Paleo snack attack: Salami & Avocado

If I were to pretty these up, I might leave the salami flat and sprinkle some minced red onion or chives on top of the avocado, but this plate was born of desperation! Two hours to dinner and I'm starting to get low-blood-sugar-stupid. So I rummaged around in the fridge, and this is what I came up with: a bit of creamy avocado spread over some organic salami and folded over into a mini "taco". Yeah, it's a bit of a cultural mish-mash, but if the salami is sugar-free, you've got a Whole30 compliant, Paleo-friendly, super-quick snack!

Eggs on avocado toast - easy, clean-eating breakfast or lunch!

The moment I saw the photo on Pinterest of Simple Poached Egg and Avocado Toast at Pinch of Yum, I was hungry for this combo! But I thought it would be even better with a sprinkling of crispy bacon on top. Especially since I had some already-cooked bacon in the fridge. (Because of this: the best and easiest way to cook bacon.)

Better with bacon? Yep: I was right! The contrast of crispy whole-wheat toast, creamy mashed avocado, warm/runny egg yolk and crunchy bacon = heaven!

Poached eggs are a little challenging; her method makes them a bit simpler, but you could also just fry your eggs. My avocado was a bit too firm, so I added a bit of mayo to it. And then a dash of garlic salt, just cuz. Sprinkled on some fresh ground black pepper and a wee bit of thyme -- totally optional, but pretty!

Now I wish I were going to be home for lunch tomorrow, because I am already hungry for it again!

Diet-friendly? Almost paleo (full-on paleo if you skip the bread); gluten free if you use gluten free bread for the toast; clean eating if the bacon passes muster; South Beach / low carb for maintenance level.

The three best ways to keep guacamole or avocados from turning green!

Image from The Kitchn

I used to just use plastic wrap, wrapped as tight as possible. Maybe if you could get it perfectly smooth over every molecule, but that's not happening! Okay, so I heard about adding the avocado pit to the bowl. Tried that; no help. Adding lime juice or tomato slices on top? Helps a little, but not enough.

One time when I wanted to doggy-bag the last of my favorite restaurant guacamole, and no plastic wrap at hand, I had an idea. I smoothed the guacamole out, then spread a layer of sour cream over it, completely covering it so no green could be seen.

Next day, it was still a bright, fresh green -- nice! And I don't mind stirring a little sour cream into my guac. I wondered if the same thing would work for cut avocados. Sour cream turned out to be a little too soft for this application -- but softened butter worked great. Again, you just have to spread it thick enough so no green shows through. Then wrap it with plastic wrap to keep the butter in place.

The reason these both work is because they completely seal the avocado off from any oxygen.

Now I see that The Kitchn has a similar method for keeping guacamole from turning brown: cover it with a half inch of water, in a closed container in the fridge. For up to three days, they say. Because the guacamole is so fatty, it's not going to mix with the water. The author says, "After I take it out and pour off the water, I stir up the guacamole and the texture is no different than when it was made. In fact, I like the taste of guac after it has sat in the fridge overnight; I find the cilantro and onion flavors are blended better."

Serious Eats says that you can do the same thing with cut avocado pieces. "I store my unused avocado pieces in a plastic container filled with water in the fridge for up to overnight. Perfect, oxygen-free seal for any shape, and because an avocado is so dense and high in fat, water is slow to penetrate it (it'll eventually become softer)."

So there you go: all you need to keep the green stuff green is sour cream, butter, or water. I love simple solutions!

Quick, easy buffalo chicken quesadillas with avocado

image and recipe inspiration from halfhourmeals.com

This is one of my go-to recipes when I realize too late in the day that I haven't planned dinner. (AND it's one my husband calls restaurant-worthy!) I love it because it's a few simple things you can throw together and have dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less. Also, there's very little measuring involved.

I pick up some grilled chicken from the grocery store deli, grab an avocado and some appropriate cheese if I don't already have some at home. Tortillas and hot sauce are usually in my fridge. Butter: always!

