store was out of ginger and it turned out fine...but fresh is always better!)
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I used a rotisserie chicken to save time)
1 cup shelled edamame, cooked
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large avocado, sliced
1 cup brown rice

Cook the brown rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl (or blender), combine orange juice, orange zest, lime juice, lime zest, oil, ginger, garlic, and cilantro.  Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), blend until all ingredients are well combined.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To the dressing, add chicken, edamame, and bell pepper and toss to thoroughly coat.  Spoon mixture over cooked brown rice.  Garnish with cilantro and avocado.

Read more...

Cuban Beef with Bell Peppers

I pinned this recipe on Pinterest ages ago, and with crazy busy-ness of Thanksgiving week, I decided it was time to bust out another slow cooker recipe. I was surprised at how flavorful the meat was, especially considering there aren't a ton of ingredients. But once I tasted the beef with the avocado, I was blown away. The avocado is a must with this recipe! This is a great, simple and healthy slow cooker meal that is perfect for the busy holiday season.

Cuban Beef with Bell Peppers

adapted from Real Simple

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1 white onion, chopped

2 teaspoons Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon roasted cumin

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup sherry

salt and pepper

1 1/5 lb flank steak, cut into two or three pieces

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips

1 cup long grain, cooked

1-2 limes, cut into quarters

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

2 avocados, sliced

In the bowl of a slow cooker, combine tomatoes, onion, oregano, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper and sherry. Stir to combine. Nestle flank steak amongst the vegetables. Let cook on low for at least 8 hours. The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat will be.

About 2 hours before you're ready to eat, add bell peppers. (You can add them at the beginning but they turn to mush. I don't like mush, so by adding them later, they were cooked through but still had a nice texture.)

To serve, place rice on serving plate. Top with meat and veggie mixture. Squeeze lime juice over top and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve sliced avocado on the side.

Read more...

My (Current) Favorite Salad

I based this salad on a salad I make for my father-in-law, and I've made it twice in the last week. I love the tangy sweet citrus with the crunchy fennel and creamy avocado. Yum! I love it so much that while Andrew was eating ice cream last night, I got the left over salad out of the fridge and ate the rest of it! If you're looking for a flavorful addition to your Thanksgiving meal, this salad would be perfect.

My (Current) Favorite Salad

for the salad

2 oranges, peeled and segmented

1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and segmented

1/2 can hearts of palm, sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks

1 head butter lettuce, washed and torn into chunks

1 bunch arugula, washed and torn into chunks

for the dressing

1 small shallot, minced

juice from left over grapefruit membranes (or juice of 1 lemon)

juice from 1 left over orange membrane

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1-2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

In a large bowl arrange butter lettuce leaves, arugula, orange segments, grapefruit segments, hearts of palm, fennel slices and avocado chunks.

For the salad dressing, in a blender combine all ingredients and puree. Pour desired amount over salad.

Read more...

Three Healthy Lunch Ideas

Being a stay-at-home mom, I'm in and out of the kitchen all day long. But often times 3:00 will roll around and I will realize that I haven't had much (or anything!) to eat that day. In an effort to eat regularly - that's a good thing, right! - I'm trying to bookmark easy and fairly healthy lunch ideas. Here are a couple that I've made in the past few weeks that I enjoyed and thought I would pass along.

{White Bean and Guacamole Wrap}

White Bean and Guacamole Wrap

adapted from Eating Well - serves 4

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup prepared guacamole (or make your own)

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

4 whole wheat tortilla or sandwich wraps

In a food processor, pulse beans, chili powder, salt and pepper until mashed. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil.

Spread 1/4 of the bean puree, 1/4 of the guacamole, 1/4 of the shredded carrot and 1/4 of the cucumber slices on each tortilla. Roll up and slice in half.

{15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta}

15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

adapted from Oh She Glows - serves 2

6 oz. whole wheat spaghetti

1 medium ripe avocado, pitted

1/2 lemon, juice and lemon zest, for garnish

2 garlic cloves, minced or grated

salt, to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

black pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a food processor, pulse avocado, garlic, lemon juice, salt, basil and olive oil. Process until smooth and creamy.

Toss sauce with hot pasta. Garnish with reserved lemon zest and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

{Mac N Cheese with Zucchini}

Mac N Cheese with Zucchini

a Baking and Eggs original

6 oz whole wheat short pasta (I used cavatappi)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk

1 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 oz American cheese

1 zucchini, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook mixture for about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, stirring often, until sauce begins to thicken. Lower heat to medium-low and stir in cheeses. Cook until cheeses have melted. Stir in zucchini and toss with pasta.

Read more...

Chicken Tostados

The name of this recipe is simply Chicken Tostado, but they are so much more than your ordinary, run of the mill chicken tostado. Maybe a better name would have been Super Awesome, Totally Tubular Chicken Tostados or Chicken, Black Bean and Guacamole Tostados with a Sour Cream-Lime-Cilantro Sauce, but those were both a little too long for me.

