Avocado Egg Salad

Yield: Serves 3-4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Avocados take this egg salad to a whole new level! We love this healthier version of the traditional egg salad!

ingredients:

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 hard boiled egg whites, chopped
2 small avocados, pitted and peeled
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt (we use Chobani)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the hard boiled eggs and egg whites, avocado, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, green onion, and mustard. Mash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serving suggestions: Spread between two slices of bread for an Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich. Eat with crackers, cut up veggies, on toast, or in a wrap. This salad is best eaten the day it's made.

Creamy Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces

3/4 pound (12 ounces) dried Rotini pasta

1 cup mayonnaise

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill (or 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill)

1 1/2 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 avocados, pitted and cubed

Directions:

Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain. Run cold water over the top until the pasta is cooled.

While your bacon and pasta are cooking, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, pepper and dill together in a bowl.

Stir cooled pasta, diced tomatoes, and reserved bacon into the dressing. Toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Right before serving add cubed avocados.

The Best Snicker doodles

The Best Snicker doodles

INGREDIENTS:

Dough
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste

For Rolling
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dough - To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 3 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
4. Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop or your hands, form approximately 14 equal-sized mounds of dough (2 heaping tablespoons each), roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
5. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
6. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray.
7. For Rolling - In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and stir to combine.
8. Dredge each mound of dough through cinnamon-sugar.
9. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don't overbake for soft, pillowy cookies. For firmer cookies, bake a minute or two longer. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack.
10. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Milk and honey sleepy remedy

Milk and honey sleepy remedy

Try this age old remedy if you are suffering a bout of insomnia. It's calming effects will have you sleeping like a baby in no time.

Ingredients

• 6 oz milk
• 1 drop vanilla extract
• 1 tsp honey

Directions

In a small saucepan heat the milk to warm, but not boiling.

Remove from heat and pour into glass. Add vanilla and honey.

Stir well and sip slowly before bed.

Cook's note

For those who are lactose intolerant, follow the recipe exactly as above, simply replace the milk with a lactose free substitute like soy, rice or almond milk.

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cans (14.5 ounce) mexican stewed tomatos
• 1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
• 1 can (15 ounce) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (15 ounce) navy beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 can (15 ounce) black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 can (15 ounce) kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 package taco seasoning or 4 T. taco seasoning
• tortilla chips
• shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot. Drain the fat.
2. Add the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, beans and taco seasoning. Stir.
3. Simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat.
4. Top with cheese and eat with tortilla chips. I like to add a dollop of sour cream to my bowl :)
5. Notes: You can cook in a crock-pot if you wish. Feel free to use any beans you like. The original recipe used great northern, chili and pork n beans. If you don't like your soup thick, you can add the corn & beans undrained. If you can't find or don't have mexican stewed tomatoes, regular are ok to use. You can cut up the stewed tomatoes if you prefer smaller pieces. 

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

Ingredients

4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced
1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente
1/2 stick Butter
3 whole Lemons, Juiced
3/4 cups Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Half-and-half
1-1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 3 to 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-heat. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

LENTILS WITH GARDEN VEGETABLES, AVOCADO, WALNUTS AND HUMMUS

What it took for 2:

* 1/2 cup uncooked French green lentils, picked over for any stones
* 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 to 1/2 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, sliced into small pieces
* 6 cups chopped garden greens (I used swiss chard, kale and spinach)
* 1/2 avocado, sliced
* 2-4 Tbs. favorite hummus
* 2-4 tsp samal oelek
* small handful of toasted walnuts
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the lentils in boiling water until tender, but not broken, 20 to 25 minutes. (if you can’t find French lentils and are using regular green lentils, the timing may be shorter. Start checking at the 15-minute mark.)

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add the asparagus and sauté until slightly tender, 3 minutes. Add the garlic; bloom 30 seconds. Add the remaining chopped garden greens and sauté until wilted, 2 minutes. If you need to add a little water to help it along, don’t! Just kidding, you totally can. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Serve lentils with sautéed greens, topped with avocado slices, a dollop of hummus and a little sambal oelek.

And the walnuts.