Holy Guacamole (and Easy Pico de Gallo too!)

Mexican food is a staple around our house. We LOVE it! If left to my own devices I could probably eat some combination of tacos, taco salads, quesadillas, fajitas, queso dip and nachos every day of the week. I am also quite the connoisseur of salsa. I have been known to write off Mexican restaurants that others rave about because their salsa is of low quality.

Figuring out how to make my own guacamole and pico de gallo was at the top of my list when Jonathan and I got married. It has taken a little time and a bit of tweaking, but I can make it just the way we like it. There are no exotic ingredients; you ought to be able to find everything at your local supermarket or farmer's market.

The most difficult thing about putting it all together is chopping all the ingredients. I should probably invest in a food processor with some kind of chopper.

Guacamole

2 Haas avocados

1 tsp. salt

juice from one lime

2 garlic cloves minced

2 or 3 heaping tablespoons pico (see recipe below) or skinless diced tomatoes

1. Skin your avocados and mash them incorporating the salt, lime juice, and minced garlic

2. Stir in your pico de gallo or tomatoes

3. Cover tightly with cling wrap making sure the plastic touches the guacamole so that the avocado doesn't brown. Refrigerate or serve right away.

Easy Pico de Gallo

4 large tomatoes

1 large onion

1 or 2 jalapenos (depending on how hot you want your pico)

1 bunch of cilantro

2 limes

grated lime zest from one lime

1. Boil a medium sized pot of water

2. Cut a shallow X in the top of each tomato 

3. When the water comes to a boil cut off the heat and throw the tomatoes in X side down for 2-3 minutes

4. Take the tomatoes out of the water and peel the skin off

5. Dice your tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, and cilantro

6. Put the diced onion, lime zest, and lime juice in a bowl and let soften for 5 minutes

7. Mix in your tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro

8. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour to let the flavors meld...then enjoy!  

Kale, Mushroom & Tomato Quiche with a Cashew Meal Crust

A few weeks ago, the women at my church hosted a baby shower for a very sweet first time mom. It was a great party, but the whole morning was a bit of a fiasco for me. I left the house late and forgot to bring my present! Since I signed up to bring a vegetable quiche and some party punch, I couldn't turn back around and pick it up. The food had to make it to the party before the guests.

 Thankfully it didn't end up being a big deal, but I thought I'd post the recipe for the quiche I brought to the party. Instead of stressing out and running all over town in search of ingredients the night before the shower, I decided to just wing it and try to use what I had in my refrigerator and cabinets.

I didn't have any almond meal for the crust but I'd randomly picked up cashew meal the last time I was shopping at Trader Joe's. It caught my eye because I LOVE cashews. The crust has a bit of a sweet taste (but not sugary by any means), you can easily substitute almond meal, or flour if you have either handy.

I don't own a pie pan, so I ended up using a spring form pan (the kind of pan you use to make cheesecakes). If you go this route, just make sure yours seals tightly. Mine was leaky and required that I put a baking sheet underneath it to keep the egg from seeping out.

Kale, Mushroom and Tomato Quiche with a Cashew Meal Crust

For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups cashew meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp
baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1TB water

For the Quiche:
10 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 cup kale
1 cup mushrooms
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Combine the ingredients for the crust and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown
2. Meanwhile saute your veggies
3. Pour your veggies into your cooked crust
4. Combine eggs, salt & pepper and blend well
5. Pour the egg mixture into your crust and top with cheddar cheese
6. Cook for 30-45 minutes until golden brown and set

Oh how I love chicken thighs! They have become one of my cooking staples. The extra fat makes them more tasty and less dry than chicken breasts. Here's a recipe that I adapted from Sarah Fragoso's fabulous book EveryDay Paleo. We're not a paleo family, but I love the creative use of veggies and tasty meat centered meals that I find in so many paleo dishes.

