I don't know what the weather's like where you live, but it's hot here in Texas. So today we're going to revisit a couple of my favorite cool and refreshing summer salads. First is Cucumber and Onion Salad. As soon as the weather turns warm, my husband starts asking for this. And I always have to add extra onion just for him.
Start by peeling and thinly slicing a cucumber or two.
Put them into a bowl, then slice some onion, add that to the cucumbers and toss everything together.
Next, in a 2 - 4 cup measuring cup or medium bowl, mix 2 cups water, 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper and sugar to taste. I usually add about a tablespoon, but you can start with 1 tsp and go up from there until you reach the desired amount of sweetness. For me, I'm simply looking to take the edge off of vinegar, not anything really sweet. Stir until dissolved and pour over onion/cucumber mixture.
Allow to sit for at least an hour before serving. Avocado and Tomato Balsamic Salad is quickly becoming one of my go-to sides. I can whip it up in a flash and it's so delicious and healthy that I've been known to make a meal of this alone.
Simply cube the avocado and some tomatoes into a bowl. I prefer the flavor of grape tomatoes, so I just halve them.
Then drizzle a little bit of olive oil over that, add several shakes of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt.
Gently toss everything to coat and that's it. You're ready to go.
Fresh veggies and fruits are part of the beauty of summer. And while we can get many of these items year-round, they just taste better in the summer when they're fresh and, often, locally grown.
What are some of your favorite summer salads/veggies?
Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com
Don't get me wrong - I love carbs! Especially the healthy kind. Like veggies, and whole grains, and salad, and - one of my favorites - banana oat smoothies!
Some of my favorite carbs (and a couple of their friends)!
But then there are those other carbs...donuts...cake...ice cream...pizza...
Oh, do I love those carbs, too! But if you've ever done a carb binge (you know - pizza with all the toppings followed by a generous helping of cheesy garlic bread, and then a big bowl of ice cream for dessert), you know how your body hates you the next morning.
At least, mine hates me.
When I was younger, I could bounce back from a carb binge with no problem. But now?
I have to follow up a carb binge with a breakfast made of delicious protein and healthy fats.
Yes, I said fats!
These are the healthy proteins and fats that go into one of my favorite breakfasts. I got the recipe idea from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook.
Eggs, olive oil, and avocados provide the fat and protein for this dish. It's filling and yummy, and it quiets those sugar cravings that scream at you after a carb binge. :)
Eggs and Avocados
First, cook two eggs the way you like them. Fried, boiled, scrambled, poached - any of those ways work for this recipe. But don't try to cheat yourself out of the healthy fats and powerful nutrients of your eggs by using an egg-whites-only alternative. Use real eggs! Your body will thank you.
While the eggs are cooking, prepare 1/2 avocado by peeling it and cutting it into bite-sized chunks.
What do you do with the other half? If you leave the skin (peel? husk? hull? cover?) on, and the seed in place, it will stay fresh longer. Just put it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until another meal within the next day or so.
Why only half of an avocado? Avocados are yummy, and loaded with healthy deliciousness, but you don't want to overload with fats. Be reasonable by keeping your serving to one half.
Put the eggs on one side of your plate and the avocado chunks on the other side. Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil (only a teaspoon or so - remember: you don't want to overload the fats!)
Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese, and add some nutritional yeast for some extra healthy deliciousness.
This breakfast is so satisfying and delicious that you won't be hungry for hours.
And when you follow up with a salad for lunch - one that's loaded with veggies and low-fat protein like chicken or beans - or this Waldorf Cottage Cheese salad - that carb binge will be a distant memory.
No, that's not a typing error. My favorite summer sandwich is a Bacon, Lettuce and Avocado sandwich. AKA, BLA!
It's what I like to make for a quick lunch, especially if I'm going out of town for a week, and these are in my refrigerator:
I hate it when avocados go bad...they're too delicious to waste that way!
A BLA is super easy to make. In fact, it's a lot like a BLT.
Cook up some bacon, toast your bread, get the Ranch dressing out of the fridge...
Yes, Ranch dressing rather than plain mayo. It adds a bit of yummy deliciousness to the sandwich.
And then start layering - A bit of salad dressing on both pieces of toast, and then a generous helping of lettuce, avocado slices, and top with bacon.
Put the lid on (aka, the other slice of toast) and you're set to go.
Warning: this is a very messy sandwich. Don't try to eat it on the run!
Another delicious lunch I've just heard about is avocado toast. From the number of recipes available on the internet, it seems like I'm the only one who has never run across this before!
Easy peasy lemon squeezy! A slice of toast, mashed avocado, and a topping. My favorite is crumbled bacon.
Do you sense a theme here? Avocado and bacon are delicious together!
I've been doing quick lunches for the past week or so because I'm getting ready to take off to Nashville tomorrow for the First Annual Christian Fiction Readers Retreat and the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference.
If you haven't heard about the Readers Retreat, go here to get the scoop! You'll notice that some of your favorite writers are involved, and it's a day centered around our favorite people: Readers!
And then the ACFW Conference starts on Thursday.
Just imagine, an entire week (at least, Wednesday through Saturday) filled with readers, writers, and other people who love books. Doesn't that sound like a dream come true?
Since we just got done with the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (ten days of not leaving home to head up into the Hills) and I'm getting ready to leave for the rest of the week, my husband and I HAD to make a trip up to some of our favorite places on Saturday.
I ignored my new office and the paint-less walls, the vacuuming and weeding and laundry that needed to be done, and we went to the center of the Hills, up to the Needles Highway.
