Tag Archives: avocado

Black Bean Dip with Avocado

May 9, 2012 admin Leave a comment

This is such a great snack – and it even makes a great, filling lunch when you pair it with Triscuits.

4 servings
270 calories per serving

1 can black beans, drained, rinsed, and mashed
1 c chopped avocado
1 c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
4 c baby carrots for dipping

Place the beans in 4 bowls and coarsely mash. Stir in cheese and avocado. Serve carrots alongside. Add 100 calories worth of Triscuits or your favorite cracker to make it a little more filling and meal sized instead of snack sized.

And here is a video teaching you how to use an avocado slicer so you can make perfect slices for all your meals !

MUFAs, Salads, Sides, Summer

Simple Avocado Salad

March 20, 2012 admin Leave a comment

Get those MUFAs into your diet to help with your weight loss ! Avocado is a great way to achieve this.

1 serving
165 calories per serving

½ c sliced avocado
1 T low fat Zesty Italian Dressing

Mix it all up and serve next to soup or a light sandwich.

Whether you’re slicing avocados for sandwiches, salads or snacks, it’s nice to have pretty slices rather than gouged out chunks. Avocados are not the easiest things to work with – but they are well worth the work! Nothing tastes quite like an avocado. And there is now a kitchen tool out there that takes all the hard work out of it. Just slice your avocado in half, remove the pit, and then use the tool to do the rest. I made a quick video so you can see how they work.

And here is a link to buy one on Amazon !

Lunch, MUFAs, Sandwiches, Turkey

Turkey, Bacon and Avocado Wrap

November 9, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Wraps make great lunches and you can stuff them with just about anything. This one has some of my favorite things…including BACON ! And spreading the Laughing Cow cheese on the whole wrap ensures that you get cheesy goodness in every bite !

1 serving
344 calories per serving

1 Wrap (80 calorie La Tortilla Factory version)
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Cheese (original Swiss flavor)
2 slices turkey bacon
3 slices deli turkey
Alfalfa sprouts or some shredded lettuce
1/2 c chopped or sliced tomatoes
3 slices avocado

Cook the bacon according to package instructions. Lay wrap on flat surface. Spread the cheese wedge on it. When placing ingredients down the center of the wrap, do not go quite to the bottom – leave a little room (1 inch) so you will be able to wrap is securely. Place the turkey slices down the center. Lay the bacon slices down the center. Spread sprouts and tomato down the center. And finally lay the 3 avocado slices down the center. Wrap securely.

Some people shy away from them for the simple reason that they do not know how to wrap them so that the stuff stays in place. Take a quick look at my video showing you how to get a nice tight wrap that will not leak.

Chicken, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Mexican

Soft Chicken Tacos

October 15, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Super good – this stacks up to any taco you find out there and the kids love to make these. These tacos really hit the spot.

10 servings
249 calories per serving

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite sized cubes
1t red vinegar
Juice of one half a lime
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t oregano flakes
10 6 inch flour tortillas
1 tomato, diced
1/4 c shredded lettuce
1/4 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 c salsa
Pam
1 avocado, sliced

Spray a skillet with Pam and cook chicken 6-7 minutes or until done. Mix in vinegar, juice, salt, pepper, garlic and oregano and simmer 5 minutes. Heat tortillas half a minute in microwave. Put chicken mix in tacos and top with cheese, tomato, lettuce and salsa. Top with 2 slices of avocado per taco.

Lunch, Mexican, MUFAs

Avocado Tacos

September 22, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Creamy goodness all wrapped up in a yummy tortilla. Get your MUFA for the day and smile while you do it 😉 This tastes much like yummy guacamole; just a bit milder, but perfect for a lunch tortilla.

6 servings
290 calories per serving

12 6 inch tortillas
3 avocados, mashed
1/4 t garlic salt
¾ c chopped cilantro
Pepper to taste
A few drops of Tabasco sauce
12 tomato slices
Lime juice

Mix avocados, garlic, pepper, Tabasco and cilantro. Spread the mixture in each tortilla and add 2 tomato slices. Squirt with lime, fold and eat.

Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Corn Salsa

July 30, 2011 admin 2 Comments

Perfect next to grilled fish, grilled chicken, burgers – – this corn salsa is so easy to put together and so refreshing on a hot summer night.

4 servings
105 calories per serving

1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 c frozen corn kernels, thawed (you can use canned, but the frozen tastes fresher)
½ can diced tomatoes, drained
2 T chopped cilantro
3 T lime juice
1/2 t cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all and serve immediately.

Lunch, Salads, Vegetables

Avocado and Spinach Salad

July 25, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Kraft has so many great dressing out there – as well as using them on their own, they make GREAT to use as ingredients in other dressings, sauces, marinades, etc. This salad is a Kraft recipe and it was so good !

2 servings
250 calories per serving

1/2 c sliced avocados
3 T mandarin orange juice
2 t lemon juice
3 c baby spinach leaves
11 oz. can mandarin oranges (reserve 3 T juice / rinse the oranges in cold water)
1/4 c Kraft Catalina dressing (sweet French dressing)
2 T pecans (or other nuts), toasted
To toast nuts, heat a skillet on medium high then add nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until the heat brings out the flavors, about 2-3 minutes (when you smell the great aroma, they are just about done).

Mix dressing,. Lemon juice and orange juice. Pour over spinach, oranges and avocados. Garnish with nuts.

Dinner, Salads, Sides, Vegetables

Curried Cucs and Avocado

July 18, 2011 admin Leave a comment

My friend grows the tastiest cucs ! And they are just perfect in this salad. Just a bit of curry, just a bit of Tabasco, lotsa lime and great veggies. This is one you’ll make again and again.

3 servings
106 calories per serving

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
1 t salt
½ red bell pepper, diced
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
2 T chopped cilantro or parsley
1 ½ t sugar
½ t curry powder
A Couple of dashes of Tabasco
1 avocado, diced

Take the cucumber pieces and sprinkle with salt and set in a colander to drain. This helps some to remove some of the bitterness that some cucumbers have. Mix pepper, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, sugar and Tabasco. Pat the cucumbers dry and add to the pepper mix. Finally add the avocado and serve immediately.

Dinner, MUFAs, Salads, Sides, Vegetables

Tomato and Avocado Salad

June 17, 2011 admin Leave a comment

The wonderful texture of flavor of avocado shines through in this simple recipe. As well as tasting delicious, avocados are full of healthful MUFAs. This time I used all sliced Campari tomatoes for this salad – they are so sweet !

4 servings
161 calories per serving

2 lbs. assorted tomatoes, sliced (green tomatoes, grape tomatoes, heirlooms, etc. – whatever you have)
1 avocado, sliced
1 T Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 T chopped cilantro or parsley.

Mix all except avocados in a bowl – then add avocado and gently mix so that avocados do not break up. Serve immediately.

Dinner, Lunch, MUFAs, Sandwiches, Turkey

Turkey Burger with Avocado

February 6, 2011 admin Leave a comment

The avocado topping brings back much needed moisture to an often dry turkey burger. Feel free to add tomato and onion slices – they carry a minimum of calories. If you can’t get your hands on a nice ripe avocado, substitute Wholly Guacamole (a super fresh guac available in the refrigerator section of your market).

2 servings
330 calories per serving

2 turkey burgers (Jennie-O)
2 100 calorie buns (Arnold Select Sandwich Thins – multi grain)
Pam
1/2 c worth of avocado slices (about 6 slices) – or use some Wholly Guacamole (available at most markets)
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Heat a pan on medium high. Remove from heat to spray with Pam. Heat frozen burgers according to package instructions (you can alternately grill or broil the burgers, but cook them slow so they do not dry out). When done, place on a bun and add 3 slices of avocado on the top.

This makes the job of making avocado slices a breeze – tools such as these make perfect slices all the time !