For the chicken, you can use any already-cooked chicken you have on hand or can easily obtain. Grilled, roasted, whatever! Tear it apart with your hands; this lets you find and dispose of any parts that are overdone and chewy. It also creates a nice, uneven surface for the sauce to cling to. Or you can use already shredded chicken, if that's what you have on hand.

Quick easy buffalo chicken quesadillas

two small chicken breasts and one thigh, already cooked
1 T. butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
3-4 T. hot sauce (I like Cholula Chipotle)
1/2 avocado
4 flour tortillas, fajita size (6 to 7")
4-5 oz. queso fresco or Monterrey Jack, shredded

Put the 1 T. butter and the hot sauce in a small skillet over medium-low heat. While it melts, tear the chicken apart and slice the half avocado thinly. Once the butter is melted, stir it around to mix in the hot sauce, then add the chicken to the pan and toss lightly to coat. If you still need to finish your prep, turn the heat under the chicken mixture a little lower.

Put a large skillet on another burner, and turn the heat to just-under-medium. Let this heat up while you assemble the quesadilla.

Lay one tortilla on a cutting board or edgeless cookie sheet. Sprinkle about one fourth of the cheese on it; top with half of the avocado slices (1/4 of the avocado), then scatter half of the chicken on top of that. Sprinkle over this another fourth of the cheese, and top with a second tortilla. Press it down lightly, and if any chicken bits fall out, tuck them back in.

Lightly coat the large skillet with butter -- just enough for the size tortilla you're using. Carefully slide the quesadilla onto the hot skillet, and cook for a few minutes, till the color on the underside is GBD. (Golden brown and delicious!) Turn it over and heat the second side likewise.

Remove to a cutting board, and repeat the process for the other half of the ingredients.

When both quesadillas are done, slice them into sixths. (A rolling pizza cutter works nicely.) Serve with sour cream (and/or plain yogurt) and salsa on the side.

Serves 3 to 4.

Here are the nutrition facts, based on 3 servings per recipe, via myfitnesspal.com:

Nutrition Facts
Servings 3.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 455
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 23 g	35 %
Saturated Fat 11 g	56 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 89 mg	30 %
Sodium 871 mg	36 %
Potassium 294 mg	8 %
Total Carbohydrate 27 g	9 %
Dietary Fiber 19 g	75 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 36 g	71 %

Based on this recipe from HalfHourMeals.

Quick and easy avocado salad: the perfect last-minute potluck food

This is a repost, but it's worth it. This is the recipe I turn to every summer when tomatoes are ripe, and I need a quick, easy side dish. Also, my version has evolved, both in ingredients and method, so I'm including my up-to-date version in this post.

Looking for a quick, easy dish to take to a Fourth of July party today? This is it! You can whip it up in about 10 minutes, and although it might taste better if it sits for a bit, you can serve it right away. And because it has no mayo, you don't need to worry about it sitting at room temp for a few hours. Perfect for a potluck, barbeque or picnic! Plus, it's just chock full of healthy stuff, and has no sugar in the dressing! Just a minimal bit of honey -- which you could leave out, if you want.

The original recipe is from Ina Garten, although she calls it "Guacamole Salad".

I do make a few minor tweaks. Being the spice wimp I am, I leave out the jalapeno and cut back on the cayenne. But I also add in some chopped cilantro, and as I said, I've altered the method.

Avocado Salad

    2 limes

    1/2 t. honey

    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    1 clove garlic, minced

    1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

    1/4 cup good olive oil

---

    1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (or 1 lb. large tomatoes, chopped*)

    1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/4-inch diced

    1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

    1/2 cup diced red onion  

---

    2 (or more) ripe Hass avocados,  diced at the last minute

    chopped cilantro, to taste

    additional salt and pepper, to taste, if needed

Grate the zest of the two limes (just the green part!) into the large bowl you'll be using for your salad; set aside. 

Juice the limes and measure 1/4 cup of the juice. In a small bowl, whisk together the measured lime juice, honey, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper; then add the olive oil and set aside.

