Avocado-Mango Salsa with Fresh Jalapeno

I am here in sunny Southern California enjoying the sun, family and the full bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables that are available here year round.  Two of my favorite fruits, avocados and mangoes, are always available and ripe here. I have included a Cali inspired recipe for Avocado-Mango Salsa with Fresh Jalapeno, but first I wanted to share a tip for cutting avocados and mangoes with you.

How do you cut your avocado? 

I use a knife to cut mine in half and twist to separate the two halves.  Then I take a knife and cut a grid in the flesh all the way down to, but not through, the peel.  See the grid in the picture? You can then use a spoon to scoop between the peel and the flesh and presto, you have instant diced avocado. 

This technique can be done with mango as well. Cut two halves off either side of the seed and cut the same "grid" with a knife.  Then, flip the mango half inside out and use a knife to separate the fruit from the peel. 

Aren't those tips nifty? To go with your new knife skills, you can try my recipe below for Avocado Mango Salsa, but read these additional ideas to personalize your dish.  

Suggested Variations:

• Add some cumin for an authentic flavor - I use cumin in almost all my recipes, so I may have a bit of an obsession with it :)
• Add chili powder for a sweet kick - The mix of chili with the sweet mango is a delicious combination.
• Cilantro or not cilantro? I had to make two batches, one with cilantro and one without, if I wanted my Dad to go anywhere near this salsa.  They were both great, but I prefer cilantro. You know your preference, feel free to use your instinct!

Avocado-Mango Salsa with Fresh Jalapeno

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe mango diced into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes
• 2 ripe avocados diced into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (I actually prefer lime, but only had lemon)
• Cilantro to taste
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Put mango, jalapeno and lemon juice into bowl and stir well to mix. 
2. Add avocados and fold to incorporate, careful not to mash. 
3. Mix in salt and cilantro to taste.

Enjoy with your favorite chips or top your salad, burger, tacos or more! 

Happy National Nutrition Month®!

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) has dubbed March National Nutrition Month® and this year's theme is "Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right."

What pops into your head when you think of "eating right?" Boring salads and celery? Food that tastes like cardboard? Let's work on changing that stereotype. Here are three tasty ideas to get you started on enjoying the taste of your food while eating right:

1. For a sweet snack, try this take on a chocolate covered apple:

Apple Slices with Chocolate Protein Dip
Makes two servings

Ingredients:
2 tsp cocoa powder
1/2c plain greek yogurt (or vanilla if you need a little extra sweetness)
1tbs creamy almond butter  (can use any creamy nut butter, or sunflower butter for a nut-free option)
1-2 apples of your favorite variety (I love pink lady)

Directions:
Simply stir together the cocoa, yogurt and nut butter until smooth. Slice the apple and dip  in the cocoa goodness.

*A side note about the versatility of plain yogurt. You may know that it is a good substitute for sour cream on tacos, etc, but did you know that it also tastes great for dipping artichoke leaves (and the heart) into?  Artichokes happen to be my favorite vegetable and this is a much lighter option than mayonnaise or melted butter and surprisingly tastes just as satisfying.

2. Savor the Mediterranean to give your "salad" a little flair:

Simple Greek Salad
Makes 1-2 Servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup cucumbers
2 tbs chopped red onion
1/4 cup Kalamata olives
2 tbs feta cheese
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil & red wine vinegar to taste
optional - crushed red pepper for a kick (I use this on everything!)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and enjoy.

3. If you are wanting a hot beverage without the fat and calories, try some original Good Earth tea. If you don't drink tea, I urge you to give it a try. It's not like any other tea I've had. A couple great things to note: first, it's naturally sweet and spicy, so there's no need to add sweetener. Secondly, the hint of spice is always satisfying and helps curb hunger.

I hope these tips jump start your enthusiasm for nutrition this month!
To learn more about National Nutrition Month®, visit www.eatright.org/NNM

Life Through (Salsa) Verde Colored Glasses

I'm in love with Tomatillo salsa!  (aka Salsa Verde) It's the perfect shortcut for everything. Shortcuts in food prep adds volumes of sanity to a busy schedule. I'll give you three ideas to get you started on the path to your own shortcut verde love:

1. I use it to make a simple guacamole

Ingredients:

• 2 Haas avocados and 1/2 C salsa verde (I never really measure, but this is a close approximation to make one bowl of deliciousness). 

Directions: 

• Mix together with a fork in a bowl and done!

My DD is holding my favorite avocado in this pic. It's labeled a "slimcado" at the grocery store because it has about half the fat of a regular avocado. I love the texture because it's not too greasy, but I usually use this one as a garnish. Haven't tried it as guacamole yet. 

2. I use it to make my weekly taco chicken (cheers for Taco Tuesday!) in my ninja cooker (crock pot works well too):

Ingredients:

• 1 cup tomatillo salsa (salsa verde) - I use any brand that doesn't have preservatives
• 1 large chicken breast
• 2 tomatoes diced with 6 oz stock (vegetable or chicken) (you can also use 1 can of diced tomatoes)
• 1 tsp each of chili powder and cumin. 
• 1 pinch salt 
• if you are feeling spicy, add some onions and garlic as well, or some jalapenos! 

Directions:

Just throw everything in and give it a stir. Set the crock pot for high for 4 hours or low for 8 (my ninja really usually only needs 2hrs on high). When it's done, shred with two forks and stir back in the crock pot.  My picky little ones eat this right up on corn tortillas with sliced avocado and plain greek yogurt. I add some fresh diced onion for myself. This amount usually serves my family of 4 with some left over.

3. The green stuff is also perfect for using up chicken leftovers.  I will often add salsa verde to some stock with veggies and chicken and voila, delicious soup. Let your creative juices flow!

I am missing the summer produce that used to come in my CSA, including tomatillos.  I got really crafty one time and made my own tomatillo salsa.  It was UN-BE-LEIVably delicious. Slight side note: I had never used tomatillos before though and was unaware of the strange sticky slime they are covered with after you de-husk them.  It kinda reminded me of label residue after you put a new coffee mug in the dishwasher only to realize that the label was not peeled off and now it's melting and disintegrating on the cup. But....after you get over the ick factor and rinse them off it's not so bad. Don't they look pretty?

Here's a link to the recipe I followed! Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa These enchiladas were fantastic. I made a few adaptations to fit our eating style and will definitely make them again.  Next time I'll double the tomatillo salsa!

Macaroon Success!

Here's how my macaroons turned out using the recipe I shared in the previous post. I will say that I had to modify the recipe a bit, but these were fabulous!
 
My Changes: I ended up using 1.5 cups of dates, not 1 because the mixture was way too dry to shape into balls. This may have been because I used pre-pitted dates. I also mixed in a bit of honey to help with the shaping. This was key. I was hesitant to add honey because I didn't want to change the flavor too much, but it worked just fine!

No shame in showing a pic I snapped with my phone:

Clearly these aren't as nice and round as the ones shown in the original recipe, but they still taste great!