Monday, July 12, 2010

Guacamole Tomato Surprise Appetizer



These were a hit! I made them for a 4th of July BBQ and everyone ate them right up. I was kind of surprised, they were nothing special, just a few tomatoes and some guacamole...

Here is what you'll need...
Tomatoes- I used the "Amarosa" kind from Costco. They are a little bigger than a cherry tomato, but not as big as a roma, and nice and round. Get as many as you'll think you'll need, which depends on who your are making them for.
Avocados- I used about 5
1/2 yellow onion- chopped
Hot Sauce- used to your desired spicy-ness
Garlic Salt - 1 TBSP (tisk, tisk, I used salt for once. If you wanna be gnarly Paleo, use garlic powder)
Black Pepper (maybe 1 Teasp)
1/2 c chopped cilantro

In a bowl, combine avocado, onion, garlic salt/powder, pepper and hot sauce, mix well and cover, then place in the fridge while you prep the tomatoes. Place one or two of the avocado pits in the bowl with the mixture, it keeps the guac fresh- I think.

Cut the tops off the tomatoes and hollow them out. Make sure they are completely empty, then place all tomatoes with the hole-side down on a paper towel to drain excess tomato juice. Once all of the tomatoes are cut, hollowed and drained, pull that guacamole mixture out and start stuffing! Place enough guacamole in each tomato so that they are a tid bit overflowing, don't be chincy here. Once all of the tomatoes are filled, sprinkle the cilantro on top and there you go!

I think the hardest part about this recipe was figuring out how to transport them from Laguna to Huntington without having the tomatoes roll all over the trunk of my car. I smushed them all together on a platter, then made a rim out of tin foil to keep them in their place. The little suckers made it safely to our friends house and they were then enjoyed thoroughly!

Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette


This was one of those meals that I just kind of threw together at the last minute and it was a great one. Very simple, and not time consuming at all :) It was mucho flavorful.

Here is what you'll need:

For the meat:
1 lb extra lean ground beef (or turkey, if you like)
1 T chili powder
1 T garlic powder
1/8 T cayenne pepper
1/8 T paprika
2 Tbsp Trader Joes Jalapeno Hot Sauce (it's a new favorite/staple in our house, but you can use any hot sauce)

For the Salad:

Lettuce or spinach
Tomatoes
Green onion chopped
Avocado
Sauteed Bell Pepper
Cilantro
What ever else you like!

For the Dressing:
1/4 c Water
4 garlic cloves
2 c cilantro
Juice of two limes
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 T Red wine vinegar



Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until the dressing is pourable. Enjoy!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Simple Chicken




I loved this entree because it was so dang easy. All I did was grill some chicken breasts and top them with this simple recipe and it was delightful.

Here is what you'll need:

Two grilled chicken breasts
1 c cherry tomatoes cut in halves
1/2 c green olives sliced
1/3 c sun dried tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp EVOO

Heat the EVOO in a pan and then add all ingredients, saute for about 5-7 minutes and viola! Dinner is ready. Hope you enjoy!