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avocado

Tasty

Breakfast Tacos

September 10, 2014

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You know when you discover something and can’t wrap your mind around how you ever lived without it?!  For me, that thing is breakfast tacos.

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I’ve mastered all things Mexican food and have fully embraced them in my morning routine – breakfast burritos, Huevos Rancheros, Jalisco Scrambles … and now I am excited to share my newest breakfast kick – breakfast tacos.

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So simple, so delicious and SO EASY.  All you really need is tortillas and you can get as creative as you wish… here is what we whipped up for brunch this weekend:

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Breakfast Tacos

  • tortillas
  • eggs
  • bacon (could use ham or sausage)
  • shredded cheddar cheese (could use cotija as well)
  • avocado
  • tomatoes, diced (or pico de gallo)
  • black beans (or pinto)
  • cilantro
  • other:
    • potatoes
    • onion, diced
  1. Pan fry bacon in a skillet (I used my cast iron pan) on medium low heat for about 4 minutes per side (keep an eye on them).
  2. Let bacon cool on paper towels and reserve bacon fat.  Cut or crumble into bite sized pieces.
  3. Whisk eggs in a dish (for 2 people I used 6 eggs) and add salt/pepper.
  4. Scramble eggs over low heat in 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and stir in beans to warm up last 2 minutes or so.
  5. Heat up tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds (wrap in wet paper towel).
  6. Top with assorted toppings (cheese, eggs/beans, bacon,  avocado, tomatoes, cilantro) and drizzle with hot sauce of your choice (I’m addicted to the green Tabasco).

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*If you like potatoes and onion I highly recommend baking or sautéing them with the bacon fat as well.

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**I think my favorite thing from Whole Foods is their breakfast meat. Their in-house maple sausage and applewood bacon are AMAZING (and totally worth the splurge).

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The end is near… be sure to enter the Elsie Green Giveaway!!! Just explore the Elsie Green website and see what item(s) you like best and leave a comment on THIS post letting me know which thing(s)! Make sure to follow up with the Rafflecopter widget below 🙂 Good luck!

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Tasty

Taylor’s Tomato Salad

July 23, 2014

TomatoBasilSalad

I’m always looking for easy, healthy meal options (even better if I like them enough for leftovers the next day) and this salad fits the bill.  My sister whipped it up for lunch one day and now I make sure to have it a couple times a week for dinner (and a couple lunches)… it’s SO GOOD.

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Salad:

  • 1 head of red leaf/butter lettuce (hand torn is best)
  • 1 ear of fresh corn (corn cut from core, not cooked)
  • 1-2 heirloom tomatoes or 1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1 avocado (diced)
  • 10-15 basil leaves (sliced into strips)
Dressing:
  • 1 small shallot (minced)
  • ~1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • Salt/pepper
  1. Make the dressing by combing shallot, Dijon, red wine vinegar and salt in a jar. Shake until well combined and drizzle in olive oil and mix until combined.
  2. Combine salad ingredients – if you aren’t enjoying it right away, put basil aside and put it atop your salad right before
  3. Toss with dressing and enjoy!

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This would also be great with grilled chicken breast for a dinner salad!

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Tasty

Chipotle Chicken with Avocado Salsa

July 21, 2014

Chipotle Chicken

I love the foodie blog – How Sweet It Is… the majority of my recipe pins are from her site and I honestly have never been disappointed with her creations.  When I came across her Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls, I knew I HAD to give them a try.   While the original is DELICIOUS, I wanted to put my own spin on it… so here is what I did:

Qunioa Tower

 

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Chipotle Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Chicken:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon honey mustard
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 large handful of fresh chopped cilantro
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  1. Salt and pepper chicken and transfer to a Ziplock bag or baking dish.
  2. Combine remaining ingredients (oil, adobo sauce, honey, mustards, cilantro and garlic) in a jar and shake until mixed.
  3. Pour over chicken and let marinate in the fridge for at least 2-12 hours.
  4. Preheat oven to 425.
  5. Transfer chicken to a baking dish (if you haven’t already) and let chicken sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.
  6. Bake chicken for 20 minutes, then flip chicken breasts and bake for 20 more minutes.
  7. Top with salsa and serve with lime quinoa.