Place the tomatoes*, yellow pepper, black beans, and red onion into the large bowl with the lime zest. Re-whisk the dressing and pour it over the vegetables. Toss well, and store till ready to serve. Keep at room temp if you will be serving within an hour or so; refrigerate for longer storage. If refrigerating, remove about 30 minutes before serving time.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, dice the avocados and chop the cilantro, and fold them both into the salad. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve at room temperature.

*If using large tomatoes rather than grape tomatoes, don't include them at the beginning; add them with the avocado. You may chop the tomatoes ahead of time and store at room temperature.

Recipe Roundup: 12 Things to Do With Avocado

Just rounding up a few avocado recipes. Because they're so good for you!

Here are a few of my own, followed by others by trusted sources.

Salmon with Fresh Avocado Salsa

BLT's without the bread

Ancho-crusted Salmon with Avocado Crema

Ina Garten's Guacamole Salad, with my variations. 

(Note: it's not the texture of guacamole; just the ingredients.)

Turkey-Bacon-Avocado Sandwich. The photo is from Pioneer Woman, and her recipe includes some fancyin'-up, like pesto, but really, I think a simple sandwich of turkey, bacon, avocado, Swiss or provolone cheese, tomato if you like, and a bit of mayo on some crusty whole-wheat toast doesn't need a recipe -- and is just the best sandwich ever! 

Hint: When eating at Jason's Deli, order the California Club on whole wheat toast (instead of the standard croissant). Order it with steamed veggies on the side, and that is one guilt-free lunch!

And here are some others I've found around the web...

Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Chopped Salad (Can you tell I love avocado with bacon?) This looks so amazing! And inspired by a dish from a Salina, KS restaurant -- Go, Kansas!

Avocado-Tomato-Mango Salsa, from AllRecipes: 5 stars and almost 700 reviews! This sounds like it would be great on fish, pork -- or chips!

Kiwi Salsa from Simply Recipes

The top-rated Avocado Smoothie from AllRecipes.

Avocado Ranch Dressing, also via AllRecipes. (I like that site because you're getting the opinion of not just one person, but hundreds.)

Avocado Egg Salad, from Pioneer Woman. (I've been meaning to try this forever. Gotta make it happen soon.)

And to finish off our avocado buffet: Chocolate (Avocado) Pudding, anyone? from HowSweetEats.

Crazy for quinoa? 14 quinoa dishes to try.

If you're into healthy eating at all -- or Pinterest -- you're probably seeing quinoa everywhere. If you've tried it once before and been unimpressed, try it again. The first dish I had was leftovers from a homemade dish, and was mushy and bland. The second was at a great bistro: the texture was like perfectly-done, nutty brown rice, and the flavor was amped up with some other great ingredients such as sweet potato and balsamic vinaigrette.

And why is it so hot? A dietition on FitDay says that, compared to rice, quinoa "has many more nutrients: it is a complete protein (contains an essential amino acid lysine, which is good for tissue repair and growth), high in iron and fiber, and contains Vitamin E, zinc, and selenium." She also says that quinoa is related to spinach. Huh! I didn't know that. Texture-wise, it makes a great, higher-protein substitute for not only rice, but also orzo pasta and couscous.

 I've created a quinoa salad inspired by that yummy restaurant dish, and also made a simple pilaf by adding sauteed onion and mushrooms. Loved them both; now I want more!

So I'm on the lookout for great quinoa recipes. Because I'm compiling this list for myself, I thought I'd share it here. But to make this a quick post, I'm not including pics of each one. (The photo above is of "super berry quinoa salad," by Angela Simpson, via Eat Spin Run Repeat.)

But trust me: they're all lovely and colorful!

I started this list with 12, but I keep finding more. So far I'm up to 14...

Super berry quinoa salad  (pictured above)

Quinoa with toasted pine nuts

Quinoa pilaf

Colorful quick quinoa Greek salad

Black bean quinoa with basil-lemon dressing

Warm and nutty cinnamon quinoa

Avocado quinoa salad

BLT quinoa salad

Cilantro-lime quinoa

And some orzo dishes to try with quinoa...

