Guacamole

Adapted from Hungry Girl

1 ripe avocado 

1can of low sodium baby peas 

3 Roma tomatoes 

2 cloves garlic 

2 jalapenos 

1⁄4 red onion 

1 small bunch cilantro 

1 lime 

Sea salt

Halve avocado and remove pit. Peel and chop the avocado. Drain and rinse the peas. You can also soak the peas in water for a few minutes to remove excess sodium. Add peas to the chopped avocado and mash the two together with a fork until it’s a creamy consistency. Seed and dice the tomato, adding it to the avocado mixture. Run both the garlic and the red onion over a micro-plane, and mix it well with the avocado mixture. Remove the seeds from the jalapenos and finely chop both the jalapeno and the cilantro, adding both to the avocado mixture. Add the juice of a lime and salt, to taste.

Let the guacamole sit in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to mix.

Serve as a spread on sandwiches or as a garnish to your favorite Mexican foods.

Grilled Pineapple

1 cored pineapple 

1⁄4 stick of butter 

1 quart sorbet

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Slice pineapple into 8. Microwave butter in a shallow bowl until melted. Dip each side of each pineapple slice in the butter, and put on the grill. Grill just long enough to get grill line on each side. Plate and serve with a scoop of sorbet.

Serves 8.

Greek Salad Pasta

1 box whole wheat rotini pasta 

4 small tomatoes, julienne 

1 large bell pepper, julienne 

1/2 large cucumber, diced

2 small jars quartered artichoke hearts, drained and halved 

1 large can sliced beets, julienne 

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved 

Favorite oil based Greek or Caesar dressing

Feta cheese

Boil pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile mix fresh veggies with jarred and canned items in a microwave safe bowl. Add just enough dressing to coat vegetables and microwave briefly to get the vegetables warmed through.

Drain pasta and top with vegetable mixture. Add more dressing as necessary. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Leftovers are great served cold as a salad instead of a side dish. It would also be nice served on a bed of Boston lettuce for a luncheon.

Unstuffed Peppers

Adapted from Lickety-Split Meals

3 bell peppers, diced 
3 carrots, diced 
1 lb lean ground turkey breast* 

1 T olive oil 

2 T Mrs. Dash 

2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes 

1 (14oz) can low sodium chicken or vegetable broth 

2 C chopped fresh spinach 

2 C whole grain instant brown rice, dry 

1⁄2 C parmesan cheese, shredded

Heat oil in a large nonstick pot; add crumbled turkey and Mrs. Dash. Brown the meat over medium heat. Once meat is cooked, add peppers and carrots and sauté. Add tomatoes, broth and spinach. Bring mixture to a boil, and then add rice and cheese. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

*lean ground beef or vegetarian meat substitute, such as Morningstar Farms Crumbles, can be substituted.

Serves 4.

Caesar Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus 

2T creamy Caesar dressing 

2T pine nuts 

2t shredded parmesan cheese

In a large frying pan over low heat, toast the pine nuts, stirring frequently. Set aside once they are golden brown. Using the same pan, turn up the heat and add a splash of water and the cleaned and trimmed asparagus; cover with a lid. Allow to blacken slightly, and to steam/sear in its liquid. Once done, plate, and top with dressing, pine nuts and parmesan cheese.

Makes 2-4 servings. 

This would love beautiful with a few parmesan shavings on top instead of shredded parmesan.

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