A Health Food: Chunky Guacamole

On regular days or on special occasions, guacomole is a much requested food item by my children. Of all the ways I had prepared it, this has come to be the favorite. I like it chunky.


Ingredients:
1 to 2 pieces of avocado, at the ripening stage but still a bit firm
1/4 to 1/2 of a lemon (depending on the size)
1/4 C. of Coriander (cilantro)
Half a medium sized onion, diced
1/2 tsp. of garlic, finely chopped or garlic pressed (lessen quantity according to your preferences)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Procedure:
1. In a bowl, throw in the garlic, chopped onion, chopped coriander (cilantro)
2. Cut avocado into halves. Take each half and score the meat with the blunt side of you knife in a diagonal direction, then crisscross in another direction.


3. Scoop the meat into the bowl with the other ingredients, squeeze lemon for the juice to land on the top of the avocado meat, season with sea salt and pepper and toss lightly, and lastly drizzle some EVOO over it and give it one more toss. Adding some EVOO gives it a Mediterranean flavor, and along with the lemon juice it also helps keep the avocado from turning brownish. Here is the finished product, ready to be enjoyed with some corn chips.


When I do prepare my food, most of the time I eyeball most of my proportions. Note the adjustments you make as to how much of each ingredient you use to make that perfect guacamole, according to your taste.

Avocado is a super food. (http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles07/avocado-health-benefits.htm) I also emphasize the use of sea salt (sparingly) in your meal preparations, as long as it is from a good source and you get your iodine from the other food sources such as in seafood, milk, some meats, and eggs. (http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_6027326_health-advantages-sea-salt.html)

Usually, I buy my avocados in their unripened state. When I get home, I place them in a paper bag and store the bag in a dark place, checking in a day or two to see how much it has ripened. Once ripened, I either prepare it for consumption or store it in the refrigerator.

Avocado is something I serve once or twice a week. It is a rich, tasty addition to my other salsa recipes and my salads, bringing texture, color and good nutrition. As a kid I used to eat it with milk and sugar, and my mom used to make home-made ice cream with it, something I also used to make for my kids when they were growing up.

Get into the habit of eating well. Eat avocados more often.

In the Kitchen: Parmesan Chicken

Home-cooked meals are a constant adventure for me as I design healthy but tasty meals. Here is one of my son's favorite "Parmesan Chicken."

This recipe is similar to "Scaloppine al Limone" (made with veal.) Instead of using breadcrumbs, I am substituting grated parmesan cheese and using chicken breast as my meat. The elimination of the breadcrumbs makes this meal a high-protein food.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Chicken breasts, butterflied to 1/4 inch and tenderized with a kitchen mallet
Sprinkle with lemon and set aside.

On parchment paper (or wax paper), spread grated parmesan cheese, then add some dried onion flakes.

In a shallow plate, scramble one egg. Dip both sides of the chicken, then coat both sides with the parmesan/onion mixture.

In a pan, warm up a little butter and cooking oil (do NOT use olive oil). Pan fry each side 2-3 minutes or until. Serve with a side salad.

SIDE SALAD: Arugula with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Garnish with Green Apples and Pecans Caramelized with agave.

In the Kitchen: Twice-Cooked Adobo style & Taquitos

After a day or two of eating the holiday foods, I begin to look at ways to recycle the leftovers, so they can get eaten right away. For left over meats or poultry, I recook them into Twice-Cooked Adobo style or make Taquitos out of them.



Procedure: TWICE-COOKED ADOBO Style
1. Shred the left over meat or poultry (in this case, its turkey) and set aside.
2. Chop some garlic cloves - this is what gives the adobo flavor.

In a warmed skillet or low-deep frying pan, put in a Tbsp. of cooking oil (not Olive oil) and brown the garlic in medium-low heat, until it turns light brown, while stirring constantly.

Then, add the shredded meat, a little bit at a time so it is spread out evenly on the bottom of the pan and will get crispy. You may need to add a little bit more of cooking oil from time to time.

Add salt and pepper to taste and cook until the shredded bits turn into crispy flakes. Toss around, every now and then, for even pan-frying.

Repeat the pan-frying step for the remaining shredded meats until your supply is all recooked into crispy flakes.

Serve with a sunny-side up or scrambled egg, with garlic fried rice. This can be your breakfast or luncheon meal.



Procedure: TAQUITOS
1. Shred the left over meaty parts and set aside.
2. Place a number of corn tortillas on a plate, and drape over a wet paper towel that has been wrung out a little beat. Cover with a bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds. This will make the tortillas more pliable when you start assembling the taquitos.

Warm up your skillet at medium heat, then drizzle some cooking oil on the pan.

On a tortilla, place a row of shredded meat, off centered, and roll it to form a taquito and pan fry in your skillet, turning it around to get it browned on 4 sides.

Continue the process, until you have the desired number of taquitos done. Calculate at serving 2 to 3 pieces per person.

Serve with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, with a touch of lemon juice. Then, prepare a side salad of mixed greens as accompaniment.

* Note that my taquitos are a bit darker as I used whole-wheat tortillas. It actually taste better when you use corn tortillas.

These are really simple recycling recipes that will be well liked by whoever you are cooking for. Get started and finish up your leftovers!