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Posts tagged ‘avocado’

Aug 18

5 Comments

Goodbye Michigan

Since I last wrote about my experiments with spinach in a smoothie I have been keeping very busy!  I’d like to update you on some of the things I’ve been up to.  I’ve even got a killer recipe for you!

When I wrote about that green smoothie I was trying to use up some frozen spinach before my big move from Mount Pleasant, Michigan to Williamsburg, Virginia.  In the following weeks I continued to try to use up my food supply which resulted in some interesting meals.

I also picked up a free squash and some cucumbers from the break room at work.  I was pretty excited about that.  But not quite as excited as I was when I picked this…

Thats right, my tomato plant produced a tomato! Actually, it produced two tomatoes.  A while back I posted an update on how I had 3 small green tomatoes on the plant.  Well, things weren’t going so great.  I kept watering and watering that darn plant but the little green tomatoes stayed that way, very little and very green.

After about 3 weeks of this I just gave up.  I figured, we were moving soon and I would just toss the plant.  I didn’t want to bring it with me and couldn’t wait for the tomatoes to grow any bigger.    But the boyfriend Jacob didn’t like this idea and decided the tomato plant was now his.  He continued to water it everyday.

And of course, it worked.  The little green tomatoes turned into little red tomatoes.

The whole time this was going on I was continuing to care for my bell pepper plants.  The plant wasn’t doing that great, but I did get two smaller sized green peppers from it.  This was my most successful container garden yet!

My last day of work in Mount Pleasant was August 4th, and I took advantage of the few days I had off before moving to visit some family in Kalamazoo, MI.  The food we had was incredible.  August is such a great time for fresh local food in Michigan!  There was fresh corn on the cob, peaches, blueberries, watermelon, fresh homemade salsa and peach pie.

Husted's Market Michigan Produce (HustedFarmMarket.com)

My favorite dish was something called Cowboy Caviar.  It has avocado in it.  I’ll eat anything with avocado in it.  (see recipe below).  Unfortunately, there wasn’t any left to take home, but I did snag some corn off the cob.

Once back in Mount Pleasant, I got a little creative with the corn.  I added some leftover salsa from the fridge, 1/2 a can of black beans, my chopped up homegrown green bell peppers, and my little red tomatoes.  Perfection!

The next few days were spent packing and preparing for the move.  Who knew I had so much stuff!  We left Michigan August 11th and arrived in Virginia late Thursday August 12.   It was a long, but beautiful drive.

I’ll be posting soon about what life is like in Williamsburg, including some pic’s of my sweet new kitchen!  For now though, enjoy some Cowboy Caviar…

Aunt Mary’s Cowboy Caviar

1 can black beans

1 can corn (or use fresh or frozen)

4 Avocados, pitted peeled and chunked

6 large Roma Tomatoes

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

2 limes, juiced

3 tsp Tabasco

4 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper to taste (it is great without too!)

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss.  Serve with unsalted tortilla chips for a delicious snack (or if your like me, meal)!

Jun 28

2 Comments

Container Garden Update + Easy Guacamole

Last night after a long day at work, I decided to go out and buy the move Julie & Julia.  I loved it! I watched it with a nice big bowl of popcorn in my lap and a glass of wine on the side.  It was the perfect relaxing night I needed!  However, the movie was a bit longer than I expected, so when it ended decided to sleep on the couch.  When I woke up this morning, I opened up the shades and looked out on my porch at my container garden.

Since I last posted about the garden, my tomato plant has gotten HUGE! There are 3 very small green tomatoes! I am so excited!

My bell peppers are also doing well and are starting to grow! I love the white flowers!

The chocolate mint plant looks great too! (and taste great!)

Unfortunately, not everything I planted is doing as well.

The basil is surviving, but it looks like something is eating it.  Not sure how much longer it will last.

I actually lost my strawberry plant Father’s Day weekend when I was out of town and the temperature got really hot.  The poor thing just dried right up, even though I watered it right before I left.

