Guatemalan Guacamole & Alton Brown's Guacamole

Two great guac recipes...

Guatemalan Guacamole

We like guacamole a ton. It goes fast around here so this recipe is good for about 4 people...

6 small avocados

1/4 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

6 green onions, finely sliced

2/3 Roma tomato, finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro leaves and stems, finely chopped

couple splashes of fresh lime juice

Smash avocados and add the seasoning. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients and fold until well incorporated.

Alton Brown's Guacamole

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, minced

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Spicy Tomatillo Soup

From my sister in law, Alex, who originally received the recipe from my other sister in law, Erin. Healthy and robust in flavor, this is one of my favorites soups.

1/2 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 medium or 8 small tomatillos, chopped

1 tbsp. cumin

In stockpot, saute the above ingredients for 10-15 minutes.

Add:

2 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken is yummy)

6 cups chicken broth

1 16 ounce fresh spicy salsa (made from scratch or purchased from the deli area at the grocery store)

1 15 ounce yellow hominy (drain)

1 15 ounce white hominy (drain)

Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Optional Toppings:

tortilla chips

avocado (a must)

rice (a must)

cheese

lime (a must)

NUTRITIONAL VALUE (soup only):

6 servings @ 266 calories per serving

5 Ingredient Asian Inspired Soup

2 cups water

2 teaspoons chicken or beef bouillon

2 green onions, finely sliced

1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

Asian noodles such as udon noodles

OPTIONAL: feel free to add anything else that sounds good such as a protein like shrimp or additional veggies like bok choy or bean sprouts.

Assuming you're using prepacked cooked noodles, combine all ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes, until heated through. Easy breezy.

Nutella Gooey Butter Cookies

Slightly altered from www.plainchicken.com. Cookies don't come any easier!

1 box chocolate cake mix
8 oz light cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella for subtle flavor but add more if you like
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the egg. Then beat in the Nutella and vanilla extract. Mix in the cake mix.

Scoop tablespoon balls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes then sprinkle with powdered sugar using a mesh sieve. The cookies will remain soft and gooey.

Cheesy Brown Rice Gratin with Zucchini & Mushrooms

• 3/4 cup cooked long grain brown rice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 pound zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• scant 1/4 cup Italian cheese blend (like parmesan, asiago, etc)
• scant 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
• Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Preheat oven to 375.
• 
  
• Cook brown rice. Preheat oven to 375.
• In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about five minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms. Cook until onion is cooked through. Add nuts, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook another couple minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the cooked rice, half and half, eggs and cheese.
• Spray an 11 x 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour rice mixture into dish and sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot!

Real Meatballs and Spaghetti

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa.

For the meatballs:

• 1 package Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs (crusts removed)
• 3/4 cup seasoned Panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 extra-large egg, beaten
• Vegetable oil
• Olive oil

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

• 1 pound spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
• Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and egg. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with tongs. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Adapted from www.plainchicken.com

1 can black beans
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 can fire roasted diced tomato, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
1 chicken breasts
1/2 cup frozen corn

OPTIONAL: top w/light sour cream & cilantro w/ a side of tortilla chips or hot tortillas

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour rotel and black beans over chicken. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Mix in the frozen corn. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

This is a hearty thicker chili. If you prefer more broth, feel free to add a cup or two of chicken broth.