This is what we wanted to do:
Our intention was to hike the Cathedral Spires trail, but there was a problem. We couldn't find anyplace to park near the trail head. Or near our alternative hiking choice in that area, the Little Devils Tower trail. So we drove and dodged other cars.
I'm not complaining, though! It's a beautiful drive....
Do you see why it's called the Needles Highway? Those granite spires....
There are narrow tunnels along the way, and the one at the top is breathtaking. Here's the approach...
Suck in your tummy when you meet those trucks!
Looks good so far, but remember - it's a one-lane tunnel.
Oops, traffic jam. Everybody wait your turn...
And if you aren't driving, be sure to look up as you go through!
The other side of the tunnel was packed with cars, trucks, pedestrians...and I forgot to take more pictures!
But here's a great video someone took during last year's Rally. They have people directing traffic during that week!
Do you see why I hate leaving home, even for the ACFW Conference? I'll still have plenty of fun, though. My roommate for conference is the best, isn't she, Ruthy?
Have a great week, everyone!
Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.
Well, the news broke last week, but in case you missed it...
I GET TO EAT REAL FOOD AGAIN!!!!!!
Yes, it really is those simple things in life that make us happiest. Like a baby's giggle, getting a cart at Walmart that doesn't have a gimpy wheel and being able to eat something besides soft foods.
So what did I have for my first meal?
I don't remember.
Well, not completely true. I remember one aspect of it.
Something I hadn't been able to eat in nearly two months.
SALAD!
Oh, yes it was so deliciously crunchy.
And the pizza I was craving?
That didn't happen until this weekend. But let me tell you, it was the BEST pizza I've ever tasted.
I think one of the things I've enjoyed most is being able to eat vegetables again. Sure I could have cooked them until they were mushy, but why? I mean, that's like eating baby food. Talk about yucko.
But now, veggies are front and center.
One of my favorite summer salads is avocado-tomato salad. It's deliciously quick and simple.
This is pretty much all you need, along with some olive oil, salt and pepper.
So first, we need to cut up our avocado. The easiest way to do that is to cut it in half and remove the seed.
The cut each half in half. If it's a large avocado, cut each half in thirds.
Now peel off the skin.
Yep, just peel that baby back.
And cut cubes into a bowl.
Now cut up your tomatoes and add them.
Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and lemon or lime juice (this helps prevent the avocados from turning brown, and brown avocados rank right up there wish mushy vegetables), then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and toss together.
Heaven in a bowl.
Not to mention a meal in itself if you're me. Makes a great lunch.
Now while this recipe is super easy, I can make it even easier.
After cutting up your avocado and tomato, drizzle in some Italian dressing, toss and you're done.
You could even add some fresh basil.
Either way, you can't go wrong.
So good, so refreshing.
So simple.
What are some simple things you'd miss if you had to do without?
Yes, you read that right - Avocado and Feta together in a salsa.
It's fabulous!
Start here:
Avocado, tomato, red onion and cilantro. Chop it all up.
And then add a bit of this:
Throw in some garlic and a bit of oregano, and then mix it all together with a splash of olive oil and some apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar - whatever you have handy).
And here's the hard part.
Refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours.
*tap, tap, tap*
And then it's good to go! You can eat it with tortilla chips, pita chips, or.....
Twice-baked Zucchini Rounds!
Take one of those big zucchinis - you know, the ones that were hiding in your garden until they're gargantuan size and you don't know what to do with them - and slice a few 1/4" thick rounds.
Cover both sides with olive oil, and bake on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes or so at 375°. Then take them out of the oven and top them with your favorite combo. I used the Avocado-Feta Salsa. Stick them back in the oven and broil them for a few minutes, or until the cheese starts melting.
Delicious!
I had a few of these for lunch with my Salmon with Garlicky Spinach (recipe here). It was a low-carb extravaganza!
And last week I put the salsa on my hamburger - now that was delicious!
Okay, I know I need to give you the official recipe:
Mindy here and I hate to disappoint, but I did not bake/cook anything post worthy this week. Craziness and heat abound here in Texas, so I'm going to play off of Jan's post yesterday and give you my favorite way to use pico de gallo.
Sometimes I make my own, but it's usually easier for me to pick up a small ready-made container from the produce section at the grocer. Especially if I'm already there to get avocados. I mean, come on, these two go together like Burns and Allan, Oreos and milk.
So here's whatcha need for easy peasy, yummy-in-your-tummy guacamole.
pico de gallo
2-3 avocados, or more, depending on how much guacamole you want. Make sure they give slightly under gentle pressure. Not to hard, not too soft.
1-2 limes
salt
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
First you'll want to half your avocados lengthwise. Remove the pit/seed/whatever it is, and spoon out the avocado into a medium sized bowl.
Now, cut your lime(s) in half and squeeze juice over the avocado. I just use my slightly parted fingers to catch any seeds. The acidity of the lime juice not only adds a nice tang, it also helps prevents the fruit from turning brown too soon. Mash this all together. I like a few chunks of avocado in my guac, so feel free to make however you like.
Next, add your pico de gallo (as much or little as you want), garlic and salt to taste. Stir and serve.
See. Easy. Add a bag of tortilla chips around my place and you are soon looking at the bottom of an empty bowl. They love this stuff. Of course, you can also use it on tacos, fajitas, sandwiches, you name it.
Do you like avocados? What's your favorite way to eat them?
Thanks for the pico, Jan. Hope y'all like the guac.
Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com