The cilantro was hit pretty bad too.  Most of the leaves were turning yellow, and my attempts to bring it back weren’t working. So I decided my project for today was to get rid these plants.  The cilantro still had some good leaves left so I trimmed those off and set them aside.

Once I finished the job, it was just about lunch time and I knew exactly what to use the remaining cilantro leaves in…

Guacamole!  When I make guacamole I make it very simply.  It important to note that when making very simple recipes, the quality of the individual ingredients makes all the difference.

Easy Guacamole

1 ripe Avocado

1/4 cup fresh spicy salsa*

2 Tbsp chopped onion

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

juice from 1 lime

Pinch of black pepper

In a medium bowl, mash all of the ingredients together with a fork.  It is that simple!  Learn how to cut into an avocado from this e-how video. Use the guacamole as a dip with tortilla chips, or as a spread on a turkey sandwich.  Get creative with it!  What is your favorite non-traditional way to use guacamole?

*I like using the Garden Fresh Gourmet brand because it is fresh.  It is not cooked, like the salsa which comes in the jars.

Nutritional Breakdown

Healthy Fats! You may have heard that avocado’s are high in fat, but that is no reason to avoid them.  Avocados are full of monounsaturated fats.  Both mono- and polyunsaturated fats may help lower your blood cholesterol level when used in place of saturated and trans fats.  Aim for fat intake to be between 25-35% of your daily calories.

Vitamins and Minerals! Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid.


Sources:

California Avocado Commission.  http://www.avocado.org/nutrition.

American Heart Association.  http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=532#polymono.

May 28

7 Comments

Cilantro: Are You a Fan?

The first time I had cilantro, it was in guacamole, and I loved it immediately! I couldn’t wait to start looking for more recipes to use it in.  Yet, when I started talking to others about cilantro to my astonishment, some people just couldn’t stand it! “It taste like soap!” They said.  Apparently, cilantro is a very controversial herb.

Well, as a fan of cilantro, who doesn’t think it taste like soap, I decided to plant some in my small container garden this year. I am very new to the whole gardening thing, so I bought starter plants. I put them in a week ago and they are already doing great! If all goes well I hope to let the flowers go to seed, and will try planting my own. Wish me luck! I am also growing basil, strawberries, bell peppers, and a tomato plant.

Fresh herbs are fantastic in salads. I essentially live on salads during the summer. I make one, eat it for lunch for a few days, then make another, eat it for lunch for a few days, and the cycle continues. Now, I’m not talking about your lettuce, carrots, ranch dressing kind of salad (although I like those too!). I am referring to salads that include some type of whole grain (pasta, rice, etc.), lots of veggies, and amazing dressings or vinaigrettes. Occasionally I just make them with veggies! Recently, I came across this recipe on one of my favorite blogs. It was perfect, it was a great excuse to use some of my cilantro.

I made a couple minor changes/additions. I pressed my garlic instead of smashing it, added extra tomato, used 1/2 of a seeded jalapeno instead of green chiles and at the recommendation of the author, added avocado.  In my opinion, the avocado made the dish! With the near 90 degree days we have been having lately, this was such a great light lunch! I highly recommend you try it!

Nutritional Benefits to this Salad:

Whole Grains! Brown rice provides extra fiber and a little more protein vs the enriched white rice, 1/2 cup brown rice = 1 serving

Low Sodium! Making your own vinaigrette allows you to control the amount of salt added.  Cilantro, lime and cumin give it great flavor!

Protein! Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) are an excellent source of fiber and protein

Vitamins and Minerals! Tomatoes are high in Vitamin A and C and are a great source of potassium. Avocado’s contain Vitamin E, C, folate, iron and potassium.

Healthy Fats! Avocado’s are low in saturated fats, and high in the recommended mono- and poly- unsaturated fats

Fiber! The major ingredients in this salad are all a good source of fiber!



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