Spinach and orzo salad

Sun-dried tomato orzo

Mexican orzo salad

I'd like to try making this wheat-based salad with quinoa...

Strawberry Wheatberry Salad

And a rice dish from Kalyn's Kitchen...

Christmas Rice with Bell Peppers, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts

Have you tried quinoa yet? If not, here's a primer on how to cook it.

Ten (or so) Healthier Superbowl Foods - 2013

Looking for the perfect superbowl food? Here are 10 that sound totally yummy! And for bonus points, some of them are low carb, paleo, and/or reduced sugar!

Meatball Sub Casserole from AllRecipes. (I'm not making any "good for you" claims on this one!)

Hot Shrimp Scampi Dip from Go Bold With Butter. (Or this one!)

Shrimp Cocktail with Low-Sugar Cocktail Sauce from Kalyn's Kitchen (Kalyn always has great low-carb recipes)

Grilled Zucchini "Lasagna" with Italian Sausage, also from Kalyn's Kitchen

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder from Lulu the Baker. Doesn't this sound scrumptious on a cold day?

Sausage and Peppers from Proud Italian Cook. We made this for Christmas brunch last year and it was a big hit! Easy to make ahead, and cheap and easy way to feed a crowd.Grilled the sausages the day before. (Chill them before slicing. Makes slicing easier and retains more juiciness.)

Avocado Deviled Eggs with Bacon from Caveman Gourmet. Intriguing!

Summer Squash (or Zucchini) Topped with Sausage and Cheese from yours truly! These can be mostly-made ahead, then baked or reheated at the last minute.

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas (with Avocado) from Half Hour Meals

No-bake Energy Bites from Smashed Peas and Carrots. Use the syrupy sweetener of your choice: honey, maple or agave. And experiment with mix-ins: chocolate, craisins, cashews...

How To Peel, Cut, Core, and Dice: Tips for Fruit and Vegetable Prep

The Kitchn has compiled a super-handy list of 20 tips and how-to's for prepping various fruits and vegetables. Some of the more interesting entries:

How to peel a head of garlic in 10 seconds. Two bowls, a solid surface, and you're 10 seconds away from a bunch of naked garlic cloves.
How to peel roasted red peppers.
How to cut a mango.
How to dice an avocado.
How to dice an onion.
How to core a head of iceberg lettuce.
How to seed a pomegranate.

See the full list of 20 items.

BLT's -- without the bread

Once locally grown tomatoes are in season in Kansas, I always start craving BLT's! (Bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich, for any poor souls who are unacquainted with this little bite of summer.)

I made some homemade bread last week just for this. Added some smoked turkey to punch up the protein. But to keep my carbs and proteins (sort of) in balance, I limit myself to one piece of bread per meal. After devouring one delicious BLT -- ripe, sweet juiciness of the tomato contrasting with the salty crunch of the bacon -- I wanted more! Looking hungrily at the remaining tomatoes and bacon, I wondered if the bread were really necessary.

So I took a bit of romaine, smeared it with a little mayo, and topped it with tomato and bacon. Added a slice of avocado to some of them. Oh yeah! It's all the best flavors and textures of a BLT, without the carbs! Perfect for the gluten free, low carb, Paleo or Whole30 diet. They'd make a great snack or appetizer, too.

A couple notes to make them healthier: choose nitrate/nitrite-free bacon; look for a mayo that contains no corn syrup. Or make your own! I like this super-easy 4-ingredient mayo recipe.

Ina Garten's "guacamole" salad

The recipe is Ina's; the photo is mine!

Looking for a quick, easy dish to take to a Fourth of July party today? This is it! You can whip it up in about 10 minutes, and although it might taste better if it sits for a bit, you can serve it right away. And because it has no mayo, you don't need to worry about it sitting at room temp for a few hours. Perfect for a potluck, barbeque or picnic! Plus, it's just chock full of healthy stuff, and has no sugar in the dressing!

