Avocado Sauce

I made this sauce to serve with Baked Chicken Taquitos. It would also be really good on burgers, sandwiches and tacos.

Avocado Sauce
from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking 2009
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled
1/2 c. fat-free sour cream
2 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro
2 tsp. lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 tsp. salt

In a small bowl, mash avocado with sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and salt. Refrigerate until serving.

Zucchini Patties

I saw this recipe on allrecipes.com and was so excited to try it. I love zucchini. These were so yummy, and I ate waaaaay too many of them for dinner tonight. This would be a great recipe for those of you whose gardens are producing an abundance of zucchini. I had to buy mine at the store.

Zucchini Patties

2 c. grated zucchini

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. flour (or dry bread crumbs)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

marinara sauce (for serving)

In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper, and garlic. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture into the skillet by heaping tablespoonfuls, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden.

I read a few of the reviews on allrecipes.com and followed a couple of recommendations. I added a little bit of garlic powder and replaced about half of the flour with Italian-seasoned bread crumbs. I also lightly coated the outside of each pattie with bread crumbs to give them some crunch. I served with marinara sauce on the side.

Guacamole

I forgot to take a picture of this, but I made it when Erin's family was here visiting. I love guacamole, but mine usually consists of avocados, salt, and lime. Boring. This one is much better.

Guacamole
(from allrecipes.com)

3 avocados - peeled, pitted and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. diced onion
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I found this recipe titled as "Crusty Mummy Fingers" for Halloween. I served them with Hannah's Blue Cheese Burgers. In the words of Rachael Ray, "Yum-O!"

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled (about 2 large potatoes)
2 Tbs. water
2 egg whites
1 c. Italian style bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
cooking spray

1. Heat oven to 450. Spray 2 large cookie sheets with cooking spray.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/2 x 1/2-inch strips. In shallow dish, mix water and egg whites with wire whisk or fork. In another shallow dish, mix bread crumbs, cheese, salt, pepper and red pepper. Working in batches, dip sweet potatoes into egg white mixture, roll in bread crumb mixture. Place potatoes in a single layer on cookie sheets. Spray potatoes with cooking spray about 10 seconds. (I forgot to spray mine and they turned out just fine.)
3. Bake 18-20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, until crisp.

Roast Broccoli

If all vegetables tasted this good, I'd probably eat more of them!


1-2 bunches of broccoli
olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2-4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1/3 c. parmesan cheese

Wash broccoli. Cut into large florets and dry thoroughly. Toss with olive oil (amount will vary based on the amount of broccoli you are using. I use a few tablespoons per bunch of broccoli.) Liberally season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes at 425. After removing from oven, add lemon zest and juice. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Hungarian Stuffed Peppers

We love going to the farmers market every Saturday morning. Chad finally found a pepper similar to the ones they use in. We have made several Hungarian dishes since then. I was surprised at how fast they are to make and how good they are. They taste great with french bread and a spoon full of sour cream on top.

• 4 multicolored bell peppers
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound ground chuck 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice, rinsed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Makes 4 servings

• Wash the peppers. Cut the tops off and remove the seeds and any membranes. Season cavities lightly with salt and pepper.

• Finely chop the pepper tops and place in large bowl.

• To the bowl containing chopped pepper tops, add onion, ground chuck, pork, rice, egg, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic, and mix well.

• Stuff peppers with meat mixture lightly because the rice will expand during cooking. If you have any leftover meat mixture, form it into meatballs.

• Place peppers and any meatballs in a small slow cooker. This dish can also be cooked, covered, in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour or on the stove top, covered, for 1 hour.

• Mix tomato sauce with sugar and pour over peppers in pot.

• Cover the slow cooker and set heat to low. Cook for 8 to 10 hours or in the oven or on the stove top for 1 hour.

• Serve peppers with a dollop of sour cream, if desired, and crusty white or rye bread. Cooked peppers freeze well if covered with sauce

Roasted Sugar Snap Peas

Roasting vegetables at a high heat is one of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables. This recipe is very flavorful, and could easily be altered using different herbs or seasonings.

1 lb. sugar snap peas

1-2 Tbs. olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

garlic powder, to taste

Wash and dry peas. Place peas in a bowl and drizzle with 1-2 Tbs olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and freshly-ground pepper. Add garlic powder and stir vegetables to coat. Spread on cookie sheet and bake at 450 for 6-8 minutes.