Anyway, this was a fun, casual dinner that was still delicious. And everyone really liked it, including Finley, which is always a good thing. Because I used a rotisserie chicken and a good quality store bought guacamole, the dinner came together quickly too.

Chicken Tostados

a Baking and Eggs original

8 tostado shells

1 (14.5-oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 - 2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 cup regular or chipotle salsa

1 (7-oz) package prepared guacamole (or make your own)

4 oz sour cream

1/2 lime, zest and juice

1/3 cup cilantro

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a large (or two smaller ones) baking sheet, spread out tostado shells in a single layer. Divide black beans evenly between the shells. Top beans with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and shells are crisp.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine shredded chicken and salsa. Set aside.

In another bowl, stir to combine sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Spoon sour cream mixture into a ziplock bag. Set aside.

Remove tostados from oven. Top them with even amounts of guacamole. Mound chicken on top of guacamole. Snip one corner of the ziplock bag and drizzle sour cream mixture over chicken and serve.

Read more...

Chicken Club Salad

I love making something pretty simple for meals on the weekends because we're usually too busy (or too lazy!) to do a lot of heavy lifting in the kitchen. This recipe was great because it made enough for two meals, a dinner and a lunch. Score - two for one! Andrew and I both really liked it when we ate it for dinner as a salad and I found myself looking forward to eating lunch the following day. I'm not usually a leftover lover so that's says a lot! To make it a little different, we ate it as chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.

Chicken Club Salad

4 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled and diced

4 slices regular or turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used turkey bacon)

1 shallot, minced

1 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

3 celery ribs, sliced and their leaves, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1/2 c olive oil mayonnaise

1 t coarse mustard

2 t white wine vinegar

1/2 t celery salt

1/2 t celery seed

Freshly ground black pepper

Romaine lettuce and/or bread, for serving

In a large bowl, combine chicken, bacon, shallots, tomatoes, celery and celery leaves.

In a smaller bowl, combine mayo, mustard, vinegar, celery salt, celery seed and pepper. Mix well. Pour over chicken mixture and gently fold together. Refrigerate for several hours for flavors to marry.

Right before serving, gently toss in avocado. Serve over lettuce as a salad or make into sandwiches.

Thanks for visiting! Please leave questions or comments - I always love to hear from you!

Read more...

Walnut & Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Salad

This recipe is based on one of my favorite salads at a great restaurant here in Austin called Z Tejas. I love Z Tejas and could eat there everyday, but Andrew isn't a huge fan so we rarely ever go there. Sigh. So I decided to bring Z Tejas to my table and came up with a pretty good copycat recipe for their Parmesan-Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Walnut & Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Salad - serves 2 to 3 for a main course

inspired by Z Tejas

for the chicken

2 T olive oil

2 chicken breasts, pounded to an even 1/2-inch thickness

flour, for dredging

1 egg, beaten

3/4 c walnuts

3 T Parmesan

salt and pepper

for the salad and dressing

4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped, fat reserved for dressing

spinach and/or mixed spring greens

2 handfuls of cherry or grape tomatoes

2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1 small avocado, diced

1/2 cucumber, seeded and sliced

1 small shallot, chopped

2 T apple cider vinegar

1/2 t sugar

1/4 t dijon mustard

salt and pepper

For the chicken: Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. In a food processor, finely chop walnuts and parmesan together. Pour onto a plate and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour flour onto another plate and pour the beaten egg into a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, dip into the eggs and then press both sides of chicken into walnut-parmesan mixture to completely coat. Repeat with second chicken breast. Slide chicken into saute pan and cook for 5 minutes. Flip chicken and cook another 5-7 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Take chicken off heat and let cool for a few minutes and then slice.

For the dressing: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 2 T bacon fat over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Using a whisk, stir in vinegar, sugar, dijon, salt and pepper until well incorporated.

For the salad: Arrange spinach and/or mixed greens on a dinner plate. Top with crumbled bacon, tomatoes, goat cheese, avocado, cucumber, and sliced chicken. Pour desired amount of dressing over salad and serve.

Read more...

Santa Fe Soup

Santa Fe Soup

adapted from AllRecipes.com

1 lb ground beef

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T chili powder

1 T Tex-Mex Seasoning

2 14-oz cans of diced tomatoes with chilies, drained

1 can corn, drained

1 can ranch style beans

1/2 c chicken broth

1 lb Velveeta, chopped

avocado, sliced (optional)

tortilla chips or fresh tortillas, for serving

In a large pot over medium heat, brown ground beef with chopped onion and garlic. Drain off fat. Add chili powder, Tex-Mex seasoning, diced tomatoes, corn, beans, broth and velveeta. Stir well to combine. Lower heat to medium-low and continue cooking until cheese is melted.

For serving, ladle soup into bowls. Top with avocado. Serve with tortilla chips.

Read more...

Crab Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit

So fresh and delightful! I used a recipe from Gourmet magazine that I found on Epicurious to make this but I made a couple of changes. Here is what I did:

Crab Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit

1 large shallot, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 pink or ruby-red grapefruit
2 firm-ripe California avocado
Coarse sea salt to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper

16 oz fresh cooked lump crab meat

2-3 chives, snipped

In a small bowl, stir together shallot, lemon juice, and table salt in a small bowl and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Add oil in a stream, whisking to emulsify.