The recipe is from Ina Garten, and although she calls it "Guacamole Salad," I think of it as avocado salad.

I do make a few minor tweaks. Being the spice wimp I am, I leave out the jalapeno and cut back on the cayenne. But I also add in some chopped cilantro. And after making it the first time, I think I'll double the avocado next time.

It's so yummy, I could eat it straight out of the bowl. For lunch. And I have!

Salmon with fresh tomato-avocado salsa

This is so simple, and so yummy, it's gonna knock your socks off!

The star of this dish is the salsa. It's so delicious! My husband took leftovers of just the salsa to work for lunch today (I made extra) and when he came home, he said, "If you would make some more of that I'd be very, very happy."

I had a bit of leftover salmon with the salsa on it for lunch, too; cold -- straight out of the fridge. It was still good!

This is based on a recipe from All Recipes, but I prefer butterflying and broiling the salmon, to the nuke-and-serve-cold method in the original recipe. Alternatively, you could grill the salmon; that would be fab, too!

You could also substitute basil for the cilantro. In fact, I think I will, next time I make this. I bet that will rock this dish even more!

I used white corn because it's got a little better carb-to-protein ratio, but I think yellow corn makes a prettier dish. NOTE: To make this dish Paleo/Whole30 compliant, just omit the corn.

Recipe: Salmon with fresh tomato-avocado salsa   

(adapted from Chilled Salmon With Summer Tomato Salsa, allrecipes.com)

Servings: 3-4

1 cup chopped fresh tomato

1/2 Hass avocado, chopped into about 1/4" pieces

1/2 cup corn (omit for Whole30/Paleo compliance)

1/4 cup minced red onion (a fine dice, or slivers)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or basil)

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 T. olive oil

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1.25 lbs. salmon fillets

salt and pepper, to taste

olive oil for drizzling

Chop up the tomato, avocado, garlic, onion, and cilantro (or basil). To dice the avocado, you cut through it like this, leaving the skin intact, then scoop it out with a spoon.

If you want more detail, see Simply Recipes' walk-through. (I do NOT recommend the pit removal method they show in step 2b; a woman I know cut some tendons in her hand trying that trick.) 

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients from tomato through vinegar. 

Refrigerate at least two hours.

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

How to butterfly salmon

The purpose of butterflying salmon is to make it all about the same thickness, so that it cooks more evenly. It also cuts down on oven time.

Put your salmon on a cutting board, skin side down. (Mine is already in the baking pan in these pics, but it will be easier to work on a cutting board; you don't have to maneuver around the rim of the pan.) Start by making a guide mark: in the thickest point of the fillet, use the tip of your knife to mark the spot exactly halfway from top to bottom.

The black line in the pic below shows where your knife will enter; the white dashed line shows where you will cut. The cut should run right through your halfway mark. 

On the thinnest end of the salmon, slide your knife in parallel to the cutting board, and at the same height as your halfway mark. Continue to cut, keeping your knife parallel to the cutting board. Stop about 3/4" away from the opposite edge; do NOT cut all the way through.

If you have been working on the cutting board, move your salmon to the foil-lined pan now. Next, open the sliced salmon up like it's a book, folding the top piece out so it lays former-top-side down.

Repeat with the other fillet(s), season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. 

Broil 4-6" from the heat, just till it flakes easily w/ a fork, about 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness. (That is, the thickness after you butterflied it.)

Remove the salmon from the skin; plate in serving-sized pieces; top with the salsa.

Try it, then come back and tell me how much you love it! :)

 

Ancho-crusted salmon with avocado crema

This dish is delish -- I mean, truly restaurant-worthy -- but it's also super easy and totally healthy.

I have to give the hubs partial credit for this one.

I had made this spice-rubbed salmon for dinner one night, but hadn't really figured out a vegetable to go with it, and Eric was doing Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet (which is NO carbs), so I served the salmon with some romaine spears alongside and some ready-made guacamole to dip them in.

But instead of using the guacamole as dip, he put it on top of his salmon -- and loved the combination!

