Our Favorite Guacamole

Recipe and picture source: http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2008/02/guacamole.html

We came across this recipe many years ago and it is our favorite guacamole! We rarely order guacamole from restaurants because it is often disappointing compared to this (plus it is so overpriced most of the time).

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe (soft but not mushy to the touch) avocados
• 1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced (you can use red instead if desired)
• 3 cherry tomatoes, diced
• 1 small handful of chopped cilantro
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, diced finely (if you want it spicy)
• Sea salt to taste
• 1-2 limes juiced to taste 

Directions:

1. Slice the avocados lengthwise around the seed. Gently hit blade of knife on the half of the avocado with the seed and twist – seed should come out easily. Dice into segments in a crosshatch pattern and then remove with a spoon. 
2. Mix the remaining ingredients together without smashing the avocado too much. Make sure to add the lime, it adds great the flavor and also keeps it from going brown.
3. Serve with fresh tortilla chips or as a topping for any of your favorite Mexican dishes.

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Black Bean and Avocado Salad (with corn, red peppers, cucumber and lime-cilantro vinaigrette)

Recipe Adapted From: preventionrd.com

We love this Black Bean and Avocado Salad. It can be eaten like a salsa or as a salad. Either way it is always a hit!

Ingredients:
1 - 2 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn, frozen or canned
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced (or green onions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 avocados, chopped



Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well. (You can leave out the olive oil and sugar to make it healthier. Lime and cilantro are also optional, but I recommend them. I often add more diced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper.)

2. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight.
3. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently before serving.

Serving suggestions:
• Make it a wrap by putting it into a lettuce leaf.
• Serve it with chicken that has been seasoned with taco seasoning or blackened seasoning.
• Serve with tortilla chips, we like the Food Should Taste Good brand.

Fajita Salad

We had a delicious Fajita Salad for Cinco de Mayo!

Start by preparing your dressing. I used this Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce but other dressings would work too. I know Erin has a good Avocado dressing or even ranch dressing works. This Ranch Mix is great too, using the Dairy-Free Avocado preparation method.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce:
recipe source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-cilantro-lime-sauce

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 

1/2 cup light mayonnaise 

1/3 cup skim milk 

3 tablespoons lime juice 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Whisk or blend all ingredients. (I did a half recipe for our family so that we won't have it in the fridge forever.)

Once the dressing is ready shred the cheese, slice your peppers, onions, and chicken. While you let the chicken and pepper mix cook prepare the other salad ingredients.

Salad:
lettuce
cucumber
avocado
tomato, optional
onion and peppers mix (1/2 sweet onion and green, yellow, and red peppers sliced, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cooked just to al dente)
chicken (cut into chunks and seasoned with your favorite fajita seasoning, then cooked/grilled)
shredded pepperjack cheese

Mango-Lime Salsa

This is our absolute favorite salsa recipe.  We esp. love it on Hawaiian hamburgers, fish or shrimp tacos, or just with chips!

1 ripe mango, pitted, peeled, and diced*
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup lossely packed, roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
Salt
1 Tbsp oil

In a small bowl, combine the mango, tomatoes, onion, scallions, cilantro, orange and lime juices, and Tabasco.  Toss gently to combine.  Season with salt to taste.  Drizzle with the oil and gently toss again.

*We have replaced the mango with fresh peaches and a mix of fresh pineapple and mandarin oranges.

Roasted Veggie Enchilada

1 large red pepper, chopped, seeds removed
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups red enchilada sauce
9-10 small corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Mix everything up to the tortillas and only half of the enchilada sauce. Put in a 9x9 pan. Lay tortillas on top and cover with enchilada sauce. Put cheese on top and bake at 400 for 30ish min.

*I couldn't find the actual instruction so this is just what I did. And for cooking I just kept my eye on it.
*David LOVED these
*mine had more liquid than it looks like in the last picture but it was still really good

Black Bean and Butternut Enchilada Skillet

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Make a note that this recipe calls for cooked chicken so plan ahead. You could easily leave out the chicken for a meatless meal if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil (olive, coconut, canola, etc.)  *I also used some chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped red or yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional) *We like a little kick, so I didn't thoroughly deseed ours. If you don't have a jalapeno you can add 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes.
• 4 cups diced butternut squash (from a small to medium butternut squash that has been peeled and seeded)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 yellow or white corn tortillas, cut into large squares (I cut each tortilla in thirds and then chopped the strips in half) *I only used 6 tortillas
• 2 cups green enchilada sauce *I used 1-10 oz can and it was saucy enough.  I've never used more than 1 1/2 cups. Red enchilada sauce is also good.
• 2-3 cups cooked, cubed chicken *I cooked mine in a separate skillet while the vegetables were cooking.  You can also cook it part way then add the vegetables.
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro *I used 1/2 cup.  We like cilantro.
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese *I used sharp cheddar because that's what I had.  Pepperjack would also be good.
• Can serve with sour cream, olives, avocado, or any other toppings you'd like.  It is good without any additional toppings.