Cut peel, including all white pith, from grapefruit with a sharp knife. Cut segments free from membranes and transfer segments to paper towels to drain.

Halve each avocado lengthwise, discarding pit. Cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and remove from skin with a large spoon.

On a large platter, place avocado slices and grapefruit segments in an alternating pattern, leaving some open space in the middle. Squeeze grapefruit juice from the grapefruitmembranes over the avocado slices to prevent browning. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over avocado and grapefruit. Combine crab and dressing and toss gently. Place crab mixture in center of platter and garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Here is a link to the original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lobster-Avocado-and-Grapefruit-Salad-109004

Read more...

Cobb Salad

When I'm trying to eat healthy, I always want to eat a salad, but they don't seem to fill me up for very long and salads don't seem like 'dinner' to Andrew. But that's not the case with a good, hearty Cobb Salad. God bless the man (or woman) who came up with the Cobb Salad - I am forever grateful! They're so simple to make that I'm hesitant to even post it here since it doesn't really involve a recipe...but maybe it will give someone else the idea to serve one for lunch or dinner sometime soon!

To make it easier and faster to assemble at dinner time, I usually cook the bacon, hard-boiled eggs and chicken ahead of time. Then at dinner time, I just need to chop everything up! Also, traditionally Cobb Salad is served with bleu cheese dressing, which you can make from scratch using this recipe http://bakingandeggs.blogspot.com/2010/01/homemade-bleu-cheese-dressing.html, or use store-bought dressing.

Cobb Salad
1 romaine heart, chopped
1/2 cucumber, sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
2 slices of bacon (can substitute turkey bacon)
1/4 cup cheese (I used cheddar because that's what I had on hand, but traditionally you'd use bleu cheese)
1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced or shredded
1 large (or 2 small) avocadoes, chopped
10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
Salad dressing of choice

On a large serving platter, lay down the lettuce. Sprinkle the toppings in rows across the top of the lettuce and serve the dressing on the side. Voila!

Read more...

'All the Good Stuff' Salad

This is a salad that Andrew introduced me to and we have it at least once every other week. It doesn't have any lettuce, hence the name 'all the good stuff' salad. You can easily alter this salad to fit different ethnic menues. For example, if I'm serving Mexican food, I'll add cilantro and lime juice to the dressing or if we're having Greek night, I'll add red onion, lemon juice and some crumbled feta cheese. Anyway, here's the basic recipe:

All the Good Stuff Salad

1/2 cucumber, chopped

1 small Roma tomato, chopped (or a handful of grape tomatoes, halved)

1 avocado, chopped

1 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 green onions, chopped

a handful of parsley, minced

Dressing

1 T red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

3 T olive oil

salt & pepper

In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk together. In a large bowl, toss all other salad ingredients together. Add salad dressing and toss. If making the salad ahead of time, add the juice of half of a lemon or lime to keep the avocado from turning brown.

Read more...

Sweet Potato Fries with Avocado Dipping Sauce

I love this recipe! It's easy and much healthier than "fried" fries because they're baked. While they never get as crunchy as fried fries, I love the flavor of the sweet potatoes so much that I don't mind that they're a little softer. I usually chop the potatoes, marinate them in the olive oil mixture and make the avocado dipping sauce early in the day and bake them right before dinner is served.

For the fries:

2 sweet potatoes, chopped into fries (this time I used one sweet potato and one white potato)

3 T olive oil

salt

pepper

thyme

Mix all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, making sure all the fries are covered with oil. Spread onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes.

For the avocado sauce:

1 avocado, mashed slightly

4 oz cream cheese, softened

3 T sour cream

1 lime, juiced

1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed and roughly chopped

handful of cilantro
salt

pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until the mixture is smooth. Taste and alter seasonings, if necessary. Refrigerate until serving.

Read more...

Arugula, Grapefruit & Avocado Salad

I love using fruit in green salads - probably because I love mixing sweet and savory things, but Andrew hates anything sweet in his food except if it's a dessert. So this salad provided a good compromise as I got to put fruit in my salad but it wasn't sweet. I topped organic arugula with grapefruit segments and chopped avocado. For the dressing I used the juice from the left-over grapefruit membranes, one shallot chopped, a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Easy, yummy and just a little different!

Read more...

Nachos

The nachos before I covered all the good stuff with cheese.

Not gourmet, certainly not elegant, but so yummy! And easy! These days easy is of the utmost important since I don't always have a lot of time in the kitchen. For these nachos I laid out tortilla chips on a baking pan and layered them with taco meat, black beans, avocado chunks, tomatoes, green onions and shredded cheddar cheese. Threw them in a 325 degree oven for 9-10 minutes and put them on the table. I served them with a sour cream-salsa dip that I made by combining equal parts sour cream and salsa (go figure!).

Read more...