Guacamole Stuffed Chicken

These were so yummy! Yes, a little time consuming, so probably not the best for when you're short on time. But if you have a little time and want a delicious meal, this is it!

3 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ripe avocado
2 tbsp diced red onion
¼ c chopped tomato
1 tsp lime juice
¾ tsp salt, divided
2 large eggs
1 c plain panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp lime zest
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Cooking spray


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use a mallet to pound each chicken breast thin and flat. I put mine in a big ziploc bag and put a towel under & on top of it. Set aside.

Remove the peel and seed from the avocado. Place the avocado in a medium bowl and mash with a fork. Add the onion, tomato, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.

Divide the guacamole between the chicken pieces and spread it into a thin layer. Roll up the chicken, starting with the skinniest edge (the part that comes to a point). Secure the seam with toothpicks.

In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. In a separate shallow bowl, add the breadcrumbs, lime zest, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, ¼ teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Stir to combine. Roll the stuffed chicken in the eggs. Let the excess egg drip off. Press and roll the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs. Place the chicken seam-side down in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. 

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and it’s coating is golden brown and crispy.

Original recipe found here. 

We had this with roasted okra and one of our fave kale salad mixes.

Zoodles with Creamy Avocado Sauce

We had smoked chicken along with these zoodles, and the avocado sauce was also amazing on the chicken. You might think it would turn brown as leftovers the next day? Nope! Easy, creamy, delicious!

zoodles
1 large avocado, pitted
1-2 tbsp lemon juice 
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed 
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
large handful fresh basil, 8-10 leaves (plus extra for garnish) 
salt and pepper, to taste

Pit the avocado and put avocado, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and basil in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Original recipe found here.

Cauliflower "Bread" with Avocado & Sour Cream

Of course you've probably seen the recipes for pizza using cauliflower crust and everything... I finally decided to try it, in the form of small patties. A picture of some cauliflower "bread" with a little avocado & sour cream on top caught my eye, and I knew I had to give it a try.

I can definitely see how this could be used as a pizza crust substitute. It's very good!  Obviously you could top these guys with whatever you want, but the avocado & sour cream was yummy.

1 small cauliflower, chopped, trimmed of core
2 eggs
1/2 c part-skim mozzarella cheese and Parmesan blend (you can just use mozzarella)
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to season
1 tsp olive oil1 avocado, sliced thinly
light sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cauliflower pieces in food processor and blend until cauliflower is finely chopped. I did mine in a couple batches. Pour cauliflower into large bowl. Then add eggs, cheese, oregano, seasonings and whisk together with cauliflower until well combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with olive oil. I needed 2 baking sheets. Place spoonfuls of the cauliflower mixture on sheet and spread out into circles, around a 1/2 inch tall. Bake for 45 minutes until slightly dried out, browning, and firm to the touch.

Remove from oven and using a spatula carefully peel away from baking paper. Flip over and return to oven for 15 more minutes. Serve with avocado & sour cream, or your favorite toppings!

Original recipe found here.

Spinach & Avocado Stuffed Portobellos

First of all, the spinach/avocado/Parm mix for this is so good. It could even be a fun and delicious twist on guacamole dip. But anyway, I used it to stuff some medium-sized portobello mushrooms. You could use the baby bellas and make these as an appetizer as well.

Before going back in to bake.

Portobello mushrooms, or baby bellas (depending on preference)
2 1/2 c fresh baby spinach (well packed)
2 cloves garlic
1 ripe avocado
1/4 c walnuts
1/4 c shredded Parmesan, more for topping
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt to taste
handful of sliced almonds (for garnish)

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Gently wash your mushrooms in cool water, then remove the stems by getting a firm hold of the base of the stem, and pulling straight out.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Place your mushrooms, cap side down, on your baking sheets, 
Bake mushrooms at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the edges are starting to get all wrinkly. Pour water out of caps and put back on your baking sheet.

For your filling, combine your spinach, garlic, walnuts, and seasonings in a strong blender or food processor. Blend until chunky, but smooth. Peel and remove your avocado pit, then mash the contents until it is also chunky, but smooth. Pour blender contents over mashed avocado and stir it together. Now, taste it, and add salt to your preference. Spoon filling into your mushrooms. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and put back in the oven about 10 more minutes. Then top with sliced almonds. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

We had these with some amazing chicken Will smoked, Roasted Sriracha & Bacon Brussels Sprouts, and our favorite kale salad mix.

Fried Egg with Avocado & Tomatoes on English Muffin

This is something I made for breakfast (even dinner a couple nights!) during the summer. Just now getting around to posting. The combo of flavors in this dish is amazing!

1 light English muffin (I use Thomas' light/high fiber English muffins)
1 egg
a little bit of avocado (about 1/6th of an avocado)
cherry tomatoes, halved
sprinkle of 2% shredded cheddar cheese
green onions

Toast your English muffin, and fry the egg in a small skillet. Saute the cherry tomatoes for a few minutes in the skillet as well. Spread some avocado on the toasted English muffin, Top with fried egg, a pinch of cheese, tomatoes, and green onions. Heavenly!

Burrito Bowl with Homemade Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Now this was easy and delish! You could easily add meat (shredded chicken, ground beef) if you wanted to. It's yummy and filling just like this though. This recipe came from The Garden Grazer blog, and I love the tip for mixing the rice with some salsa. Never thought of that!

1 c uncooked brown rice (or quinoa)
1/2 c salsa
1 can black beans, rinsed/drained
1 can corn, drained
1 onion, diced

Toppings:
tomatoes, diced
shredded lettuce
green onions
avocado

Creamy Chipotle Sauce:
1/2 c plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 chipotle pepper
1 tsp chipotle sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
(I added 2 tsp honey for a little bit of sweet)

Cook rice according to package directions. Mix in some salsa and a little cilantro & lime juice when cooked.

Make your chipotle sauce. Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.

Saute diced onion over medium heat for a few minutes. Add in your black beans & corn. Stir and heat through. Then, you can assemble your burrito bowl! Start with your rice, black bean/corn mixture, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, green onions, etc. Drizzle some delicious chipotle sauce over the top, and enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Spicy Avocado Chicken Enchiladas

These were amazing. So creamy and delicious. The original recipe called for one serrano pepper, but I used two. I took some of the seeds out, but left some as well. Depending on how much spice you like, that's how many peppers you should use.

Sauce:
1 tbsp light butter
1 serrano pepper, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp flour
1 c fat free chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1 c medium salsa verde
1/2 c fat free sour cream

Enchiladas:
2-3 c chopped cooked chicken breasts (about 3 breasts)
8 oz Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded & divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 avocados, peeled and chopped
8-10 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute serrano pepper and garlic, for 1 minute. Stir in flour, constantly stirring, and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken broth, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a low boil. Once boiling, whisk in the sour cream, salsa verde and cilantro. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken (I cubed mine), 3/4 of the cheese, diced onion, and chopped avocado. Spray a 9x13" baking dish. Add 3/4 cup sauce to the bottom of the pan. Add chicken mixture to the center of each tortilla and roll, placing seam-side down in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Top with leftover cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling. Serve immediately.

Original recipe found here.