Directions

1. In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and jalapeno, if using. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften. Stir in the butternut squash, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder.  *I also used some chicken broth to cook the veggies.
2. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the squash is tender. If you want a smoother consistency to the squash, continue cooking until it breaks down to a creamy consistency, otherwise you can cook it just until it becomes tender.
3. Stir in the beans, tortillas and enchilada sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes so the tortillas can soak up some of the sauce and start to cook down just a little bit.
4. Add the chicken, cilantro and 1 cup of the cheese. Stir to combine and heat through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes over medium-low or medium heat until the cheese melts.  *I only put cheese on top (did not stir any into it).

**This recipe can easily be adapted to what you want.  You could add or leave stuff out.  We really like it's flavor.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Slightly modified from: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/12/crock-pot-chicken-enchilada-soup.html

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
 Skinnytaste.com 
Nutrition facts (before modifications):
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups + cheese • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 260.9 • Fat: 6.6 g • Protein: 25.4 g • Carb: 29.9 g • Fiber: 6.7 g • Sugar: 4.1 g
Sodium: 572 mg (without salt) 

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2-1 c. diced sweet peppers (optional, not part of the original recipe)
• 3 c. low sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1-2 tsp. chipotle chili in adobo sauce (or more to taste)
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish)
•  15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes (I doubled the recipe and used one can with chipotle and one with green chiles)
• 2 c. frozen corn or drained canned corn
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 8 oz skinless chicken breasts (16 oz total) 

Toppings:

• 1/4 c. chopped scallions, for topping 
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
• 2 diced avocados
• 3/4 c. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
• sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (optional)
• 6 corn tortillas, cut into strips (Optional, not part of the original recipe. I used this rather than the recommended tortilla chips to make it healthier and we all enjoyed it.)

Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, and peppers and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into crock pot.

To the crockpot, add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. (I added the tortilla strips at this point. You could also add them to each bowl while it is still hot.) Serve in bowls and top with fat free sour cream, cheese, scallions and cilantro. You can also top with avocado or crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy! 

I doubled the recipe when I made it and we all enjoyed the flavor. I used the full amount of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and seasoned diced tomatoes. I also added an extra can of black beans (3 for a doubled recipe). It made enough for 2 dinners.

Refried Beans

Recipe from Our Best Bites.  They adapted it from The Homesick Texan.

Ingredients:

1 pound dry pinto beans, rinsed and sorted for stones and sad-looking beans

1 1/2 medium white or yellow onions, divided
6-8 cloves garlic, divided
1 jalapeno, seeded
2 tablespoons white vinegar or liquid from a jar of jalapenos or banana peppers
4-5 tablespoons bacon drippings (or lard or vegetable oil, but really, the bacon drippings)
salt to taste

Instructions:

Place the rinsed beans in a medium saucepan. Fill the pan with water so there’s 1″ of water covering the beans. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the beans.

Place the beans the pot of a slow cooker and fill the pot with water so there’s about 2″ of water covering the beans. Add the jalapeno, 1 onion, peeled and cut in half, and 4-6 cloves of smashed, peeled garlic. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours (high elevations may take longer, so plan accordingly).

When the beans are tender, reserve 1/3-1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and add the vinegar or liquid from the jarred peppers to the reserved liquid. Drain the beans, discarding the rest of the liquid. Place the beans (and cooked vegetables) in the jar of your blender. Add 1/3 cup of liquid and blend until the desired consistency is reached (I like mine pretty smooth), adding more liquid if necessary.

Mince the remaining 1/2 onion and 2-4 cloves of garlic. Heat the bacon drippings in a large cast iron skillet (if you have one) over medium heat. When the drippings are hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until tender. Add the bean puree and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until the drippings and beans are incorporated and are light, fluffy, and hot. Salt to taste. Serve alongside Mexican food, wrapped in tortillas with cheese, or by themselves. Makes 8 1/2-cup servings.

Note: These taste like El Toro's refried beans, which I love.  I always wondered how they made them.

**I would definitely recommend the bacon drippings, and I like to use peppercini juice for the liquid.  I tend to use more liquid from the beans than it calls for because I don't like them too stiff.  I cook the onions most of the way, then add the garlic for about a minute.  Sometimes I add a little garlic salt if it needs more garlic or salt.