Since then, I've evolved the recipe a bit. I started out with a recipe called "Broiled BBQ-spiced Rubbed Salmon," from The Sonoma Diet Cookbook, but I've tweaked the spice combo each time I've made it, and I was really happy with the way it came out this last time I made it.

For the guacamole, I use Wholly Guacamole brand, and it comes in these boxes that contain individual-use packets. Which is just brilliant! If you just need a bit for a recipe, or you just want a quick easy snack, these are the perfect size, without the risk of the rest of batch turning brown before you can use it. I use the "Classic," but they also make a "Spicy" version.

Recipe: Ancho-crusted salmon with avocado crema

2 8-oz. salmon fillets, about 1" thick
1/2 T. ancho chili powder
1/2 T. paprika or smoked paprika
1/2 t. kosher salt (or 1/4 t. table salt)
1/2 t. granulated garlic
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. ground cumin
2 T. olive oil
1 2-oz. packet of guacamole (that's one two-ounce packet, not a 12-ounce packet)
2 oz. Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
optional, for garnish: diced red onion

If the salmon still has its skin, remove it. (Here's a short video that shows how. Here's a more detailed one. The directions for the filet start at about 3:00 in this video.)

Measure the thickness of the salmon at its thickest point. You want to be accurate to within 1/4". To do this, I push a toothpick into the thickest point of the salmon, then pinch the toothpick so my thumb and finger just touch the top of the fish. Then, keeping my fingers in the same place on the toothpick, I remove it from the fish and move it to a measuring stick. Make a mental note of the measurement. (Or a written note, if you have a short memory.)

Drizzle the olive oil in the pan, then spread it around. This recipe is for two servings, and for that I use a 6 x 8" baking pan, but for more servings, you'll need a larger pan. This photo is post-drizzled, but pre-spread:

Mix together all of the spices in a small dish. Before you begin to season the salmon, fold any super-thin edges under (or over) so that the thin part is doubled, and the fillet is a fairly uniform thickness across, like this.

Just press it down a little with your fingers; the fish is a bit sticky, so it will sort of adhere to itself.

Next, sprinkle half of the seasoning mix over the top side of both fillets. Pat the spices gently onto the fish.

Then turn them over and season the other side, using the rest of the spice mix.

Move your top oven rack to 4 to 6" below the broiler, and preheat broiler. Let the spiced salmon sit at room temp while the broiler heats up. Then place them in the oiled pan, folded side down, and put the pan in the oven.

Remember your fish thickness in inches? Now's when it matters! Cook your salmon for 10 minutes for every inch of thickness. So if your salmon is 3/4" thick, cook it for 7.5 minutes. 1" thick: 10 minutes. 1.25" thick, 12.5 minutes. And, turn it over once, half way through baking.

While the salmon is cooking, mix together the guacamole and the yogurt. I don't bother to measure the yogurt; I put the guac in first, then just "eyeball" the yogurt so that it looks like about the same amount.

Stir till well combined, and set aside. 

Have you turned the salmon over halfway through the baking time? Don't forget!

If you're using diced onion for garnish, now would be a good time to dice it.

A minute or two before the recommended time, check your fish. Just poke a fork gently into the side at a thick place, and pull it up a bit to see if it flakes easily. You can also pull up just enough to see the interior of the fish, and see if it's done to your liking. Some people like their salmon a bit rare, so that it's orangier on the inside. Not me: I like it just done all the way through, but just so -- not overdone and dry. (If you or someone in your house doesn't like salmon, it's possible they've only had it when it was overcooked, dry and mealy. Yuck! Who wouldn't hate that?!)

So when the salmon is done to your liking, pull it from the oven, put it on serving plates, and top with the guacamole mixture. Sprinkle diced onion on top, add your side dish, and serve.

This time, I did plan for my side dish: French-cut green beans (from frozen), steamed, and topped with sauteed onions and crispy bacon. The smokey note in the spice crust of the salmon played nicely with the slightly-smokey bacon. There's a dish dressed to impress!

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