*I love to prep the chicken in the morning and let marinate for the day, for an easy dinner to whip up dinner!

Cilantro Chipotle Chicken

Salsa:

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 avocados, diced
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, leaves torn from stem
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  1. Combine tomatoes, avocado, green onion and cilantro in a bowl.
  2. Add lime juice, olive oil and honey to a jar and shake until combined.
  3. Pour over salsa and toss before serving.

*I make the salsa ahead of time (and depending on how early just let sit out at room temperature) and toss with the dressing 30 minutes before serving.

Lime Honey Dressing

Quinoa:

  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • zest of 1 lime
  • juice of 1 lime
  1. Rinse quinoa and combine with chicken stock in a medium sized saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Make sure most of the liquid has evaporated and then stir in coconut oil, lime juice and lime zest.

Qunioa Tower

Tasty

Southwestern Cobb Salad

May 12, 2014

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I love dinners that transition well to lunches the next day.  Considering most recipes make enough for 4 people, I have to make sure to I really LOVE what I’m making (enough for a couple rounds of leftovers).  This salad is a great option! Super healthy, tons of Omega-3s, and under 400 calories per serving!

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Southwestern Salmon Cobb Salad

adapted from Eating Well 

  • 1 lb wild salmon, skinned
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce framed canned chipotles + 1 tablespoon minced chipotle in adobe
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt or reduced fat sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 10 cups romaine lettuce
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1 bunch radishes, sliced
  • 2 cups cherry tomatos, halved
  • 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
  1. Make dressing by mixing greek yogurt/sour cream, vinegar, water, minced chipotles and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Store in fridge until ready to use.
  2. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
  3. Divide salmon into 4 equal portions and brush with adobo sauce and sprinkle with salt.
  4. Grill salmon, turning once, until opaque – about 3 minutes per side.
  5. Divide greens, salmon and toppings among 4 plates (or 2 plates and 2 Tupperwares for tomorrow!). Serve dressing on the side and enjoy!

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*In a pinch I buy honey smoked salmon portions at Whole Foods.  They can be served cold and are an easy addition to this salad if you don’t feel like grilling.

**If you are out of chipotles, I also recommend using dried chipotle powder in the dressing.

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Per Serving (according to EatingWell.com): 385 calories, 22 g far, 91 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate, 0 g added sugar; 37 g protein, 7 g fiber, 696 mg sodium, Nutritional bonuses – 85% daily value of Vitamin A, 62% DV of folate, 60% DV of Vitamin C, 42% DV of Potassium

Tasty

Vegan/GF BBQ Salad

March 17, 2014

IMG_8002 This week is all about getting Spring Break ready!  While being a college grad/adult, I may not get an actual “Spring Break” on my calendar anymore.. but I am lucky enough to get to tag along on my family’s annual vacation – thus gifting myself a “Spring Break” each year.

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That being said, working 8-10 hour days everyday takes a toll on your body, and getting spring break ready is a lot of work… so this week is going to focus on some key points.  First up – health.

The past few weeks I have been focusing on clean eating – a lot of produce and fish, and minimal red meat/gluten, and no processed foods.  That being said whole eating is a priority, and here is one of my go-to salads (great for dinner or lunches for the week).

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BBQ Veggie Salad

  • 1 head of Romanesco cauliflower (or regular cauliflower)
  • Lentils or black beans
  • Radishes
  • Carrots
  • Red Onion
  • Avocado
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
  • Vegan Ranch Dressing
  • Tortilla Chips (optional)
  1. Cut cauliflower into florets and roast at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
  2. Brush BBQ sauce onto cauliflower and bake 3 minutes more.
  3. Assemble salad with ingredients of your choice.
  4. Top with more BBQ sauce and/or ranch dressing.

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* Disclaimer: The joy of this salad is it doesn’t really need a recipe – you can add (or not add) whatever you would like – other ideas include cilantro, corn, celery, cheese (if you don’t want to go dairy free), etc.

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