Here's our cast:

Tasty Indian Chicken

2 TB coconut oil
1/2 onion diced
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. chili powder
1 can tomato paste
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (approx 8) cut into bite sized pieces
1tsp. sea salt
4 TB butter
1 package (12 to 16oz) spinach

Melt the coconut oil
Saute the onion and garlic
Add your spices, then add your tomato paste and coconut milk
Add your chicken and cook for 15 minutes or until thoroughly done
Add salt and spinach
Once the spinach is wilted add your butter
After your butter is melted, serve over cauliflower rice or brown rice
Bon Appetit!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream

Last week we had some fun new friends come over for dinner. Not only did they come over for dinner, they cooked dinner and brought it over to our house-- talk about wonderful dinner guests! All I had to do was make dessert and this is what I made.

Our cast of characters:

Flourless Chocolate Cake

adapted from Simply...Gluten-free Desserts

1Tbsp espresso powder
1 cup raw honey or your favorite sweetener
5 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter
12oz semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
A pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take the butter and the chocolate chips, put them in a heat-proof dish and throw them in your preheating oven to melt. Meanwhile, sift your cocoa and espresso powders together. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Combine all the wet ingredients: honey, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and chocolate. Mix the wet and dry ingredients. Cut a piece of parchment paper that will fit into the bottom of a 9in spring form pan and butter it. Pour the batter into your pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Let the cake cook completely before removing it from the pan.

This cake is super rich so cut the pieces small. Top it with whipped cream or make whipped coconut cream like I did. It was super easy but not as fluffy as whipped cream made with heavy whipping cream.

Easy Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can coconut cream concentrate
2 tsp raw honey or your favorite sweetener

Chill your bowl and beaters for 30 minutes in the freezer. Whip the cream and honey together until peaks form, about 2 to 5 minutes. 

Weeknight Chicken & Rice

Chicken and rice, this is one of those meals that has the potential to be delicious but often turns out bland. My best tip for tasty chicken and rice is to taste test every element. After you cook the rice taste it. Does it need more spice? Are the veggies properly seasoned or could they use a bit more hot sauce? How about the chicken?

This recipe can feed a crowd or leave you enough leftovers for lunch the next day (or two) depending on the size of your family. I whipped it up this week for a sweet family in our church who recently welcomed a new baby. They requested a dairy free meal, and I knew this would fit the bill. If you need to make it in a hurry chop all the veggies the night before, and it will only take you 30 minutes tops to put together. I used leftover chicken from a roast chicken I made earlier in the week, and that also cut down on prep time considerably.
  

Weeknight Chicken and Rice
adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook

Feeds 6 adults

4 cups chicken broth
2- 1/2 cups brown rice
1/2 red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
2 bell peppers of any color
2 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 or 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup frozen green peas
1 pound chicken breasts or chicken thighs
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1. In a large saucepan bring chicken broth, brown rice, red onion, 1 clove minced garlic, spices, bay leaf, and salt & pepper to a boil. Put a lid on the saucepan and turn the temperature down to low. Let it simmer until most of the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked.

2. Warm the coconut oil over medium heat and throw in the peppers, green onions, parsley, basil, thyme, hot sauce, mushrooms, and the rest of the garlic. Add the tomato and green peas at the last minute then turn off the heat. Mix the rice in with the veggies.

3. Bake your chicken in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or in a skillet on your stove top until its juices run clear. Squeeze the lemon juice on your chicken and season it with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the rice and veggies, mix in your toasted almonds and enjoy.

Protein Packed Peanut Butter Balls

This is definitely an easy-peasy, kid-friendly snack that's filling and nutritious. I've been making them for the last few months and all of the men in my house beg me to make more. My hubbs affectionately refers to them as "tasty gut bombs" because of what the flax does to his bowels. They couldn't be easier to throw together. What's not to love!?

Here is our cast of characters:

Protein Packed Peanut Butter Balls
(from Pinterest -photo uploaded by user with recipe underneath)


 1 scoop whey protein (2 TBS)
 5 TBSP natural peanut butter
 1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flax meal
3 TBSP agave nectar (you could also use stevia or truvia)
1 TBSP water

Mix all ingredients. Form spoonfuls into balls. Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Super easy, super good! Enjoy your tasty gut bombs!